Sleep and Smile

Sleeping and Smiling,

Is an art of Living.

Sleep and Smile,

Work a long Mile.

Sleep for your Body,

A time to rest.

A Smile for your Buddy,

Is what they need Best.

Sleep to forget,

Your Worries and Duties.

A Smile to Brighten ,

A World in Darkness.

Sleep to renew,

And Restore your Energy.

A Smile really Spreads,

And makes everyone Happy.

It's my hobby,

I should say.

To Sleep and Smile,

Makes my day.

Anger

People who get angry over silly matters make life more complicated.

Kaleidoscope

This is a game which we bought a few months back. We were all fascinated to see how this game works. Its a small grid which need to be filled in completely, with blocks of uneven shape(different colours on the top side and bottom side) with no gaps howsoever .

We tried doing it first..there r many challenges in the game. My elder girl had a try and she came back and showed me a tough challenge that she did by herself. We just cudn't believe that she had done it as we ourselves were new to the game. There was a book which came along with this game. We just took that book and turned to the back of that book and discovered that there were clues to how to do a few challenges. She had looked up that and did one, which she claimed she did by herself. Clever girl. They do anything to get praise from their parents.

All of us had our turns in playing that game for days but finally there was one person who wudn't let any of us to play it. It none other, than my yunger girl. She just wudn't allow anyone of us to play the game...she keeps on playing it whenever she finds it.
Try it ..its a Super game!!..u can call it a Puzzle too. Its a Strategy game that can shape up a child's imagination . They have a website..www.funkc.com.

Single Parent Family

My elder girls is in Std 2. Her school follows the ICSE Board. They have got loads to study and most of the time ,we moms have to study first and then teach them. They have a chapter in Social Studies on family. I don't know how it was a few years ago, but now they have introduced a new kind of Family in the book due to the changing trend in the world. They need to learn about small family,large family, Joint family and "Single Parent family". When we sat down to study the chapter she asks me what is single parent family tho its clearly mentioned that its a family which has only one parent.

She tells :" Our family become Single parent family when DAd goes to Kerala with G(my yunger girl) for a few days, right?" We all smiled listening to her idea. She thinks the Single parent family is just a temporary situation in Life. At this age Kids r really curious about anything and everything. They won't be able to understand certain things inspite of explaining. But in order to satisfy her curiousity, gave her many examples. One example we gave is, when a parent passes away and so on. She felt sad when i mentioned it. She asks me"Will u die?". Then I had to explain that . She's got an idea by now,i guess. Sometimes it just so exhausting answering so many questions. I really Thank the Lord that there r 2 parents here.

Reality Show "Bites"

Switch on the TV these days and the channels r flooded with Reality Shows.The path to fame doesn't seem much hard as there r plenty of Reality Shows. Last week witnessed a 16 year old Kolkata child named Shinjini Sengupta being criticised for her performance on stage in a Reality Show named "Dhoom Mache Le". The end result of which the child became paralysed(lost her movement and Voice). I don't understand what the girls fault was! Her performance being a child was commendable, instead she was being judged as if it was a do or die situation. My heart really goes out for that pretty girl.

She would have worked really hard to reach that stage of the show. Its unbeleivable that kids these days go through lot of stress. The price of fame and money can be really stressful on a child. As parents, we should prepare our child mentally as well. Its not an easy world out there. People all around r ready to judge and snap at silly excuses. The mindset of 16 year old is much more different from that of a 25 or 30 year old. A child needs to treated as a child. People judging such shows or conducting such shows should make a child feel as a child. I feel there shudn't be Reality Shows for children. Kids need to make bigger decisions and compromises than an adult. Lets pray that 16 year old Shinjini recovers soon.

Box of Colours

It was vacation time. Mini went with her parents to the village after a very long time, to visit Grandma .Grandma gave Mini a Box, as a welcome gift, as she heard from her parents that she draws well. It didn't look extraordinary to Mini. She just took it from Grandma, without saying a "Thank You' and gave it to her Mama to keep them safe.

It was known that Grandma was sick and won't be there for Long. But Mini did not know what her sickness was. Mama told her that Grandma was suffering from Cancer."What is Cancer?", she asked her Mama. Mama said that it is a life endangering disease. But somehow Mini was too small to understand.

Grandma was always on bed,sitting and praying most of the time or doing some painting on small wooden boxes. There was a maid who used to help Grandma from her bed and give her food,medicines,make her sit in her wheelchair and take her out etc. Mini didn't know how to approach Grandma as she always looked serious.Grandma never showed her feelings outside.

One day Mini and Grandma were alone at home. Her parents had gone for a function nearby. Grandma saw Mini playing in her room. She called Mini close to her and asked her if she liked the gift Grandma gave her. Mini had forgotten about it. She ran to her room and opened Mama's cubboard and brought the Box to Grandma's room. Grandma asked Mini to open the Box and see if she liked what was inside. It was Wooden Box with some handpainting on it. THe painting was done by Grandma herself. Mini opened the Box and saw there were 20 Pencils ,all of different shades in colour. They were colour pencils. She smiled and told Grandma a "Thank You". Grandma asked her to draw and colour a kite, Mini loved to draw. She drew a kite and it looked so beautiful with the new colours. From that day onwards Mini wud sit with Grandma and draw a picture a day. Grandma would feel better when she was with Mini. She would guide her in drawing as she herself was a skilled artist.

As her vacation was drawing to an end, Mini saw Grandma getting weaker but she didn't know what was happening to her friend. Her colour pencils had grown shorter and it was getting near to impossible to colour with those short pencils. Grandma noticed her pencils had grown short.
Mini's vacation was over. She was leaving that evening to go back home and her school would open the following week. She was excited to go back,at the same time, she was feeling sad to leave Grandma. Grandma had a surprise for Mini. SHe handed Mini with a bigger box .It didn't look extraordinary but since Grandma gave it to her, she felt soo happy. She jumped and hugged Grandma and gave her a kiss and said "Thank You". Grandma's eyes filled with tears at the the thought of Mini leaving. She told Mini to open the box after she reached home. She told her to send new pictures that she wud draw by post. Mini agreed.

They reached home the next morning. She was all excited to open the Bigger gift Box. Her Mama unpacked their luggage and gave it to her. Inside she found many gifts. There was a small pack of watercolours with a paint brush, a small hand painted wooden box, a pack of colour pencils. She was so happy to see all those small gifts. Whenever she used to draw ,she would be reminded of Grandma. She would draw new pictures and post it to Grandma. A month later, Mini was told that Grandma died. They went for her funeral. She saw her parents crying but she couldn't understand why Grandma was lying still,as she was small. But Grandma remained in her memory forever and she wud never forget that Box of Colours. Whenever she would see the hand painted Box she would be reminded of the good times she had with Grandma. That was Grandma's greatest gift to her.

Birthday Parties

Mama(sounding excited): Its my Birthday next week,girlies!

My yunger girl : Mama,u shud call me for ur birthday, ok?
Kids get so excited at the mention of the word Birthday. For them, a Birthday is party time. Here in our apartment, kids just long to attend a birthday party. We usually have budget Birthday Parties here, lasting for not more than 2 hours or so. Parties begin with kids coming in one by one and giving gifts to the Birthday girl....there will be lots of whistles and balloons and party hats. Then comes the cake cutting accompanied by singing the Birthday Song and popping of a big balloon. As soon as the balloon pops the children start picking up all the thermocol balls and sequins that come out of it(my kids do that all the time, tho they have attended so many parties)...its like mad rush. Few kids don't bother picking them up. Another thing they enjoy is the Snow spray...it can be messy, but its fun to watch the kids screeching and squealing in excitement....Now comes the eating part...kids r served their fav food....cake chips juice and some snaks. They eat to their hearts content and become all eager for the most exciting event of the party that is "Receiving the Return Gift Goodie bag ". My kids not only need the goody bag but also a few balloons too. All of them collect their goodie bags and then start comparing. If there's a something they don't like and if its a colour they don't like, they ask for an exchange. Its embarassing for their moms but then Kids r kids.

All in the Genes

My Elder girl had(now getting better with age) this habit of watching TV, upside down from the time she was almost 3. I used to wonder what made her do such acrobatics...her head would be down on the sofa watching her favourite cartoon and her legs up in the air leaned against the back of the sofa. No matter how much I scolded her or spoke to her with love ,she wudn't budge. I even used to explain to her the bad after-affects specially after any ,meal. She just wudn't listen. I as a mom, wud think if she had any problem scientifically, but found no answers.

Some time ago when we went to Kerala for vacation. We went to visit my Sister-in Laws home after a long time. Lo and Behold, I see her elder daughter watching TV in the same position as my daughter does. For a moment I was surprised to see her do that and then we all were amused by the similarity. When I asked my SIL, she said thats her usual style. I also came to know that somebody else had these same characteristics as a child(TOP SECRET, else I will be strangulated). It was a releif for me ,as now I got the answer. Its all in the Genes.

Importance of God

Today is a Sunday.Every working person longs for Sundays to get a break from their Routine work.But we Moms never get rest even on SUndays, as our kids have them as Holidays . One releif is that we can get up late as we don't need to send our kids to school. Sundays are family days. Most of us go out out to take a break with our children. A day to think over the past week and prepare for the coming week.

I feel Sunday's also a day of prayer ( for Christians Mostly). Our children need to know the Importance of God and that God is able to do miracles and is much much powerful than man. They need to know that they can depend on God incase theres' nobody around. They need to know that God watches over them all the time and that they r never alone.I like this Verse from the Bible very much. I just go thru this verse when i feel my child is getting out of control.

It is from Isaiah 54:13,14

All your Children shall be taught by the Lord,And great shall be the peace of your children.

ScrapBook

ScrapBook or Sticker Books can be fun for Kids. You can always buy even a blank notebook and ur child can fill them with Stickers that u give them as a reward, for being good or whenever u feel like pleasing them. They can even cut out their favourite pictures or cartoons from magazines and fill it with them. Its fun to watch kids do such Creative activities. You will also get to learn ur child's interests and tastes.

When I was small I used to keep a file and fill it with the latest News articles that wud interest me. I still am interested in Reading News papers and Current Events.

Children not only become more Creative but they will learn to take care of their stuff and improve their observation power .

No Junk Food

Like many moms, I too worry bout my kids getting addicted to Junk Food. Kids are so fond of Lays,Burgers,Pizza,Bicuits, Fries etc. HAving them once in a while isn't harmful, but having them regularly over a period of time, make them addicted to such stuff. It is the responsibilty of us parents, to keep our these habits from invading our kids. Initially I would pack my kids snacks with all these ready-to-eat food but these days we try our best to avoid such snacks, as we found that our kids keep asking for such snacks all the time. With many lifestyle diseases prevalent, its better that we teach our kids from childhood the importance of including fruits and vegetables into our daily diet to remain healthy. Thankfully my kids' school has a snack chart and they have strictly DISallowed Junk Food from class 1 onwards, during snak time and lunch time. Their weekly chart is as follows:

Monday-fruits

Tuesday-sprouts

wednesday-vegetables(grated carrot)

Thursday -dry fruits

Friday-Fruit salad

This method help parents too .

One Snack which my kids have begun to like is this simple Easy-to- make Veg Sandwich.

It needs the following:

2 slices of Brown Bread

Butter to be spread on one side

Very thins slices of cucumber and tomato just enuff to fill in the 2 slices

A little salt and a little pepper.