Self care and life skills are as important as academics, keeping themselves clean, listening to their needs and also being independent. When taught at right age, they begin to take care of themselves before emotions get in their way.
We felt that he can do it on his own, so slowly made him to trim his nails with guidance. He enjoyed doing it and feels independent.
I don't know why Almind is so obsessed with screw drivers, Allen keys and other mechanical items. Right from one and half years when he started to walk, he picks up those items and starts dismantling his toys, chairs and furnitures at home 👩🚀
Though we bought him all types of kids mechanic sets he ends up using real ones.
And whenever carpenter/plumber/electrician visits our home for repair work, he won't leave the place until they finish off the work, he loves watching them 😍
Off-late insisting him constantly he stopped dismantling (but it took long years to change him).
Happy that now he is trying to construct and build new things but I always keep an eye on him ❤️
**About the video - I'm observing him from the morning, he is using all tools in that box
This Easter i didn't cook or bake anything at home.
Morning : Fruits & buttermilk
Our thoughts : TV/Gadgets are not bad, there are many things that kids can learn from these, but over usage might lead to health and mental hazard. So we are not completely against TV and Gadget time but we explain and try to make them understand the pros and cons of using gadgets and restrict their time limit.
When I got married and started to live in a separate house, We didn't consider buying a TV when we started to furnish our house. Vijay and I are not TV person but instead we used to watch videos of our interest in internet or buy DVD to watch movies. We used to avoid using desktop or laptop when Albrain was awake. Until he went to playschool at the age of 3, we engaged him with board puzzles, books and went out almost every weekend (Park and Beach mostly).
When Albrain was in Pre KG, he didn't accept that TV would come under living room things. That time we thought we should also give him TV time and hence we bought a TV. Things completely changed after the new arrival. Albrain started to sit in front of TV for long time, he ate in front of TV, played in front of TV, his TV time was more than other activities. I was scared to stop TV time abruptly as he might repel. I made a point to him that he shouldn't mix up activities with TV time, for example if he eat food, he has to sit in the dining area instead of sitting in front of TV. If he has to play, he needs to play and then keep the toys aside before he switch on the TV. He can choose any one hour in a day for TV time(I made sure that he doesn't watch TV and sleep immediately). His TV time got gradually decreased over time and got under control.
When it comes to Almind, not only TV, smart phones, laptops was already a part of our life. The same set of rules were insisted on Almind too, no mixing other activities with TV/gadget time. During weekdays both of them do not have time to watch TV as they are tightly engaged in school and after school activities. So, on weekends, Almind can watch any program for two hours on Saturday and Albrain on Sunday. They used to watch kids series or some youtube videos.
Vijay and I watch movie/series on Friday nights. Kids go to bed at 8pm daily. So we both watch for 2 hours till 10pm.
We used to go to theatres when any animated/3D movie gets released. If it's some Hollywood action movies, Albrain and Vijay used to go to theatre to watch.
Kids are now exposed more to screen time because of online classes, but we make sure that they shut down the tab/laptop once the classes are over.
Points we learned and observed over time :
Both Albrain and Almind gets bored with toys over the time. Even if its their favourite toy, they get engaged with it only for few days. So, instead of buying them toys we did these activities to engage them.
** Exposing them to different routines - Hopscotch, Cycling on terrace, cleaning herbs and spinach, arranging fruits and vegetables in fridge and baskets, basic house cleaning, arranging their cloths, making their bed, opening and closing windows.
** Encouraging them to draw - give them some theme like beach scene or summer day or their future house, ask them to make handmade greeting cards for friends and family on special occasions.
** Motivating them to write stories or poems - Theme based poems like fathers day, earth day, save animals, preserve water. Give them some random words/objects and ask them to write a short story using those words/objects. Ask them to write a story about random topics.
** Journal Writing - Note down the happenings of their day in a notebook or diary along with date.
I hope all parents who read this blog could relate 😍Share your parenting experience in the comments 😀
My younger kid's journal (Almind, 6 years)
Today morning I asked him to keep a share of Prasadam for his brother and dad...after returning from work, I got to know that he ate everything, I asked him whether he understood what I told him in the morning. He didn't say anything, I told him that it really makes me upset because I have clearly explained and trusted him because when I was leaving to work my elder one was in his online classes and my husband in his office call. I didn't talk to him for sometime. Later he asked sorry and promised that he won't repeat it again. Now before going to sleep he wrote this in his journal that he won't be selfish
Tears are rolling wanted to squeeze that kutty Sathan but he slept already
If electrical items are clean, appreciate Vijay
If ceiling and walls are clean, appreciate Albrain
If cupboards and furnitures are clean, appreciate Almind
If showpiece items, bathrooms are clean, appreciate Aarthy
If whole house is spick and span, credits to all of us
One day one room - deep cleaning
Half of the Quarterly break done right
Conversation between me and my younger one few days back
Incident 1
Almind : amma, yaaravadhu competition pona enna sollanum
Me : Best wishes, all the best, good luck sollanum
Almind : better luck next time sollalama
Incident 2
(In FB I was choosing
instead of
for my comments) He peeped my mobile and asked
Almind : Heart na love thaana
Amma : yes ma
Almind : yaaru idhellam
Amma : idhellam enoda friends enoda post ku comments poturukanga
(Vijay called me from other room)
Almind : Appa, wait pannunga amma elarayum love pannitu irukanga
Ivan kudumbathula gummi adikama vida maatan pola
This is not a lockdown scene
The man in the video never knew where the kitchen is until two years back
(couldn't even ask him a simple kitchen help to count cooker whistles, turn off the stove, simmer the stove as everytime it ended up me doubling up my job). Things changed two years back, he started sharing all household chores, our boys started learning from us. They started seeing everything as a survival skill and not gender based job. Personally I'm not exhausted doing all works at home as I always get some help from all three boys
Let's share our positive stories
Stay and Spread positivity
#simplechange make huge difference
