Old Forgotten Lanes...

With more society/apartment culture peeping in…(which no doubt I vouch for any day)….there are few things I miss…

S’s holidays were on…so I thought to make a visit to his granny’s place…who stay in a independent house…few things picked my attention…

Balloon seller crossed by…..whistling his paper whistles while crossing each of the lanes…and for a moment I thought…ahhh S would run for it….but he did not noticed/paid attention to his movement…as he hasn’t seen it much apart from his friend’s birthday parties.

Also….the popcorn seller who pops the corn kernels/peanuts/chickpeas in front of u in his large deep pan in sand (and the aroma it brings)… As he arrives, he bangs his big knife on his big pan to catch-hold your attention…making sounds ‘tan tan tan’… you have choice for your ears or your nose to react first…

Then at times, jhoolawala dragging microversion of giant wheel to lure kids for joyride at their doorstep. I remember how we used to plead for one rupee coin daily for this ride and how many games we invented sitting within our swing seat (don’t u believe…eg: leaving slipper on floor in first round…and picking it in next…and then another game is catching things across our swing seats…)… And demanding the vendor, “bhaiya..aur tez…aur tez…” as he is the one who swayed the swings.

And lastly what comes to my mind is the drool-worthy golawala (crushed ice lolly)…and the variety of colors one can choose to pour upon them….and after effect of the colored flavoured tongues…

Not that you never sight these things….all these local vendors are still visible in fairs, in tent-based functions, and in local festivity markets, outside some schools…but kids waiting for these vendors daily on a particular time is something else. And with increasing apartment culture, more of gates communities, and our over-protective selves (which undoubtedly is the need of the hour)… these things are slowing fading away or drifting far from big cities to smaller towns.

I have grown up with these luxuries (for kids, truly they are) around, and I try to give it to S too whenever possible, be it for 4-5 days…and leave it for him to remember it for long to brag to his tiny friends or let it be a faded memory….

I’m sure you have your own tales of your childhood times, your special memories, items you bought from your piggy-bank  …

I’m just an ear away….

Originally posted on Parentous

Kids and Viral Season...

This year winters have been the most unpredictable of all times as far as I remember. Donno how many times I’ve washed the jackets, blankets et al thinking ‘Done for this year, let’s pack for next year’ and took the stuff out the very next day…..And the main in this uncanny weather is kids… their throats, nose, chest goes for the toss…. Infections, congestions, flu and what not. Probably best time for medical business (pediatrics) to flourish. ;)

My son, S has always been the easy target for changing winds. Just an exposure to the gust of wind and here he catches the congestion... Like all other mothers, I ponder why only him. But believe me, all moms think alike in viral season. I go with loads of questions to doctor. And even before I download my wave of concerns, he is already ready with his list of medicines. As if his pen turned automatic writing the same set of prescriptions since morning. And most of the times, I know what he is going to prescribe, still I visit him to be doubly sure.

With each passing viral season, my knowledge set of medicines increases. (Which new cough syrup is effective or is most recommended, which salt/antibiotic is being prescribed these days). So is the home remedy list passed on by other moms and through internet. Sharing here a few of them:-

• Spoonful of Ginger honey paste/ turmeric-honey-black salt paste to be given after every few hours. Few people also try Nutmeg (jaiphal) and honey paste.
• Heat mustard oil and diced garlic cloves and carom seeds (ajwain) together. Massage with this oil at night when kids are about to sleep.
• Plenty of warm fluids like soups (better to rely on homemade ones), tea/warm milk (preferably toned milk in cough), lukewarm water for general water intake.
• Give them raisins or currants (munakka) or some cough lozenges so that their throats remain wet.
• Best is if kids can blow out the mucus from nose but of not possible, at least to breathe easily, use saline water nasal drops.
• You may surprise your kids with handful of dry fruits in their tiffin box (but then this depends on if kids like dry fruits, at least try out once).

With this entire list, I’m not saying it works in all the cases. At times, considering the severity, we have to switch to antibiotics/nebulisation, but all these home remedies can aid in getting results faster.

On each foggy/windy/rainy day I think whether to send S to school or not, whether to brave our noses to cut through the odd weather, but as discussed with teachers and other moms, classrooms are pretty packed and warm, so we can make sure of their safe and covered to-n-fro from school, then here you go… I mostly skip S’s school in cases of fever or extreme cough n cold. Also I skip his morning milk and replace it with ginger tea (with more milk and less water) if S is coughing.

These are few of my takes and steps in viral seasons. What’s your take on the viral season especially this year’s one? And which home remedies/medicines you follow? I’m just an ear away. 

Originally posted on Parentous...

Mornings in Winters...

Every morning in this chilly weather I ponder on whether to send S to school or not. Too many thoughts keep hovering in my mind, “he will get bored at home”…”what if weather is same for next 2-3 weeks”.. or “what if it will get sunny in next 2-3 hours”…or …“oh he will catch cold and cough again”…and what not….

Amid all these thoughts, I still push myself out of bed every morning, prepare tiffin for S, pack his bag….and wake up S…. The moment I enter his room … this song plays as background score in my mind….

“Yahaan Alag Andaz Hai… Jaise Chidta Koi Saaz Hai…
Yeh Waqt Ke Kabhi Ghulam Nahin…. Inhain Kisi Baat Ka Dhyan Nahin…
Duniya Ka Naara Jame Raho…” and so on…

                            

All my hurried-self comes to a standstill gazing my sleeping angel. But I manage to gather back my scattered thoughts and shake S out of the dreamland,

“Come on Swarit, wake up… Mam is waiting for u…”

and his reply most of the times is either “mumma mujhe bohot neeni aa rahi thi…” or “mumma mai school nahi gaya, to Mam roi roi karegi kya”?

And then in hush hush, follows brush – milk – washroom – bathing – dressing up…. (follow my old post Bestof moments for elaborate steps for few of the events)

On way to school bus, we share his school stories, what’s there in his tiffin, things to submit in school and one constant eye is there on the society gate to check if bus has not arrived….

If its too much foggy (which S calls hoggy)…or breezy …my anxiety levels pump up thinking how will kids manage in school…. And sunny weather turns glooms to glee…

Bus arrives, S hops in and runs for the window seat to catch hold of the glimpse of his mumma. And so am I, waiting outside and looking through all the glasses so that S appears in one of them…. And endless byes follows in chorus by all the anxious mothers…the bus departs…. End of the morning saga…

And I come back home smiling with the morning moments with S still flashing in my mind one by one like a Kaleidoscope… and there I get busy with my morning chores (writing being one of them ) till the clock ticks for S to come back home…

These are my mornings….what’s yours?

Originally posted by Parentous

5 takeaways for the New Year...

New Year is just one day away…I’ve been thinking from quite some time on what to post for the last day of 2013…Here are some of the lessons of this year I wish to piggy back to the promising new year ahead:-

• Taking out time with kids for art and craft always works. Kids enjoy the colors, scissors, frills, accessories to stick/cut/paste and we too feel excited and rejuvenated to do something different, out of our monotonous schedule. So its always a win win deal. 

• Saving power, water and other resources are simple few things we can teach our kids right from their childhood so that later it becomes a habit. Like switching off the light/fan, close the tap while brushing teeth, in between washing hands etc are the small steps we can take to kick start with. It becomes both, a fun activity for kids to reach out to switch/tap and also serves the purpose of inculcating the right habit, right there right now. 

• Slapping and shouting should be used as a last weapon to vent out anger on kids. Rather staying silent on the moment for a moment, talking it out with the kid works out. I read a wonderful phrase on Parentous itself, “Slapping more than once just lets out your frustration. It doesn’t teach child anything more.”

Take a deep breath instead. Speak out.

Try it out. Believe me, it works.

• I always find dancing with my son best way to lift up the mood and spirits. It just requires me to Put on the music on FM/ phone, mostly the numbers which my son likes, and here we both go. As they say, Happiness comes in small packets and mostly free. 

• Tiffins are last thing to worry for. We still have mornings, afternoons and evenings in our hand to stuff the tiny tummies. J 

These are my take aways…What’s yours?

And a very Happy New Year to my fellow friends… Keep smiling always…Stay Raw, Stay Happy...:)

Originally posted on Parentous