Guess What Happens When Parents And Children Switch Roles For A Day

The Characters: Mom (Leela), Dad (Madhav), daughter Shuba (8 years), son Praveen (10 years)

The Setting: It is Saturday evening. Dinner is done in the Madhav-Leela household. Parents are watching TV in their living room, and the children are busy playing with their toys.

Scene 1

It's 9 p.m. and bedtime for the children.

Dad: It's getting late for bed. Let's pick up your toys and put them away before going to bed.

Praveen: But it is a holiday tomorrow!

Mom: But we still need to follow some rules at home.

Shuba: Who makes these rules? And why?

Dad: We do, as a family, and it's for our good.

Praveen: If I were the parent, our home would be so much fun!

Mom and Dad look at each other. They hand over the toys to Shuba and Praveen, who resentfully put them back on the shelves. 

Mom: Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you two be the parents tomorrow? And we will be the children. Let's see how the house runs. Dad and I can help you with preparing meals as needed. But everything else is your responsibility. What do you say?

Dad: (looks at Mom with raised eyebrows) Well, why not? Tomorrow is a Sunday, after all. Shall we try this out?

Praveen and Shuba: Of course! (excitedly)

Mom: So, what are we going to have for breakfast?

Praveen: Vegetable sandwiches and juice.

Dad: Great! I can't wait.

Scene 2

The next morning, Praveen wakes up with a jolt. He remembers it's his day as a parent. It is already 9:45 a.m. He peeks into the living room and sees Mom and Dad sipping coffee. Praveen looks at them sheepishly. 

Mom and Dad: Hello, Dad!

Praveen: (grudgingly) Well, hello, you two. Brushed and showered already? Let me go wake up Shuba so we can make breakfast for all of us.

Scene 3

Praveen: Shuba, up! Wake up! We are the parents today, remember? We have to make the sandwiches! Up, Up, Up!

Shuba tosses from side to side. Praveen manages to wake her up and gets her to brush her teeth. She looks a little cranky. Maybe she is missing Mumma's morning cuddles, Praveen thinks. He is missing being cajoled out of bed himself. Plus, he is hungry and already irritable.

Scene 4

In the kitchen.

Praveen: Thank you, son and daughter, for cutting the veggies for us. Let me take over. Shuba, you grate the cheese.

Shuba: Yummy

Praveen: Grate the cheese, don't eat it!

Shuba: Sure (devouring the cubes with her eyes)

Praveen begins to arrange the vegetables neatly on the bread but accidentally drops the container that has the chopped tomatoes. With squishy tomatoes all around him and nothing left to prepare his sandwiches, Praveen is near breakdown. He is also worried that Mom and Dad will yell at him. But no! They are coolly watching a movie.

Scene 5

Praveen: (to Mom and Dad) Why are you two watching TV early in the morning? I'm hungry.

The next cube of cheese is almost in Shuba's mouth.

Praveen: SHUBA, STOPPPP. Do you even CARE what's going on here?

Shuba: Why are you YELLING?

Mom and Dad: (smiling)

Mom: I've made some toast and also some banana smoothie. You can have them. But you've got to clean up the kitchen yourselves. We can only help you, remember. We can't do it for you.

The family sits down to have breakfast.

Scene 6

Shuba and Praveen scrub the kitchen all morning. They are not in a great mood. They see their mom reading something on her phone.

Praveen: Hey, Mom and Dad. No TV and no phone.

Mom: Hey, I'm checking my work mail!

Praveen: Uh-huh! NO! Sorry. You do as you are told! No questions asked, no reasons given! Come, help us clean up.

Mom: (rolls her eyes) Okay!

Dad: Let me just watch this interesting program on TV. Then I will come and help you.

Shuba: NO! When we ask you to do something, you are expected to do so the next second! No excuses!

Dad: (makes a face)

Scene 7

The family sits down to decide what's for lunch. The children usually decide on the Sunday menu, and they decide to follow that tradition on this unique day, too. 

Mom: Why don't we have veg pulao and raita?

Dad: I want corn fritters, too! (Dad loves corn fritters. This is his only weakness.)

Praveen: Alright!

Mom and Dad help the children cut the veggies and fry the fritters. Praveen and Shuba wash the rice and prepare the raita. They struggle a bit and are exhausted by the end of it. They long to go out and play. But no, they cannot give up so soon! After all, they are enjoying being in control.

Scene 8

At lunchtime, Praveen and Shuba are running to and from the kitchen, setting the table.

Mom: I can't wait to start!

Dad: (piling the fritters on his plate) Looks yummy!

Shuba: Fritters are not exactly healthy. Please take four and no more! (She takes the remaining ones from his plate and puts them back into the serving plate.)

Dad: Eh, what? Junk food once in a while is allowed! Give me those fritters.

Shuba: Nothing doing!

Praveen nods in agreement. Dad makes a grumpy face at Mom. Mom shrugs helplessly.

Scene 9

Mom and Dad are relaxing after lunch. Sunday afternoon ritual in the family has dad clearing up the children's study table. So, today, it's the children's turn to clean Dad's study! The children are excited. They are rarely allowed to enter the room. 

Shuba: Look at that photo of the four of us on Dad's table. It is such an old and boring pic. Let's replace it with a more recent one!

Praveen: And I am pushing all these files into the cupboard. They look ugly on the table.

Dad peeps in after a while to see how the children are doing. He looks at the changes made. The room looks neat, but he is not happy with the changes! Where are his important files? And where is his favorite photo of the first time they all went on a long trip? 

Dad: Praveen, Shuba, COME HERE!

Praveen: What's up? Do you like your study now? It's so much neater!

Dad: I am sorry, but please keep the things back in their places! I want the files back on the table, and I want the old photo back!

Shuba: But Dad, we make the rules, remember? Just like how you decide what goes where on our shelves and what we should keep and what we should throw away!

Dad opens his mouth to say something but doesn't know what to say. He turns and leaves the room.

Scene 10

In the evening

Praveen: Can we go out and play for just a little while?

Dad: You could if you were free. But you need to prepare dinner, right?

Shuba and Praveen roll their eyes. 

Dad: OK, let's make something simple. How about idlis? I will help you make them.

The children nod in relief.

Scene 11

It's dinner time. Hot, steaming idlis are ready. Mom doesn't look too enthusiastic. Idlis are her least favorite dish. The children are serving. 

Mom: Give me just two idlis.

Praveen: But, Mom, two aren't enough! Please have at least five. The idlis are quite small in size.

Mom: That's OK. I will compensate by drinking a glass of milk.

Shuba: You can't skip your meal. You are allowed to leave the table only after you finish your five idlis.

Mom bites her lip, struggles with the idlis, and somehow empties her plate.

Scene 12

The family is relaxing in the living room. The children usually relax with a board game or a coloring activity while the parents catch up with the news debates on TV.

Praveen: Today, we get to watch TV! Yayy! Tom and Jerry, Shuba?

Shuba: Yes! And here's a board game for both of you, Mom and Dad.

Dad loves the news debates. He looks annoyed. By the end of the day, the children are exhausted after doing all the chores. They almost doze off while watching TV. 

Mom: Go to bed, both of you.

Praveen: But I want to watch TV.

Shuba: I am tired. Today was a tiring day. Can we go back to being children tomorrow?

Praveen: Yeah (warily) He doesn't want to accept defeat.

Mom and Dad: Yeah (relieved) It's not been easy for the parents, too!

Shuba: It's not fun being a parent, is it? I spent most of my time today thinking about what to cook and then cooking and cleaning!

Praveen: Yeah (grudgingly). We missed playing with our friends. You guys rarely get to relax and have fun. It must be tough, right?

Mom: (laughs) And that's why you are children and we are parents! But you are right; it's not exactly easy being a parent. And I have to be honest; I realize it's not easy being your kids, either! I didn't like it when you forced me to finish up all those idlis.

Dad: Yeah, I didn't like it when you stopped me from having my favorite fritters!

Shuba: Haha, but you both always decide what and how much we get to eat.

Dad: Hmmm. I also didn't like how you took away my favorite picture that was on my desk. And you also stopped us from having some extra TV time this morning!

Praveen: But that's what you always do, Dad. Remember, you threw away my old car the other day, and I was so upset! And you always decide how long we get to watch TV.

Dad: I will try to be more understanding, buddy! (doing a fist bump)

Mom: Yes, we realize it's tough for both of you, darlings. Come, let's do a group hug! Tomorrow is a fresh start. Let's all try to be more understanding of each other's needs.

Dad, Praveen and Shuba: YES!

There you go! Did you have fun enacting the play? Do you still feel the grass is greener on the other side? Both parents and children have their own set of challenges. This play was a simple, fun attempt to get both parties to understand just that. We would love to hear about your experience and learnings from the play. Please write to us at editorial@parentcircle.in