Pen Parenting And People

We all have gone through the school and college grind and today when we look back we feel Oh ! that was simpler compared to adulting. Being a mother two kids at school, I constantly keep updating myself to catch up with the latest lingo, educational changes, games and what not ! Which means I am evolving every single day along with my children. Because we like it or not, Parenting is difficult today ! With an apathetic silent pressure on our children today with academic/co-curricular/extra-curricular classes that the children go through, it is bound to happen that they loose links of happenings. They are bound to forget and we need to forgive them for that. The stigma associated with forgetting makes a child and parent panic. We have to accept that forgetting is a natural process both among kids and adults. Studies point at a simple hack : T hat repeating information within the first 24 hours of learning reduces the rate of memory loss tremendously. Forgetting does not decide a ...

As a mother of two boys, and someone who deals with kids regularly, I have a serious concern on the reproductive health of the current gen kids and I want share why ! How to Prevent Early Puberty and Hormone Problems Make sure you are doing all of these things yourself – our kids model what       they see more than what we say! Cut out the soda and juice completely! (Water is the best beverage) Cut portion sizes in half Do your best to reduce maida, food cooked in restaurants, potato overdose and white rice from the diet: emphasize good quality proteins and vegetables as the mainstay of their diets Cut the amount of TV/gadget watching in half (and adding exercise will make this even better!). Physical inactivity triggers sedentary lifestyle. 1.Avoid flame retardant products, namely perfumes and deodorants. ( As adults we are forced to use them but kids don't need to smell good...Sweaty Kids are a sign of healthy kids ! Talk to Your C...

Last night I saw a movie and cried myself to sleep. "Everybody's fine" - A Robert de Niro flick. And I have been in love with this man since the longest of time. Like our very own Amitabh Bachchan, some people don't age no matter how many years mark on their faces. He's one such fellow you can't help but warm up to. Those dimples even on his sagging cheeks. Haye. But more on him in another post someday.  Anyway, this movie was about a father who spent all his life coating PVC on electric wires that run around the city, losing his health in the process. Now after his wife's death a few months ago, he tries to reconnect with his four grown up kids in different cities. One by one each one cancels the plan to come and meet him over the weekend that his lonely life had been planning forever and so he decides to visit them himself. And all the children try to put up the facade of a "fine" life, hiding from him how each one struggles in his own wa...

When a mother says she’s tired, that’s all she meant ! She did not say she wants to drop her child and forget that the child exists.   When a mother says she wanted some time alone, just her, that’s all she meant . She didn’t say she’s sorry to be a mother and that motherhood was a mistake in her life.  When a mother says she needs help to get things done, that’s exactly what she meant. She is not incapable.  When a mother makes noddles for dinner, it does not mean she does noddles everyday of the week and that her daughter/son is a child who does not know vegetables or meats.  When you arrive at a mothers house and face disorganization, it doesn’t mean that everyday the house is disorganized. When a mother says she’d love to go out with her friends, that’s all she meant. She doesn’t want to go back to being “single/ not a mother” and like it as if she had responsibility.  When a mother says she worried or afraid, that’s what she m...

My casual reading habit led me to read " Confessions of a Shopoholic- Sophie Kinsella " long time back and today in my 30's I can relate to it so well. Seriously Cost and Worth are two different things. We have to give it to the Instagram World for fueling the " Want" culture.The intimidating fashion trends and the pressure to live up to it is fast catching up. But my contention in writing this post is to  use this social media to document our own reality checks. How often do we rotate clothes? How often do we stop shopping and ace the resolution ?? The mantra is simple.Let's start this way. When we try to do a flaunt post, keep a dossier of the looks, which in turn will prevent us from  buying similar colors , and will reintroduce us to the ignored ones lying low in our closet. Be a proud " Re-Wearer". Why it is important to dig deeper into one's own closet is because , statistically garment waste and dump...

My Besties in school were Bengalis who were born and brought up outside Bengal. Even their parents never stayed in Bengal. Studying in a convent school we conversed mostly in English but what was unadulterated was the fact that when these girls used to chat it was only Bengali that was the medium of conversation. Few of them moved to USA and Canada and even today if they do call, its me who says Hi ! How are you ? but the reply that pat comes is " AAmi Bhalo AAchi..Tumi Kemon AAchis??"( I am good, How about you? ) The fact that they moved out of Bengal and maybe even out of India never rendered any insecurity to their identity. It was not because they could not comprehend the new languages but it was about the pride that came with speaking mother tongue that is eventually getting passed on their children as well, being away from hometown. Another dear friend is a Malayali based in SanJose. I have never heard her call her parents anything other than Amme or Acchan an...