Rashmi's Space

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com It’s that time of the year again – the end of another year, the final month on the calendar – and officially, winter! In fact, since the unprecedented rains in neighbouring Chennai a few days back, winter seems to have arrived a little early for Bangalore this year; with a slight drizzle and an unmistakable chill in the air. For the last couple of years, since my little one was old enough to read independently and help around the house with simple, small chores; we started a few traditions for the winter holidays that bring with them the joy of togetherness and the much needed family time - we bake, have family movie nights and generally spend time  having fun together  when the school gives us a week-long winter break. To be honest, Christmas is not a festival that we celebrate at home; but hey, it’s a welcome break no less! This Friday, as ...

Readers and book-lovers know only too well, the magic that lies in the world of books! And naturally, they love to introduce as many people as they can to it. You will always find them recommending and discussing about books whenever they can. And they are also the ones who carry books with them, everywhere; and at almost all times! Additionally, the reader who is also a parent, knows that a child who reads, grows to be an adult who thinks; and is keen on introducing children to this wonderful world as much as they can and as soon as they can.  But sometimes, well-meaning, enthusiastic parents, get a little carried away and despite having the right intentions; sometimes end up taking some false steps that may actually turn out to be detrimental, more than helpful.  In my journey as a reader, trying to raise a child who adores books, I too have made certain mistakes and have, along the way; put together this list of 10 mistakes to avoid when raising a reader. I have alr...

Remember those carefree days before kids? Late night movies and exotic dinners - remember date nights? Don't get me wrong,  I know, as parents we do have fun with our children all the time! But what if I said you could have your cake and eat it too? What if you could have that date night and have fun with your kids too? Say, what do you think of Family Date Nights?  Many people believe that every couple needs occasional  date nights  to keep the flame going, especially after the kids come along. But some of my friends say, that when they do go out on these dates, they end up thinking and talking about their children all the time; while others say they feel guilty, leaving children with sitters or family members. And what with the holiday season approaching, and the need to spend quality time with children becoming ever so prominent given our hectic lifestyle, occasional  Family Date Nights  seem to be the need of the hour. Now when we say a...

As J. K. Rowling famously says, "If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book." Being an avid reader and having seen first hand how amazing the world of books can be, I am already a life-long fan; and as a parent, I am naturally striving to inculcate the love for books and reading in my little one too!  Needless to say, I started my efforts in this direction early on. I ensured that my baby was always surrounded by books. I myself read all the time when I was around him, sometimes even read out aloud to him. And my little one was a mere four months old when I bought him, his very own book! When I decided to raise a reader; like most parents, I listened to my instincts a bit and relied on Google a lot. And I thought I was doing a great job, till I realised that every time I visited the mall, my little one happily gravitated towards the toys' section while I wandered the book aisles in search of the perfect books for him!  That is not t...

"These children have parents yet feel orphaned" screamed a headline in the newspaper and I skipped a beat! When I read on, I found that the info in the article was not so much surprising as it was shocking! The article spoke about young children seeking psychiatric help from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans). In majority of cases they evaluated, it was found that parents used inappropriate styles of parenting when it came to raising their children. And this was attributed to the recent trend across the country where working professionals found it difficult to provide effective parenting to their children.  With an increasing number of career oriented professionals in big cities choosing to work full-time, children are left at home almost all day, either alone or with maids in most cases. The decline in the number of joint-families has not helped the situation either; and thus, more and more children are being treated for psycholog...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com Last weekend was a long weekend for us and we were inspired to go for a quick trip. So we rounded up a few friends and set out on a weekend outing with three kids in tow! We chose a destination not very far from home; since we were driving down there and we did enough of that on weekdays anyway. So we mapped out the route to and from the destination in advance; and decided to rely on the GPS for local sightseeing. We reached the hotel after a pleasant drive; and promptly set the kids loose. Next, we told the good lady at the reception to give us a list of all the local places worth seeing that the kids would enjoy. And by the time we had put away our bags in the room, she had come through! The kind receptionist had sent up maps for us that listed the names and directions of the said places, along with our welcome drinks and the invites for lunch. Ble...

I was awake when the alarm rang. I had been awake for some time, in fact, since waking up startled and sweating during the early hours of the morning. Had I seen a bad dream? Or was I just too anxious about what was to happen today? Whatever was the reason, I had been awake since, counting the minutes ticking by. I did not venture out of my room though, or put the lights on; for fear that Ma or Baba might see them and wonder why I was up at this odd hour. It was not that I wasn’t nervous, but I didn’t really think it was such a big deal. I mean, this was not the only option I had; or was it? Anyway, now that the alarm had finally rung, I was looking forward to a steaming cup of coffee! I could hear Ma in the kitchen. Always the first one up, she would be getting Baba's coffee ready now, even though it would be a good fifteen minutes before he came for it. Bathed, and with her morning prayers done, she would have his coffee – glass and tumbler, never a cup and saucer f...