Rashmi's Space

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com Remember that scene from the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge where Simran tells Raj about her family? Am not all that sure but I think it goes something like this – “Ghar mein bas hum char hain. Chutki apni umar se kuch jyada hi badi hai ….. Aur maa, friend jyada maa kam!”  (It’s just the four of us at home– Chutki (my sister) is way older than her age…and mom… she’s more a friend than a mother…) Well, growing up, this was very similar to how things were with me and my Mum. She was my trusted friend and confidant. Always the first to know of my new friends, my first crush, my first heartbreak; my favourite actors, movies, books – just about everything!  She was and continues to be the keeper of my secrets and knows of all that really matters to me. Our relationship has been such that I have never felt the need to keep anything ...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  “Mum, what if no one wants to make friends with me?” It was the week before school reopened for the new academic year and I was sitting with my little one, covering and labeling his school books, as he helped me with scissors and cello tape as and when I asked for it. We were generally chit-chatting about nothing in particular, when suddenly, this is what he sprung on me! Now, both my husband and I boast of having loyal, will-come-running-even-in-the-middle-of-the-night friends, who can be counted on the fingers of one hand each. But our little one (obviously) is different. And despite repeated assurances from both his parents that it is not the quantity but the quality of friends that matters, he somehow believes in having lots and lots of friends! For him, going to school is equal parts about play and education. When he went to playschool with thi...

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. ...

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 ...

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...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com My little one likes many different things, but Dinosaurs are his absolute favourite! This October, while planning the celebrations for the International Dinosaur Month with my little one, I was inspired to note the completely unexpected ways in which his fascination for these amazing creatures has helped me over the years! Dinosaurs were the biggest and the fiercest animals to ever walk the earth! They were also the strangest and the most magnificent animals that roamed the earth much before we humans inhabited it. They came in all types and sizes – herbivores, carnivores, huge scary ones; tiny, bird-like, chicken-sized ones – the list is limitless! Fascinating children and adults for centuries, these majestic creatures once lived on our planet and were rendered extinct some 65 million years ago. But even today, these wonderful creatures cont...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  Children can teach us so much! A baby teaches us that we can be happy for no reason at all. A toddler teaches us that no matter how many times you fall down, all you have to do is get back up again! A pre-schooler teaches us that it is very easy to make new friendships if we are tolerant towards others. A middle schooler teaches us that hobbies can give immense pleasure. A teenager teaches us that life is all about new experiences and accepting the unusual. Children can teach us all this and much more, if only we let them. But we are so busy, trying to  make them see the world through our eyes  that we sometimes fail to  see the world through theirs! Every time we talk of parenting, or parenting styles; we only talk about  how to raise your children to do this,  or  not to do this,  or  be this,  or  not...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos #Khuljaye Bachpan Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  Kriti was introduced to the violin at a tender age of 4. At a concert, she was so mesmerized by the instrument, that she told her parents she wished to learn it. Her parents found out that there were two types of music schools. One was a homespun, informal affair. The talented teacher in question, taught children who showed an interest and inclination to learn the instrument, at her residence. She adhered to a basic beginner-level curriculum and did not insist on ‘timing’ her students’ progress (or the lack of it). The other was a professional set up, where children could also train for exams / certifications. They had a strict curriculum, a certain defined age for entry, and an insistence on dedicated practice time every day. Kriti’s parents wanted only the best for her; and felt that if they sent her to the more formal school, they could, possib...

This is a sponsored post for Kellogg's Chocos which has first been published on MyCity4Kids.com  Its been a month since school began. The honeymoon period is clearly over; and with it, has waned the novelty of the new school year. Initially, our kids were looking forward to schools reopening and a new routine taking over. New books were to be read, new uniforms to be tried on and most importantly, new friendships were to be forged…And now, with the month gone by swiftly, they are settling into this newness with a familiarity that is growing by the minute. We parents too, were looking forward to the beginning of a new school year. We were excited about getting to know new teachers, fellow parents; and of course, our little ones were a year older! Yayy! But now that we are close to our first PTMs, we are equally looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. ‘What does the teacher think of my son's behaviour?’ ‘What does the teacher think of my daughter a...