Welcome to my journey as a parent
I don’t like to sugarcoat. I like to keep it real. What you will read here are raw and real stories of my journey. You will read about triumphs, failures, frustrations, and joys. Presenting, me.
Latest from the Blog
Not doing is the new doing
Liberating news; it’s okay for your child to be bored. Other than being a little patient, you don’t need to do much else. Here’s why. If your child says he’s bored, celebrate! It’s true. Researchers and anthropologists everywhere are encouraging people of all kinds to ‘get bored’. Shouldn’t we immediately transfer this learning to our…
Honey, can we skip this party?
Grinning while dreading the party – every parent’s reaction to a kiddie party invitation. But here’s what I learned. Turn it up! This weekend has been the most intense in a while. It started with my little girl’s 10th birthday party on Friday, and then went on with more friend’s birthdays, more parties, more gifts…
Chicken pox two ways
Gender differences rear whiny head especially on a sick bed “SHE grabbed the piano when I went to the fridge to get some water! It’s my turn!” he yells. “Well, it’s MY piano,” she counters. My head is about to burst. It’s the old demon in another avatar. Different bones of contention, always the same…
Dealing with the know-it-all child
Be firm, be open to discussion, but at entirely different times. You’ve got a future negotiator there! “Mum, can I play on your phone?”“Have you finished your lunch?”Silence.A few minutes later, “Mum, can I play on the iPad… at least on the computer?” The phone rings, and I get busy talking. In the middle of…
10 parenting times you need to remain calm
This list could go up by a few hundred, but here’s a starter pack to get you going. Parenting can be a breeze. Okay, let’s be honest… the kinda breeze that also sweeps up dirt, twigs, and stones in your face/hair… or a really rough tornado! You start off with good intentions, but ‘life’ wears…
Why can’t you be like blah?
Compare. The big, sneaky ‘C’ word. Here’s how I’m learning to stop this horrible practice. Last week, my tweenager was a little low. “My French teacher told me in class today, that I should be more like my ‘rock star sister’ and do well in tests, like her,” she said. I reacted stupidly. Looking at…
Stick Together, Rock The Parenting Gig
Parentry. (n) a craft that needs practice, involves raising a child, and usually comes with a partner that you can talk to. Now, for heavens, talk to each other. I’m at this dinner table laden with food. There’s a hearty vegetarian spread, some non-vegetarian, some spicy, some bland, Indian and Western – the hostess has…
Is “Good job!” a bad job?
How praise can create two kinds of extreme kids – Ms Sour Puss and Ms Cattitude. She took the stage, confident, effervescent, and talented. With every song she sang, there were claps, grins, smiles, and even tears. The people cheered and the band came alive almost trying to match her infectious energy. Now, I’m not…
Fixing Summer holiday blues simplistically
Beat ‘em with just a little introspection and unusual experiences. Missing the Summer holidays like I am? Wishing for those chill-out evenings with no school-gloom hanging over your head? Waiting for your toes to touch the beach again? Yeah, me too. As I examine the holidays that just went by, they were chaotic, noisy, too…
What children really want
Cryptic question? Not really. Children’s Day! Chacha Nehru. Coloured “dress”. Laddoos and a small pack of “mixture”. Teachers goofing off on stage. That’s what Children’s Day meant to me as a child. It was a once-a-year shot of adrenalin, when teachers would smile, show us their fun side, and allow us to talk in class…
So you want to raise independent kids?
Let them ride cycles, without you doing their hair and getting them kitted first, for example. Small changes make the big change. We’re all still reeling from last week’s big news – research findings that tell us the next Gen is going to be a bunch of bratty, narcissistic adults who think the world owes…
How to survive a kiddie birthday party
You panic, you plan, and then you let it go. “Mama, how many days to my birthday?” he asked in the dead of night. Yes, ‘dead’. Okay, it may have been 9pm, but not the best time for math, you’ll agree. Still, I counted and replied, “302.” This question popped up every time someone else…
When should my child get a cell phone?
Does it go by age, necessity, maturity or affordability? Kids want phones and no parent wants to deny their child. So what, then? “You know, one day a phone rang in class. It was the same ring tone as my teacher’s. So we all went around the class searching; it was Rani’s dad calling Rani!”…
I know how to train a dragon… but a son?
Thanks to the movie, I do. But what do you do when the one you’re entrusted with is just a boy? Aggression: feelings of anger or antipathy resulting in hostile or violent behaviour. This is a cool word. I didn’t even have to research what I wanted to – the root of aggression – it’s…
Somebody answer the phone!
Embarrassed when children refuse to speak to relatives on the phone? Normal. You’re in the majority. When grandmas call grandkids long-distance, there’s a certain etiquette they expect. Ideally, well-dressed, clean children (sitting and waiting for such a phone call), would answer with a timely greeting, like “Good morning, Nana. It’s so nice of you to…
Anxious child? Loosen your control!
Children aren’t born to bug us. So, who then, created the fertile environment to make it happen? I couldn’t get myself to watch the viral video of the toddler in the blue dress being savagely schooled by her parent. Though shocking, this is one of a million similar stories. How else are uncaring people created,…
How I let my kids eat insects
A detailed look at five times I didn’t get angry and got it right! The Christmas season has certainly begun. Invitations clashing, endless gift-buying, and late-night carol singers are upon us. As my eyes creak open on a week morning, I realise that two out of three children are coldy, sniffling, and unable to get…
Teach responsibility. Play cricket!
Want a child who is responsible? Encourage an outdoor sport – indoors – like this mum did. I watched helplessly as he bounced the tennis ball off my living room wall. We have changed ruined lampshades twice, already. It’s difficult to fault this little man who loves cricket, though… he’s indoors thanks to the pandemic.…
Shame shame body shame
Here’s one time, many mothers will raise their hands and say – “Guilty!” Take note, people. Save our children. Years ago, a beautiful cousin of mine surprised me when she said she hated her fingers. “This one belongs on the other hand, this one should be swapped with my pointer, my thumb should’ve been a bit higher, and the other hand is a total wreck,” she…
9 things all parents have in common
And it’s got nothing to do with patience We’re a united brotherhood. We might think we’re oh! so unique and cool at our parenting gig, but read on and you’ll see we’re really not that distinctive. 1. We count to discipline. In deep hope that it will still work, this time too. Don’t ask what…
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