Monday, July 21, 2008

Justice to my Role

A small kid 2 years old identifies flags of all countries in the world. A 3 year old kid recites Tirukural completely. Ask him any kural he will tell it. A 5 year old kid does math quicker than a computer or a calculator.

Sania Mirza achieves as a Tennis Player below 18 years. Williams Sisters are on a Win riot.. Maradona has the world under his feet..Lara sets Lords ablaze..

These are child prodigies. True. But all this is impossible without the trouble and the interest taken by the parents. Just to become an Airtel Super Singer, think about the number of times the kids has to be taken for enrollment, audition, practice,shooting, reshoot etc..Its a touch job man..If a 2 year old kid identifies the countries flags, 90% of the hardwork is done by the Mom/Dad to train it. For what a kid achieves mostly the parents are instrumental and they slog along with the child. I dont deny the child prodegies. But still they need to be identified and groomed. Williams father gave them the bat at age 2, trained them. Maradona was given the ball when he was born by his sports loving Mom. Sania's father dreamt to make her a Tennis player.

I am worried whether as a Mom, I am doing justice to my daughters. Its time I stop worrying about my career, my ambitions, my personal goals and start living my daughter's dreams. I have to show them the path and make the world talk about them. Should make justice to my role as a MOM..

Friday, July 11, 2008

House Wife Advantage

Being a house wife gives us lot of special preveliges to do things at our own pace. We are our won masters. It also means special care can be given to children, special recepies prepared, spend more time in their studies, impress hubby in all possible ways like decking up self as well as the home etc. But there are hidden advantages and real good ones which the working women miss totally and throughly. Hold on I am coming there..

This is especially to mothers of KG and primary schools( Especially for preschoolers and KG kids).. They meet the teachers everyday..give them new recepies, books, other useful things that get exchanged between women.. If you meet a person regularly, the person tends to identify you, your kid better..moreover if you become friendly, exchange recepie etc you become closer..that kid gets a preference..participates in more programs..sports etc..obviously it would have a edge in other things also..its human tendency..no one is super human and godly..Probably we can argue out that such things will get reflected in public exams..but that’s far too ahead..by that time the child is mentally weekend due to the petting given to such kids.

Thats ok..Its there in the world all over. Petting some kids isnt that bad..Let kids get exposure right from preschool so that they become stronger and better to face the tough world.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Bed time stories

Stories fascinate children a lot. You can tune the child to your frequency, by telling suitable stories. When a child is told a lot about how the Lion is majestic, how it rules the jungle, how fast it runs, how it attacks its prey the child starts imagining about Jungle, Lion, other animals, the vastness of the jungle, the darkness, the boldness and the strength of the Lion. If the story is suitably structed, the child would like to be like a Lion. The child likes to be physically strong. It starts admiring people of that kind.

If the child is told stories about Birbal, how witty he is, how he outplays other ministers, how he solves the puzzles, how he shows various tricks, how funny he looks, how looks doesnt matter to be smart etc, the child imagines puzzles, thinks quick-wittedness as an important survial tool and craves to be another Birbal.Looks forward to solving puzzles, wants to be a mental master.Starts admiring mentally strong people.

If the child is told stories about Prahaladh, how he prayed to god even when he was in womb, how sincere he was in his prayers, how god blessed him when several attempts were made in his life etc, the child's devotion to God increases.

Bed Time stories are close moments between a child and his/her Mom. So moms make the best use of the bed time slot to mould your children as per you wish.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Software Mommies

Mommies are Mommies.Be it modern or mommies of previous generation or 12th century mommies.Mom means crystal clear love and affection and 100% sacrifice with no expectation about ROI (return of investment). But our modern software mommies are something extra..Let me explain. These moms are educated.They have the internet at their disposal the whole day.They read so much about pregnancy, child care, nutrition, bringing up kids, kids education, and you name it. They take extra interest and explore things.Subscribe to baby,mommy,kids sites and keep them updated. They get all strange and doubts of superior quality which even the gynos and pediatricians find it difficult to answer. So everyone is in awe about these software moms is it..Hold on..These moms know everything under the sun. So there is nothing which they dont know. So they are difficult to be handled by fathers,in laws, their moms etc.

These species of Moms preach, but find it difficult to implement themselves. They know how to massage the kids, how to pour water, what should be the idle temperature of water for bathing etc, but cannot implement it. They require someone else, may be a hired person to carry it out. In case the kids fall sick they know how to take care, how to monitor, what to monitor etc, but dont know how to give medicine to the crying baby. I bet you tech savvy software moms out there would atleast honestly evaluate each one of you on these two points.

I am not doubting your love and affection you shower on your kids.Today's mom are confused. They cant blindly follow what their parents or inlaws say.They simply cant follow it as they are educated and want to know the reason before practicing anything. It is absolutely logical and correct.They have lot of exposure too. But only a small piece of advice that these moms need to take is not to doubt the older moms too much. After all they are moms too..

Mom you look good

When you are a kid, dont give importance to looks.Its too early..When in teens. First study well,get settled with a good job and then do all the grooming. When married..alas its kids time..no time to take care of looks..ok now I have time to take care of me..but its already too late..you are mom of two...give preference to kids first..This is the general cycle most girls go through..Of course you get some in between good times like after engagement before marriage, after marriage before kids etc, during which phase you are absolutely special and can be selfish and think only about you.. But dear, looks are just trivial things.After all, moms dont want to dress up like super models and go for cat walking.

But this style is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the way we look when we are at home. When we are on vacation. Looking good is not only required when you go to office or when you are going out or partying. When you worry to impress others so much, how much you should to impress your dear ones.Kids also like good looks. Now a days for kinder garden teachers' selection criteria looks are also given due weight-age. If kids like teachers, they will like the subject. So good looks also is one of the points to make the kids like you. So mommies out there, dont hesitate to take a bit of care to groom yourself and look beautiful when at home.. You don’t want your kids to look dull, with gloomy face and untidy dress when she is at home right..Then why do you look like that when at home. Your face should be radiant and full of energy always to make your kids also reverberate.. Dont read this stuff in between the lines. Bottom line is take interest in yourself and dress up well even when you are moms and even when you are at home. Special quality time should be given for your personal self also..You love to hear your kid say "Mom you look good", Correct me if I am wrong

Experiment with ..Keep Guessing

Tradition and culture needs to be learnt, practiced, preserved and passed on to GenNext. This big onus rests with us. US includes all young youngsters and old youngsters..Everyone likes to be called youngster right..So let us all be youngsters. So onus lies with me too. To practice what I preach to my daughters. My workplace friends thought of practicing the tradition at work and made it almost compulsory for everyone like me to follow that just by sending a mail. If I were not with the flock, it would look really odd. After all they did not ask me to climb mount Everest. So I did an inherent nod and plunged into the job right away. Thank god they gave me some time ( weekend). Though as a an idealistic Indian Mom, India wife and Indian daughter-in law it is totally unwarrented to even bid some time, so that I could prepare myself to come to workplace in the traditional attire, but that is what happened. I bet there would be people like me who are sailing with me in the same boat. I felt ashamed myself for not wearing our traditional attire often. Yes you guessed right, my experiments with saree is what I am talking about.

So if it means wearing a saree, it requires lot of preparation, right from blouse, then tieing, then walking with it carefully, in the steps it requires special attention. Wearing a saree I literally scared away my girls..Saree day in office meant early getup for me, my kids, my hubby, early bath for all, early food for all, no more hugs, no more carrying them after the saree is tied..So many donts.. It also meant poor dad had to leave me in office, pick me up etc etc..
But atleast I am happy that we have taken so much pain and trouble to keep our tradition alive by what?? Coming to office in Saree for a Day.. Atleast our kids know Mom does wear sarees too its not meant for grandma's alone :)

Break the routine

Break the routine..though I have not been a fuss pot in eating my Mom had always taken special interest to cater to my taste buds..how marvellous and meticuluous she had been in planning her regular tasks. These tasks which are regular and need to be performed day in and day out of course requires lot of love, patience and fresh start everyday..I used to wait for the ring to go and wait to see my Maths teacher's neatly decked hair bun clad with flowers vanish, so that I could open the tiffen box and find out what my mom had packed for me for the day.. She managed to make each day magical with different colors filled in my box. She used to make flags of different countries each day..Greens, carrot, curd rice neatly arranged in different rows..She used to have a separate box for chips, appalam etc..With all this effort and so much imaginary work being done by my Mom I used to bring back the box half-unfinished.. But the next day my tireless mom would again have another surprise in my box..How wonderful she was..And alas today I am a mom and I am unable to imagine, decor or create new recepies to fill my daughter's tiffen box.. Everyday morning 6.00 I enter the Kitchen and stay gazed and wondering and thinking what am I supposed to do today.. How will I make my daughter finish up her box..God will you send me some fairies with magical recipies to flatter my daughter. She doesnt want repetitions, she doesnt want this..that..God are all GenNext kids so fussy...And today's mom's I must tell you are left starstuck hearing about the different munchiees the kids want us to make..strange names..dont know from where they get them..I am out on a receipe hunt to atleast make her open the box and have a few bites..leave alone finishing half..Must break the routine now that Iam in the hot seat...

Promotion

Fairy tales sound like there came a prince charming to marry the princess and they lived happily ever after..Princess is the star and gets attention all along..Everything is offered to her the goodies, gifts,new dresses etc etc and she is in a state of ultimate happiness..Princess married the prince and was the center piece of attraction and the nucleus till she became Queen..Then came young cutty pie the real princess and life took a U turn for poor Queen..Not really..slowly the cutty pie became the heroine of the whole plot..Poor Queen became the character artist..but she was enjoying though..Initially a chocolate or a cake used to be offered to her first, but now everything went to the cutty pie..But though the Queen cribs that she has taken back seat..now the kids sit in the front seat (This usually happens in India), the Queen knows afterall the real happiness is in "Becoming a Queen" and taking care of the princess..This is joy for every women and the real ultimate joy..I bet you all Queens out there will give me absolute majority on this thought..