Book Excerpt: Parenting Unplugged- The Drama Mama Diaries

An exclusive excerpt from Parenting Unplugged: The Drama Mama Diaries by Lalitha Ramanathan (Om Books International, 2025).

Kindergarten capers—where there is a queue, we’ll be there.

The child turned a year old. Along with birthday wishes, we were informed by well-wishers that we ought to start searching for kindergartens since vacancies filled quickly.

On the second of January, the alarms went off at 5:00 AM. We chose business formals to create a good impression, just in case there was an interview. What if our daughter lost out on a prestigious school because her parents were shabbily dressed or didn’t look serious enough? Our helper took care of Munchkin while Agent Mama and Agent Papa executed Mission Admission. We set off nice and early in case there was a queue. The rest of the world was still nursing their New Year’s hangover, but not us. No distraction could deter us from educating the light of our lives. New Year parties would come and go, but kindergarten admission? Once in a lifetime!

We reached the premises of Twinkles around 6:30 AM. Imagine our consternation when we discovered we were already fifth in the queue! People had sent their helpers ahead of us. How kiasu! I inhaled deeply. My baby would be competing with these dragon kids and their parents all her life. We had to keep calm and carry on.

We assumed our positions on the battlefield (I mean queue) and waited. I could not stand patiently and bombarded my husband with absurd ‘what-if’ scenarios. What if we didn’t get admission or our application got rejected? If the five people ahead of us had twins and triplets, would they take up the entire class’s vacancies?

Thankfully, unlike Kodinhi village in Kerala, which boasts the highest number of twins, none of these scenarios materialised. When it was our turn, our admission was indeed confirmed. There was no interview, and I rued that my over preparation was unnecessary. We were on cloud nine!

We had checked the first item off the list. My husband and I headed to a nearby café to unwind. There were already a few families gathered there, one of whom was celebrating their son’s graduation, no doubt a major accomplishment. Here we were, celebrating our little one’s entry into kindergarten, also a fantastic feat. Two sets of parents, but equally proud of their offspring.

This hurried rush is not limited to Singapore alone. When I called up my cousin in India, I was informed that she was queuing up for admission. She and her husband were engaged in last-minute revisions for their interview and told me that unless I had useful tips, I was not to disturb them. I reminded her to not only breathe but also to memorise the news headlines, just in case. On the first day of school, we, the parents, were more excited than the student herself. Junior strutted around in her new uniform that had ‘Twinkles’ embroidered on it. We explained that she was now a big girl and was going to this cool place called ‘school’. The black-and-yellow bee-shaped schoolbag was kept in the prayer room to be blessed. We took plenty of snaps of her royal cuteness in her new uniform and escorted her to the kindergarten. The teacher who greeted us was a pleasant, no-nonsense person.

“They will cry. It’s normal. Please wait outside and, whatever happens, do not come in.”

I steeled myself. I, who endured the fiercest reviews and the most argumentative people at work, was made up of sterner stuff than this. Along with other parents, we sneaked out and watched stealthily through a peephole in the wall.

The child was amply distracted by toys. Suddenly, she noticed her alien environment and her missing parents. Waterworks ensued. Each wail pierced my heart. The crying continued, the child in the play area and I, from the other side of the peephole. My husband had to restrain a near-hysterical me from barging in and rescuing the apple of our eye.

“No, we can’t home-school her. No, she isn’t being tortured. Yes, they know what they are doing,” he assured.

We were reunited after two excruciating hours. Munchkin threw her arms around me and then punched me in the nose. That action roughly translated to – How dare you abandon me?

This routine continued for three more days, at the end of which the child realised that tears were futile. She began to enjoy her stint at school, and soon, the parents were forgotten. A part of me was super proud of my little dragon for adapting well, but at the same time, my heart suffered from separation pangs.

‘It’s not a race!’ she protested while running with her heels on, joining a queue of other anxious parents skimming through their notes for the first-grade admission interviews.

– Drama Mama

Excepted with permission from the author and publisher of Parenting Unplugged: The Drama Mama Diaries by Lalitha Ramanathan (Om Books International, 2025).

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About the Book

A witty and honest dive into modern parenting, one hilarious, heartfelt anecdote at a time, Parenting Unplugged: The Drama Mama Diaries is a parenting manual like no other. Lalitha Ramanathan shares stories of the comical conversations she has had with her young daughter, reminding parents that the journey is messy and magical but also tender and joyful. This laugh-out-loud book finds charm in chaos and helps overwhelmed parents feel less alone. Whether it’s tackling tantrums and tech trouble, surviving school admissions and mediating friendship issues, balancing enrichment classes and office work, or coming up with imaginative answers to impossible questions – the author captures the drama that every parent can relate to and chuckle at.

About the Author

Lalitha Ramanathan is a finance manager-turned-author. She is an I.I.T. Delhi alumnus and has worked with a global F.M.C.G. giant in the finance department. When her love for words overtook her love for spreadsheets, she decided to pursue her passion for writing. Her short stories feature in over thirteen anthologies.