Mommy, Why do clouds float in air?
Mommy, Why does the sun set?
Mommy, Why should we sleep with eyes closed?
All these and a lot more are the questions asked by my little 6 year old and at times I don't have a convincing answer...
Gone are those days when children used to be shy and be dependent on parents,
Gone are those days when children used to hide behind the mothers 'saree pallu' and peep at guests at home,
Gone are those days when children used to never question back to their parents,
Gone are those days when children used to believe in tooth-fairy and fairy tales.
My childhood was completely different from my daughters childhood.I was a shy kid. I would listen to whatever my Mom would tell me. I would eat whatever she fed me and wear whatever my Mom wanted me to wear. But my little daughter is not like that. She has a lot of questions. She chooses everything that she wants. Every night she tells me what her lunch and snack box should carry next day to school. She chooses her own clothes when we go out shopping. Only thing is that I have to help her with the sizes. Kids nowadays want to be independent. They want to grow up very fast and it is very important that they eat healthy food. Including Kellogg's Chocos in our child's meals either for breakfast or for evening snacks ensures that our child gets a daily dose of nutrition needed for the leanings in today's competitive world.
More than parents, we have to be buddy parents. We should not be very authoritative or over-protective of the child. But what is important is to be their friend. They should feel free in sharing anything with their parents. My child shares everything with me. Everyday I find time to talk to her and ask her what she did whole day in the school and at the day care. She tells me every particular detail and I think it is very important for us to know what our child does. We should keep an eye on our child and what he/she does but we should not command over them. They should feel free and independent and that is important in boosting their self-confidence.
It is real fun to learn with our children. My child has recently started Karnatic music classes in school. Initially she did not want to attend them and wanted to join western dance classes a she loves to dance. However I told her that I will teach her western dance and she can learn Karnatic music and teach me the same at home. Every Wednesday she has Karnatic music classes in school and after returning home she teaches me the same. Its fun to learn with her and at the same time motivate her to learn more. She too fells like a teacher. One fine day she returned to me and said " Mommy, thanks for letting me join the Karnatic music class. I am enjoying those classes. Dance I can learn from TV too, but Karnatic music I can't learn from TV". My heart was filled with joy that she started liking those classes and that I took a great approach to learn with her.
Apart from this, she taught us to do the hula hoop ring. She always wanted to learn the hula ring. But she could not master it. At a friends birthday party she got introduced to hula hoop ring but somehow she could not spin it around. She forced me to buy a hula hoop ring from a kids toy store. I bought one for her. Finally she learnt it one day. Along with her we too tried to do it, but we could not master it. She came and told me one day that the ring was small and to get a bigger one and that if the ring is big then it spins well. So we got another one for her. She taught my hubby how to spin. Now along with her, he too learnt to spin the ring and it is a good exercise too. She tells me to try, but after 2-3 spins, the ring falls, but she keeps on telling me try.. mom try.. you will succeed one day. I am sure I will learn it one day just like how my hubby learnt. See the video below, my daughter does the hula hoop ring and also see how well her Dadda does it. It is real fun to learn something from the kids. These are some of 'Kushi Ke Pal' moments between the parent and the child.
Being buddy parents has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We should also share things with them, but I feel we should not share all the minute details, like why our day at office was not good, or how much upset we are with our in-laws and stuff. But we can always share things like our promotions, our awards or any funny things, we can tell them and ask for help. My little one helps me in kitchen too.
Since she is our only child, we are her best friends. Not only we should learn from them, but we should tell them what is right and what is wrong and also explain why it is wrong and what would be its consequences. This should be done in a friendly way. Yesterday my hubby was teaching her 5-6 letter words from dictionary and getting her ready for spell biz competition in school. We taught her the words in a friendly way and through different spelling games and by teaching her rhyming words. Apart from this, when my hubby makes the grocery list, he asks her to write down the items on a piece of paper. He dictates it to her and she writes it down.
Today I got a note from her teacher that she has been selected from her school for the spell bee competition at the city level. It made me jump with joy and after getting the news I made her feel really special. I got her an ice-cream and some stickers. That's what she loves. So always reward the child when they come back victorious, this keeps them motivated to learn more and to excel in life. Don't pressurize them, if they don't come victorious always tell them that there is a next time too. Whichever values we give them in childhood, makes a strong foundation for their future. After all children are parents reflection.
Brand Kellogg's Chocos helps in creating 'Khuljaye Bachpan' and it is symbolic to how childhood should be. So make the leaning's fun and let your child's childhood be special. Watch the video from Kellogg's below to know more about 'Khuljaye Bachpan'.
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