Shades of (modern) India

What are the shades of Modern India.. we no longer have big joint families, the meaning of joint family has changed to "living with your parents".
You no longer visit the so and so aunty or uncle or their children and children of children..etc etc..(too much traffic and believe me too much drama) and plan that many gifts, burdened upon and passed on (lol you still do that!)
The patience is low for adults and high for children.. (our own ofcourse)..
Gifts are more electronic than physical, although I still believe in the latter.. the joy of tearing a wrapped up beauty and finding something glorious inside!

But around this hustle bustle which finally ended for this year (I'm not talking about weddings..that is a different "war" altogether), this Diwali taught me a thing a two about life and relationships..aren't we always learning (even at 32)!!!

EXPECTATIONS

We are actually ridden with this terrible disease!!!

"Who said what" "Who did what" "This That"

bla bla bla... and it goes on and on and on..
You know our mind plays tricks.. we can't see the good among the positive..like they say, lets fight the wars within first to win the wars outside!!

Its beautiful once you do let go...

And I found a very good quote by Roy T Bennet that says "More smiling, less worries, more compassion, less judgement.. More blessed, less stressed.. More Love less hate!!!"

This is gonna be my mantra for the coming year..henceforth!!
Cheers!

Lighten up your child's mind this Diwali

The meaning of Diwali has changed so much, since we grew up!

Now, you can buy clothes online, than visit various shops to decide for the whole family.

No crackers this year! - one of the major changes!

Everyone is more conscious about their health and diet. So the kind of stuff thats gifted is really around it..dry fruits, chocolates and innovative eatables!

And ofcourse, everyone wants to decorate their home with the best of things available.

BUT... Here it comes.. in between all of this hustle bustle.. what are we teaching our children!?

Here's how you can turn, one of the biggest festivals a way of teaching your child

Teach them:
(a) The importance of family
I narrate the story of Diwali, so she knows why exactly we celebrate it! Don't worry about their age, they understand so much more than we assume.
Do things "together" as a family! These little ones are great helpers.. and they would love to be "involved". If we show them how its done, they are so happy to do it! It makes them feel important and a part of whats going on!
Confidence booster I call it!!!

(b) The values of sharing and caring
Don't we know how difficult is this one! But a praise takes you so much more farther than criticism.. I've seen the change in leaps and bounds by this technique.. and since we have family and friends coming over and socializing, this seems to be a good time to apply your teachings through play!

(c) Cleanliness (one of the biggest things to teach)
One of the best things our festivals has taught us is that, cleanliness would bring good vibes, good thoughts, good everything, even money! And children follow what we teach them at home, the basic #Sanskaar.

(d) Giving away old and new stuff (charity work)
Diwali is for everyone.. Big or small. A person is a person, big or small like Dr. Suess said!
And giving away what is no longer useful, parting from it.. isnt easy! Especially for children..but now is the time when you can teach them to! Make them feel good about it.. how another one is gaining happiness from something you did!
Teach them the meaning of "real happiness" from giving!!
 
(e) And well.. having so much fun that you would want to wait for next year to come back again!

Isn't that missing now too! How we used to wait for Diwali and things we used to do with our siblings and cousins together!!

I wouldn't say that buying "new toys" is a good thing, its not bad either.. but wastage is something I try to avoid! I do try what we have.. is more than enough.. something "extra" wouldn't add happiness in our life as much as "giving away" something that will benefit a person who truly needs it!

This Diwali is very "special for us".. We did a Charity Initiative and succeeded (to an extent) in accumulating for the underprivileged.. I don't like that word but anyways.. 

Here's to a new beginning and a HOPE that God provides me with endless opportunities to do much much more.. 

Math Skills - Can it be developed in Toddlers too??

If we can pen it down to points the following is observed:

• They start to understand numbers, on fingers, like how old they are or how many objects are there in front of them
• So, when reciting numbers, skip one or two of them on purpose to let them fill the gap!
• Help them recognise opposites, like "Under and Over", "Light and Heavy" etc
• Carry out shape sorting activities (triangle to triangle, circle to circle etc)
• Toddlers love to shift things from one container to another, this is not only helpful in their eye to hand coordination but also of their basic understanding of measurement!
• You can even explore and recognize patterns in day to day life. There are different kinds of patterns, like spirals, spotty, speckled and shapes as well. These can be observed in animals, vegetables and fruits as well.

Everything around us is full of learning for our little ones, we already know them so we are unaware.
However, its a sort of learning to observe for them as well as us!

Happy learning :)

Math Skills - What can you expect in Babies

Every child is different and they develop at their own rate, but you can expect them to meet certain milestones at around the same time.

Maths doesn't imply numbers only, it also means analytical skills and logical reasoning! And this is something which realising early will help us with our kid's math development!

• Babies begin to understand sequence of event. Like "running water" means bath time.
• Understanding of cause and effect. Like shaking a rattle will produce a sound. Or throwing something will make a crashing sound and something will happen (I guess thats why babies and toddlers do that)
• They start to classify things, like what is near and far, soft and hard, what makes noise and what doesn't, etc.
• They can differentiate between big and small, near and far, loud and soft.
• They start to also understand words and gestures spoken often, like enough.

What you can do:

Speak with them as often as possible, you may feel they may not understand, but they do. And thats how they also pick up on language!

Rush rush rush.. to gather (non battery operated) toys, like rattles and soft toys, scrunchy cloth books (that make noise), etc

Playing games, like peek-a-boo - I still remember my daughter laughing and giggling at this one! Its like a cause and effect game.

Try to schedule the day for them - I know this one is a bit difficult with their ever changing time to eat and sleep and other errands going around, but what one can do to make it more scheduled, is doing the same thing around the same time. Like reading a book, or taking a bath after breakfast, etc.

Keep them away from bright lights and loud sounds

If you have any more questions, do feel free to drop in, in the comments section below!! 

 

Types of Play - Associative Play

Children begin to play together but the activities are not coordinated!

Like here, these Little D and her friend is playing with the same thing, play dough but they are not working together to make something.. Yet!

This form of play can vary to remain in a child till they are around 3-4years.

What a parent can do to help:
✖️Teach your kids to play fair and share - sharing can only be taught through reward. Reward of appreciation! Similarly playing fair should apply to all kids. If your child's friend has come over to play, treat both of them equally. Kids observe a lot!
.
✖️And ofcourse, organize regular play dates. They love to use their toys more when they have someone to share it with! Ofcourse they do not understand it yet, but that's the best way to learn
.
✖️Keep their tummies full before a play date. Most tantrums root from the basic cause of hunger or sleep, at this age. So make sure your tot is well fed and rested

What do you do to make a play date fun filled?

Types of Play - The Onlooker

Type of Play - The Onlooker

This one has really scared me, confused me till I got to know that its a thing!
If you are like me.. Do read!

Have you noticed your baby or toddler looking at other children play, without participating or joining them! Just looking..
You wish he/she would jump in too.. But they just stay and watch!

ITS OKAY😇🌤️
It is another form of play.. "Observation" is the key! And thats how they learn!
They may be reluctant because they are not aware of the play form

It can happen at various stages, even after they grow older.

How a parent can help:
✖️The best way to deal with this is "by letting them be". Don't interrupt or interfere. This phase is like any other and will pass soon enough
.
✖️Don't give it importance, especially in front of the child. Any negative will make them sulk more.. We have to make them feel that its perfectly normal, its Okay!
.
✖️Read read read. Reading books related to play, sharing and having fun will slowly help them understand what it means to play together
.
✖️Arrange play dates. Even though a child may not play with another, give them ample opportunities being around other children big or small. Its a part of their learning! The more they see, the more they will learn
.
✖️Talk about what your child did right.. Encouragement goes a long way! Never ever force them to share.. But when they do, praise them ALWAYS!! Did you experience this phase in your baby or toddler? What did you do?

#12typesofPlay #SchoolChaleHum

12types of Play - SOLITARY PLAY

This is when children start to play on their own!
However, they do NOT notice other children sitting or playing nearby during this type of play.

In this social stage, a child should be acquainted with different color types - contrast as well as opposite like black and white!

Age appropriate #sensorygames can also be introduced at this stage.
We got a special "tummy time" book for little D, with vibrant colors and different textures for her to sense and explore!

Start #raisingareader at this stage!
You may feel confused whether or not they understand anything, but trust me, they do! They may not reciprocate at this stage but they listen😇

This is FIRST stage of social and emotional development too!
What they need right now is YOU and your undivided attention and love❤️ #12differenttypesofplay
#SchoolChaleHum