Key Roles Of A Mum: JD of A MUM

Key Roles:

Maternity Clothes and Fashion: What To Keep In Mind

Hey mumsies,

Was going through some stuff online and realised the huge change that's come over in the dressing sense of mums who are expecting babies - the way they dressed earlier to the way they dress now. While earlier, most mums in India would be hidden behind the saree or the salwar-kameez during those 'bump'y months, these days, it seems that mums love to flaunt the bump - and why not!

Showing off your bump in style is a great way to share this great news with those around, and of course to show off your 'to-be-pampered' state.......

With easy availability of maternity dresses these days - starting from your local shop to the nearest mall to the online selling portals that you can visit from the comfort of your bedroom - the designs and styles in maternity wear has gone up considerably.

Before we get into the style aspect, here are a few things to keep in mind while you are planning to buy some maternity wear:

Is Your Baby Sleeping Enough?

For new mothers, and even for mothers whose kids have grown up a bit, understanding if your child is getting enough sleep or not is quite tricky. While many kids will immediately start showing the tell-tale signs of feeling sleepy, some kids, especially those who are hyper-active, may not immediately start showing easy signs that tell you your baby isn't getting adequate sleep time.

Here are a few signs you may look out for to understand if your baby is lacking in sleep and help them with better and extra bed time.

Things To Know About Parenting Before Baby Arrives

(*image courtesy lifehacker - the author of this blog/post claims no rights to the image above)

Look at the image above. If you've seen many dazzling images of cherubic babies and are now expecting your own, this image is pretty much the closest that you'll be coming to during that cherubic phase, at least for the first year or so.

Essentials For Your Baby's Nursery

It's every parent's dream - but I think a little more of the mums' - to create and decorate that most beautiful room in the house - the BABY NURSERY!

So while we all get into that mad dash to create the perfect nursery for our little one, here are the essentials (of course you can have all or some) that your baby's nursery should surely have:

How Much Sleep Does Your New Born Need

I've been reading up about baby and child sleep patterns ever since I conceived my daughter. As a new mum with no experience with babies and no help whatsoever, I absolutely had to know about the sleep patterns of babies, as a healthy sleep pattern is something that helps babies in all aspects - growth, mental and physical development and all aspects of growing up.

Mommyhood Picture Stories and Quotes

 Image courtesy Pinterest

- Debolina Raja Gupta

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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!!!!

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Main Responsibilities of A MOM: JD of A MOM

Positions are in a 24X7 format:

The Power Of Family Meals

Being a nutritionist I have always paid attention to what my family eats. But until recently, I was not aware
that how they eat is equally important. Research has shown that eating together as a family is key to inculcating healthy eating habits in children.

Researchers at Rutgers University have looked at 68 studies that have examined relationship between family meals, eating habits and children’s health. Amazingly all studies pointed to a similar trend – families who had “meals together” during the growing years had children and teens who ate more fruits and vegetables, other nutrient rich foods and less of soft drinks. The research also indicated that they had a lower BMI (body mass index) than kids whose families did not eat together! Of course, this is not a magic bullet but with so many studies confirming this trend it will be good to pay attention to these findings.

Family That Eats Together Stays Connected

Image courtesy Google Images

This is a conscious family practice that I've been trying to inculcate in the home for some time now. While we do try and have meals together, to be honest, most of the time it doesn't really happen. Well, there are many reasons behind that:

Mommyhood Picture Stories and Quotes

 Image courtesy Pinterest

 - Debolina Raja Gupta

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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!!!!

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

MOM Master Of Multi-tasking: JD Of A Mum

JOB TITLE: Mother, Mom, Ma, Mum, Mummy
JOB TIMINGS: 24X7, no leaves granted
BASED AT (PLACES IN, AROUND, AT AND ANYTHING RELATED TO): 

Yet Another Parenting Dilemma

As a parent of a five-year old growing up outside of India, far away from the environment that influenced my childhood – I worry about a lot of things.

Importantly, how to ensure that I bring up a child who is well-mannered and polite? Not that good manners are exclusive to Indian kids brought up in India, but cultural differences do account a lot for the way in which we perceive things; and to me, being well-mannered is the traditional Indian definition that we have of it – saying please and thank you, being respectful to elders, standing up when talking to a teacher, etc.

How Do You Define Caring Enough For Your Little One?

Few days back someone in the family mentioned that I care too much for my daughter, that my hubby and I care too much for her, more than enough, and that, in a way, we are spoiling her.

I didn't really answer back then, as it would have been a tricky situation - I'm always super-defensive, angry and irritated when someone talks this kind of senseless talk.

I mean, how do you define 'caring enough' for your kids? As a parent, isn't that what you're actually supposed to do?

I've prided myself in making my daughter a sensible, independent, smart, compassionate and understanding human being. She may be all of 5, but her sensibility, sense of compassion and understanding of the world and people around her are outstanding, something other parents and even her teachers have time and again told us about.

So what does someone mean by 'caring enough' for your little one?

Times today are changing and so is parenthood, by leaps and bounds. What our parents did a generation ago may have worked perfectly then, but put that in today's

Mommyhood Picture Stories

I've done this sooooo many times with my daughter that can absolutely relate to this :-)

Image sourced from Pinterest

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

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Back To School: Smiling Through A Round of Worries Each Morning

So, school has finally begun for my 05-year-old again, and even though I was thinking it would be easier this time, I must admit it's quite a challenge - especially with her progress into primary school from montessori and having to become all grown-up in the amount of time she spends for school - 08 hours each day for school at 05 years of age is, I feel, a crime to let kids go through!

But simply can't help it as that's how it is!

So even though the last 3 years of Montessori passed on quite smoothly, of course there were the initial tears in the first couple of weeks the first year, my daughter was happy about school - but this time round, I can't say the same.


I am a born night-bird, and much as I can see it now, so is my daughter, and this fact is not helping either me or my little one. While I have my own issues to fight each day to wake up in the morning, it's a different game plan altogether to make her wake up in time for the school bus.

Meeting The Tiger Mom Amy Chua 'Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mom'

I recently attended a talk by Amy Chua, the author of the book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.’ A year ago, a provocative review of her book by Wall Street Journal propelled her into the list of mosttalked-about and most-vilified people, as parents (mainly in the West) collectively gasped in horror at her authoritative and harsh parenting methods.

For us in the East, such kind of parenting was something many of us have seen, heard about or even
experienced, although we might not subscribe to those methods any more.

Baby Shower Theme Ideas

So someone's having a baby shower? Congrats! 

Here are a few party theme ideas that can come handy.....

Planning That Baby Shower Party: Some Things You May Like To Know

The stork has visited and it's time for a new member to pop up ...... ready for a party?

If you haven't heard of a baby shower party yet, don't worry. Many mums, especially Indian mums, still don't go for a celebratory baby shower party, as it is considered inappropriate in many Indian customs to celebrate baby's arrival pre-birth.

While the custom originally is that someone else should throw the baby shower party for you, it's absolutely fine if you plan your own and organise it. You don't need to wait those 9 months for someone to do it for you, it's entirely okay if you do it for yourself :-)

Being A Mommy

 Couldn't agree more!

- Debolina Raja Gupta

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

Happy Parenting!!!!

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones....

Debolina Raja Gupta

Celeb Dads And Babies

It's the month of dads like I said, and here are some dishy dads with their little cherubs :-)

Daddy Beckham on sleep duty

Father's Day DIY Gift Ideas

It's almost here, Fathers' Day that is.....This year, Father's Day is on the 16th of June 2013.

While there are sooo many gifts out there at the stores to gift dads, there's nothing like a home-made gift, a personalised DIY thingy, especially special if done with the help of your baby/child. So even while you may have browsed through your options online or at the stores, here are some of the really amazing DIY Father's Day gift ideas I liked while surfing the web.

(*all pics have been sourced from Pinterest and I claim no rights to any of the pics in any way)

Funny Parenting Quotes

 am guilty ;-)

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

Happy Parenting!!!!

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

My Hubby Bestest Daddy

 

Hey,

It's the Daddy month! :-) And this picture above is one of my most cherished pics of my daughter with her dad. Not to mention that almost all of my friends have loved it as my FB cover pic....I adore this one!

So, this month we're celebrating Daddy's Day, or Father's Day, which falls this year on 16th June Sunday.

Do You Know How To Read Nutrition Labels?

From my experience, even among the educated, ‘Nutrition Literacy’ is far from where it should be and learning to read nutrition labels can be a good starting point.

Most of us walk into a grocery store and add items to our basket, blissfully unaware of what nutrition it actually delivers. In fact, many of us hardly ever stop to read the label and even if we do get around to looking at it, we may not be sure what the numbers imply.

So here are some pointers which will help you decide if the product falls in the “healthy or not so healthy category” and how often you or your child should consume it.

“No Label Don’t Buy": check for nutrition label on the food pack you buy. Today, all food manufacturers
in the country have to declare the following on a label -

Funny Parenting Quotes

Aaah....how did they know that??? ;-) 

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

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Online Shopping For Baby Essentials: Discounts And More on FirstCry.com

Mommies, if you've got a little one at home, these offers are surely for you. Whether you're looking for diapers for your little one, for baby care products, for back-to-school stationery (considering schools are just opening or about to re-open), clothes, footwear or toys, there are some great discounts going on on everything! So without wasting more time scouting around stores and trying to get the best of bargains, here are a few deals you just can't miss out on! Enjoy ladies...and dads too :-)

Lines On Being A Mommy From The Book 'Daniel Isn't Talking' by Marti Leimbach

Am currently reading this touching book called 'Daniel Isn't Talking' by Marti Leimbach. As the name may be suggestive to many, the book is about a little boy who is autistic and how his mother, even while she doesn't really want to say it loud to herself in the beginning for fear of making it real, does begin reading the signs. 

I'm not going to make this a book review, for that, you can head over to my book blog The Book Worm and keep an eye for the review of this one.

As I was reading, I came across a few lines that I felt many mothers will familiarise with. I personally have a sleeping disorder, I can't sleep even though I have tried every single thing and remedy that's out there. But yes, one thing that's been a constant ever since I had my daughter is that I need to have her by my side - only then can I sleep comfortably for the bits and pieces that I sleep.

So yes, here are a few lines that I really thought touched a chord.

Daddies - Quietly In The Background, But A Baby's Hero, Always!

Fun Parenting Quotes

Am GUILTY ;-)

- Debolina Raja Gupta

**********************************************
And like I always believe in and say:

'Heal the world we live in
Save it for our children' - MJ
Happy Parenting!!!!

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

WWW.BARBIE.COM My Absolute Summer Vacation Saver!

I'm no perfect mom, and I have no shame in admitting that!

Well, if you thought I would be sitting with my little one through the 40 days of summer vacation and make her study and read all day, think again! All this studying and all is already happening on school days, right? So what's the point of having a vacation, a break?

Nah - I haven't burdened her with too much studies these past 20 days, and nor am I going to.

Simple Summer Indoor Activities For Your Little One

Oh it's the summer holidays and trust me, I've already gone bonkers - handling my daughter at home the WHOLE day and managing office work and other assignments too - Uff!!!!

Though I enjoy having her around more and it's a lot of fun, there are times when I know she gets bored bored bored! She does go to an activity center in the day for a couple of hours, but that's not enough to keep a 05-year-old interested, right? So was going through other ideas to let her have fun indoors (can't go out its simply tooooo sunny and crazy hot!) and thought it would be a good idea to share some ideas here with you all.....

Good Touch Bad Touch: Explaining The Rules To My 05-Year Old

With the growing amounts of incidents being reported in the media today about child victimisation and the many monstrous horrors that are babies are being inflicted to, it's crazy how our little ones are growing up amongst a jungle of monsters!

While the entire blogging community of parents is up in arms about this crazy mental sickness that's out there to devour our kids (and even while I write this, the papers today reported how a 13-year-old was abducted by his own cousin and killed, in an attempt to get ransom for a debt the kidnapper incurred due to cricket betting!) it's difficult to understand exactly what we're supposed to be doing as parents.

Fun Mother Daughter Things To Do This Mother’s Day

Its almost here…MOTHER’S DAY!!!!!

While I personally believe that each day is Mother’s Day and each day is special, there’s nothing like having some extra attention and pampering on D-Day, right? Especially if that attention and pampering is directed at me ;-)

My daughter is all of 5 now and yes, she too is aware that Mother's Day is somewhere near!!! Yippeeee!!! Thanks to all ads and commercials popping up here and there, she knows the special days of the year.

I'm planning to do some really fun stuff with her this Mother’s Day, in fact, I'm gonna do it the entire week as it will be a great treat to spend the vacations and to do some more fun mother-daughter bonding…

So I'm definitely gonna indulge, enjoy and feel special, that too with my daughter with me, the one who’s rightfully given me the privilege of enjoying this day as a mommy!

Life And Death?

 Even as I write this post, there is a big question in my mind that's nagging me crazy....will I be able to quench her fears and clear out her doubts?

The ones that are raging in her little mind and taking away her peace?

The ones that are worrying her so much that she's spending every before-going-to-bed ritual time crying and hugging me and begging for answers?

My little girl of 5 is experiencing the

“Learning To Love My Body After Baby”: Real Life Motherhood Stories

*Pic shown here is for representational purpose only…

 

Mum Carly found it difficult hitting the trendy beaches of Sydney just four weeks after giving birth. But with a change in attitude she has learnt to embrace her new mum body.

Women in general seem to me to be dissatisfied with their bodies. Common complaints include thighs too big, cellulite, breasts too small, and bellies not flat enough. Women seem to never be happy with their bodies and after childbirth women seem to be even more dissatisfied with the state of their womanly form.

It can be heartbreaking to look at a new, post-pregnancy form in the mirror, especially if you’re going to trendy Sydney beaches in the summer, just four weeks after giving birth, being surrounded by almost-perfect, young, bikini bodies.

You may not be totally happy with your body, but it’s important to be realistic and not too hard on yourself. When you look at your caesarean scar or permanently changed breasts, instead of seeing a body shape that’s not perfect, try and feel empowered by what your body has created.

Your scar exists because it is where your angel came from and your breasts have changed because you fed and nourished your little baby. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it!

Your body does change after having children, but it has changed due to a massive accomplishment. Love thy body, including all the bumps and imperfections. You’re that special person – a mommy – so feel proud about yourself and show the world the real you!

*inputs from mothernbabyuk

 - Debolina Raja Gupta

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

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Have You Hugged Your Child Today?

Have you hugged your little one today? I have.......Reason? Nothing....

Or maybe because she chose me and came to my life and I'm just so happy to have her with me, and can't help but try and hold on to these lovely moments and days when she is still only just mine! :-)

So how many times did I hug her today?

1. A few times when she woke up 
2. Right after she woke up
3. When I took her towards the washroom
4. While we were getting ready to brush
5. When she finished brushing
6. On the bed again
7. Just some more
8. And some more just like that......

She's got an off today, so she's at home and it's time for lots and lots of hugs.

This also means she's not very happy that mamma is busy with work. And of course each time I start getting angry, I try and convert it to hug time to spare my anger and to talk rationally and make her understand better, rather than get angry......

- Debolina Raja Gupta

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

Happy Parenting!!!! Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Belated Holi And Lots of Colourful Days To Come Ahead

This year me and daughter had a different and relatively quiet Holi. While the festival of colours is something I really love, it's not something that my daughter looks forward to much, but as each year she gets to celebrate it with her gang, she ends up playing way more than she had planned.

DIY Kiddie Room Makeover: At INR 0 !!!

So recently I shared in another post how our shifting to the new home was affecting my little girl (we shifted to this new home a month back.) There were lots of reasons she missed her old place, one of them being the pretty strawberry pink room we had got painted for her, with pink n red walls. She absolutely loved it and so did all her friends.

But alas, once you decide to buy your own place in Mumbai, that too in a high-rise, there's not much stuff you're left with in your pocket, your wallet, or in any of your bank accounts. This of course is difficult to explain to a 05-year-old, who, each time I tell her that we don't have enough money right now to get the whole home painted, tells me I can walk down to the ATM and there's lots of money there for you mamma!!!!! Hmmm...I wish :-)

So it was that I decided to take matters in my hand and give her what she was pining for -  a room that looked more like a kiddie room, instead of the boring white walls it had. And what more fun than involve her in a mommy-daughter team thing and create something fun, colourful and lovely for her room! So here's what we did....

this is how the room was when we bought it a month back...bare walls with no colour

From Mommy To Daughter, The Legacy Continues: Happy International Women's Day

Before I begin, let me wish all you lovely ladies out there a very happy, special and empowering Women's Day! Of course we can't really be respecting and appreciating our women only one day a year, but it's not everyday that you specifically take out time to wish each other and tell them that yes, they are truly special and deserve all the attention! So yes, once again, a very happy, special and empowering women's day!!!

So who do I dedicate this special day to? Of course, the 2 most special women in my life - my ma and my daughter. When I was a little girl myself, and through my growing up years, I was the perfect example of what a rebel daughter is like and what I definitely wouldn't want mine to become!!! (oh I can't imagine myself going through all that my poor ma did!!) but I'm sure that's exactly what she will go through too, it's a natural phase after all. Anyways, the point is, that I was totally this crazy, nerdy, rebellious, aggressive, stubborn young girl, doing things my way, believing that I had a special halo around my head that allowed me to break all the rules and create my own, and some of the craziest fights I had during my growing-up years were with ma! But then again, I was always super-loving, super-protective and super-possessive about her, and still am!

School Diaries...Everyday

You probably already know that I am a huge chatterbox, that I can go on non-stop. My ma has always told me how I loved to talk to her about everything under the sun and moon, and now, the fun carries on as my little one jumps into my arms each day and tells me absolutely every single thing that made news for her!

As I send her off to school each morning, I tell her to have fun, to have a great day, to listen to her teachers and also to make sure that she does some masti ;-) School is also about fun, right? And as I wave her off in the morning, we make funny faces and blow kisses to each other, one from the bus stand and the other from the other side of the bus window....

Day Of Love....Valentine's The Baby Way

 Image courtesy s5.favim.com

While working on something today, I came across this beautiful picture.....a sepia tinted picture of a mother holding her new born in her arms. As the baby sleeps in utter peacefulness in the one place that is the most safe for a baby in the world - its mother's arms, the look on the mother's face, her smile, says it all.....

It's a smile that is full of contentment, completeness, a smile of pure joy and satisfaction, a smile that says yes, this is what I have been waiting for, and finally, I've found all my love and dreams in this little bundle, this little heart of mine that now shall forever remain in my arms, close to my heart....Don't we all, as mothers, feel the same way too?

I do.......

- Debolina Raja Gupta


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

Be good to your little one, and to the millions of little ones out there who truly need every bit of love and compassion they can get.....Be a grown up...save the little ones.... Debolina Raja Gupta

Presenting The Liebster Blog Award.....

 

February is the month of love, and though I am lucky enough to spend most of days being in love with my daughter (save for the days when office and a 05-year-old and freelance work makes me go all bonks!!), I had decided to make sure that February, especially, in my home, gets spent as the month of love....more time, dedication and attention to my daughter (poor hubby always burns green with envy)....

So when I received a mail on the 01st of Feb 2013 about a comment on my parenting blog and checked it out, I was surprised, overjoyed and really really smiley! :-) I did receive some earlier from blogging sites and the like, but I've never got another award from a fellow blogger, and there's something about getting a positive comment, getting love and appreciation from fellow bloggers and an AWARD! from a fellow blogger is a big big thing for me....So what did I get?

I got the Liebster Award from Falak of Being Zoes Mum. 

I was super excited, super surprised and super happy! Yay yay yay! :-) A big big thanks and a big big hug to sweet Falak for thinking of me, and for liking my parenting blog enough to award me the Liebster Award. Thank you Falak! You can read her Awarding post here

So what's the Liebster Award?

The Birth of A Reader

Hey world!!!! That time has come for me as a mother when I can proudly announce from the status-tops of all social networking sites that yes.....as much as I've been a book worm till date, my little 5-year-old princess has taken over the legacy and decided to carry it forward with much love, attention and care.
(image for representation purpose)

I can proudly say that I'm one of the proudest and happiest mums today! Oh yes....what started as a fun way of spending time with my little one and introducing her to the world of books has today taken on quite a proportion - what with both of us trying to figure out how we can make more space to fit in new bookshelves and how we can fit in all our books in those! Huh...tough task I tell you...

It's right when they, and me too, say that there is no age too early for books. I first introduced my daughter to books when she was about 4-5 months old, and she took to it with a lot of enthusiasm and interest. By the time her first birthday came she already had a collection of her own books. And when she passed a few months after her first cake was cut, she could identify all the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Decorating The Baby Nursery

One of the most fun and interesting part of becoming a parent is getting the nursery ready! Even before my little princess came to me, I knew I wanted a baby girl, so that I could dress her up in frills and laces and all things pink and pretty, and give her a room filled with soft cuddly toys, dolls and all the mini cutie things that I so loved staring at at the toys section in the stores.

Of course the nursery was made and of course my little baby didn't sleep in it :-) LOL! But in India, that's one thing that's really common in most homes. Babies always co-sleep with parents, and whatever research might say, Im a firm believer that a baby will always sleep best nestled close to its mother's heart, lying safely wrapped in mamma's arms. Of course SIDS is a reality we all need to be careful and alert about, but all said and done, I want my baby next to me when I am sleeping, and its vice versa. And let me confess something.....she is all of 5 now, and still sleeps with me :-) The nursery is more of her play room! I don't mind that at all.

I really cherish this frame. This is a fun thing me and my daughter were doing when she was about 3...and she was adamant that mamma's hands also have to be in this :-)