Secure Your Child’s Learning Path And Their Future Early : Education Planning

Education planning is the blueprint for a successful future, and as a parent, you want to ensure that your child’s learning path is well-lit and structured. Starting early with an educational plan empowers you to make informed decisions that can shape your child’s academic success and career opportunities. In this article, expert Lou Posner of Auctus Fund Management explores strategies, resources, and considerations for constructing an educational plan that nurtures your child’s potential.

1. Understanding The Importance Of Early Planning

Early education planning is important. Initiating this process early grants you and your child ample time to navigate various educational pathways, discover financial aid opportunities, and pursue skill development. Furthermore, early planning facilitates the growth of funds in educational savings accounts, easing the financial strain associated with higher education costs. More than just financial preparedness, starting early fosters a profound sense of purpose and direction in children. Lou Posner says it lays a solid foundation for their educational journey, ensuring they are well-equipped and motivated to pursue their academic and career aspirations with confidence.

2. Setting Realistic Goals And Timelines

An effective education plan hinges on setting achievable goals within realistic timelines, encompassing education levels, extracurricular activities, or skill acquisition. Employ the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound—to outline objectives. For example, a SMART goal might be accumulating a $50,000 college fund by your child’s 18th birthday. Dividing broader goals into smaller, manageable tasks ensures progress stays on course. This strategic approach clarifies the path forward and provides a measurable framework for tracking educational achievements, making the journey toward educational success both structured and attainable.

3. Exploring Educational Pathways

Education should be tailored to fit each child’s unique interests, strengths, and learning styles. Exploring various educational pathways, including traditional options like public and private schools and alternative approaches such as homeschooling and Montessori education, is crucial. Don’t overlook vocational training, online courses, and apprenticeships as viable paths that can lead directly to employment for some students. Consulting with educators, counselors, and academic institutions can offer valuable insights into the most suitable options. By considering a broad spectrum of educational opportunities, you can identify the right path that aligns with your child’s needs and aspirations, ensuring a fulfilling and effective learning experience.

4. Addressing Financial Planning And Resources

Finances play a crucial role in education planning. Start by examining educational costs across institutions, accounting for inflation for an accurate financial overview. Consider using 529 college savings plans and actively search for scholarships and grants. If needed, look into student loans. Consulting financial aid experts can provide insights into managing your finances effectively, offering tailored strategies for your family. Emphasize early saving and investing to leverage your financial resources fully. This early financial groundwork ensures you’re well-prepared to meet the demands of funding education, making it a smoother journey toward academic goals.

5. Cultivating A Supportive Learning Environment

A comprehensive education plan necessitates a nurturing learning atmosphere. Crucial to a child’s academic success is their home environment, availability of resources, and the encouragement they get. Ensuring your home values education, dedicates time to homework, and promotes extracurricular learning is vital. Utilize community resources, engage in parent-teacher groups, and foster a network of mentors and peers to support your child’s educational journey. This holistic approach enhances academic performance and instills a lifelong love for learning, setting the stage for your child’s future achievements.

Conclusion

Investing in an education plan for your child is a multidimensional undertaking that encompasses financial, academic, and emotional components. Understanding the importance of early planning, setting realistic goals, exploring different pathways, addressing the financial aspect, and cultivating a supportive learning environment can pave the way for your child’s academic and future success. Take the time to create an education plan that prepares your child for the workforce and fosters a lifelong love of learning. With foresight and commitment, Lou Posner says you can chart a course that equips your child with the skills and knowledge to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Help Your Child Read More in the Digital Age

Children have become more connected to technology than ever, and this presents challenges in fostering a love of reading in kids. A review published in Global Health Research and Policy investigated the screen time of school-aged children aged 6 to 14. The average screen time of these children was 2.77 hours per day, and 46.6% had a screen time greater than or equal to two hours. Many young children now have their own devices, like tablets and smartphones, and use them daily for entertainment and learning. Screens may take away time from books; however, it’s not impossible to get your child to love reading, and you can use technology to your advantage as well. Here are some tips to help your child embrace the world of books in the digital age:

Make time for reading

Reading with your child is crucial for strengthening your bond and cultivating their development, but it’s not easy to do so when there are so many digital distractions and not enough hours in the day. Make it a point to carve out a specific time for reading with your kids to get them to put down the devices. After you come home from work or after dinner, you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour of reading time. Put the phones or tablets in another room, or use a parental control app like Kaspersky Safe Kids to manage and limit screen time so you can both concentrate on the reading material. Even older kids can benefit from designated reading time with the family; you can enjoy your own books and share your thoughts afterward. It’s a great way to be more proactive about reading and managing screen time.

Explore ebooks and audiobooks

If your child uses a tablet or a phone, you can take advantage of these devices and download ebooks and audiobooks. Ebooks provide easy access to diverse titles on one platform and come with various tools to help your kids expand their vocabulary and comprehension, while vivid audiobook narrations can make “reading” engaging and stimulating. Everand’s ebooks and audiobooks provide access to various genres and topics your kids can explore. A subscription service can also enable you to access titles on various devices or even offline for easy reading anywhere. You can explore great reads written or narrated by famous stars for a high-quality experience; for example, your kids can listen to renowned English actor Stephen Fry narrate Paddington’s adventures in A Bear Called Paddington. If you have a library card, you can access ebooks and audiobooks for free on the Libby platform. It’s similar to borrowing from the library, but with the convenience of the digital age, and it’s easy on the wallet.

Bring kids to the library

Though online platforms can simulate the library experience, nothing beats visiting the real thing. Libraries offer a treasure trove of books and resources your child can explore, all while bringing them out of the house, encouraging socializing, and taking time away from devices. Libraries also often host initiatives like free story times, where kids can hear someone read aloud. Librarians can expertly guide your child towards suitable reads and help parents learn more about what can suit their child’s reading level and preferences. Insights from Parents highlight that kids can also access things like toys, sports equipment, and science tools, all sorts of avenues for stimulation and learning.

Be a role model

Getting your child to read regularly can be hard, but if you lead by example, they may follow in your footsteps. Instead of telling them to read, you can show them that parents can enjoy books too and that they’re important for children. Being a role model is a great way to spark confidence in your kids, as our previous “4 Ways To Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence” post highlights. If you confidently show how reading can be enjoyable and engaging, your kids will want to experience the joy of it for themselves. This can develop their confidence and love for reading.

Visit the Raising World Children website for more posts and resources on raising kids with cultural mindfulness, self-confidence, and acceptance.

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Author bio: Eloise Brooks is a freelance writer. She focuses mainly on childhood education and literacy and hopes to guide parents and educators in creating a safe and thriving environment for children to learn. Other than writing, she enjoys hiking with her family.

Book Review – The Stars That Shine for You

The Stars that Shine for You is a great resource to help kids see the world in a new light!

I have known death but it took me a long time to comprehend it. I lost my grandparents, and an uncle who was very dear to me, not counting my family lost three people during COVID which was specially harsh. Even today I well up on the times I miss about them, specially because I am living in a country far from them all and couldn’t be with them in those last moments. This book made me think of all of them fondly.

Death is hard, specially for kids. More so because they cannot fathom what has happened and the loss is felt years later. This book is a wonderful resource to help kids see that that moment a time later, when they are missing someone is the beauty of the relationship and moments shared. Those need to be cherished and nurtured.

Every page is dedicated to a relationship and moment shared between a person from a diverse culture. The relationship and traditions are explored and the illustrations only highlight the beauty of those poignant moments when someone was lost and is now remembered. I specially liked the mention of the lady who simply hands out candy, coz some relationships are non existential still leave a mark. Like the book says, it’s for all those around the world.

The traditions from around the world mentioned in the back are great introduction to cultures around the world.

BUY THE BOOK NOW

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The Stars That Shine for You introduces the concept of death in a child-friendly way. It’s a topic we need to get comfortable talking about-enhancing not only our own grief literacy, but also raising the next generation to be fluent in the language of love, loss, and hope.

Many cultures around the world share stories, have end-of-life celebrations, and believe in the soul and afterlife. Traditions vary from country to country, faith to faith, but what remains universal among all of humanity is the stars above us. The light in the sky unites all our nations bonded together in grief and hope, on this earth and beyond.

About the Author

Rishma Govani is the author of the children’s book Sushi and Samosas: A Trip of Tasty Transformations. Her first book focused on diverse food around the world and the commonalities we share once we try and understand each other’s cultures, one mouthful at a time!In 2020, she lost her beloved husband and dove deep into a different kind of journey. She has become a strong advocate for grief literacy committed to helping others. She is the proud mother of two, Khalil and Mila, and her greatest title to date-the wife of Aly Mulji. She continues to find creative and loving ways to honor Aly’s legacy.

A cubicle-bound office worker by day and illustrator by night, Trung specializes in visual storytelling for children’s literature. His notable illustrated picture books are Lawrence of Arabia, a collaboration with the Singapore Hospice Council that talks about the sensitive topic of end-of-life care, and The Reading Tree by Epigram Books, a unique story about lifelong friendship. He has also illustrated books on Asian folklore and cultures, with many published in his home country, Vietnam. Trung received Adobe’s Top Talent award for the Illustration category (2019), but more importantly, he is also the recipient of a special gift-his newborn son.

Born in Lebanon, raised in several countries, and moved to Berlin, Germany in 2021 after 9 wonderful years in Singapore.Leila started her writing career with Sensitive and Extraordinary, a blog about the joys and challenges of parenting a highly sensitive child, and two self-published picture books for highly sensitive children which have been recommended by Dr. Elaine Aron and Dr. Ted Zeff. She was later fortunate enough to work with Marshall Cavendish, Penguin Random House SEA, Chronicle Books, Macmillan, Groundwood Books, and Andrews McMeel Publishing.

BOOK INFO

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Global Bookshelves International, LLC (April 11, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 38 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1957242116
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1957242118

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6 Ways to Keep Children Safe at Crowded Events

You probably worry about your child getting lost. This can specially be hard during festive seaons, when home, events are crowded. Often, news reports increase these concerns. Statistics on missing children by Reuters note that out of the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, there are 89,637 active missing people since 2020 with at least 34% of those being missing juveniles under the age of 18.

Although 99% of the children reported missing in America are found and returned home safely, parents can still be hesitant when bringing their children to public areas.

Rather than letting these dangers hinder a child’s development, parents should instead make the effort to keep them safe while learning. As shared in our post on “Unique Tips for Sustainable Living for a Green Planet”, with pressing issues regarding sustainability, exposure outdoors can help foster children who appreciate their environment and will work towards a greener planet.

By taking safety precautions, parents can ensure their children get exposed to different types of situations and experiences that boost their growth. To help parents, we cover four ways parents can keep their children safe, especially in crowds.

Wear bright colors

The ability to see your child from far away is a blessing in crowded areas. You would do well to ensure they are visible. A bright neon color would do great! Snap a picture of them in their outfit for reference.

Talk to your child

Make sure they know where to come if they miss you. Have a set meeting place, at the entrance or at the car. Also, that they know their phone number and address. It is surprising that many kids today do not care to learn as they think they have their phones on them all the time.

Consider a child leash

Depending on your children’s age, personality and behavior, parents may want to consider having a child leash on their kids.

As shared in a discussion on child leashes on Yahoo! Life, having a leash in an unfamiliar environment can ease a parent’s worries about losing their children in a crowd, while giving them some independence on where they want to go.

Children with developmental disabilities or communication challenges may benefit from a child leash the most, as they may not be able to listen to directions or control their impulses. It’s best to avail of a backpack or harness-style leashes rather than those which attach to wrists, to ensure children are able to keep their balance even if they move further away.

Use a stroller

Toddlers and young children are at the age where they like to walk and run a lot, but adults often underestimate their physical capability. Children at this age get tired easily, so letting them walk the whole way isn’t recommended because they may lag behind and want to sit down somewhere — and you may lose track of them. To save yourself the trouble of carrying heavier children, the ultra-compact pushchairs from iCandy demonstrate how these travel systems make it easy to navigate crowded places for growing families. The strollers also come with seatbelts and brake pedals that are good for keeping your resting child secure in place when needed, especially in popular destinations where you may need to spend the whole day, such as a theme park.

Have identification items on them

Although teaching children their full names and phone numbers is a basic safety rule, little kids have the tendency to forget details in the heat of the moment. Before going out to crowded places, you can have them carry identification items like a bracelet or necklace with your contact information in the event they get lost.

Writing with black smudge proof markers on the hand would do well as well. Velcro ID wristbands or sticker-sealed paper wristbands with fill-in-the-blanks spaces can be good, unintrusive options that your child can easily ignore most of the time.

Provide a smartphone with a family tracker app

For older children, when it’s appropriate, you can provide them with their own smartphones for personal use. Not only do these devices allow you to connect and communicate with each other through calls or messages, but families can also easily track everyone’s locations in real-time digitally. Family tracker application Mobicip Premium provides GPS tracking features, on top of social media monitoring and screen time management that can be good for your child’s online safety. When you’re out and about in a crowded place, it’s good to remind your children to turn up their ringer volume and vibration so they can hear any calls made.

To Raise Leaders, Encourage Children to Read

According to statistics on children reading for fun by Pew Research, the number of American 9- and 13-year-olds who said they read for fun on an almost daily basis have dropped from nearly a decade ago. Among 9-year-old students, around 42% read for fun almost every day, while only 17% of 13-year-olds said they read for fun almost every day. In fact, these numbers are recorded to be the lowest since the question was first asked in 1984. Notably, the survey was conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak, so it’s unclear whether the pandemic may have changed these patterns.

Reading for fun is a key practice to improve communication skills. Much like public speaking, which we discussed in our post called ‘Public Speaking for Kids: Why is it Important & How to Develop’, reading can similarly build up a child’s vocabulary and help them learn to put thoughts or ideas into words. Through a command of language and empathy, reading can also boost leadership skills in children. Here are three ways you can encourage future leaders to read more:

Connect books to real-life

Books can increase our sense of empathy. Although we tend to think of readers as introverts who prefer to stay at home and ignore the world around them, reading extensively can actually grow your people-skills. A study on developing child empathy published in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education found that reading bullying-themed picture books and doing role-play can increase empathy towards bullying victims. Students in the research project were also able to offer ideas and actions to solve bullying issues.

Reading helps develop strong leaders because it gives us a chance to walk in other people’s shoes and understand their motivations. Studying human nature through poetry or fiction helps you relate to the people you work with, so you can make more thoughtful decisions. To build empathy, choose reading materials that connect with what’s happening to your child in the present. For instance, you can check out relevant books if your child is asking about community issues or is undergoing a specific problem.

Set the right example

Parents who read are more likely to instill the same habits in their children. As noted by insights on leading by example from LHH, leaders (and parents) who can admit they don’t know everything are not only truthful and transparent, but also help build a culture where others are encouraged to learn as well. It’s so important for children to see that adults don’t know everything, but still maintain a learn-it-all approach to life so they demonstrate confidence amid uncertainty. This will align your kids with the right mindset to be a future team-leader who can learn from and delegate responsibility to more knowledgeable colleagues.

Show your children the value of reading by designating an hour during the weekend where everyone at home picks up a book. You can even visit the library as a family to borrow reading materials — just be sure to choose something for yourself. By making books an accessible, fun part of daily life, your children can grow into lifelong learners.

Help children dive deeper

Research on critical thinking and reading exposure by Helena Hollis presents a finding that reading fiction is associated with a higher critical-thinking disposition and decreased absolutism; this means that fiction readers are more likely to ask questions about the world, rather than accepting absolute principles in political, philosophical, ethical, or theological matters. Leaders, after all, should be flexible when it comes to problem-solving. Reading helps not only to acquire information, but also to sharpen analysis and judgment.

Even with incomplete information and limited time, reading allows leaders to sharpen their intuition towards patterns in a problem and piece a solution together. Encourage this critical-thinking process with your kids by asking them to engage deeply in stories. Ask them questions about the characters’ thoughts, actions, or feelings. Beyond looking at surface-level morals on the right behavior, let children apply what they learn from books to daily life.

Tips for Helping Siblings Share a Room

When I imagined having kids, I always wanted them to share a room. To be together for as long as they could. Sure, I imagined there may be a time when they would ask for or need separate rooms but I want that time to be pushed as far away as I can.

You see, I had very little time with my sibling. Being 10 years younger to me, we were together in the same home for just a little over 8 years of a total.

With a 2.5 bedroom apartment in Kuwait, it didn’t occur to my parents till much later to give me the 1/2 room. Only when I got engaged to be married and my brother went to high school, preparing for college applications, did we part rooms.

Of all those years, my favorite ones were of sharing the same room together.

Laughing, fighting, and just BEING together as we did our own things. He, his school homework and me reading a book or texting. I would tell him to go away when my friends came and he would yell for quiet when playing a game on the computer. Being in the same room together, gave me an insight into his feelings, which otherwise would never come to light!

It was a wonderful connection. This room that we shared for that brief moment in time was a big part of our childhood that we shared.

My daughter slept in her own room till she was 1.5 and her brother entered kindergarten. He had always co-slept with me and in spite of trying to give him his own room, his nightly fears would have him make Grand Central out of the house in the middle of the night.

Halfway through kindergarten, we put them both in a room together. And they both have been inseparable since. It helped his fears of being alone in the night and my daughter also began sleeping better (read: longer) in the mornings. It certainly helps with the sibling wars.

Here are five things that help define spaces for siblings sharing a room:

1. Each One Has their Own Side

A bed on each side of the room, with side tables and a longer table (once train table now study table) in the middle helped them both have their own play space.

Often my daughter even sleeps on the end of the bed so she can see her brother’s face. It’s very cute to hear them whispering and laughing during the weekends when they beg to stay up late.

2. Their Art Over Their Beds

They certainly get a kick out of taping their art to the walls. It gives them a sense of space and authority to have their artwork or keepsakes on their side of the bed.

3. Dividing Their Clothes Categorically

Since they are small they share a dresser and the cupboard. But on the whole, their seasonal clothes all fit into the dresser. The top four are his and the bottom two hers. And they are pretty independent in dressing themselves. Mostly as we prep the night before, they are very aware of what is kept where. Sometimes they even help each other in finding things before school or parties.

4. Their Toys Under Their Beds

Toys are sorted into three boxes each and pushed them under their beds. So when it’s play time, they both know where their things are. So, when it’s clean-up time, it helps them sort things faster and with lesser of “but it’s her/his stuff“.

5. Decorating Their Walls With Their Favorite Themes

I have made sure to put their favorite themes on the remaining two walls in an equal manner so that each has their favorite princesses and superheroes to look at.

Other than keeping them connected, this also helps them get over the ‘boys can only have this and girls can only have that’ feeling early. Both my kids take pride in having all kinds of characters adorning their walls.

Sharing a room, as I learned early and in college, teaches one a lot about making compromises, respecting others’ stuff and giving another space – a lot of life lessons that are essential to any relationship.

Maha Shivratri – a Hindu festival of India

Happy Maha Shivratri!

WHAT…

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance.

Shivratri occurs every month, whereas Maha Shivratri is the great night of Shiva that occurs only once a year.

WHY?

Different legends describe the significance of Maha Shivratri. According to one legend in the Shaivism tradition, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. This event is called Natyanjali, literally “worship through dance”, at the Chidambaram temple which is famous for its sculpture depicting all dance mudras in the ancient Hindu text of performance arts called Natya Shastra.

MYTHOLOGY

Some say that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married on this day, while others say that Lord Shiva had consumed the poison that occurred due to the war between gods and demons. He held the poison in his throat which caused it to turn blue.

HOW?

It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva.

Wishing everyone celebrating a blessed day!

Image source: unknown

Training Yourself to be Content in Any Situation

My glass is always full. There’s no place for MORE to come in.

Today, I said “No” to an amazing project I would have loved to be a part of. It broke my heart but as a mother, wife, editor, self publishing coach, blogger and author, MY glass has NO more room in it.

When we talk about health, we always miss talking about the mental till of what we all do.

When my son was born, I was depressed. It took me a good 27 days to realize the joy of being a mother. To come back to feeling myself. And no one was close because, well, they meant to give me the space a new family would need.

Today, 12 years later I know that I suffer from anxiety and have to FREQUENTLY course correct to positivity and what brings me to myself. I love being in a state of contentment than joy, since happiness is fleeting. I choose to be content in any situation!

Being content in any situation is however an emotion that one must develop. Without it, the fear of missing out can quickly lead to negative traits.

I have spoken in length in my book #strongrootshavenofear about my struggles growing up as an immigrant child, and the importance of giving each child their OWN value system and identity.

I can only hope my children know that the health of your heart and being begins with the small things that give you joy like coffee, a good read and time to yourself….

All of which need you to know WHO you are. And be okay with it!

Remember, look for contentment, not happiness. Steer back to your inner self for what matters. How do you teach yourself to do this?

Give yourself time to process the setback/failure/overwhelm.
Look at the perspective from a birds eye view.
What is it about US that we need to accept about what just happened.
What can you do about the situation next?
What is the good that came out of this situation?
Look at your life as a whole once again and what you have that you appreciate.

People think I’m a positive person. I’m not. I’m an anxious, impulsive, saying yes to everything, overwhelmed person who has trained herself to constantly find the silver lining. The project I said no to gives me MORE time to work on my books.

The time I have saved gives me more time to give to my kids. There is always a silver lining in the situation you are in.

For a positive outlook and contentment within, we need to only train ourselves to constantly look for the silver lining. Accepting ourselves as who we are. Understanding that our situation is unique to us and for no one else to get out of, but us.

Remind Yourself That “We are Still in a Pandemic”

Someone asked me, “What’s your best way to get through virtual schooling and all that’s going on in this pandemic?”

I replied, “We simply need to remember that This is a Pandemic. We are just making the best of everything. People keep hoping for normalcy but that is never going to happen in these situations. The resistance to change and adaptation is the real cause of unrest.”

Let’s face it! Virtual schooling is not anyone’s first choice. It’s almost impersonal and the kids don’t get to physically meet friends. We all know there is only so much a child can learn through a screen.

But here’s the crux of why the older generation feels the burn the most. We adults don’t get any time to do our own thing, let alone breathe. It’s hard on the kids, yes but I think it’s harder on the adults.

For months and months, we have been together. The four of us! And while I have loved being with the kids, I have missed my life before. Corona free, guilt free, worry free.

The anxiety was overwhelming during the time leading up to the school deciding on virtual learning. I knew that is what I would choose, no matter what the school decided but let’s not confuse helplessness for willingness. I would be lying if I said that I am happy the kids are home 24/7. After all, it means I have lost all my me-time that I had dreamed of, when the kids would be at school.

That time in which I was going to better myself, work harder of my writing career, maybe get a job too.

My daughter had just joined kindergarten. She hasn’t even experienced a full school year. I haven’t experienced more than a few months of being at home alone, with both my kids in school. That bliss that I dreamed of has fallen through my grasp.

I miss going to Panera bread, enjoying a sandwich and working on my books. I miss my impromptu coffee dates with friends. I miss having the no responsibility feeling for a few hours a day.

And now that we are in virtual schooling, I can see a lot of what I had imagined to be true. There have been technological issues, signing out of class by mistake, not to mention the kids running to me as soon as I think they are settled in and now I can work. No matter where I am in the house, I have to keep my ears tuned to the kids waiting for them to shout out to me.

It is all extremely overwhelming. I miss a lot of what was before and feel saddened by what I seem to have lost. Something that has no quantitative value. It is a feeling of despair that overcomes me, every now and then. And it’s most scary when I start worrying about not knowing when this situation will end.

And yet, I am remind myself of the importance of looking at this as a – ‘glass as it is’ situation.

Are we anxious? Yes. Will there continue to be hiccups? Yes. Are we going to try look at this as an opportunity for personal growth? Yes!!! But even if we didn’t, and just barely got through with a reluctant smile, that’s fine too.

It’s been hard and it may just get harder. But we will all get through this too.

I didn’t think I would live through a war (Gulf War). I did! I never thought I would have an arranged marriage. I did! I didn’t ever think I would live in USA. I did! I never thought I would become a writer and publish books. I never thought I would choose the path to entrepreneurship and work from home. I did! My whole life I thought I would never have a dog. We adopted one last November and have adapted to our family growing.

I never thought we would spend almost 6 months just almost just my family and here we are.

This is after a lifetime of challenges I never thought I would have to go through. Humans adapt to any life!

When I was out of school of 6 months during the Gulf war, my mother didn’t make me study or take classes to “fill my time. “. I kept myself busy while my mother was busy with a 6 month baby and worrying. There were bombs exploding around us at times so my mental & creative growth was the least of her concern. All my parents cared about was keeping us safe and healthy. We had food, clothes (well! I didn’t even have that when I went to India with just what I had on) … and a comfortable place to live.

Many of you will disagree with me that this situation is not comparable to a war. I beg to differ. Just because it doesn’t tick all the boxes, doesn’t mean it has not made us all feel the same anxiety. We have all oscillated between doubt and fear. Hardly ever admitting to ourselves the extent of our own anxious, knee jerk behavior or reactions. It’s hard for adults to put themselves first, let alone admit to feeling sad about not being able to put themselves first.

And that’s what we all need to remember. We make the most of the situation we are in. We are human, so are the kids. It’s okay if the kids slide a little. It’s okay if those kids aren’t getting A+’s . If they aren’t taking a lot of extra classes or clubs after school. Yes, it is difficult to process because often we want the world for our kids, but it’s also important to remember we first want them to be safe.

All we all want is to make sure we make the best decisions for our kids to keep them safe and healthy.

Whenever you get frustrated or angry or feel hopeless, remember your why. Remember that we are all just trying to make the best of a weird situation. Hanging tight. Waiting for the storm we are in to blow over.

Kids have been troopers so far. The fact is, they are much more resilient than us. All they need from us is, to have a positive outlook to take their cues from. So take those deep breaths moms and dads. Have patience and have appreciation for every single person whose helping your kids have a semblance of normalcy.

So, whether you feel the glass is half full or half empty, remember to be grateful for the water that is there. It is what it is, till we get through it and then it becomes a memory to cherish.

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When Your Child Wants More – Raising Non Materialistic Kids

I just saw a video where Sudha Murthy talks about how her son wanted to take his friends for birthday party to 5 star hotel and she told him instead, we can pay off our driver’s children’s school bills. How about a Samosa and Frooti birthday party? She went on to talk about how it made them both a better person. It’s all about raising our children to be non materialistic kids in the over all scheme of things.

This reminded me of the time my son said he wanted to take all his friends for a Nerf Gun party as he had recently been to one.

I LOVE celebrating everything. Which means for a good 9 years, I have done my best to make the kids’ days special in the most STRESS FREE way possible but by year 10 in all honesty I am done! I would love nothing more than outsource the celebrations but that wouldn’t be enough for him.

I know when he asked he wanted me to invite ALL his friends. He not unlike me, likes to surround himself with all his friends when he can. I told him, if we go there I can afford only two three of your friends. How about we call all your friends home instead and then he and I spent two weeks planning and prepping for his birthday.

We went from creating a Nerf gun party at home with a whole maze created to a simple Lego/Pokemon party because it ended up being bad weather to have an outdoor party.

HE did everything for his party. From sending invites to deciding food to putting up decor to planning the games and he had a BLAST! All within the budget we had finally decided.

Now there’s nothing wrong with having LAVISH parties. But when your situation does not allow it, a child should also be able to adapt their expectations to having a stressfree and economical party.

I’m glad for those days for that showed my daughter also that it’s okay to have a different kind of party. Which made THIS year’s Corona driven HOME celebrations special in their own way.

We did our first online shopping together, built her a bedazzeld fort as a surprise, pampered her with small presents all day, had a virtual bday party and a few of our closest friends came to visit in the evening for a social distanced 15 min each meet up. And it was still perfect!

That doesn’t mean both of them wouldn’t have LOVED to have a traditional birthday party.

But them willing to adjust and be happy with the little makes for life long personal growth of unexpected surprises. Raising non materialistic kids means being stronger within.

Teaching Kids About Finance is Not Just About Money

Talking to kids about money is so hard but these simple ways go a long way in making them understand the value of how much you end up paying for what.

Reward Kids With Special One-on-One Time – Did your child behave especially well in a demanding situation, or complete a tricky project or tough chore? Instead of rewarding her with the latest branded toy, treat her to a shared experience that’s more special than regular playtime, say a visit to a museum or a day hike and picnic in an area you’ve never visited.

Be Careful With What You Say – You can’t expect your kids to put ideals above iPhones and other swag unless you walk the walk. While it may seem harmless to comment enviously on a neighbor’s new Beemer or a friend’s designer shoe collection, try to resist—at least when your children are in earshot.

Teach Kids to Pay It Forward – Your child will start spending more time thinking about what others need and how he or she can help, and less time thinking about his own, often fleeting wants. Raising non materialistic kids depends on gratitude.

Limit how much stuff you give – Abundance is good… up to a point. After a while, your possessions become plain items you toss around with no meaning. Think about whether they need the latest learning tools or the best toys (they usually don’t).

Limit and deconstruct advertisements – If your child sees advertising, deconstruct the message and encourage conversation. Let her know ads are trying to sell items, and discuss the ways they’re doing so. Talk about the smiling kids, the fast toys, bright colors and big text—all techniques advertisers use to get kids to like their stuff.

Encourage gratitude and giving – Gratitude reminds children how much they’re blessed and thwarts the desire for more stuff. If your child has toys and clothes galore, remind her how thankful you are and for how much it took to give her these.

When she receives gifts, focus more on how cool it is that Aunt Jane thought of her when she gave her a new play set. Discuss how loved she is by the people who showered her with presents.

Raising non materialistic humans is an important aspect of living a multicultural life.

Books for Helping Children Build a Growth Mindset

Improve Your Teacher Communication During Virtual Learning

We are in a new world. Everyone is doing the best of a horrible situation. It would be unfair on anyone’s part to expect things to be normal or not give lee way for errors bound to happen. This is why it is more important now than ever to take an inward look and improve your parent teacher communication during virtual learning.

Sujata ma’am (kindergarten)
Prashant Sir (Physics)
Mrs. Gil (English)
Mrs. Galhotra (Hindi)
Guruji (Kathak)
My Masi (Maths)

Over my first 20 years, these are teachers who left a huge impact on me. For a child to succeed, they need to know the teacher believes in them.

And for that to happen the teachers need to know that the parents support them.

These days I see so many parents “trying” varied ONLINE classes like toys in a store. Kids have to be exposed to a million things and different teachers only because of how much exposure we “feel” we need to give them and we want to see what one teacher provides vs another.

The truth is, NOT a single child can do a good take away from ONE class, specially virtual learning. Building a learning relationship takes time.

You need to give the relationship time to build and interview the teachers’ methodology before committing you child to it. Coz HOW they will teach is all that matters ..

You already know your child and what kind of teacher will be a good fit. A chirpy one, strict, understanding or one that gives positive reinforcement constantly etc…

That apart, “questioning everything teachers do” and “getting your child special attention” is another thing. We need to trust teachers and go to them only when there is an issue…

I hope the coming year, you give the teachers a LOT of leeway specially as they try to tread waters they have never been in before and as humans too, need time to adapt.

Ways to help your child better connect to a teacher –

💞 Talk to them about listening ears.
💞 Have them repeat to you right after class what happened during
💞 Have a proper system in place with the teacher where you take feedback and improvement
💞 Talk to kids often about virtual ways to be respectful the home and teacher
💞 Listen in on the class so you can help your child later but do NOT interfere DURING

Help them help our children.

parent teacher communication virtual learning

Here are ways YOU can teacher communication during virtual learning –

Let teachers know you respect their boundaries.
Ask teachers how they prefer to be contacted.
Let teachers know how your child did last spring.
Share with teachers what you are seeing at home.
Ask for extra support for a child who is struggling.
For sensitive conversations, use the phone.
Share family circumstances that are affecting your child.
Tell teachers what’s working (not just what isn’t).
Acknowledge and have empathy for the challenges teachers are facing.
Accept that you will have to make up for spaces left by virtual learning.

The pressure on educators this fall will be immense. This is uncharted territory for everyone, but teachers, especially those who will be doing both live and remote teaching, are working hard under a tremendous amount of stress. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. Something as small as dropping a note, or sending a “thank you for all your hard work!!” text can let teachers know their efforts are noticed and appreciated.

🤔 Do you remember you’re favorite teachers ? What are ways that you can think of to support the teachers in your life?

Go here for more ways to help empower your child’s education.

Have You Taught Your Kids How to Ask for Help?

This is the hardest truth. Asking for help is NOT a weakness but it is hard. For many many reasons. I had very few people step up to help me or be kind, growing up and a lot of people who “help” always EXPECT. This made asking for help a liability.

Used to be a time when I used to say no to even offered help (still do) because there are always stings attached BUT even now asking for a “favor” is just not possible!

The many reasons why someone would hate asking for help is –

Hearing NO when asking for help.
Feeling let down when help is not offered.
Dealing with the expectation of helping in return.
Losing the right to say No when asked for help.
Getting a job done not to our satisfaction.

Over time I had to unlearn and start asking for help. For the simple reason that everyone asks for help anyway. By me not asking for help, I was setting a precedence of being better than others because I was never obliged to them. More than that, it’s just exhausting doing everything.

As for things not being done to my satisfaction, I ask my kids to help around the house all the time. Do they do anything right the first time? Absolutely not. Do I make them help anyway. Yes. Someday they will learn.

As for older people not doing things the way I like. Well! It’s a life we are all living with our own experiences. Of course everyone’s help is going to look different.

Asking for help is possibly the biggest kindness you can do to yourself. Yes, people might say no but if they say yes , the weight lifted off your shoulders is incredible …

And here’s why we need to teach our kids this early.

Because they need to know that asking for help doesn’t mean a relationship depends on the favor being offered or taken. That saying or hearing NO is not a big deal. Because, sometimes, many times, things don’t go our way and THAT is okay.

How does one teach kids early to ask for help?

💞 Offer it when you see them struggling and insist that they take it.
💞 Teach them to be okay with asking and hearing no.
💞 All help given or taken doesn’t HAVE to have a a return help.

Beyond self care, knowing how to do this practically enables children to be emotionally stable.

To grow into humans that can take the emotional hit of a no or a job not done exactly how we want. Let your kindness be karma. It will come back to you.

It is a behavior they need to develop early. 💪💞 Let them know how to ask for help before they drown in a world that is hard, really hard. Harder than doing the simple thing of asking for help.

Here are more ways you can empower your kids daily.

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Evolution of Gender Roles in Celebrations like Rakhshabandhan

Every year as the Rakhi day (Rakshabandhan) approaches, I get wistful about tying a pretty little thread around my baby brother’s wrist. I think fondly of all those past celebrations of this Indian festival shared with my little brother.

This day holds a gentle place in the hearts of those who share it and the magic to take them flying through time to to their shared a childhood. A gesture or moment they may share or maybe pass as tradition to their own children.

If you see the #RakhiThali you will see there are no traditional laddoos but chocolate. As kids don’t prefer laddos or Indian sweets too much and #Rakhshabandhan is pretty much their day, I add a chocolate or dessert they love to the thali.

Same way, as with changing times, Rakhi is no more the traditional sister ties thread to brother celebration anymore. It’s a celebration of the sibling bond, between boys, girls, girls and boys. When we were young, we didn’t just tie #rakhi to our sibling, it would be tying to cousins and friends who are like that. Safe to say with times, this too has changed.

Both my kids tie Rakhi to each other and exchange gifts. It’s a celebration of their LOVE for each other. They PROMISE to care for each other, fight and make up 😁 and be there no matter what.

In fact, if you see the origin stories of Rakshabandhan or Rakhi, you will see it has always been a feminist celebration where the thread of protection Rakhi, tied to the brother is what protects him. Also, in most all stories, the Rakhi has been used by women to get what they want or desire by a promise needed for the safety of their loved ones.

Rakshabandhan – An Indian Festival For Siblings

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Rakshabandhan Celebration

This festival thus inspires bravery and fondness among those who celebrate it. I remember when I was small we used to create our very own Rakhis and mail them from Kuwait to India to all our cousins. Today, with the very many options available online and shipping being so expensive online stores come to the rescue and we just pick our favorite designs and have them shipped to our beloved family members.

In our home, I tie it to my son and my daughter ties it to her father and brother. My husband’s sisters from India mail him their Rakhis and I decorate a Thali with flowers, sweets, diya and the Rakhis. On any occasion decorating these is my favorite thing to do.

We bathe and celebrate early morning. After prayer, the brother sits and the sister puts Tika on the forehead, does Aarti of the brother (circles the plate around the brother’s face) and then ties the Rakhi and feeds him the sweet. The brother then, irrespective of his age takes blessings of his sister for a long, prosperous and protected life!

Ideally, the brother gifts the sister whatever she wishes on this day. But as commercialization and gender equality has crept in parents often gift both the brother and sister with presents to ensure they both feel celebrated! My kids love partaking in all the rituals and enjoy their gifts.

We have even added a tradition that they have to buy a gifts for each other under $10 and they are not allowed to tell each other what it is. It has added a great element to it.

And then as any festival in India, there is a lavish meal of Indian delicacies. I usually make any meal celebrating the brother and sister with whatever dishes they most enjoy.

What I love the most about our festivals is the colors and small traditions. Today morning, my daughter and I planned the day, including the menu. Spent the morning cooking together, the kids decorated the thali while we listened to hymns. Then we chatted with family back home and after the ceremony had a lovely meal.

Some ways kids can build life lessons those is by

1. Buying gifts for each other under a given amount.
2. Make cards for each other.
3. Cooking the meal together as a family, setting up the table fancy – the day of.
4. Help decorating the traditional thali together.
5. Listen to stories and talk about all the wonderful reasons they love each other.

Happy Rakhshabandhan to all celebrating!! Wishing all sibling and loved ones a bond that only grows with time…

This is the first year when I got a rakhi too. My little one said, “Mama, you do so much. I promise to take care of you too. ” #heartmelting !!

You can check out my other posts on how this tradition has evolved over time and how we can make it more meaningful for kids in THIS generation.

Do share your silly stories of your siblings with us.

Origin Stories of the Festival of Rakshabandhan

Did you know the Origin Stories of the Festival of Rakshabandhan? During our cultural storytelling celebrating this year in our parents group, I read out the below stories and thought it would be nice for us all to share the same with our little ones.

Rakshabandhan – An Indian Festival For Siblings

Indrani and Indra

Raksha Bandhan originated from ancient times when Indrani had tied a thread, which was given to her by Lord Vishnu, around her husband Lord Indra’s wrist to protect him from demons during a war between the Gods (devatas) and demons (danavas). So, it was not always around brother and sister.

Laxmi and Bali

Another mythological story is that links the festival with demon king Bali and Goddess Lakshmi. According to the legends, Goddess Lashmi’s husband Lord Vishnu was asked by demon king Bali to live in his palace, which she was against. So she tied a thread on Bali’s wrist and made him her brother. When Bali asked her what she wanted in return for the Rakhi, she asked him to free her husband from staying in his palace, which he granted.

Santoshi Maa

It is said that the two sons of Lord Ganesha namely, Shubh and Labh were frustrated that they had no sister. They asked for a sister from their father who finally obliged to their sister on the intervention of saint Narada. This is how Lord Ganesha created Santoshi Maa through the divine flames and the two sons of Lord Ganesha got their sister for the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Yama and the Yamuna

Another legend says that the death God, Yama did not visit his sister Yamuna for a period of 12 years who ultimately became very sad. On the advice of Ganga, Yama went to meet his sister Yamuna who has very happy and performed hospitality of her brother, Yama. This made the Yama delighted who asked Yamuna for a gift. She expressed her desire to see her brother again and again. Hearing this, Yama made his sister, Yamuna immortal so that he could see her again and again.

Draupadi & Krishna:

Draupadi and Krishna are siblings in the epic, the Mahabharata. This is one of Krishna’s many lives. As the story goes, Krishna cut his finger while handling sugarcane. Krishna’s wife, Queen Rukmini, sent someone to get bandages. However, Draupadi saw the incident, and she cut off part of her saree and tied it around his finger to stop the bleeding. Krishna then promised to help her out when she needed it. Several years later, some men try to undress Draupadi in public, by unraveling her saree. Krishna is there and sees this. Krishna uses his magic to make Draupadi’s saree never ending, so that she would not have to be disrobed in front of everyone.

Rani Karnavati & Humayun

The most important story of the dedication of a brother’s promise is of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Humayun once visited Mewar with his troops, when Rani Karnavati, who ruled the region at the time, asked for his help. Her kingdom of Mewar had been attacked twice by Bahadur Shah and as her only hope she sent a letter with a Rakhi to Humayun asking him for his help. Humayun, who was between a military campaign at the time he received the letter, left everything to protect her.

Roxana & King Porus:

Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 BCE. His wife Roxana was worried about his safety. She sent King Porus, the king of the Pauravas, a rakhi, and asked him not to hurt her husband on the battlefield. During the Battle of the Hydaspes River, King Porus saw the rakhi on his wrist. This reminded him of his promise to Roxana. He then stopped himself from attacking Alexander. Porus lost the battle, but he won Alexander’s respect and honor. Alexander reinstated Porus as a governor of his own kingdom. He also allowed him to rule over last to the south-east of his kingdom.

Origin Stories of the Festival of Rakshabandhan

Cherish the bond between siblings this Rakhi with out children’s book How Our Skin Sparkles. Meet Aarav and Sharvi, two siblings who trouble each other as much as they love spending time and learning together.⭐️

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10 Tips to Minimize Your Daily Challenges in Virtual Learning

Is your school shifting to virtual learning? Here’s what you need to know.

The hop to home schooling during the start of COVID-19, lock down and all was challenging to say the least. It took me time to find my footing and when I did, I chose what to remove from our agenda of the day. We completed school with the lessons that were supposed to be finished, within framework but without focusing on the details of the class.

Which brought me to pen down the lessons and prep work I would be doing for the upcoming virtual school learning that my home will be adopting.

Now, before you look at my tips, I want to ensure that you know what kind of mom I am. I identify as a mompreneur, ie I work from home which means I have the luxury to choose what our days look like. That also means I am in charge of everything, groceries, home, kids classes, cooking and all in between.

That being said, I had a lot of plans for the second half the 2020 most of which will be taking a back burner. Which brings me to the first point, which I think needs to be said.

Reduce Your Own Work Load

I need to plan for what of my every day, I need to remove. My work on RWC and as an author/entrepreneur means I am on call 24/7 and work whatever hours my kids and life allow me. I was supposed to start a podcast and ramp up my book publishing services and book.

This does not apply to working moms who are not in control of their day job’ requirements but it does apply to at home work that needs to be done and self appointed goals. Go through all your work and mark down what you can do without. Lighten your load and prioritize your daily goals as to what you can do without and what you can let go of. Meal prep will be a life savior.

Have a Working Space for Your Kids and You

You are going to be driven to make a space that’s happy and conducive to learning. Remember though, you want to make a space that is happy for you too. A space in which you can do your work or read or do whatever jobs that you an do which the kids are in their space, listening to teaches. Things you will need are a small shelf for library, stationary, two kinds of seating for learning with laptops or learning devices and options for room change for both kids. But also think for yourself, plants, your favorite blankets, a charging station, some snacks at hand every morning.

Schedule Your Day Before and After

The good part of the virtual schooling system will be that the day will be that their days will be pre planned but make sure just like with the bus coming, your time to wake up and going up to school beginning is planned out the same day. Have a schedule for after school because the kids ARE going to be cranky after the first few weeks of sitting all day. Getting them to do any home work or extra school work or classes is going to be tough going.

Involve Kids in the Plan

I am not usually one to ask kids for what they like to do but I do talk to them about different ways that could work for them. I plan to discuss with them the kinds of breakfast they would like to have, the books we want to be reading, the activities we want to participate in and what their day hsould look like after the school day is over.

Allow for Flexibility

It’s going to be a difficult time when you begin so don’t stress out. Have your meditation and cooling methods in place because if you stress, it will translate. Remember you need to anticipate the adjustment Period, give room for errors and letting go of that which simply does not work for your family (and you can allow leeway for).

Incentives

Sitting for hours on the laptop is not going to be easy. Even half the time. So, remember to give them the rewards they so deserve to be troopers. As simple as a point system to earn bigger treats. Or let them learn to reward themselves for jobs well done. A great opportunity to become independent for kids.

Exercise

Not just for the body. Remember to have a plan to have kids exerices eyes, facial muscles, back. Print out sheets of exercises and keep them where kids can see so they get those eyes moving and back stretched out. That’s why I mentioned two – three options to sit coz going in their bodies are not going to happy with the long hours.

Extracurricular Device Rules

Now comes the tricky part. With them being all devices all day it is going to be tough call but you need to have rules strictly in pace for how much total device time they can have. Currently my kids get a total of 6 hours of device time for games and friends in a week, excluding TV or movie time here or there. I see this reducing a lot when virtual schooling starts coz I staying away from screens is going to be crucial for personal development.

Planned Time with Friends

Yup. It’s lockdown but I think some socially distanced reading time with friends or a walk or a trip to a local park just to sit around and discuss things in the week day would be great for kids to – 1. get some outdoor sun time 2. socialize so they don’t get lose their skills.

Keep Things Light

During everything, remember, these are unprecedented times and you are doing the best you can. Remember to laugh a lot, capture moments, spend time together and let kids know they are appreciated for trying to do their best.

A situation that is new to you calls for you to understand that it is hard for all involved, specially the kids. Talk to them about being a team and working through the challenges together.

You got this !

Grab my award winning parenting book FULL of conversation starters to help kids be confident in their decision making skills and rooted in values, all with a global mindset.