Travelling Overseas with kids...

Recently been to a holiday outside India. Taking break from the normal routine was much called and desired for. Came back with loads of memories (and pics of course).

Here are few of the findings I carried back home:

1)      Always carry kids raincoat/ at least a good quality cap to cover their heads for unexpected rains/ too sunny day.

2)      Kids adapt to food changes quickly. We might still look out for our Indian or desi food everywhere but they can easily gobble in pastas/ pizzas/ smoothies etc. And believe me all these things do have some nutritional value.

3)      You get canned milk everywhere. Just carrying kids fav chocolate powder is enough. Even cornflakes/chocos are available easily.

       I generally opt for breakfast buffet at hotels. Even if they don’t have much of veg choices, still as per international standards, all of them have breads (all kinds and shapes), muffins, fresh cut fruits and juices, all kinds of flakes and milk/tea/coffee. This is more than enough for a good start of the day.

4)      Don’t think that your 3+ and beyond cannot walk much with you. You just need to keep their spirits high and they will surprise you with their stamina.

A pack of biscuits, chips etc would be icing on the cake. And bigger the group of people is, more the fun and help it would bring to the trip.

5)      Basic medicines of cough, cold, fever, acidity and an antiseptic ointment should always be in place. And most important is a bundle of BAND-AIDS (washproof J)…

6)      Washrooms are available in abundance outside (and hygienic ones). Just carrying an extra pair of clothes as a backup is ok. You need to carry diapers for extra cold places like in flights.

7)      And ya, kids do enjoy flight journeys (be it long or short). Watching the clouds, ascend and descend of plane excites them. And there is so much content in In-flight entertainment program (your personal TV placed at the back of the seat in your front) to keep all of you engaged. Movies, serial, video games and what not. And flight crew generally offer extra set of goodies to your lil one to entertain them.

These are just few of the things coming to my mind. And as always, with these learnings and memories to embrace, looking forward for my next travel rendezvous.

Originally posted by Parentous

Gadget-driven Generation

Technology has taken a big leap from what it used to be when we were kids. Smart phones, interactive TV, laptops, video games are commodities now.

Gone were the days when we used to wait for a week to watch an episode of our favorite serial. Now it is daily dose, two spoons after breakfast, two after lunch and two before dinner. And not just this, imagine even TVs are smart nowadays. One has a bouquet of options to choose from movies, games, quizzes, watch a new story/art-n-craft daily & what not…

It is funny, we used to say don’t worry I am just a call away. Now we say, just a tap away…Thanks to the smart phones. They are basically operating systems on wheels which can easily fit in our pockets.

But then it has brought the over ease of use for kids too. You need not even explain them on how to use it. They themselves find ways to play a game by endless tapping and sliding. They even call easily and without our knowledge too. My 3yrs old as such cannot read the words. But he recognizes the pattern of letters for names of his grannies and dad and calls at his convenience. For other features of phone to use, icons are his friends. If he is stuck, then there is home sweet home….Yeah the new HOME, home button.

All these things come with a big dilemma for us poor souls. It is a definite help in learning and growing (and to engage and engross them in case we are busy elsewhere), but yet it is replacing the outdoor activities.

And at times, you wonder, if these things are turning into an addiction, whenever they meet a new phone (through a guest), they get so much lost into that and do not pay attention.

Out of our love and being tech-savvy, we install kid-oriented phonics or number games on our cell. Or show them their favorite poem on youtube on laptop/cell. And now they know the source of fun. And many times, in middle of some imp work, they cling on us to open the laptop just to show (or rather just start) the poem (they can change it then, as you have to just click), or hand over our phone to them.

We as parents try our level best to focus more on outdoor games and evening outings. And mostly limit the TV/cell usage only when everything is taken care of – homework/rest/food/evening catch up with other kids. But then comes the weekend where they get liberty of use for their favorite TV show and papa’s phone.

Gadgets are bliss for mankind but is it limiting us to reach out to people in person? They have loads of information in single store but is it stopping us from seeking the information from other sources? Cameras were meant to capture and treasure but is it getting more used for Facebook likes? We are more dependent on docs/calc/memos than our memory.

These questions toggle-n-topple in my mind while I’m using my laptop (read Gadget) to post this.

In the end, it is all about balance. It always is.

Your thoughts?  I’m all ears…

Originally posted by Parentous

Best of Moments

I’m sure all of you must have come across some best of moments/quotes/excuses wrapped in extreme innocence and mostly with teary eyes and intense looks not by the great philosophers but by your very own blood, your kids…

Here go few of the excerpts from my own experiences…:

Milk Saga

When he throws tantrums for not having milk…I show him his wrists and arms and tell him…’ if you want muscles like Dad, then milk is very important’, then flows the milk down his mouth to his tiny belly following this pattern….

Sip1,

Sip2,

High Five….

few more sips…few more high fives…

gaze the biscuit leftover floating in milk and let it sink….

few more Sips….

lick the chocolate sticking on the sides of the cup….

some more sips….

then bottom ups/ fan fan sip….(see the fan, turn the cup upside down for the last sip…)

still manage to save few drops,

Oh Mamma, there is last Baby Sip…

and Phew!!!

Milk is finally finished….

Once like my routine, I was forcing him to finish his glass, when popped out the classic piece of statement…. “Jyada mota ho jaunga, to bus(school bus) me kaise jaunga…..” and my frowing brows turned straight and my straight lips turned to curved U….

Poop Pop

I know super contentment comes in small packets :D :P

That is when our kid goes to school with his stomach clean….then be it early morning ritual or a night before…. Else our time meter kicks and we demand them to visit the very place Once More (to save us from the P anxiety pangs)…

I always allocate 10-15 min for his P sittings…

Regardless of the pressure…..we make him sit and accompany it with Ooohh…aaahhh…oouucchhh sounds, making tight fists, to help him gear up, warm up….and either he doesn’t do it or does it in 14 min past and few seconds left for the last minute…

There were moments also when he took a bath….and while rubbing him, he disclose his secret desire of going to washroom (just few min left to catch his school bus), and I actually become the second ki sui of the clock…’Beta just some min/second left…do it fast…’.. and he is at his comfy best….water still dripping from his wet hair…. talking and singing to us…

He has even composed a song to convey his DONE status…

‘Ho gaya ye jahan’

‘Ho gaya aasmaan’…..

Evening Outings

I make sure to take him out for a stroll or cycle ride in evenings when rest of his friends come out too and also too show him varying shades of sky…. He has fondness to see the sunset and the moon playing hide and seek in grey clouds….

But dressing him up is in itself a task….coz if it is a shirt or a trouser with buttons then he has to button up every single button… it seems to be a live super slow motion of buttoning up a dress….

Hold the button through the hole…

Ah…it slipped off…

Try again…

Caught u…

Drag it more through the hole…

Take rest when half button has crossed the hole WALL…

Gear up for rest of it…

And here u go…one button is done…

REPEAT for rest of the buttons….

And then he wears his footwear…at times left ka right and right ka left and when told, corrects it….saying ‘mumma apne ulta pehna diya tha na…’

*****************

All these moments were just small snippets of what I see and hear the whole day. Umpteen number of them to observe, smile, sink them in for a lasting sweet memory. Loads to wait for and watch to…

Eager to listen to best of your experiences….

 Originally posted by Parentous

Being a Stay at Home Mum…

This simple term stay-at-home mom comes with heavy responsibility. If u were once a career oriented and ambitious mom and now at home, then the surge of emotions and feelings gets doubled.

No doubt that to turn into a full time mom has its own bundle of joy and contentment.

And it mostly feels worth it. But yes, understanding a mom is something yet to be learned. Way to go.

Regardless of whether a woman is a mother or not, her duty towards the home and the society around never lessens up. And child brings its own set of new duties and tasks to be performed by his/her dear mum.

Mothers are the ones who by default look after child’s education, health and mannerisms. Mums are the cozy corners where kids hide when sad or frightened. They are the comfort cushions where kids rest when unwell. They are the tale weavers for them at night and make life as if a wonderland. And they are the hitlers to make them unlearn something notorious or follow a particular discipline. But this whole process do drench out mum’s energy and patience. And at times faith in themselves too, that they are capable of doing anything (which they were once expert in doing). And that moment, what all is needed is a gentle word or a simple hug. A hearty candid talk, a quality hour spent with them. Try this and it surely will do wonders.

With all this, we don’t defy that fathers (or other members of the house) are not important or co-operative. They do form an integral part of the home. They are somebody kids look up. Just that they should accept the fact that there is somebody their age at home, who has loads to share and yes all the more eagerness to listen. Mothers become vulnerable easily. Try absorbing the heat, douse the blaze…. 

We all know, men are less talkative and expressive. But do give it a shot, for someone equally knowledgeable, intelligent, capable and after all because they are your life partners. Any change which might (and I’m sure it will) turn things brighter and adds to more zeal in life is worth it.

I’m very lucky to have my partner as my alter ego, who thinks alike, helps me in all the things, shares my hobbies and interest and is always an ear away for my never ending talks.

This is all what I opine. Your suggestions and thoughts are most welcome. I’m too just an ear away.

Originally posted by Parentous

Back to the Bubbly Colorful Crafty World

Amidst engineering degrees, job searches and other things, lost was somewhere a creative person who was once expert in art and craft. We never made rough sketches, nor did we buy any ready made stuff to present in school. It was always hand made. School functions and decking up for them was always exciting. But with the passing time, we chose to part of the rat race, leaving those interests behind to be smitten by dust, to become a faded memory. But there was and still there is deep down a restless soul who yearns do so many different things in this short span of life. After all, life do has an expiry date.

Thanks to my lil one, I’m living back my interests. His show and tell activities in school, festivity celebrations, annual day performances excites all of us, me, my husband (as he shares same interests) and of course, my son too.

That water colors (and their smell), paint brushes, left over paper cutouts, thermocol sheets (left out from packing stuff), bubble sheets, straws and sticks, there is so so much to make and decorate. Don’t know where to start from and where to end.

The other day, we had fun making traffic light for my son as loves to observe the changing colors on the signal. It stamped the meaning of those three colors in his mind as he knows which color does what and has seen it working live too. He keenly watched and helped too in pasting/coloring while we were putting the pieces together. And as the colors were open, and the spirits were high, just like that he and his father opted to paint a transparent jar using an old brush (toothbrush to be precise) for spray. And believe me, it came out fabulous.

                                                          

(Tip: Think twice before dumping any stuff. It might be well used in your kid’s next school project)

For his school/play group poem recitations, we get more nervous than him. We memorize his poems by heart and repeat with him umpteen no of times. In the park, lift lobby, while bathing and don’t know where all. They become his talk topics for conversation with his grandmothers on phone. I still remember his first recitation “nanha munna rahi hoon” and while rehearsing it, how he used to stuff “nanha munna rahi hun, chipka le saiyya fevicol se” (thanks to all the music channels to play items songs always, and god knows why out of all, item numbers are the ones easiest to be picked and enacted by kids) or mix/confuse it with “nanhe munhe bachhe, teri muthi me kya hai”.

And then on the day he is to present, I was nervous and was keenly waiting for him to return and tell me how it went. Guess what, I picked up him in my arms and asked “kaun si poem sunayi” and the answer was “Twinkle Twinkle”. :D :P Teachers asked them to recite a poem, and he chose his favorite. Simple. Innocence Unlimited.

(Tip: Always place a note in kids diary if teachers care to check, to prompt the kid for his poem if needed).

Like these, there are so many moments making me to love the life all the more, abreast it tightly and look it back as a pleasant experience. Many more yet to arrive. It has just started. Looking forward to it, not just because, it helps my son to innovate and learn, but also because it gives me unaccountable pleasure and a break from a monotonous life.

Originally posted by Parentous 

Road Trips

Sometimes few journeys, few moments drag your attention that your kid is growing fast, getting more observant.

Gone were the days, when I used to squat in the whole car journey and lay my kid down. Now I plead him to at least sit/sleep for some time in road trips. Road trips are now fun with him.

Every time he crosses any foot over bridge, “London bridge is falling down, falling down…” pops out from his vocal cords.

Chocolates make him sing.. “kiss me … close ur eyes…”… I never thought he can memorize the ads (apart from Chota Bheem, Mighty Raju episodes) so nicely….

Chasing sun (and its varying shades) with our fast moving car, placing it back to sky when we cross a tree or a tall building is our new game. So is catching up the colors and forms of the freely dancing flora on the sideways.

Petrol station meters (he calls it Katrol) have fast running meters (numbers for kids) to engage them. So are the chips (and free air inside them) and cookies kiosks just next to petrol stations. 

We more than memorize his poem CD songs as we barely get chance to listen to FM or any other songs. Courtesy, his ability to operate with the car music system. (And it always reminds us of buying a new CD for him). And now the scene is, even when he is fast asleep, we still keep on listening to his poems forgetting and loosing the golden moment to change the mode to FM….

And on the way there are soooo.. many varying shapes, colors, objects for us to show him or vice versa. Be it a tree or group of fresh farms altogether, swollen grey clouds or crimson red setting sun, a cyclewala rushing perpendicular on a highway to go to the other end or a heavy truck overloaded with stuff and packed to neck…

There is much more felt and enjoyed on the way which cannot be explained and enlisted in a small scribble. Yearning to have another one with my lil one. J

Originally posted by Parentous

Kid's Dabba...

Once kids take the big leap and enter their alma mater, one of the biggest woes or rather concerns of moms are The Tiffins. Whether tiffin has been finished or not and how much exactly kids have consumed. Our happiness meter is something like this:

Full tiffin: Fabulous

Half tiffin or few bites: Ummm, ok

Tiffin came back as it is: Red alert, immediate call to dad saying yaar…phir tiffin chod aaya...

(Same meter applies to kids freshening up in morning…just replace tiffin with the pot :D :P)

Though I fall in the same category of anxiety as other moms do, there are few things I have learnt with time:-

One: It is not always the case that kids like a particular dish or not, rather a whole lot depends on their mood. They can eat the same thing whole heartedly one day and discard it another day. So you never know if you are the lucky one today.

Two: Yes, tiffins are important. It should be finished and this should become a habit. But its ok. Don’t be crazy over them. You can always make up the missing part with a healthy heavy breakfast and quick lunch/fruits whenever they are back. In fact, I’ve noticed that if my son hadn’t had tiffin completely, then he eats quite well, that too with interest when back from school.

Three: Keep on experimenting. Not in mornings, when you are already short of time and unsure about outcome. Try once as an evening snack and if response is good, then bingo, here you go.

Four: Breads are life saver. (So are diapers)…When nothing comes to your mind, and clock is ticking faster than usual, then best thing is Brown bread. Dash it with veggies, or simple jam or butter, or toast it well and add cheese slice…this list is endless. Personally, I prefer raw bread with jam and butter (rather than toasted breads which at times become tight and hard and at times soggy.)

Five: Cultivate a habit of eat by oneself. Though kids spill a lot of food on their dress and takes double the time to finish by own but eventually this will help a lot in long run. Get a nice partitioned plate for them to start with and teach them on how to make a bite or how to hold the spoon well for rice etc. Or if this sounds too early, then start with finger foods or rolls cut into tinier ones easy to hold.

Six: Don’t go for a complex tiffin box. It should be one easy to open and seal back. Teachers are there to help but they may not always notice and kids also feel shy to ask for help. For starters, focus on ease rather than quality of box. Same rule goes for water bottle. Easy to open and seal back. I did this mistake of sending him branded bottle which has tight cap to close. Result was less water intake and tooth marks everywhere on cap which were telling the tale.

This list is simply endless. Everybody has their own experiences and tips to share. I’m still learning. Nutrition is always our topmost criteria. Just that, don’t stress yourself or child for a mere tiffin. You still have rest of the day in your hand to care and share. Be cool.

Your thoughts and suggestions are most welcome....

Originally posted by Parentous