Rashmi's Space

Simi was running late. School would let out in ten minutes and she was nowhere near it yet! She was drumming her fingers on the steering wheel praying for the signal to change soon when her phone rang. It was her Dad. That surprised her; as her parents knew most of her schedule and this wasn’t their usual time to call. But even before Simi could decide whether she should pick up the call, the signal changed. Later that day, after Simi had picked up her son, ran a couple of errands and taken a scheduled client call; she was just about to settle down on the couch with a cool glass of water when her phone pinged. On checking it, she was surprised to see five missed calls and several WhatsApp messages, all from her Dad! Worried and hoping that everything was alright with her parents, Simi called home. “Hi Dad, just saw your messages and your missed calls, everything alright?” she asked as soon as his phone was picked up. “Yes, yes, everything is alright. I just wanted ...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  "What do you want to become when you grow up?" my friend asked.  "I want to become a secret agent, like James Bond!" my little one proudly replied! Yes, at the tender age of four, this was what my little one aspired to be – James Bond!  Needless to say, my friend was shocked to know his lofty aspirations. Clearly, she had expected him to say ‘astronaut’ or ‘doctor’ or even a ‘fireman’. But no matter that he was also introduced to the usual Mickey Mouse, Mowgli, Mr. Bean, Spiderman; and more recently, Iron Man, the Avengers et al; it was somehow James Bond who had caught his fancy!  Honestly, at that time I just thought it to be one of these "phases" that children go through – you know –the I-shall-only-wear-yellow-socks-everyday phase, the I-shall-only-sleep-to-a-certain-music phase, the I-don't-suddenly-like-milk...

It’s that time of the year again! Exams are done and the summer vacations have officially begun for most children (and their parents). For children this is the time to wind down, relax and enjoy the sun! For most parents too this is the time to let their hair down. But for some (like yours truly) who work, vacations take on a whole different meaning. Even in case of parents who are at home with their children, keeping children busy for two whole months does seem like a daunting task. I mean, if left to be by themselves, most children today would choose to watch endless hours of TV and munch on as much junk food as possible! Right?  So then most parents start looking for summer camps and classes to keep their little ones busy. Many take this opportunity to teach their children something new, some try to start taking interest in new hobbies and all, but eventually either the parents get tired taking children to and from their classes, or children get fed up because of their...