Rashmi's Space

It was on a cold December morning that I read an email asking me if I would like to review a book on Cricket. Coming from an editor who takes her work very seriously, this gave me a pause.   I couldn’t help but wonder why she would ask me, of all people, to review a book on sports! I am not much of a sports fan. I have never written on sports before. Fiction , yes, parenting , oh, yes; general book reviews , definitely yes! But sports? And that too, Cricket? Growing up, I’d always seen my dad scold my brother for ‘wasting his time’ watching ball-by-ball play of one-day matches when he would watch cricket instead of studying for his exams. I remember hiding the remote from my brother just so I could watch HBO and not let him watch cricket. But of course, marriage, as we all know, is a game changer. After I was married , I was introduced to the world of cricket. No, my husband isn’t a big cricket fan or anything, he doesn’t watch ball-by-ball matches either, but he does ...

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...

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...

If you are a reader, chances are, you are a book hoarder too. At any given point in time, there are bound to be books around your home, and you may even be reading several books at the same time. If you are a neatness freak, they would be properly arranged and have a place of their own, but if you are big on reading and not all that big on cleaning up, then they would be all around the place (like mine).  But , on top of being a reader and a book hoarder, if you are a parent too, then chances are, your children have access to your books all the time !  Now, on the one hand, this is a good thing. If kids see parents reading and generally see books around the house, chances are, they will develop the love of reading too, when they grow up. But there is also a downside to it - your children have access to all your books ! And this is serious.  No, I don't mean embarrassing in the 'oops, my kid got hold of my copy of Fifty Shades of Grey !'  way; (although, there...

"There you are!" She exclaimed from across the room.  I looked up...and knew I had lost my chance.  I had just left my daughter for practice and was looking forward to an hour of uninterrupted reading when a fellow parent and a good friend caught up with me. I had deliberately sat a little apart from the other parents so as to not be disturbed while I read, but of course, this tactic was lost on my well-meaning friend.  "No wonder I didn't see you out front....what are you doing here? Come, let's have a cup of coffee...we have an hour anyway..." she said as she came towards me.  "I was.....I was trying to rea...." I stammered, clutching my book, hoping that she would leave me alone. But she crossed the room in a few long strides and in one fluid motion took my hand and dragged me out of my sanctuary saying "Oh! But you are only reading.....Come on....you can read later, let me first tell you what a little birdie told me........