Manners in children! When & How?

A month back, I was inquiring about summer camp for my toddler and asked the representative of one of the camps, that do they teach anything related to manners/etiquette's. She said, ‘’not for this age group”. Well, my daughter is 2.6 and I was totally surprised as to what a foolish question I asked. She is too small for even to know what is mannerism all about. Though I try to guide her with little basic etiquette but sometimes I feel all this is taking her childhood away.

If children don’t mess up their food, scatter things, spill water, jump around, shout or talk loudly, who will do, we? Infact, I have seen many adults behaving like kids. Then why groom them from a toddler age. But it is well said, all that starts well ends well.

What if we were not controlled & disciplined by our parents? What if we were not thought to eat, sit, walk & talk with etiquette? We would have never known how to respect ourselves & others.

Mannerism is defined, ‘as a habitual gesture or way of speaking or behaving’. It is considered one of the most important qualities in human. 

Good manners makes a person sophisticated & is also popular among his counterparts. I have heard people praise not only their children but also their parents who show signs of good behavior.

So how do we inculcate good manners in children? There is no hand & stick rule here. One has to be sharp, observant & patient as a parent.

-Firstly, analyze why your child is behaving in a particular way. Is he/she showing any readiness to learn new things?

-Do not nag or push them, in just learning things. Rather than make it a learning experience.

-Children learn from home. Mannerisms seed starts sowing from home. We can be their mirror. Social etiquette's are learnt from family members and carried throughout life.

-Some basic steps like knocking door before entering, asking before borrowing, sharing, respecting elders, not invading in private matters, eating correctly, cleaning their own rooms or putting back toys & other stuff, greeting - hello, goodbye, sorry, thank you, showing appreciation, talking softly, not bullying anyone, etc., would just be a stepping stone to a well groomed conduct.

-Do not compare with other children. Every child is different. Some understand easily, some take a little more time.

-Do not be very strict and set many rules. Children don’t like too many boundaries. Once they turn 3, they become more independent and audacious.

-Sometimes children tend to do certain things, just to grab attention. Give them as much as devotion you can.

-If they are having frequent mood swings, try distracting them. Rather than giving heat to their behavior, try to ignore and ask for a time-out.

-Respect their individuality, likes & choices.

-Train them regularly. Children have a high grasping power.

-Nurture their strength rather than just highlighting their weakness.

Most important, shower them with lots of love & support.

SINDHI DAL PAKWAN RECIPE

Dal Pakwan is a traditional Sindhi dish and can be eaten as a snack or a wholesome meal.

PREPARATION TIME: Around 30mins    COOKING TIME: 30 mins  TOTAL: 60MINS   SERVES: 4

INGRIDIENTS FOR DAL: 

1 small bowl yellow chana dal (Bengal gram)

2 spoons Moong dal

Salt, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli, Dhaniya powder as per taste

INGRIDIENTS FOR TADKA:  3-4 curry leaves, pinch of hing powder, 1 green chilli, half teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) and mustard seeds

Oil as per taste (preferably around 4 tablespoons)

FOR GARNISHING: Pinch of black pepper powder, jeera powder, freshly chopped coriander leaves, 1 finely chopped onion

PREPARATION OF DAL:

Wash and soak chana dal and moong dal 20mins prior to cooking. Heat oil and put the ingredients of tadka. Pour the soaked dal, put salt, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli, Dhaniya powder as per taste. See to it there is enough water in the cooker. It should be less than half size of cooker. Place it on slow fame initially for 10 min to avoid excess water, if any, tocome out while giving pressure. Place the lid of pressure cooker and cook for 10mins. Give atleast 6-7 pressures. You can either give tadka initially or after dal is cooked. Once dal is cooked, slightly turn the dal. Do not mix it. Dal should not be very thick. Garnish it with pinch of black pepper powder, jeera powder, freshly chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped onion (add little bit of red chilli powder to onion for taste) Keep the dal simple, with less of masalas, as that is the required taste of dal.

INGRIDIENTS FOR PAKWAN:

1 big cup Maida

2-3 spoons Atta (whole wheat flour)

1 tablespoon Rava/Suji

Pinch of jeera

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Oil for frying (as per pan requirement, preferably fill less than half of pan size)

Preparation of PAKWAN: In the meantime when dal is getting ready, start preparing pakwan. Keep oil in pan for heating.  Mix atta, maida, suji, jeera, salt, with water and prepare a dough. Add oil to it for softness. Do not make it loose. It should be a little tight.

Divide into 14-16 proportions and roll each into a size of chapatti around 3-4 inch, depending on pan size. Prick all over the chapatti with knife or fork.

Once the oil in pan is ready for frying; deep fry pakwan till crispy golden brown. Soak excess oil in tissue paper. Keep pakwans in airtight container. Usually they last for 3-4 days. Preferable if kept in a steel container. Avoid keeping in summers.

INGRIDIENTS FOR KHATTI-MITHI CHUTNI:

Handful of coriander leaves, pudhina leaves(mint leaves), half tablespoon jeera, 1 finely chopped green chilli, half chopped onion, 3-4 pieces of soaked tamarind(soak it 10 min before preparation. One can also add 1 khajoor. Do not forget to remove seeds of tamarind & khajoor), salt as per taste.

PREPARATION: Grind all ingredients and make the chutni less thick. One can add sugar or jiggery for a little sweet taste.

Your dish is ready to serve.

                                           

HAPPY LEADERS

 Leaders are born and not made!  If this thought holds true then we would have had very few successful people who became leaders not because they were born so but because there dedication, strong determination and the eagle eye to grab opportunity in toughest of situation made them a role model  for others

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Who is a leader?

-       The one who can strategically adapt in a competitive  situation.

-       Someone who has the ability to get work done from others.

-       The one who sees the big picture and compares his success with organization's success.

-       Somebody who leads others and even people follow him, trust him.

-       He/she can successfully achieve goals.  Takes risks and seems to be always positive about it.

-       Can deliver motivational speech to his colleagues.

-       Maintain strong business relation with stakeholders.

But how does a leader be so consistent in their performance.  Is it that they are born smart, have great qualification, vast experience or is it just luck which backs them?  The secret is BEING HAPPY. Happy leaders are efficacious leaders.

With so much of constant pressure to deliver results, how does one stay calm and yet enthusiastic to reach the goal.
Well, let us review few traits of successful and happy leaders:

Living Healthy: most successful leaders are much disciplined in their health regime. Getting up early, going for morning walks, having healthy food pattern, performing meditation & exercises are some of the healthy lifestyle patterns they follow. A healthy lifestyle not only makes one physically & mentally fit but also helps to stay away from lethargic attitude.

Work-home balance: These people really know how to maintain a steady balance between their work & life. Inspite of having a busy schedule, they remove a decent amount of time for their family. They go on vacations, picnics, family events and simultaneously even do not fall short of achieving their targets.

Socially active: They also know how to enjoy life. Yes, it’s not only work but entertainment also important for them. They do meet their friends often, are active on various communities and participate in social causes too. They are frequent visitors to events, charities, social gatherings, conferences & seminars. In this way they keep their minds refreshed. It is important for one to have a social life in order to just keep themselves away from work tensions & revive their minds.

Avid readers: Successful leaders are avid readers. For some books has always been an inspiration. They derive learning & experiences through the characters. We all know how reading impacts one’s mind. It opens up different avenues of logical & intellectual thinking.

Learning & development: They focus more on learning new concepts & developing required new skills. They don’t hesitate to get a degree at such a successful stage of their life. They become a role model for juniors. It is rightly said that’ there is no age bar to learn’. And true leaders prove this right. They not only enhance their knowledge & skill but also encourage people from their team to develop skill sets.

They are also regular in doing activities like playing chess, solving puzzles, Sudoku, etc.,  that provide mental stimulation.

Leadership is not only leading but getting along with people. Happy leaders create a happy environment.

STEP UP: A noble cause! shoe for every tiny foot!

One day I thought to challenge myself!

It’s not a big deal! Walking barefoot, in the scorching heat,

Clear skies & bright sunlight!

My feet were full of blisters and took a full day to heal.

They even could not walk a block, forget miles!

But for the children who walk barefoot, have glooming hearts and their faces still full of smiles.

Children are a gift from God. It doesn’t matter which section of society they belong to, they have a right to basic needs nature and society offers. Food, clothing, shelter, education are some of them.

 ‘Step Up’ is a unique project and an initiative by JAMM’s (Journey about mast mom’s), an upcoming social campaign on May 8 Mother’s Day ,where they are raising funds for 730 pieces of footwear to be given to rural children as part of a hygiene drive.

JAMM’s  network a social group of mom’s, believes in not only empowering mothers but the community at large and has always made it a point to celebrate its milestones with social projects.

Be it ‘Happy New Hair’ where they gave 365 underprivileged children haircuts or ‘I-Light’ where they gave 550 canes, dark glasses and eye check-ups  to the visually impaired during Diwali. JAMM's which has turned TWO , is now celebrating 730 days of continuous enriching networking experiences and would like to mark it with 730 pieces of footwear given to rural children for whom this necessity is a luxury.

These village children, ages 6 to 10, are from the Mulshi Taluka in Pune, namely Aandhale, Katarkhadak, Bahirwadi, Rhea and Kalamboli villages.

It is very touching to know, that these little children walk bare foot roughly 3 km everyday just to reach school. Sadly on hot days, water is not carried to drink but to pour on the roads and sore cracked feet.

Their parents more than often cannot afford even 1 pair of basic footwear and these little feet bear the brunt.

My journey with JAMM’s though started recently, has made me overwhelmed with their various initiatives. It makes me proud to be a part of a noble cause. Imagine the amount you spend on one shoe can make tiny feet of 14 children comfortable. It will mean the world to them. Let us together support a gallant cause and make a difference in the lives of these children.

Contribution Categories:

No. of Children you can help	Price (in Rs.)
6	500
14	1100
25	2100
65	5100
125	10100

The payment can be completed as follows:

http://bit.ly/1VvVMNv

More on Jamms:

Journey About Mast Moms or JAMM’s, as we like to call it, is a unique support group for Mumbai & New Mumbai based Moms / Moms-to-be / Single Moms based on Whatsapp.

The groups are divided based on the first child’s age and there are separate professional groups for Doctors, Artists & Designers, Lawyers, Human Resources & Trainers, ‘Mompreneurs’, Counsellors and so on. There’s even a special group for ‘Grandmoms’!

A No-Nonsense and Complete Mom-Sense Networking group, JAMM’s connects over 3000 jammies in 30+ Whatsapp groups and over 5700 moms in a secret Facebook group.

JAMM’s has been felicitated by ‘Entrepreneur Excel’ for women empowerment in Dec 2015 & has also been nominated for the prestigious international ‘Manthan’ award for digital empowerment & not misusing technology.

Know more about JAMM’s:

JAMM's social media links

FACEBOOK page:
http://on.fb.me/1kUYKND

TWITTER handle:
https://twitter.com/jammsnetwork

INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/jammsnetwork/

Website:
http://www.jammsnetwork.wix.com/jamms1

Contact:

Ritu Gorai: +91 99 3020 3454

E-mail: jammsnetwork@gmail.com

urbanclap Home salon service experience.

Being a full day mom to a 2yr old always made it challenging for me to schedule myself for a salon appointment.  I never thought a home salon experience would be so refreshing and relaxing. It really helps you when you are in the lazy mood of not stepping out from your home but still want to pamper yourself. 

Thanks to JAMM's network (Journey about mast mom's) contest which I won and got an opportunity to try urbanclap home salon experience worth Rs. 1,000/-

First of all, I would like to congratulate JAMM's network for completing 2 yrs and also organizing such wonderful contest for moms and letting us win some amazing stuff.

urbanclap being one of them. I would say, they are highly professional and brings you a complete salon experience at your doorstep. I downloaded urbanclap app and booked the appointment in a very hassle freeway. Very user friendly. Once you fix the appointment you instantly receive a message along with their representatives number. I rescheduled it by calling them up and it was done promptly.  The lady arrived before time.

The products are of all good brand & hygienic, they use their own disposable sheets and clean towels. The services I ordered were threading, waxing, manicure & pedicure. I was highly impressed with the extensive aroma manicure & pedicure. The representative was very humble and patient. Since I am a bit impatient with salon services and prefer a fast service, I felt it took a little more time as the procedure was a little more comprehensive. 

So go ahead ladies, curl up your legs, book your appointment today, sit back, have a cup of coffee and get rejuvenated. Your beauty expert is just a touch away!

No more questioning: WHY ME?

God has created each human being for a purpose. All of us have a unique destiny. Some are contended and some are not. Each individual has their own share of glitches. But some know the art of sealing their sorrows with a plastic smile. And when we come across such people and always find them giggling and smiling almost over everything, we feel how lucky they are. They have the best life. I guess, at one point in our entire life we too would fall into this category.

Many times we question, Why me? Why God gave me so much of pain and unhappiness? I have not done anything wrong. Not spoken badly about anyone. Never betrayed anyone. Then why am I suffering?
If we all had an answer to this then there would have not been any bouts of jealousy and lack of contentment in us.

It’s good to aspire to reach our goals and gain success but not at the cost of others happiness. People sometimes sacrifice their true treasures; their family and friends and just try to move forward without considering them to be part of their destination.
And when destiny strikes back we blame god. We don't realize its karma which makes us face hardships. Not necessarily because of some bad deeds we have done in this birth but might be because of our immoral actions in previous life.
If one believes in karma, then all this will make sense.

Believe in the law of attraction. Life is a magnet. Good attracts best. Bad attracts worst.
In bouts of anger, we say many things to the person we have rage with.  But then regretting it later will not heal wounds. Saying sorry will at least mend relations. Do good karma and move on.

Life takes everyone’s test.  The one who is strong will-powered will move on as if nothing happened. Rather than cribbing he will learn fruitful lessons which will benefit him in facing the toughest situations in life.

If we see around, there are many unfortunate people who don’t even have the basic needs fulfilled.  Consider yourself to be lucky for who you are today and aspire to be better tomorrow with perseverance and hard-work.
Life is like an ocean, no one can understand the depth of it. The one who can swim against strong waves will reach the shore but the one who just cries for help and keeps blaming destiny to bring whim in such situation, will only drown thinking.

Stay Humorous:Stay Happy

Have you ever wondered how does a grimed face look? With wrinkle lines all over the face. It looks as if we have pre-aged. We know the consequences of having a frowned look but still due to difficult situations one tends to be prey to sadness.

Humor is the source to laughter. And laughter is the best medicine.

There are some people who find humor in everything because they want to find a reason to laugh and make others laugh. Such people are most loved and appreciated in friends, family and other groups.

Having a good sense of humor is natural in some people. Not everyone can crack jokes and make others happy. But sometimes we are so captivated in our problems that we don’t even smile on the funniest of jokes. Why are we taking life so seriously? Everyone has some or the other concerns in their life. Even jovial of people have hardships but they try to shield it up with laughter. Because they know being sad and grumpy will not reduce the stress in their life but will only make it proliferate, which can have serious consequences.

So how can one stay happy and gain a good sense of humor. Well you can explore few ways to bring a smile supported by laughter in any given situation to make yourself and others feel joyful.

• Be positive. Look at the brighter side of life.  Do not take life seriously. It’s easy to say but difficult to bring into practice. But still one can keep calm and detach you from situations which make you sad and unhappy.
• No shedding tears. Once you look at yourself after shedding tears and crying with all your heart, you will realize how disastrous you look. It takes away the charm and glow on your face. I am not saying that do not shed tears on loss of someone. But some people have a habit of shedding tears on any given situation, when there is a possibility to be strong and move on.
• Enjoy every moment with grace and have lots of fun. Life is too short to feel disastrous. Nobody in life is completely happy. Everyone has their share of difficult times. Do not compare yourself with others.  Get motivated and inspired.
• Be a likable and lovable person. People who greet and approach others with a warm smile are always welcomed, admired and preferred as a good company.
• Company matters. In continuation to above point, if you stay with group of people who are funny and just want to laugh all time, you will also feel the same and will learn to develop your own sense of humor.
• Watch comedy shows & movies and read comic books & jokes. This makes one feel lighter and you can also share the same with others to have a hearty laugh.
• There is no satisfaction that living a contented life and making others also happy. Whether it’s a child or an adult, making others smile is like pleasing god. And making others laugh is a blissful experience.

Humor helps you to come over pain, anxiety, stress, depression and various other ailments.

“Everyone has a good sense of humor within themselves, it is up to individual to realize it and bring to use in a sensible way.”

  (However, one should take care of not hurting anyone’s sentiments by boisterous humor)