The little things that keep my little one happy

‘How time flies’ I wonder looking at my 3 year old daughter talking nineteen to the dozen about the incidents that occurred in her school. Ever since she was just a year and half old baby she goes to daycare and contrary to the opinion that kids with working parents grow up to be spoilt brats, my daughter grew up to be a very cherubic and highly-spirited girl. She enjoys going to school and playing with other kids.

I think she has taken after her dad, because he is an extrovert and very outdoorsy person, preferring to roam around and meet his friends during his free time. I, on the other hand, love to curl up my feet at home with a hot cup of tea and a good book in hand. My daughter loves company and she can talk non-stop for several hours. Whenever a guest visits our house, my little one turns on her hyperactive mode, shifting into her perfect host avatar. She loves showing off her new toys and books and engaging them in conversation.

I always joke that we don’t need any form of entertainment in our house because our daughter provides it for us. She keeps us in splits with her antics. She also knows when my husband and I get angry and then she comes near us and gives us a kissy on the cheeks. She has become an expert at gauging our moods.  

My daughter Advika

So it’s extremely painful when I see my active daughter lying listlessly on the sofa whenever she falls ill. It’s difficult to confine her inside the house normally, but when she falls sick she looks so dull that it breaks my heart.

Although she may have not inherited my introvert nature, she goes after me in matters related to sleep. I love to sleep and in fact I possess this incredible ability to sleep at any time of the day or night. My daughter also loves to sleep but when she was a baby she used to wake up often during the night. My mother-in-law and my husband advised not to use diapers for her because they were scared of rashes or she getting used to diapers. As a result she used to wake up whenever she wet the bed and although we used rubber sheets to protect the bed linens, my daughter used to wake up because of the discomfort.

This happened for few months and I noticed that because of improper sleep and rest, she became cranky, dull and inactive. Her teacher in daycare also complained that she used to be drowsy throughout the day. She started eating less because of which her health started suffering.

That’s when I decided to try out the new Pampers pant style diapers that promised to keep the baby dry all through the night. I was happy when my daughter started sleeping soundly and woke up feeling dry and without any rashes. She was chirpy and got out of bed feeling fresh in the mornings. Soon she returned to her usual active self and I was very happy.

I think for any baby to grow into a healthy happy kid, proper rest, nutritious food and stimulating interaction and play are very vital.

Pampers Baby Dry Pants

Family vacations with kids- Teddy Travelogues

Lots of things change in a couple’s life after a child is born, and after Advika came into our lives I have to say that our life has turned topsy-turvy. In a good way though. My husband and I travelled a lot during the initial phase of our marriage and it was usually a spur of the moment trip. Like that weekend when we decided to pack our things and head to Pondicherry. It being a long weekend we had to struggle to get a bus to Pondicherry and fortunately for us we were able to confirm bookings for a day in a resort. Being spontaneous had its own fun during unplanned trips. But after our daughter was born, impromptu trips were out of the question.

Although initially I was a little skeptical about taking Advika along with us on vacations, I confess there were several trips that turned memorable because we had her along with us. For example, when we visited Mysore zoo we did not think we would enjoy the trip, but yet we wanted to go there as it was Advika's first visit to a zoo. She was around a year old and she had just started identifying animals from the pictures in her books. So it was absolute joy to see the amazement in her face when she looked at the giraffe, zebra, deer, tiger and lions. It was one trip that we laughed a lot.

Advika's trip to Chamundi hills in Mysore

The solo traveler 

Honestly she is not a fussy kid but she does not like confined places and gets really cranky when a) she is hungry and b) when she is sleepy but she is not able to nap. But then I guess this is how all kids are. :)

Source- http://www.istockphoto.com/

We have to plan meticulously when we travel with her. I think having a good vacation with your kids all narrows down to planning and able to anticipate what may go wrong. Of course some things are out of our control so don’t fret too much if things don’t go according to your plan. Just flow with the tide and relax and let your kids have fun too.

Source-http://www.istockphoto.com/

We have gone for vacations with my daughter to Mysore, Chikmagalur, Ooty and Goa, which are all places closer to Bangalore. We have travelled along with her in train, bus and car journeys. We always plan our trips such that most of the commuting is done during the night, since she is a sound sleeper and usually sleeps unperturbed. Travelling in an airplane is something that we have never tried with her but there is always the next trip. The important thing to remember is the kid’s comfort.  So here are some tips that come to my mind that could make your vacation with your kids more fun and enjoyable.

When selecting your destination or the places you want to visit, make sure that your kids would enjoy it too. Take them to the zoo or a water park or a water fall or a garden where they have plenty of space to wander about and play. If you want to visit, say, a museum, and you know that your kids may get grumpy and mischievous then leave them with your husband and go alone. :)

Confirm your hotel bookings before leaving. You don’t want to arrive with cranky kids in tow and then learn that your hotel reservations have been cancelled.

Always carry medicines and first aid, keeping in mind the kind of weather of the place you are visiting. Read up about the destination on the internet. Carry medicines for common cold, nausea, stomach upsets, and small injuries. Being prepared is the key here.

Remember to carry little snacks and drinking water wherever you go.  You never know when your kids may feel hungry and you don’t want to run in search for their favorite snack.

Carry board games for older kids or your toddler’s favorite toy. If your kids like to read pack their favorite books. Just something to keep them occupied when there is nothing to do on the vacation.

Get your kid involved in the planning of the vacation. Let him/her help you in packing. Show them photos of the places that you are going to visit on the internet and explain the various activities that you would be doing.

Plan your time such that the kids get ample time to spend in each place you visit. Don’t rush them around and also plan your itinerary so that you get some time to rest indoors too. Remember kids get cranky when they are tired.

If your kid has just begun to walk or is still in the crawling phase then it would be advisable to carry the pram or buggy along. Although it may add to the already overloaded luggage you will be thankful for the pram when you can easily strap the kids in it after they are tired of walking.

If you are visiting a crowded place and there are chances of the kids getting lost in the crowd, a low-cost mobile with the children would come in handy. If the kids do get lost do not panic, request the managers of the place for help.

And finally remember you are on vacation. So relax and do not fret too much about what may go wrong. Let down your hair, laugh a lot and have fun.

Source- http://www.istockphoto.com/

Happy holidays and have a fun vacation with your family.

This post was written for Teddy Travelogues contest hosted by Indiblogger.

My 5 Christmas Gifts For My Daughter

Source: http://www.istockphoto.com

The day I first held my daughter in my arms I made a promise to myself. With the tiny bundle of joy in my hands, with my fingers caressing her delicate features and, with my elated gaze on her confused face that held a ‘where-the-hell-am-I’ expression, I promised that I would never let anything hurt her. I would give her a life that was better than what I had had. After all that’s what most parents wish for their children right? That their children should have a life better than what they themselves had? 

I wished that I could cocoon my baby in a safe world where nothing would hurt her, where nothing would break her heart, where no harsh words would bring tears to her eyes, where she would experience only joy, happiness and success. But alas, that is not possible! Come to think of it, I actually respect the members of the animal and bird kingdom, because they let go off their young ones, after they teach them how to survive in their world. 

I realize now, after much soul searching, that the more I want to protect her, the more I suffocate her. I may be thinking that I’m guarding her from all evil in the world, but to her I would just be stifling her freedom, suppressing her free will. So I have decided that when the time comes to let her go, to let her fly and find her own footing, I’ll be prepared. And as much as that thought makes me want to cry, creating a lump in my throat, I know that it would be the right thing to do. To teach her the difference between right and wrong, to bring her up with the moral ethical values and then trust her decisions in her life. Well, that does sound difficult!

So let me just enjoy my time with her, knowing that there’s still many years to go before she yells at me, saying, ‘Mom, leave me alone!’ or ‘Mom your hugs embarrass me”. Sigh!

Here are 5 things that I would like to gift my daughter this Christmas-

Education: I cannot stress enough on the importance of education. By giving the best possible education to my daughter I’m ensuring that wherever she goes, whatever situation she finds herself in, she’ll be able to take care of herself. And I know 20 years down the line the cost of sending a son or a daughter for an engineering/medical degree may cost an arm and a leg. So the wise thing to do would be to invest now for future. A child education policy that would mature 20 years later and financially help my daughter to realize her dreams is one of the gifts that I would give my daughter.

A love for the written word: I sincerely hope that my daughter imbibes some of my qualities. The way books have been my best friends for years, I hope that my daughter too finds solace in between the pages of books. Books have molded me into a better person, they have helped me understand myself and the world around me. I hope that my daughter too picks up a book and discovers her love for the written word. A love for reading is a gift that I would love to give my daughter.

Source: http://www.istockphoto.com

Freedom to decide: I don’t understand what joy parents get in controlling their children’s life, even after they reach an age when their offspring’s can take decisions for themselves. If my daughter falls in love with a man of a different caste or nationality and they decide to get married, I’ll be Ok with it. The only thing that matters to me is that the man who marries her should be a good, honest man. The freedom to choose, freedom to make her own decisions will be my gift to her.

A sense of humor: Now, I know that this is something that cannot be gifted, it maybe something that a person is born with (Is it really?) but I would like her to see the lighter side of life. When the going gets tough, the tough get laughing. Nothing can diffuse a stressful situation faster than a hearty laugh. So a good sense of humor and a positive attitude in life would be my next gift for my daughter.

Source:http://www.istockphoto.com

A sense of equality: At no point of time in her life, will I ever make my daughter feel that she’s not as strong as the boys or that she requires special protection just because she’s a girl. I will teach her to defend herself so that she need not ask for any man to accompany her for her late night walks. I will teach her it’s normal if a man likes another man or a woman prefers to spend her life with another woman. A person is not to be judged based on their gender, their sexual preference, their race or color. Treat everyone the way you would want the world to treat you. Respect for all and being non-judgmental are the values that I’d like to gift my daughter this Christmas.

Source: http://www.istockphoto.com

I hope and pray that no matter where life takes her and whatever she decides to make out of her life, my daughter grows to be a kind, strong, happy and a contented woman. Amen!

 

This post is a part of the 1001 Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda

A Visit To Mangalore

The greatest joy for any married woman is when she goes to stay at her parents’ place. For me that is Mangalore and last week when I went to visit my mother, I was so happy and ecstatic. Part of the reason was, before I left for Mangalore I was apprehensive about my daughter, Advika. She takes a long time to get adjusted to new people and till then she refuses to leave my side. But fortunately she took to my mother and my brother instantly, even though she hadn’t seen them for a year and the last time she had met them was when she was just a year old. So it was introductions all over for her, but luckily for me, she was very fond of her Ajji and Maama. 

We took Advika to a beach and she was delighted to play in the sand. She was amused to see that the sand kept slipping between her fingers and she was scared and fascinated with water. The Panambur beach, which we visited, is one of the cleaner beaches in Mangalore and also provides some fun activities like camel/horse riding, boating, Jet Skiing, Parasailing.

It was a very relaxing week for me, with good food, shopping, lots of ice creams and lots of love. Here are some snaps of my stay in Mangalore. 

The Gorgeous Panambur beach

 

 

The almost extinct sparrows were a delight to behold

The mesmerizing sunset

The colorful camels available for a ride at the beach

Traditional Knowledge, Natural Growth For My Daughter.

It was a humid day when my baby chose to make her grand entry in my world. Mangalore was at a scalding 40 degree temperature on that day in summer. I groaned in agony as my daughter cried, rebelling against being forced to quit her safe cocoon and enter the harsh, cold world of ours. But as her pediatrician lifted her and showed her to me, I could only utter two words-“she’s beautiful”. 

 

Advika when she was born and with her grandmother(my MIL) on the right.

And along with my small bundle of joy came huge responsibilities. A couple of days later, when I was all ready to leave the hospital with my baby, my pediatrician came and warned me not to 

Give water to the baby. He said that the breast milk is 90% water content and other nutrients that are essential for the baby’s growth in the initial stages. He almost had me at gun point and threatened me against giving any other form of food to the baby ( other than breast milk) until she is 6 months old.

Giving oil massages. Now here I was completely bewildered because I always had the impression that oil massages were beneficial for the baby’s growth. But the doc said that oil will clog the baby’s skin pores and may result in skin irritation. And he also warned that some ladies were over enthusiastic about massaging babies and they might do more harm than good. He conceded that if I had to give oil massage, then it was better that I opted for an Ayurvedic oil.

Applying powder on the baby’s skin. Again I was baffled but he explained that the baby’s skin was very sensitive and that applying powder to the skin in a tropical climate like Mangalore’s, would block the skin pores and will not allow the skin to sweat. 

These instructions made me a nervous wreck. How the hell would I manage with a small baby? How the hell would I know what was good or what could cause damage to the baby’s health. The things that I thought were beneficial for baby’s development were now considered as risky and unsafe.

To cause me more concern, when I mentioned the list of do’s and don’ts to my mother and my MIL, they pooh-poohed the doctor’s advice. They said that from donkey’s years they have seen babies being oil massaged and then given hot bath. They were ludicrous at the doctor’s suggestion and they planned together on my daughter’s bath routine.

 Advika with her grandmother.

Now I was at a crossroad. On one hand I had the traditional and long-established knowledge imparted so generously by my mother and my MIL. And on the other hand I had the practical and sensible counsel from an established physician. The next day we had a visitor at our house. A lady whose profession for the past 10 years was giving oil massages for new-born babies! Latha aunty started her day as early as 6 o’clock in the morning and visited around 3-4 houses every day to give oil massages and bath to babies.

dabur.com

I put forth my doubts to Latha aunty and she clarified that massage, when done in the right way, can play an important role in the early growth and development of babies. Massages can help in strengthening that baby’s bones and also help the baby to sleep soundly. 

I was somewhat convinced but I was still in confusion on what oil to use for the baby. 

“From my experience I can tell that Dabur Lal Tail is good for babies because it is Ayurvedic baby massage oil made from Ayurveda ingredients like Til(Sesame seed), Shankpushpi, karpur(camphor) and Ratanjyot and Urad. It has been proven that babies that are massaged with Dabur LalTail grow 2 times faster than babies which are massaged with other oils or have no massage.”

dabur.com

dabur.com

 “What are these ingredients and how do they help in baby’s growth”, I prodded on.

“Sesame oil improves growth and helps in regulating baby’s sleep patterns, Ratanjyot protects baby from skin ailments and irritations, Shankapushpi cures general weakness, Camphor improves the blood circulation and Urad nourishes muscles and bones. Since Dabur Lal Tail contains only natural ingredients, the baby’s skin easily absorbs it and that’s why it’s especially meant for baby oil massages.”

I was convinced a little and the next day I went to purchase Dabur Lal Tail and along with it I also got Dabur Gripe Water since my daughter seemed to be suffering a little indigestion and acidity.

Latha aunty started her massage and I sat close, minutely scrutinizing my baby’s face for any signs of discomfort. She started with the legs and hands and gently applied oil and rubbed it without applying too much pressure on baby’s skin. Then she turned her onto her stomach and massaged her back with soft strokes. She finished the massage with the baby’s shoulders, stretching the hands and moving the tiny limbs gently to the back and front. 

 

dabur.com

 

 Advika soaking in the goodness of her oil massage

This, she explained, gave relief to the baby’s bones. The little tyke was thoroughly enjoying the massage and gurgled happily as Latha aunty sang soft lullabies while giving the massage. After a hot bath, she wrapped the baby in warm clothes and within few seconds, my daughter was happily sleeping in her crib. She woke up 4 hours later when I had to forcefully wake her up for her feed. 

Advika sleeping soundly after her oil massage and hot bath.

 Advika in her cradle

 

 Advika's sleeping posture :)






The oil bath helped my daughter in regulating her sleep patterns and increasing her appetite. Her birth weight was 3.1 kgs and within few months she had achieved a weight gain of 3-4 kgs which, as per the doctor, was very good. Regular oil massages helped my daughter grow strong and she reached her milestones faster. Today at 1 year and 8 months, when I see my daughter prancing around, talking and grasping at words and understanding things faster, I realize that I had done the right thing by following my instincts. Of course the doctor had only advised what he sincerely believed in, but every baby is different and a mother needs to do what’s best for her baby. Sometimes traditional knowledge and natural growth are best for baby’s development.

This post is written for Dabur Lal Tail contest at Indiblogger