The Defiant Mom

Indeed it is when you see your reflection in your children when they behave just like you. Isn’t it endearing to see your kid act just like you do, the way you eat, sleep, laugh, walk, and… talk! How do you feel when your child’s style of talking resembles yours? You feel proud that he/she is my son/daughter. I feel so happy when one of my friends or family compliments me saying, ‘Wow, Roohi, your son speaks exactly like you.” But what if your kid says something that you wouldn’t expect him/her to? Words than can embarrass you no end! This happens without fail; after all, kids learn through imitation. For most of their waking moments, they see us and observe our actions minutely. We may not realize this till we see them behaving the way we do. Sometimes this creates hilarious situations, while at others, it may leave us mortified. How do we control what we say and how we act… -If you are angry, and hurtful words are waiting to gush forth, bite your lips, literally, and look a...

Fathers need to be around their children How can fathers make the most of their time with their kids? It's not only the mothers but also the fathers whose lives change after they become parents. What with the increasing financial responsibilities, to be around their children and wives, dads can get pretty stressed. To top it all, they have to make sure that they make the most of their time with their kids! First things first, do not panic. List down the activities you can engage in with your kids (depending on their age) while you are with them. It can be anything from nappy changing, feeding, toilet training, putting them to sleep, teaching them to take their first steps to playing sports, reading, painting, etc, the list is endless. The objective is to be involved, give your full attention while you are with your children They are quite perceptive and your lack of concentration can be easily picked up by them and they might get irritable. Even if you get to spend 10 min...

This is not a tough task yet it requires patience. I will list down some dos and don'ts from my experience, please share yours. Never... 1. Make your kids watch TV while they are eating. 2. Force them to eat. 3. Scold them for not liking a particular food item. 4. Raise your voice if they throw tantrums on the dining table. 5. Cook on their demand every time, not when this becomes a habit and they refuse consistently to eat healthy food. Always... 1. Eat with them and enjoy the whole eating routine, each meal. 2. Serve them small portions, so they can taste everything, and get a balanced diet. 3. Keep the conversation at the dinner table centered on food and its benefits but don't overdo it. 4. Try using colorful vegetables and fruits, and preparing simple food in different ways. Yes, you will have to get little creative here. 5. Explain them the benefits of eating, how it develops their brain and body, and helps them become strong and intelligent...

Welcome back! Haw many times have you faced the situation when you have to witness your young one doing exactly the opposite of what you would want him/her to do? I am sure, countless times. This situation is so common that not much attention is paid by us. We think that it is okay if the child does what he/she is asked not to. I agree it is part of being a child but what I want to emphasize here is how we, as parents need to educate our children about things that they shouldn't do. The essence is in the approach. Before I get into the details, I would like to share what I feel as parents we need to learn first and foremost before we even start to expect from our kids. There are simple prerequisites of parenthood: 1. No parent is perfect, don't even try to get there. It's okay if you fail, you will gain something valuable out of it. Parents need to love and understand their children more than anything else. 2. Parenting can only be done by example. Y...

Welcome to my blog, 'A Different Approach to Parenting!' I wasn't really sure if I should have a blog on parenting, after all, the web is full of them. I didn't want to add to the clutter. But then, having learnt so many things while being a mom to a nine year old son, I wanted to share my learnings. So, here I am. I definitely have come a long way from being a headstrong, logical and ever questioning teenager to a woman who has to think hard to answer some of the tricky questions my son often comes up with. I find myself struggling to be honest while being sensitive to his age when I am answering the non-ending (and these days, quite tricky questions) shooting non-stop from my son's mouth. It's a task you all must face regularly too. Believe me, it's fun to unlearn so many things we grow up with. I have learnt newer stuff and seen things from a different perspective with my son. These I will be sharing with you here, and also my failures and successe...