A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

It’s back to school for the children after a short break.To go through the entire morning without them is mind-numbing.The hushed atmosphere is felt  more than ever as they continuously kept me engaged during the morning hours chattering  nineteen to the dozen. And as a matter of fact, given that I am immune to this kind of  noisy environment,I find it  a bit uncharacteristic to be  in the midst of silence.Currently,I am  trying every possible means  to muddle through  the tranquillity. So to chuck  away  the sense of  being bored, I have actively  turned to my  most dependable companions: Books.

Reading books is a pleasurable experience.They have kept me happy and contended during dark and dull moments.Above and beyond,they cheer me up with their wide range of heartening words.Above all, books  are the most sought after ‘acquaintances’ to  fill in the void and  help me break free from monotony.I am persistently drawn toward them. Unquestionably,they straighten out my mood swings.Time after time,books come to my support when I am in  need  of some driving force to lift my spirits high .

Books are a source of inspiration.They are filled with an abundance of entertainment, information,and references.As grateful as I am,to modern technology,which sets up  a complete library  in front of the computer screen with only a push of a button, I  still  prefer the old fashioned way of enjoying a good read in black and white.There’s nothing  to beat my habit of sitting in a cosy corner with a  paper back  to hold on to and be intensely engrossed in it.

Although the perception of reading books,for many,is slowly weaning off, the magnetism still remains in me.Books teach us a variety of subjects.They give solutions to our problems and stimulate us in every aspect. Inevitably they instigate reading skills and give confidence  to children and young adults.I am forever in awe of the diverse styles and expressions  documented in books by different writers and authors.The other day while looking  through  a  textbook  belonging to my daughter,I found something quite notable.It was a well defined piece of writing. Needless to say, I was fascinated by its characterization that I totally forgot time.

Dear readers,now allow  me  pass on to you something  inspirational I discovered  from that particular book. 

‘Success,real success and happiness come to those who have a bread-making attitude.Those who are willing to knead the dough,wait for hours for it to rise, only to punch it down and knead some more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten.Nothing is instantaneous.For every endeavour whether in the area of career academics music, sports,relationships,physical fitness,or even in spirituality-it is a long arduous journey.’

Wouldn't it be commendable if we all adapt the  'bread making' attitude

Our One Day Road Trip

During the holidays in the recent past,we went on a road trip to Bahrain. Long  before the holidays,my husband had promised the kids ,to take them to the  theatre, to watch Toy Story 3 ( there are no movie  theatres in the country we reside).They were all thrilled when the  day arrived.We travelled by vehicle  via the causeway-the bridge that links the country I live and Bahrain. It took us about an hour to reach there.After the movie ,we had lunch at an Indian restaurant.We had to get back to our destination before dusk, so we didn’t have much time to go sight seeing.In the spur of the moment, I remembered the  list of some  books that I badly wanted to read.Those books were beautifully  embedded in the back of my mind.Since we didn’t have any planned agenda, we went to the  bookstore on our way home. And I was  fortunate that the books I  needed were available in the bookstore.

Embarking on our journey

On the causeway-the bridge

Each book  tells a different story

Motivating Children To Read

Enid Blyton

The school where my children attend , organized  their  annual   ‘Reading Book Week’ recently, for the  children in the smaller age group. This was arranged  in a very elaborate way. All the little  children took part with a lot of enthusiasm. I actually like this idea a lot because  the main objective is to encourage and motivate children to read.My kids were asked to bring some of their favourite books,to display in the makeshift class room Library and share and exchange  books with friends.This actually helped my sons to actively participate in the program.

Motivating children at an early age ,encourages them  to enhance their reading habits .This helps them develop their learning  skills  and enable them to reach great heights in learning  in their later years.Reading at an early age instigates a child in many ways.Their listening and writing skills improve to a  vast extent.   In this day and age most children are  fascinated by the television and the computer .They have no time to get involved in extra curriculum or  outdoor activities.So getting teachers and parents organize similar programs would definitely facilitate a lot of children to read a lot and more often.

The other day ,reading an article on Enid Blyton took me back to my childhood. As a little girl I loved reading her books.I would wait impatiently till I got my hands on her latest book.I vividly remember during that time ( in the late 7o’s) .We got the opportunity to borrow books from the mobile bookman, who would bring the latest books of Enid Blyton,stacked in a box on his bicycle.For a few cents, we got to keep the book for a week or so. Now as an adult and a mother to four, I’m still enthralled with her books and enjoy reading her mysteries and adventures to my children. Her books were a part of my childhood and in some way   responsible for my love for reading.

The Magic Of Disney

Very Recently the Disney demo 09 concluded in the country of the birth place of Walt Disney and here I am half way across the other side of the world and motivated to write something about the Disney influence we all have had. My whole family is attracted to Walt Disney creations...I loved Disney classics as a child, and still enjoy them with my children. Walt Disney has inspired my kids in so many ways ...They were drawn to his world of sketching from an early age.
And as parents, we were fully aware of their interest in everything ‘Disney’. We introduced to the kids some Disney classics for reading. Initially we read to them during bedtime and subsequently it became habitual and only when the end of the story was read and when they had heard their favourite characters from the book lived happily ever after, that they used to fall asleep without any hassles whatsoever... Having introduced them to Disney classics, from a young age, enhanced their reading and listening skills too. By the time they entered kindergarten, they had mastered several skills like listening, picture identification and word building.
The earliest memories I have were the sketching on our home walls, depicting some of Walt Disney‘s animated characters. An attempt at Disney creations, by my children! Later I discovered these drawings on their pillow covers as well. During their school break, they loved to watch Disney movies on DVD, which kept them spell bound .and whenever their class had some story time program, my two daughters did not fail to act as a Disney character, to bring the story to life.
The world of Disney also shaped my young children’s’ minds. They learnt to recognise and identify the good, the wicked and the evil, thanks to the characters in Snow white, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, etc. They were inculcated with values like kindness, love and generosity.
Now whenever I log on to my computer I am ushered in by Disney characters painted by my children. Am I not glad we have the world of Disney playing a significant role in developing the language skills that leads to stimulating reading in children .Thus laying a solid foundation for a more complex learning in later years.
And even today, my daughters, who, in their adolescence and pre-adolescence years are motivated and enthralled by his wonderful cartoons! And lately my two young sons are following suit...
Here are some cyber paintings, done by my twelve year daughter Mona.


The Lion King





Tarzan II