Baby Goes For A Walk!

This short story is about the conversation between a mother and her 6-month-old baby when they go on an evening walk while she babywears him. Babies do not understand the stories that we tell at this tiny age but they are grasping everything, keenly observing, listening, and absorbing the activities of their surroundings with their beautiful eyes. So, it is never too late to read-out or tells short stories to children from a very young age.

Baby starts making crying sounds after his milk feed even though his mother has burped him, held him, and walked him around. Baby makes a noise like, ‘ Hehhhhh, aheeeeeehhhh, hehhhhhheee.’ Then he also yawns and rubs his eyes with his tiny little fingers. Baby wriggles in his mother’s hand so mommy and daddy decide to take the baby out for a walk to the terrace because they cannot take the baby out anywhere during the lockdown. Mommy and daddy care a lot for their baby and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they would prefer staying home and staying safe. Mommy takes out her babywearing cloth bag and holds the baby close to her. Baby is comfortable after mommy straps him close to her and pats him in the back and sways from side to side rocking him gently. The baby looks at his daddy when dad tells, ‘Look, we are going out for a walk!’ Baby grins at his dad and starts jumping in the baby bag and thumps his hands on his mother’s bosoms. With a wide smile, he looks at her and makes sounds like, ‘ Ageeeeee, ageeeee, geeeeee yaaaaaa, geeeeeee yaaaaa, agroooooo, agrooooo.’ Mommy and daddy walk up the staircase and reach the terrace. A cool breeze is blowing when they reach the terrace. He pushes his hand on his mother’s chest and sways away from her in order to feel the breeze. His soft wavy curls sway in the air and he feels happy with the feel of the cool breeze blowing on his face. It is sunset time and the sky turns a reddish-pink. The birds are flying back to their respective trees. ‘ Caww, cawww, goes the crow, squawk, squawk goes the parrot, curr , curr goes the pigeon and cuuuuu, cuuuu goes the koyal. Mommy points towards the birds and tells the baby that all the birds are going home. In between they lose their path because they are scared by the eeeeeeeee sound of the Brahminy kite. They all fly away and soon meet up-up in the sky. Soon the baby sways and falls asleep in the midst of all this drama that’s unfolding before the parents. The lockdown has certainly brought peace in the surrounding and nature is at its finest. Baby falls asleep on his mother’s chest while they take a walk. In an hour it becomes dark and the baby wakes up after his nap; Baby rubs his eyes and looks around making a noise like,’ Uhuuu, uhuuuu, uhuuu.’ Baby is about to cry when daddy points towards the bats who are now flying back to their roost. It is dusk and mommy and daddy bring the baby home. If the baby still cries, his mother hums a rhyme for him and calms him down. 

Baby and mommy go for a walk,

Baby and mommy had a great talk.

Baby and mommy walk- walk -walk and they talk -talk- talk.

The baby looks here and the baby looks there,

Daddy talks to him about here, there, and everywhere.

Baby and mommy look at the sky,

Baby and mommy see the birds fly.

Baby and mommy feel the cool wind,

Baby and mommy also want to fly

Baby and mommy hop, skip and jump

Baby and mommy have a great time.