Baby Giana And Her Bed-Time Ritual With Mum Rosine

Lovely mum Rosine Reny Verghese from New Delhi writes in to share her baby's special bed-time ritual with us.

'Dear Debolina,

Hi.....I am Rosine from Delhi and I have a 2-and-half year old daughter named Gianna. Like most babies her age, she is fond of all the different animation movies. So after supper she usually watches some of her favourite movies like Barbie, Baby's day out, Barney, or Nemo the fish.
Finally when she is tired and wants to sleep she comes to me and says " Mamma sleeping time" .
After brushing her teeth and wishing goodnight to her grandparents she holds my hand and leads me to her story book shelf and picks up a few for herself...some of her favorite story books are Red Riding Hood, The Little Mermaid and Cinderella - to name a few.
I have to go through all the books which she picks up from the shelf, I have to read out loud to her and sometimes explain to her what is happening and answer all her questions...
After finishing her stories, she gives me a good night kiss and then holds on firmly to her teddy...she loves to hold on to her bedtime teddy every time she goes off to sleep and that teddy has been with her since she was 3 months old...
And once she lies down after hugging the teddy, within a few minutes she is in her own dreamworld...sound asleep......
With love,
Rosine Reny Verghese
Mum to Giana'

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And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

Debolina Raja Gupta

Playdates For Your Little One - Important, Important, And, Important

You must have heard countless parents, especially mums, swear by it. Playdate - that one term that immediately brings to mind a picture of a roomful of kids, toys, colours, things thrown on the floor, constant shouting and singing and screaming, a little fighting too, and of course lots of fun for the little ones.....

While experts have always been stressing about the importance of having a playdate incorporated in your child's routine, the trend is now catching up in India pretty nicely. Not long ago, kids would gather at the park, meet and play with their friends and head back home. On vacations, or on certain special days, a few friends would gather at one child's house and they would play for an hour or so. Then each to his/her home. But such interaction was very few and far between.

A playdate is something that has suddenly come into a routine where I reside. I am one of those lucky few who can claim having the best neighbours in the world - more than neighbours they are friends, more like family now (see pic). And I am really really lucky.

A playdate is good for your little one because:

The Other She

The carton was bursting and overflowing,
It was the annual sale you see,
With toys and books and clothes and stuff
And everything her eager eyes could see.

I gave her a hug, she gave me a smile,
I knew she was ready to go,
She wanted to be home and open the box
‘Whats in there mamma?’ she wanted to know.

I’d given her the frock the other day,
The one that was in her cupboard for so long,
And also her old favourite toy car
The one that ran fine, nothing was wrong.

We reached, I pressed the calling bell,
She opened the door with a smile,
To let us in and into our room,
That was all shining and bright.

She tugged at my hand as I gave her the bags,
‘Lets go in sweetheart, shall we?’
We went in, the AC chilled us down
Cloth and bottle ready in place, she went back to the TV

Five o’clock its time for her milk
And my garma-garam cup of chai
Sitting by the window, she playing, I reading,
I ask her for a toast with my chai.

Tomorrow she goes to her new class,
Her new bags, books and uniform filling up the bed.
She wipes the floor, brings the sheet and cushion
Clearing up the kitchen for her bed.

My darling daughter, my princess,
“She looks so much like you”, they all said.
What? Who? The other girl? The same age as my daughter?
Oh, she is Laxmi, my eight-year-old maid."

************************************************************
And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

This post is part of the poetry contest at Promising Poets Parking Lot.

Hide-n-Seek Vacations

So, the much awaited (on her part) and the much-dreaded (on my part) vacations are here. I have survived a week of it and am sure will survive the rest too, though now the level of confidence is a little lower I must admit.

The morning begins with me still wishing I could grab a few more winks, but of course my daughter is all charged up, ready to jump into a brand new day with all her dolls and toys and colours and things ready.

And for all of those who ask me or think what we have been doing the whole day for these past few days, well here is my answer....We have been playing marathon sessions of hide-n-seek, where my little doll has been 'hiding' in her favourite red cupboard...note the word 'hiding' and check her 'hiding' in the pic above...that's what I appreciate about her and pretty much all the little ones out there - their ability to hide anywhere and anytime. Ask them to hide and they will be standing in front of you, bang in the middle of the room, put those two tiny hands on their eyes, and wham.....Mamma, find me :)

One more thing that my daughter does - she tells me, Mamma, I am going to hide behind the curtain, find me...

I can never cease to be amazed at their innocence and the freshness these little ones bring to our adult lives each day, each moment. What better thing to write about than My Little One And Me?

*************************************************************
And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

What Do You Think Of This New Look

Hey guys,

Was meaning to change the look of the place for a long time now....finally got the time today to actually sit with my blog and give it a fresh new look. I was looking for something kiddy, cute and vibrant, with lots of colours thrown in. I loved the United Colours theme, the way these kids from all parts of the world are holding hands and showing us what love and friendship is all about...

Want your honest feedback....One thing I haven't been able to change is the font size..I know its a little difficult for you but am afraid we will have to go a little tiny on that for the time being, or till the time I get another look...

Do tell me what you think of this one...

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And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

Sleep Tight...And Dont Give The Witch A Fright !!!!

Good night good night good night....those two magical words that I have been repeating these last three-n-half years, but alas, to no avail. They fall on two tiny ears, and even before they are heard properly, are drowned in giggles and gurgles...And I am left to my poor state of forced insomnia, the one that happens when you are almost falling off with sleep, but are forced to stay awake as the little one is still not convinced enough that this is THE time to go to bed...and, well, sleep!!!!

Everyday is a new story, somedays its one story (though such days are becoming so rare now), some days its two stories (this is next in line to becoming rare), and most days, its a bargain between four and five stories....no prizes for guessing whose deal is eventually kept...I am just a bugging beggar in my own house for these matters you see...begging to tell that one story, but ending up accepting the tyranny of five !!!!

Today, as the sleep fairy took complete hold of me, I decided it was time for the scary witch story...I have the right to be a villain sometimes, don't I? psst psst...it comes with being a mother ;)

Anyway, I began telling her about the bad (of course now she knows that all witches are bad) witch who lives in the jungle and watches when kids dont close their eyes at night and go to sleep..

"How can she see me? She is not closing her eyes?" says Ms. three-n-half-year-old...

And thats how my attempt at a story ends....and begins a new game again !!!!

*We all have our own crazy, sweet, special, funny, adorable bedtime rituals with our little ones, don't we? Let me know what is that special bedtime ritual you do with your darling little one. Write in to me at deborummy@yahoo.com and I will share it here with our readers :)

A very interesting site for bedtime stories that I have come across time and again, called Bedtime stories:

http://www.bedtime.com/

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And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

Mum Joanna Biggs Talks About Why She Thinks Her Hubby Is The Best Daddy...

You have loved him too much to spend the rest of your life with him. You have shared fun moments, you have had your pillow fights, you have shared the best experience of your life together - becoming a parent......

So now here I am,giving ALL you amazing mums a chance to nominate your spouse as the Best Daddy....you know he is the best partner you could have asked for...now tell me and ALL OF US why you think he is THE BEST Daddy Ever!!!

Mum Joanna Biggs from England (soon to relocate to New Delhi) tells us why she feels her hubby Maghin, is the BEST DADDY EVER....

"Hi Debolina,

I had to send you this picture as soon as I saw the new topic you have started. The last 16 months have given me sooooo many Carys-and-her-daddy moments, but this picture, to me, says it all.

After a first, unhappy dip in the cold water off the coast of England, what better than to run to daddy for comfort and a cuddle?

Joanna

:-)

Joanna Biggs
Mum to 16-month-old Carys"

What a lovely picture....check out Baby Carys's look, the calm on being caressed by daddy, resting her head on her papa's shoulder and knowing that all will be fine... Hats off to Maghin, the daddy nominated as the BEST DADDY by loving wife Joanna...

Here's wishing the lovely family all the very best in life forever....

If you also wish to tell me why you feel your hubby is THE BEST DADDY, write in to me at deborummy@yahoo.com


And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

A Break From The Usual Hectic Lifestyle

Its been quite a while now that I have been enjoying this lovely experience of being a mommy. Can't say Im not enjoying it to the hilt. Of course there are the good days and the bad ones, the ones where I want to pull out my hair, the ones that feel that life could not have been better. There are days I am all smiles and coochy-coo and baby-talk, there are days when I walk around like a zombie, a constant stream of gibberish stumbling out of my mouth, unable to understand how I landed myself in this position....Well, parenting is a roller-coaster ride they say, and what a ride it is!

Yes, there have been some tough days too, but I am not complaining. I got more love and happiness I could have asked for.

Child Labour and You - The Other 'She'

The carton was bursting and overflowing,
It was the annual sale you see,
With toys and books and clothes and stuff
And everything her eager eyes could see.

I gave her a hug, she gave me a smile,
I knew she was ready to go,
She wanted to be home and open the box
‘Whats in there mamma?’ she wanted to know.

I’d given her the frock the other day,
The one that was in her cupboard for so long,
And also her old favourite toy car
The one that ran fine, nothing was wrong.

We reached, I pressed the calling bell,
She opened the door with a smile,
To let us in and into our room,
That was all shining and bright.

She tugged at my hand as I gave her the bags,
‘Lets go in sweetheart, shall we?’
We went in, the AC chilled us down
Cloth and bottle ready in place, she went back to the TV

Five o’clock its time for her milk
And my garma-garam cup of chai
Sitting by the window, she playing, I reading,
I ask her for a toast with my chai.

Tomorrow she goes to her new class,
Her new bags, books and uniform filling up the bed.
She wipes the floor, brings the sheet and cushion
Clearing up the kitchen for her bed.

My darling daughter, my princess,
“She looks so much like you”, they all said.
What? Who? The other girl? The same age as my daughter?
Oh, she is Laxmi, my eight-year-old maid."

Shocked? Sad? Angry? This is reality you know, the real face of India, the face that always critices and complains, but never really has the courage to actually go out there and bring about a change. We like to say we treat our maid well, that this little girl is lucky to work in my house coz I treat her better than the others and make her do less work...Shame...You could have sent her to a school? You could have called her home to study and then sent her back after giving her a glass of milk, couldnt you? And all those times you saw that little boy or girl working in a shop, or pushing that cart on the road, you could have gotten hold of the adult and given them a lesson, you could have complained about them? How many times have you done that?

WHERE TO COMPLAIN FOR CHILD LABOUR:

1. You can lodge a complaint at your nearest police station.
To get a link to all the police stations across India, you may log in to www.karmayog.org/policedepartments/

2. PRATHAM HELPINE FOR CHILD LABOUR
022-65134884 or EMAIL Kishore Bhamre on kishorbhamre1@rediffmail.com
This number is ONLY FOR MUMBAI AND MAHARASHTRA
Please visit www.pratham.org for more details.

3. HELPLINE TO COMPLAIN FOR CHILD LABOUR
1098 is the number to complain against child labour if you are in any of the following cities:
Agartala, Aurangabad, Chennai, Guwahati, Kanchipuram, Kozhikode, Nadia, Pune, South 24 Paraganas, Varanasi, Shimla, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kanyakumari, Kutch, Nagapattinam, Puri, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, Ludhiana, Ahmednagar, Baroda, Cuddalore, Imphal, Karaikal, Lucknow, Nagpur, Rourkela, Thirunelveli, Vishakhapatnam, Akola, Bhopal, Delhi, Indore, Kochi, Mangalore, Nasik, Ranchi, Thrissur, Waynad, Allahabad, Bhubaneshwar, East Midanapore Jammu, Kolkata, Madurai, New Jalpaiguri, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, West Midnapore, Alwar, Chandigarh, Goa, Jaipur, Kollam, Mumbai, Patna, Shillong, Udaipur, Agra, Amarawati, Cuddalore, Gorakhpur, Kalyan, Kota, Murshidabad Port Blair, Sholapur, Ujjain and Gurgaon.

We all like to say that Child Labour is a crime and should not be allowed. So stop complaining now and ACT.

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And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

This Post has been Published as a part of

My Little One, My Rainbow

My daughter saw a rainbow today..on TV...its quite a feat to see a 'real' rainbow in these times of smog and pollution and skyscrapers. She loved the colours and asked me why and how there were so many colours in a rainbow.

My doll: "So many colours mamma? In one rainbow?"
Me: "Why not? You can have many colours together."
My doll: "Like my skirt?" (pointing to the skirt she was wearing at that time)
Me: (smiling) "Yes, like your skirt, and also like mamma."
My doll: "Like mamma? Like you?" (wide eyed)
Me: "You know how many colours of the rainbow you gave me? I will tell you."

"Violet when you blessed me and made my life bloom,
Indigo when you tell me 'Mamma I Love You".
Blue as your hugs come and caress me through,
Green as you make my life so full.

Yellow as I hold you to my heart each day,
Orange as I walk you home.
Red as the love in my heart as I call your name,
So many colours to fill my life.... and i wish the same and more for you."

She loved the use of colours....but of course, even before she left the room, she had already forgotten all of what I had said, and was busy in a new game :)

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And like I always believe in and say:
'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ

Happy Parenting!!!!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

This Post has been Published as a part of