6 simple ways to engage a toddler-It’s not that difficult

Is your toddler the adventurous or curious type? They can’t just settle at one place for long. Well most of the toddlers are very twitchy to sit at one place and just don’t sojourn. They love to explore different things at the same time. They want many toys and games at one go. 
Many a times you see them playing with one toy for 10 min and will soon get distracted with the other.
But there are many such activities which we as a parent can make our fervent toddlers do. 
Toddlers are always open to new ideas, concepts, language and activities. Whatever new you present in front of them, their face will light up like a bulb.


Let’s explore few:

1.      Hidden treasures:
I love to see my daughters expression whenever we give her a new toy, "Thank u mumma papa for the surprise", she says so innocently, this is because I never give her toys at one go.  Whenever she gets toys as gifts on birthday or any other occasion I keep all of them aside and remove them one by one, say a new toy every month. This way she never gets bored. Similarly we can do even with the existing toys. Do not keep all toys
in one place for their easy access. For e.g. remove blocks for one week then kitchen set, then rings for consecutive weeks. So every week they have a new toy to play. Same can be done with clothes, because children now a day have a big fetish for clothes, accessories and shoes.

2.      Books: Children love to see colourful pictures. 
Reading habit encouraged from an early age makes a lot of difference in the vocabulary and intellectual of the child. Many children do not like reading. But they love when their parents read out stories to them with full actions. They like drama and being dramatic.

3.      Children enjoy playing with colours and clays. Best is to give them blank book and let them explore their creativity. There are many drawing and colouring books available in the market.
You can draw and tell them to paint. It is so much fun canvasing together. Similarly making different shapes from clay is so much exciting. It is easy to teach alphabets and numbers through clay moulds.

4.      Learn while playing: Playing and Learning go handy. If you constantly nag and lecture them, it will be wasted as they are too small to understand. Instruction manuals are not for toddlers. For them, experiencing activity itself drives learning. Make it amusing. Do role plays.

 Concepts like a house, tree, animals, and fruits can be thought while doing some craft activities. E.g. If u want to teach them what is a house, form it with candy sticks. You can let them colour candy sticks and stick it on paper by making a house.

Making them aware of community helpers like doctors, fireman, postman, etc. can be done through role play. Preschools have lots of such activities. Use the same method at home.

5.      Children learn well when they indulge in singing. Teaching concepts through singing is a fantastic way to retain it in their memory. They learn while reciting it frequently.

6.      Free play: No method, no games, no colours, no puzzles. Just giving them free time to do whatever they want to, will explore their logical and artistic abilities. Playing with utensils, plastic dabbas, rolling flour, making chapatis in their own shapes, cycling, playing with friends, at home or park, etc., will give them space to think beyond their imagination. They will develop cognitive and emotional skills.

Every child and every parent is different. But the requirement to learn while playing for every child is the same. Children do not need One time lesson. Learning has to be interactive and immersive too.

I am sure each mum must have tried something new daily to engage your toddler. Do share your ideas.
My inkling: Give them 3 different kind of pulses and let them segregate. My dd gets engaged for an hour with this.However, this should be done when your toddler doesn’t have the habit of eating anything found.

Healthy Happy Hands: Chalk it Up!

Dirty hands, filthy clothes, cuddling puppies, playing with cats, exploring mud, art with colours, moulding with clay, scribbling with chalk, are some of the endearing and grimiest activities which kids do. We cannot stop them since all these help in development of skills.

Getting dirty is a part of growing up. But maintaining hygiene is equally important. My daughter loves playing with cats and dogs. She would caress and embrace the lovable street animal. The moment she does this I have to rush her to a nearby washroom and clean her hands with soap and water. Since children as young as my daughter who is 3, still do not understand the importance of maintaining clean hands. Putting their fingers in the mouth, eating immediately after playing, throwing tantrums to wash hands are some of the annoying habits they display. We have to show extra care, as majority of illness pass through hands and can make the entire family sick. It is imperative to set hygiene standards for the entire family.

Toddlers love to play and write with chalk on slates. They get attracted with the different shades of chalks and the best part is they can easily rub the scribbled with their hands. Imagine your child doing the same and not washing hands with soap and starts eating with the chalked hands!

There are many primary schools in India which still use chalk and slate for writing. Children in their breaks merely wash hands with water and don’t even use soaps.

Savlon in their new CSR activity came up with the brilliant Idea of infusing chalk sticks with cleanser like soap.  How? Watch the video which was launched on Children’s Day 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVWUlWEfJ1k

This gives an advantage to children and parents since they now feel their kids are also secured by germs. Washing hands acts like a natural self-vaccination and medication. It is the best precautionary measure that can be taken to avoid getting attacked by any kind of infections.

Why washing of hands is of prime importance:

1. Germs are everywhere and can cause major illness outbreaks

2. They reside in unknown areas and common ones like the handle of the toilet. In my house, I have made it compulsory to wash hands even if you just touch the handle of the door.

3. When one shakes hands with others, it becomes convenient for the germs to travel. Suppose if you have cold and you do not use a napkin while coughing or sneezing. And you happen to shake hands with a kid. The child unknowingly becomes carrier of virus and might use his hands for eating or playing with his toys which becomes further breeding ground for germs. The viral gets passed on to him and might continue with others.

4. It protects one against viral infections, diarrhea and respiratory illness.

Washing of hands should be encouraged after visiting washroom, before eating, after playing and after sneezing or coughing. I am always behind my daughter to wash hands after playing even if she is at home with toys which are cleaned often. I myself have an OCD of keeping house and ourselves clean. I wash my hands frequently. But mere washing hands with water shall not do away with germs. One needs to wash hands with soap and water. Rubbing hands with soap, in front and back of hands, in between fingers, nails by making enough lather is the right way to wash hands.

Drilling the habit of hand hygiene requires behavioral change. Savlon Swasth India’s ‘Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks’ has highlighted this concept in a unique and innovative way.

Children are the bright future of our nation. They have to be cared and nourished. Inculcating good hygiene habits from childhood will help them shape a healthy & positive personality and will lead to a foundation of healthy society.

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Enthusiastic Learners: Article for the curious youth

We as kids were all keen on learning novel things and trying out different activities. Everything was new for us. Our hearts were filled with inquisitiveness ad zeal to try out something innovative. We were fervent kids but less intensive, since our minds needed only fraction of second to get distracted.

Once kids become teenagers, there is less focus and the curiosity to learn also diminishes. As compared to small children who do not have control over their mind and emotions, teenagers have a strong ability to rheostat their cognizance and concentration, if they want to!  But at that age, the mind gets exposed to a lot of social and environmental distractions that it becomes difficult to hold our feelings and thought processes.

Today’s enthusiastic teenagers are always finding different ways to learn important concepts and lessons for a successful life. Let’s look at few tips which will help them to not only be good academic apprentices but also positive individuals:

1. Success mantra - There is no unique successful mantra.  

Our new generation wants to earn success in a short span of time. It is not bad to achieve triumph swiftly. But success earned in the right way not only last for a lifetime but also comes with lots of appreciation, respect, trust and dignity.

There are 2 important beliefs one must have:-

-Believe in yourself: One must believe in his/her capabilities. We always say things move as per destiny and gods wish. But the almighty also helps those who help themselves. Put your best and things will work in a positive way.

-Never undermine anyone- Though one becomes successful and powerful, one should not suppress the weak. Remember you were also feeble someday or can become in future. Fate has its own plans. Always remain down to earth. Help the needy and support the society. Keep people around you and with you happy.

2.  It is good to make friends, but? - Friends are one of the best gifts from god. Friendship is for life. They are always there when we need to share our secrets, have a shoulder to cry on, share our happiness or even gossip.

It’s imperative to choose the right type of friends. We were always told to be in the company of class toppers so that we get the right influence. But that doesn’t means you will become a topper. Choosing the right friend means having friends of similar age group, to avoid clashes in the way of thinking. Friends with bad habits like smoking, drinking or any other form of bad addiction might not make you addicted but can influence your behavior too.

When you are in your 30s friends won’t affect  your behavior much because you are matured enough to decide what is right or wrong for you. But same thing does not apply with teenagers. They  easily get influenced as their mind is very fragile.

Here comes the role of parent to monitor and be aware of whom your children are friends with. If you feel something is not just right about a person, talk to your kids.

3. Trust your parents - They have given us birth, seen us cry, laugh, succeed, fail and have always supported and been there for us. They are the only ones whom we can trust. They will never appreciate for the wrongs you do, correct you, criticize you, praise you, provide shoulders to cry on, will tap you for your success, and give you all their blessings. They will never share your secrets with anyone; they will also hide your flaws and help you in amending them. They will be the ones who will not be envious of your success. So trust them. If they stop you, they have a reason. Accept their suggestions. And if you don’t want to fall in trouble, share with them everything you do.

4. Accept failure - The way one embraces success, one must also learn to accept failure. Rise & fall is part of our life. One has to be strong willed in either of the cases. Getting sulked in failure will only lead to misery. And flying high in success without being humble can lead to self-destruction. A balance has to be maintained.

Remember after every downfall, there is victory. It is important to choose the ethical way and be determined.

Youngsters get very disheartened when they lose a competition, receive less marks or even when they do not get the right job. No matter there is a tough competition in this era of economic & social development. But one has to stay grounded, calm and patiently move on in life. Everybody gets their share of opportunities, some early some late.

Here the role of parent is the most important. When a child succeeds at any point of time, he/she will declare it to the whole world. Even we as parents, share it with our family, friends & society. But when a child fails, he has that guilt, anger & frustration. He/she will not even utter a word about it to anyone. The only ones whom they will confide in are their parents. So we as parents have to build that trust and confidence in them, that they can share everything with us and we will support them. Let them believe that with our support they can conquer the toughest and achieve the best.

5. Virtual world -Earlier the virtual world was just a small part of our lives and restricted to only work. But now it has become our life. Whether it is an adult, teenager or child everyone is on the internet.  The technology revolution has made our lives easier and better. But we have lost touch with our real world. Status updates, stylish clicks, happening statements and easy chats have drawn us apart, from our original personality.

Children and youngsters have to understand that what they see on the social media pages about their friends & family or even celebrities might not be real. Some who cannot afford a lavish lifestyle start comparing themselves with their friends who keep on updating images of them enjoying and having fun at an early age. The feeling of insecurity creeps in.  One also starts desiring to do the same. Rather than living 2 different lives, one has to understand that right now it is more important to focus on your studies and career rather than getting trapped into this simulated world.

Life is neither too short that one has no second chance to prove and neither too long that we have a laid back attitude.  Focus and determination can lead one to their dream path. Patience and endeavor will support your goal.

     

Change your life: Stop expecting

How many times it happened that you were expecting a yes and received a no? How many times it happened that you are not well and expect people to call you up and enquire about your health. You expect them to be supportive and show that love & concern. Or you are expecting an appreciation for all the efforts which you have put in your work?  We just keep waiting and waiting.  Throughout our lives we expect so much from our friends, family, partners, school, college, company & society that we forget what prospects we have from ourselves. And when we do not get the anticipated we tend to get sad, depressed and demotivated. We decide that henceforth there are going to be no expectations from anyone but again the cycle of hope is vicious and never-ending.

Why do we expect?

1.   Because the one whom we love is expected to give that love and respect in return

2.       Because the amount of effort we put in to do our job deserves appreciation

3.       Because the pain and agony we go through at some point of life deserves happiness and contentment in return.

4.       Because we feel we are being good to everyone so nature has to be good to us.

5.       Because the law of karma says so.

6.       Because we are the best and deserve the best.

7.       Because we are humble & kind and expect people to be the same.

8.       Because you want everyone around you to be just perfect.

9.       Because you want your loved ones to know, your unspoken words.

10.   Because we desire.

11.   Because you expect positive results.

People say relationships fail due to lot of expectations one has from his/her partner. Family feuds are caused as one is not able to withstand the pressure of expectations. Friends feel suffocated if another friend is expecting you to be present on every moment in their lives. You are not satisfied with your work since your management has some expectations and you have a different perspective.

If you want life to give you what you deserve in every walk of life stop expecting. Have control over your desires.  Come out of your fairy-tale zone. Expect only from yourself. If you are ill, go to a doctor and take medication, if you cannot go call the doc home but don’t expect or keep waiting for someone to take you. If you want a particular dress, don’t expect anyone to gift you. Save money and buy. If you are sad and want a shoulder to cry on, just pray in front of god and bow your head. Do not get disappointed by disagreements. Each individual and situation is different. What you might consider right, others presume it as wrong.

When one stops excepting:

1.       Life becomes easy and less complicated

2.       Your attitude & behavior towards everything and everyone changes.

3.       You feel calmer and less frustrated.

4.       Situations and people don’t trigger you anymore.

5.       You start doing well in life and get astonished by unexpected results,

6.       You understand yourself and others better.

7.       There comes more focus and concentration.

8.       There is flow of positivity all around you.

9.       You stop reacting and become more proactive.

10.   You feel more connected to yourself.

Relationships become more complex when there are lot of unrealistic expectations and causes behavioral issues like distress, resentment and frustration.

Start taking life easily and let go all the expectations we have. Life will give you pleasant surprises.

Wardrobe essentials for every woman

Women get hypnotized by shopping that sometimes they forget the rudiments one needs in their wardrobe. How many times you open up your cupboard and just keep staring at it. We just pile up clothes by unwanted shopping and keeping them unorganized. And when the time comes to flaunt that exclusive outfit, get confused. You remove all your clothes to find that one special dress.

Frustrating, isn’t it? By the time you decide what to wear you already get exhausted with the idea of getting ready.

I am a compulsive shopaholic. For me it is a stress buster. But this habit cost me money, time and the after effect of shopping when I land up with clothes which do not find their place in the cupboard since it is already overloaded. Now whenever I go out to purchase clothes, I first have a look at what I need and what I desire.

One can use certain hacks to alter their wardrobe in a classy, chic and unique way by having these basic essentials which can be teamed up to produce an amazing outfit.

1.       Blue denims: We all have atleast one pair and it is easily available in the market too. Blue denims go well with any colour top, tunic, shirt, t-shirt or a simple short kurti. Own denim which is not too light or too dark.

2.       Semi-formal top: If you have this, you will be always ready for a party. Sober colors like pink, blue or even red go well in any occasion. One can carry it well with trousers for a formal look and team it up with funky accessories, short skirt or denims for a party.

I am very fond of jackets too. A blue denim, a black shrug, or a quadra jacket, matches any top and bottoms.  Mix match it to have a casual or a formal look.

3.       Ethnic wear: A women looks are truly enhanced in an Indian wear be it a saree, chanya choli, anarkali, patialas, or a simple salwar kameez. One must have a combination in heavy and medium. Team it up with one heavy accessory.  Let it highlight your appearance. Do not cover up yourself with lot of jewellery at the same time. My favorite look is a jhumkas on an Indian wear with a set of bangles minus the neck pieces. If you are wearing heavy neckpiece then go for a simple earring.

4.       Comfort fit: A blue or black jeggings paired up with nice printed top is just perfect and can be interchanged with different combinations of tops and kurtis. Be it any color kurti,  black & white leggings matches all. Buy kurtis as per leggings you have. A not so funky short or long dress as per choice is ideal for dinner.

5.       Bags and shoes: I love carrying bags as per the outfit I wear. But my all-time favourite is a small black bag and a gold/silver Matt finished clutch. Black bag with formal and casual wear and a clutch for party. An evening gown with a small clutch paired with long earrings is a must have.

A black sandal with small heel will match any formal/casual outfit

For ethnic and evening wear, a gold/silver sandal or stilettos is must, as per your comfort.

If you are not comfortable with heels go for sneakers or ballerinas.

6.       Lazying out: A good pair of casual t-shirt and black tracks or shorts is just required for those weekend afternoons when you want to just relax at home. A good pair of loose pyjamas & Tees for a good night sleep

7.       Picnic mood: Shorts, capris, denims, jogger pants, spaghetti top, summer dress a pull over for those awaited picnics.

8.       Colour me: A bright red lipstick and red nail paint is perfect to match any outfit.

9.       Shades: A good pair of UV glares in black or brown is just perfect for an outing.

10.   Imitations: Transparent/mirror drops in earrings and neck piece with any formal/casual wear looks fab. Diamond studs and black earrings look so adorable.

A good planning and sensible shopping will prevent you from shelling out huge money on clothes. Hope these tips help you now in managing your wardrobe easily. So what are you waiting for?

Every woman is different and so is her dressing sense. It’s good to follow trends but don’t make it a habit. Follow your budget and style, make a statement!

Image source: https://www.google.co.in/search?newwindow=1&biw=1366&bih=662&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=wardrobe+essentials+for+indian+women&oq=wardrobe+essentials+for+ind&gs_l=img.1.0.0i24k1.4325.7349.0.9237.8.4.0.4.4.0.136.480.0j4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.8.488...0j0i67k1j0i30k1j0i8i30k1.jqw6nIpv2lg

Some must have essentials in a mommy’s bag

After I become a mom, I lost the “Miss Perfectionist” tag during the initial months. Though for others I was still doing a decent job, but I knew this was not me.  When it came to taking care of my baby and her belongings I was still the same; disciplined and organised. But when it came to managing myself or things which belonged to me and my husband, I had taken a step behind. Whether it was managing wardrobe or maintain documents, I never made any attempt to be perfect because my priority was different now.  This went on for few months till I could set a perfect routine for everything.

Especially when it came to my handbags which one requires almost daily. They were once so organised neat and clean. But now I had to hunt deep into them to even find my mobile. So many times I could find pieces of tissues, waste bags, food crumbs in my bag and it always gave me an ‘eeks’ feeling. It was time to get organised again.

Because of my fetish for hand bags I kept on changing them depending on the outfit I wore. Sling for market trips, a fancy handbag for movies or dinners, and a clutch for a formal gathering. Though I still own variety of purses and handbags but currently I prefer keeping one bag handy for long which has everything I need for my baby and even few things for myself. It becomes easy to keep single bag or maintain a small pouch which fits into your bag.

So I just sat one day and jotted down what all things I needed to carry when accompanied by my baby on routine basis.

1.       A big bag which can carry your world, your cupboard with you.

There are different types of bags available. You can have the tote bag, mother bag which is available in baby stores, or a sports bag.

Make sure it is stylish and trendy so that you don’t feel like a Portman. Also; it should have enough sections for you to find things easily rather than digging your bag every now and then in public.

Carry a small clutch for money, cards, mobile and keys it can be placed easily in the bag or a sling bag.

2.       For New mom: It is absolutely ok to forget your stuff but, do not forget to keep baby wipes for the shocking surprise. Atleast 2 Diapers, tissues, diaper rash cream, Baby powder, bib, extra pair of clothes, hand sanitizer, mosquito repellent cream, wrap towel(for nursing), extra disposable bags.

For weaning babies, do carry their milk or porridge in containers which has different sections for the same. A small flask for warm water is a must. Keep handy foods like banana/Apple to satisfy hunger pangs.

For others who have got over with nappy issues do carry an extra pair of clothes for your kids too because you never know one might require it for emergencies like liquid spills or food droppings.

3.       For last minute finish keep a comb or hair brush, sunglasses, a clip, lipstick/lip gloss/lip balm, kajal and a small compact. Place all this in a small pouch for easy access.

4.       To avoid body odour keep good Eau de cologne handy.

5.       We all love capturing those cute moments and expressions of our tiny tots. While travelling it is important to keep your phone charged, one can carry a power bank along incase of any emergency if your phone goes down on battery charge.

6.       Carry enough cash or cards to fund your food or travel specially when with kids.

Though it doesn’t look like much stuff when read but it actually gets heavy when carried. So make sure not to carry a bag which already is of heavy material as it will add on more weight.

 An advance preparation can save lot of time in packing and searching things.

Try keeping your hand baggage ready every night before winding up so that incase you have to go out the next day you need not spend time in searching and packing important stuff.

Do not forget to replace essentials and clean your bag once in 15 days.

Motherhood comes with lot of challenges. But small steps can make our life much easy.

Personal Grooming Tips- Face-Hair-Hands-Feet- Look Good,Feel Good!



Beauty is skin deep. It is not only important to look good but feel good about yourself.

I am very lazy when it comes to managing any stringent beauty regime. I believe in following a real ritual without complaining lack of time.

There are so many good salons, beauty clinics and beauty products which one can utilize. But sometimes it becomes very confusing as to what to choose. And of course, they all come with a price.

No matter how beautiful your skin looks or you wear gorgeous dresses, but if you are not groomed, your appearance will lack the elegance required.

Let’s start with some basic steps which we can cope up to regularly. These are experienced, practiced and some advised by experts whom I have come across in my life span.

1.       Feel good skin – Who doesn’t want a flawless looking skin. But not everyone is lucky. With a good skin care ritual we can atleast have a healthy looking skin.

-It is important to wash your face twice a day with a mild face wash. And if you still want to freshen up just wash with normal water, to avoid losing up moisture on your face.

-Cleanse your face with a good cleansing milk or even normal milk, apply a good toner and leave it. This can be done twice a week

-Cleansing-scrubbing-face pack (as per skin type)-sunscreen or a good moisturizer: this can be done atleast once in 15 days at comfort of your home.

-If you prefer home packs multani mitti mixed with rose water or  besan, milk, haldi & honey mixed in curd /milk also does wonders.

-Oiling your skin regularly helps to retain the ‘baby like glow’. Massage your body with oil every day before taking bath. These 5 mins spent, will reduce early aging of your skin.

-Regular bleach /facials/cleanups makes skin rejuvenate. Do it from one beautician since they then understand your skin type.

-Do go for waxing regularly. Avoid shaving since it develops thick hair growth.  If you get any kind of irritation after waxing apply ice or aloe vera gel.

-For those with facial hair problems besan, milk, haldi & honey mixed in curd or milk can help. -One can even opt for hair removal laser treatments to get rid of unwanted facial hair.

-Shaping your eyebrows gives a different sharpness to your face. Try doing it from one place or beautician.

-I can vouch for Shea butter based body scrubs , they make your skin feel soft and fresh. Apply it atleast once in 15 days all over your body by slightly massaging it and wash off with cold water. It makes skin exfoliate.

-Applying ice regularly helps to remove excess oil.

-Remove make-up with milk or cleansing milk.

-Apply sunscreen on your hands, feet and face-neck every day, even if you are at home.

-Avoid going out between 12:00noon to 4pm. Carry umbrella to avoid direct exposure to sun.

-Eat well, sleep well. Drink lots of liquid in the form of water & juices. Drinking Coconut water every day gives a fantastic glow to your skin.

-Apply petroleum jelly for chapped lips. Use tooth brush to remove dead skin.

2.       Hair Care – Some of us want long lustrous hair and some prefer to keep it short.

-Hair whether long or short needs to be trimmed regularly.

-If you have unmanageable frizzy hair, do lot of oiling for maintenance.

Oil should be applied atleast twice in a week.  Massage warm oil on hair gently over scalp and tips. One can even keep it for 20 mins before washing. It provides good moisture to your hair.

-Hair spa does wonders. But consult a beautician for the same, since they have a different method of doing it. If you are using it at home, wet your hair and apply it on your head and keep it at least for half an hour before washing.

-It is important to shampoo your head with a mild shampoo atleast thrice in a week and wash off with mild water. While shampooing massage the scalp rather than your hair. For hair one can use conditioner after wash. Do not wash hair with hot water.

-Tie your hair loose to prevent hair breakage.

3.       Hands & Feet care- Long nails, short nails, square shaped or round shaped,well-manicured nails attract attention. 

We work in the kitchen, do utensils, laundry, dusting and come across so much of dirt, grim and chemicals. Our hands our strong to do a lot of hard work but at the same time they are very delicate.

A regular manicure is an option. But if you want to try something at home, apply a good moisturizer daily before sleeping. You can even apply petroleum jelly for hard cuticles. Remove nail paint if you do household chores. Chapped nail paint looks very shabby. Instead apply a transparent coat. It gives a shine to your nail.

Same thing goes for your feet. Apply a good moisturizer or petroleum jelly, massage evenly and then wear socks. It will make your feet soft and give you relief from cracked feet.

Do apply sunscreen before going out on hands and feet. Since they are exposed and tend to get tanned.

If we do not take care of our appearance then who will! So let us spend 10mins every day for basic care and few hours once in a month to make ourselves feel special and look vibrant.

If you have any unique or secret beauties tips and would like to share it, mention it in comments.