Rashmi's Space

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I am a blogger, a writer. The immediate next question, of course, is “what do you write?” And I say I write on positive parenting, among other things. So they say, oh great, a lot of people are writing about parenting these days, it makes for interesting reading. And I say, but I don’t just write about parenting, I write about positive parenting. There is a difference. (Which reminds me of an advert from my childhood: ____ hot and sweet tomato chilli sauce, its different!) Cheesy, I know, but it is true. There is a difference. All parenting is not positive parenting. But all positive parenting is definitely good parenting. Parenting There was a time when “parenting” was not a term most parents bothered about. Take a look at

"Mum, do you know the f-word?" asked my little one the other day. "Do you  know it?" I asked him in return. "Of course I do, and I also know the s-word!" he told me smugly, before he was (thankfully) distracted by something on the TV; leaving me to thank my stars that I did not have to go any deeper in that discussion today. Phew! You know, I am often asked by people to recommend books for their children of various ages and in various genres; and I am more than happy to help. I have always enjoyed reading since my childhood and I am only too happy to help others enjoy this wonderful habit too. And what is really heartening, is to see parents being diligent and concerned that their children only read age-appropriate books, preferably classics, by well-heeled authors; and most importantly, with very less or absolutely no swear words. But as delightful as it is to recommend a lovely book; I wish parents also asked for recommendations about o...

Click…attach…send…there, the pic was gone! Swati had just sent her husband a picture on whatsapp. It was a beautiful landscape sketched by their seven-year old. It was a masterpiece, if she said so herself. The boy surely had talent! Swati smiled as she saw the two blue ticks appear in the corner of the sent pic, indicating that Tarun had seen it. “My goodness, this is amazing!” came back the instant reply. “Yep!” she replied with a smiley; and then, “but he has a class test tomorrow, he has not studied for that! :(“ she sent the next message feeling guilty for not making Adi spend more time on studies. But Tarun promptly replied, “Oh, Swats, please don’t worry about the test, he will have that under control, I know; but seriously, I am just happy you see to it that you expose Adi to so many different things and help him discover his talents and interests….”  That evening, Adi was waiting for Dad to come see his beautiful picture! And as the bell rang, he rushed with...

This is a sponsored post for Surf Excel's #ReadyForLife Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  A firm believer of positive parenting, I know that excellence is a habit, not an act; and that it takes practice and perseverance. That is why I am constantly on the lookout for opportunities when I can teach my little one something new and valuable. Many times I have used his outrageous demands, or the petty squabbles he has had with his friends as examples to teach values to him that I feel are important to be #ReadyForLife. However, my little one being an only child, I have had no opportunity to teach him one of the most important values of all – sharing! So far, that is, until last week; when one such opportunity presented itself! Its summer and the schools are shut. With the temperatures soaring to way over normal, children are now forced to stay indoors on extremely hot afternoons – no doubt a boring prospect for energetic seven – eight year olds! So th...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com The first two months of the year are done and dusted and here we are in the month of March. Yes, the very month that brings with it a lot of special things – it brings the season of Spring to town, it brings us celebrations of womanhood, it brings us the extravagance of colours that takes family bonding to a whole new level, it brings us the  anxiety of exams ; and the most special for me, it brings my little one’s birthday! Bang in the middle of the exams, right on the day when there will either be Science or a Maths exam, is when my little one’s birthday usually happens to be! And while all my family “tch tch”es at this –  ‘bechara, birthday ke din exam likhega!’  – neither my little one nor I are ever too concerned about it (so far). In fact, we take it in our stride; and this year decided to up the ante by having a birthday party in the e...

It is 6:00 am. She wakes up to the alarm and before anyone else gets disturbed by it, puts it off and lies on her back for five minutes. It's a brand new day! And she has been especially looking forward to starting her day as she has a creative writing assignment to complete today. She needs to write, in detail, about something that makes her truly, honestly happy . And she is looking forward to writing about her passion, her  writing! It is 6:15 am.  She is thinking about her assignment as she enters the kitchen and, being one of those people who are incapable of kick-starting their days without a steaming cup of java, brews a pot of fresh coffee. As it brews, she starts organising her thoughts in her mind; and the ingredients she will need for cooking the breakfast and lunch for the men in her life, on the kitchen counter.   It is 6:30 am.  She has been in the kitchen for a quarter of an hour now, and her prep for the cooking ...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com We are all looking for a harmonious relationship with our family, especially, our children; and every now and then, we attempt to do something about this. But alas, more often than not, we get caught up in our work and there is always that one email, phone call or urgent message that takes us away from our children for just a few minutes, and then that moment is lost! Obviously, later, we fret about how we can spend more quality time with them. I know the feeling; been there, done that. Time, we all know, is the best thing we can give our children; and I have always looked for ways to spend more and more quality time with my little one. Then one long weekend this January, I found this easiest and the simplest way to (try to) make it up to him! Now, this may not be a fool-proof method I agree, but it is enough for me that I am trying, to begin with. ...

Parenting is a choice. It is an informed decision that changes our life! Parenting is also the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood.   We all know this. We also know that parenting is a responsibility, that we accept willingly; although we have no clue how we are going to bear it successfully, for the results come much later in this game; and by then it is too late to change our play! So we all do what we think is the best, and hope that things work out the way we want them to.  Earlier, when we did not have the internet or the many resources we have today, we depended on our elders for guidance; but now we depend more and more on parenting books, parenting support groups, parenting websites, and friends and family who are in a situation similar to ours for insight. All this helps us get a larger perspective of the whole parenting hu...

This is a sponsored post for Flipkart's #HowToShopForKids Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  “ You can find magic, wherever you look; Sit back and relax, all you need, is a book! ” says Dr. Seuss. And I couldn't agree more! Which is why, I am constantly on the lookout to get the best books for my little one to read.  A voracious reader myself, I have always wanted my child to love books and enjoy reading. In fact, I introduced him to books when he was just a few months old and I have always read to him and seen to it that I keep a steady supply of books directed towards him at all times. You must be thinking, what could give me, a book-lover, better joy than shopping for books, right? Well, I thought so too, but soon, I found out otherwise.   They say shopping for children is no child’s play; I agree, but I will let you in on a secret - shopping  with  children, is clearly not for the faint-hearted either! And that is something ...

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 ...

"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...