Important things you should say to your child..

Children look up to their parents for support, for validation, and for encouragement. They look up to their parents to emulate them, to teach them right from wrong and to hold their hands when they falter. So the onus on us to be all that to them is even more than we would like think! It’s an oft repeated statement that we should be careful of what we speak to our kids and what we speak when they are around. It is equally important what we say to them through our gestures and words. Kids are like those highly absorbent sponges, soaking in everything they see us do or hear us say.

Here are seven important things you must say to your kid-

I love you – I say this to my kids every single day, as they leave for school, as they retire to bed and anytime in between. My kids light up every time I say it, and they tell me that they love me too. It’s an obvious thing, but it needs to be said. Hugs and kisses are other forms of showing your love. All these verbal and physical forms of love makes kids feel secure and cared for.

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An apology

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 48; the forty-eighth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

                                            This post won me the silver batom!! Yay!! 
  
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 "Don't you think you must apologize to me?" That sounded more like a demand than a request.

Trust Mr-know-all to flaunt his arrogance like that! she thought. So typical of him! Why did always think he could do no wrong? He always assumed she was the weaker one and his sole purpose in life was to guide her! 

"And why would I do that?" she asked.

"For all the hurt I have endured because of you."

"That is not true!"she exclaimed. "Are you accusing me of causing you hurt? Me????"

"I am...! I think before I act. That is how I shield myself from getting hurt. I don't act impulsively like you."

"One doesn't 'think' when one is in love." she looked hurt.

"That is the more irrational thing I've ever heard! When you don't think, here is where you land." 

His sarcasm was getting to her.

"Ha! What would you know about love anyway, you practical fool!"

"What would I know??! Let me tell you what I know, being in love is like living in a fool's paradise. Would you dare to disagree?"

"But it is still paradise." The tinge of sadness was evident in her voice. 

"So why are tears flooding your eyes then? Being in heaven shouldn't hurt like hell."

"It hurts when the person who made you feel so special suddenly leaves you hanging. It's crazy when the person who swore that he'll never hurt you, is the one who hurts you the most."  

"You messed up your feelings and you messed up mine. I was treading with caution but you made me toe your line. You convinced me you were right. But now I know you weren't! I would have done well to have let my thoughts rule me than having your emotions butt in!"

"Okayyy....if it is an apology you want, you shall have it. I'm sorry for hoping you'd know what I want." she had had enough of his rebuttal, of telling her how wrong she was. She knew she wasn't, but she didn't want to keep arguing with him. He'd never understand anyway! 

They had always been poles apart. He, the rational mind and she, the nimble heart. 

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Role reversal..

Parents are supposed to be role models for their kids, but how often kids teach us valuable lessons too! I attended a parent-teacher interaction at my elder one’s school yesterday. His exams had just got over and the discussion would be about the child’s performance and other things. When my turn came, I introduced myself and the teacher’s eyes kind of lit up when I mentioned my child’s name.

“Oh, so you are S’s mom? I have been waiting to meet you”, she said.

My son is hardly the mischief monger types and the expression on the teacher’s face clearly was happy, so there was no reason to be concerned!

Read the rest of the post at parentous.com

Why kids lie?

We all dream of bringing up our kids to be honest individuals. Well, if not for the world outside, we at least expect them to be totally truthful to us. But more often than not, we find them fibbing their way out of everyday situations!

Why do kids lie?

So why do kids have this tendency to lie? Actually the answer is quite simple! They lie for the same reasons that we adults do!! There could be different reasons-

To get out of trouble- Kids might lie to cover up something, hoping to avoid punishment or consequences. For eg.  Scared that mom might punish him for breaking an expensive vase, a kid might say, “Mom, I did not break the vase.”

For personal gain- Kids might lie to manipulate a situation or to set up something. For eg. A kid might tell dad who does not know the routine, “Mom always let me eat chocolates before dinner” hoping to get that candy bar, he knows mom will never let him eat!

To impress – Kids like to make things up and hence exaggerate stories and try to impress others. For eg. A kid saying to his friend, “I caught a big fish last Sunday when I went fishing with dad, it was as big our boat.”

To protect someone- They might lie to protect a loved sibling, or friend.

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Just right books...

There’s a lot of talk about getting kids into the habit of reading. Reading not only improves the child’s language skills, imagination and vocabulary, but also helps build their character. Yes, good books have that potential! Often we find that children become good readers, one book at a time.  

My friends often ask me what the right age is to introduce books to the child and how they can help their kids with picking the right book. I’d say the key is to start early and initially you will have to pick the books for the child. Buy books instead of toys and read out to them whenever you can, not just at bedtime. This creates a ritual, one that they associate with a “cozy time” together with the parent.

To read the rest of the post...go to  parentous.com