Rashmi's Space

There is something superbly exciting about an ice-cream shop! Vanilla, Strawberry, Black Currant, Chocolate Chip, Butterscotch, Caramel Crunch, Crispy Chocolate Malt, Rocky Road, Café Mocha, Rum N' Raisin... Ummm... Rum n’ Raisin he thinks, a Café Mocha for her. And a Rocky Road for the little one. A few minutes into enjoying their respective ice creams, the little one asks if they can swap the cones, for a taste. “Of course!” she says. “Huh?” He stares. She gives him a look that says, ‘Trust me on this.’ The little one tastes the Café Mocha and makes a face. Coffee is bitter. Well, you need to grow up to appreciate it. She smiles. Now it’s his turn. He isn’t really happy about this. A nine year-old isn’t a baby, exactly; but not all that grown up either. Reluctantly, he gives the child a taste. This time the face the child makes is even worse. “Weird!” They laugh. The child goes back to his Rocky Road. But curiosity persists. “Why does it taste weird?” “It’s the rum,” s...

It is Saturday morning. Birds chirp as they sip water from the potted plants in the balcony that I have freshly watered just now. There is very less traffic on the road today as it is the weekend. I take my coffee and sit on the swing in my balcony that I rarely get to sit on. As I sip, I savour the bliss of this unhurried morning. I relish the calm, the silence. And I wonder – why aren’t my everyday mornings like this? Why is it only on Saturdays that I get to experience this beauty of the relaxed morning? And I sigh.   Because I know the answer to that question. I know, that every day, at this time, I am in the kitchen, rushing to get tiffin boxes of breakfast, lunch and snacks ready for my family – coming up with innovative ideas, worrying about portions and running against time to get it all packed and sealed for the day in the meal boxes that my family will carry with them for the long day ahead. Nutrition in bite sized pieces. That is what I am doing at this time on ...

We are all taught right from childhood that being merely ‘okay’ isn’t enough. That we should be first in the race, not be in the ‘also ran’ category, because, of course, there is always room at the top; and that we can get there if we can only push ourselves to the maximum possible extent. And we believe this our entire lives and keep pushing ourselves more and more and more. And when we have children, we teach them the same thing. We teach them to be the ‘top of the bunch,’ to ‘push themselves to excel in whatever they do.’ We tell them, “if you want to do something, do it the best, otherwise there is no point doing it!” We tell them, “no one remembers the second best, but no one forgets the best! So be the best!” We tell them, “It is important to be someone people look up to, and not someone who isn’t even noticed!” But have we, even once, thought if it is really necessary to excel at everything we do? Why is it that we have this compulsion to be ‘the best’? And reall...

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

Image:  Designed by Freepik "प्रिय पालक, तुमचा मुलगा जेवणाचा डबा न संपवता मधल्या सुट्टीत खेळायला जातो. बाईंनीं वर्गात थांबून डबा आधी संपवायला सांगितले तरीही ऐकत नाही. तरी आपण त्याला ताकीद करावी कि अशी वागणूक भविष्यात सहन केली जाणार नाही " बाईंनी चिट्ठी पाठवली. "मम्मी, सही करून देशील?" माझ्या लहानग्याने विचारलं. मी चिट्ठी वाचून त्याच्याकडे निरखून पाहिलं. माझ्या रंगवण्याची, ओरडण्याची, तो वाट पाहत होता. मी म्हटलं, " अरे, तुझ्या टीचर ने आधीच नंबर लावला कि! मीच तिला चिट्ठी लिहिणार होते खरं तर, कि माझ्या मुलाचा डबा अर्धवट घरी परत येतो, 'तरी प्लीझ तुम्ही लक्ष द्याल का, म्हणून!" एक मिनिट पूर्ण शांततेत गेला. आणि मग आम्ही दोघंही भरभरून हसलो!

“Mum, I want rasam to drink.” the little one declared. “Sure, give me ten minutes, will give you. But why rasam? Are you feeling a cold coming on?” I asked worried. “No, no, I just felt like it. Just for the taste.” he said nonchalantly. I stood in the kitchen, trying to come to terms with the fact that my little one, who has till now never asked for rasam specifically, in fact, who has even refused to have rasam whenever I have offered it to him as a cold or cough remedy, was suddenly asking me for this concoction, no demanding it just for the taste! And even as I was still taking this in, I heard him go out and speak to his Dad. “I am having rasam before dinner Dad, would you like some too? I can tell Mum to make for you as well…” he asked his father. “Sure! Go ahead,” the father happily replied. So in walked my little one again to deliver the order for one more bowl of rasam and as he went out, his father asked him “You like rasam, is it?” “Yes.” ...

"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...

This is a sponsored post for Quaker and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com  If you have grown up anywhere near Mumbai, then as a child, you are sure to have visited the hill-stations of Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani! During the summers when Mumbai would be blazing in the relentless Sun, most people would escape to the closest, hill station of Mahabaleshar which would not only provide us the much needed respite from the heat, but also give us one of nature’s favourite berries – the strawberry! Mahabaleshwar in April-May is brimming with strawberries, mulberries, raspberries; and no matter where you go, you are served with fresh milkshakes, ice-creams, jams, jellies, fruit-salads and what not with fresh strawberries and cream toppings! As children, this, and of course, the horse rides on the Table Land, were the highlights of the vacations spent in these rolling hills! The deep pink berry with pits on the outside was a rarity for the middle-class working background childh...

I remember being fifteen and telling my parents that I wanted to go to an out-of-town college all by myself . The place in question was only a half hour train journey, followed by a fifteen minute bus ride; but it was still a big leap for someone who had spent the first fifteen years of her life living in one place and being chaperoned to any place that took more than twenty minutes to reach. Being a good negotiator (or believing myself to be one) I gave my parents two options – one, let me travel by the famous Mumbai local train to a college that was an hour’s journey; or two, let me travel, (again by the erstwhile local train,) to a college that was a half hour’s train journey followed by a fifteen minute bus ride. I cleverly presented them with these two options, the idea being, that even if they agreed to the one with the least travel time, I would still get my wish granted of going to a college outside of my small town!   The interesting thing was, it didn...

They say it takes a village to raise a child. But what do you do when the village turns violent, vandalizing each other’s’ properties and spreading hatred among the inhabitants? What happens when in your own home, your child gets to see televised violence – real time or in a movie format? What does that do to your child? The past few days in Bangalore have been fraught with tension and chaos. Friends and relatives from all over the world are writing in to enquire after our safety and wellbeing and the media has had a field day raising their TRPs thanks to some of the most sensational images in recent history! And in the middle of all this, children who joined their mothers and grandparents in front of the TV to check up on the latest news about the situation outside, ended up seeing some of the goriest images on TV!  I know the issue is sensitive; and I also know the solution isn’t easy or anywhere in the near future. But where does all this violence and chaos leave...

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 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...

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...

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...