The chilly weather makes all of us longing, to get cozy and huddle up in the house and when we have children around, we often wonder how we are going to keep them occupied for a specific period of time. And during winter break ,the kids get holed up in the house. It is then, that they complain of nothing to do and getting bored. Getting them to help us in the household chores is a good idea but for how long will they like this kind of activity we cannot predict.
As a stay at home mom, I have often spent a few times, stooping to their level ,taking instructions and abiding by their rules and regulations, in order to help their play time happy and fun .All in all, the end results are that we all are contended by the fact that we have had enough of quantity and quality time together as a family...
There are many ways and means to regenerate our kids from boredom. Its time we become a little creative in order to stop our brood from complaining. One does not need to be an expert in bringing out ideas to help children find some ways to spend their time during holidays.
Make opportunities for children to get active in different ways... By sharing our ideas with the kids on what to do and how to do, helps the children to play an active role in being creative... Generate a lot of opportunities for the children to experience with..Let them experiment with different ideas. Children would like anything to do with games. There are many ways to be creative and make holiday time a fun time. Some children are good with words. Indoor games like word –building could be really interesting, when you make it a fun game. For instance, take the word ‘Ordinary ‘. Let them make new words from this one long word. The new words from ‘ordinary’ would be (ray, roar, yard, nod, ran etc). By introducing this word game, we are actually helping them improve their vocabulary.
Another fun game, I observed my kids loved were the repeatedly practicing of tongue twisters!.'Twisters' is a sure way to revitalize kids from boredom. Here is a tongue twister which my children and I enjoy to date...This could also be played as a game, to test their spelling skills (in this case ,whether/weather)
Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot
We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.”
Happy Holidays! Have Fun...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
My First Award
I am honored to get this award and I thank Always A Mom for it.
Seven Things That You Don't Know About Me
1. I used to be an elementary teacher - but gave up to take care of my home.
2. I love to try different recipes. If it does not turn out right, I give it a new name and still enjoy
3. I read Richard Carlson's book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff With Your Family" in the year 2004 which made a lot of changes in me. I learnt to look at the positive side of life.
4. My childhood favourite was Enid Blyton. I still enjoy her books when I read it to my children.
5. I get motivated by everyday people doing everyday things.
6. I would love to visit France someday to see the Eiffel Tower, and maybe make use of my French which I have learnt during my school days.
7. I am a person full of compassion and love, when tragedy strikes children in any part of the world, it affects me very badly because I cannot reach out to them.
I have nominated the following bloggers as recipients of this award for their hardwork:
1. Very Becoming
2. How I Cope With Acid Reflux and Ulcers
3. Swathi Pradeep's Kitchen
4. Always A Mom
5. Real Life In A Minute
6. Being a mom, wife, grandma and student!
7. Because Nice Matters
As with any award it has a few steps or rules the recipient must follow after receiving the award. And they are:
1. Thank the person who gave the award to you.
2. Copy award.
3. Post it in your blog.
4. Tell us 7 things that your readers don't know.
5. Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.
6. Notify winners of award with comment on their blog .
7. Keep being awesome!
Congratulations and Happy Blogging!!!
Seven Things That You Don't Know About Me
1. I used to be an elementary teacher - but gave up to take care of my home.
2. I love to try different recipes. If it does not turn out right, I give it a new name and still enjoy
3. I read Richard Carlson's book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff With Your Family" in the year 2004 which made a lot of changes in me. I learnt to look at the positive side of life.
4. My childhood favourite was Enid Blyton. I still enjoy her books when I read it to my children.
5. I get motivated by everyday people doing everyday things.
6. I would love to visit France someday to see the Eiffel Tower, and maybe make use of my French which I have learnt during my school days.
7. I am a person full of compassion and love, when tragedy strikes children in any part of the world, it affects me very badly because I cannot reach out to them.
I have nominated the following bloggers as recipients of this award for their hardwork:
1. Very Becoming
2. How I Cope With Acid Reflux and Ulcers
3. Swathi Pradeep's Kitchen
4. Always A Mom
5. Real Life In A Minute
6. Being a mom, wife, grandma and student!
7. Because Nice Matters
As with any award it has a few steps or rules the recipient must follow after receiving the award. And they are:
1. Thank the person who gave the award to you.
2. Copy award.
3. Post it in your blog.
4. Tell us 7 things that your readers don't know.
5. Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.
6. Notify winners of award with comment on their blog .
7. Keep being awesome!
Congratulations and Happy Blogging!!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Oh ! This Funny Language
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger,
neither apple nor pine in pineapple
English muffins were not invented in England
or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat
Quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
A guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig
Why is that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce, hammers don't ham
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese, so one moose, 2 meese?
One index, two indices?
Is cheese the plural of choose?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegatarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell
Park on driveways and drive on parkways?
How can a slim chance and fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy be opposites?
When a house burns up, it burns down
You fill a form by filling it out
An alarm clock goes off by going on
When the stars are out, they are visible
but when the lights are out, they are invisible
When I wind up my watch, I start it
But when I wind up this essay, I end it
Courtesy : InBox Collection -
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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
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
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Chocolate Reveals Your Age
This is an email circulation and I had to share it with you.So take a pad and a pen and invite your friends to join in the fun.
YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH
Don't tell me your age; you'd probably lie anyway-but the Hershey Man will know!
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759 ..
If you haven't, add 1758..
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number
The first digit of this was your original number
(i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).
The next two numbers are YOUR AGE! Oh YES, it is!!!!!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Spring Cleaning And Clutter- Free!
Recently the whole family got busy, engaged with spring cleaning and clearing the clutter that had got collected within the last several months. After days of delaying this household task, we decided to start clearing without further delay that particular day. Even my five year old showed a lot of enthusiasm helping around, carrying the thrash bag here and there and trying to fill it up with whatever he thought was garbage!,
The very first thing my son did was to get this particular pair of shoes and said, ‘This is Garbage! I held on to it, as if for dear life before he could dump it into his thrash bag. I was wondering how children observed everything and anything., This one pair of shoes which I loved dearly was a bit tattered, nevertheless I enjoyed wearing it , because it always made me so comfortable .I could walk with ease. Incredibly I‘d never got a leg pain after I‘ve walked, confidently with these, during our many fortnightly outings to the Mall.
Then there was a pile of books, which had to be tackled , with my elder daughter. Those books had been in her room, in the same spot, for several months now, but she wouldn’t let me go any closer to them. Eventually it was decided all the books would go into a cupboard, that was out of view and for later use for my other daughter,( if she finds anything interesting to suit her tastes!)
My husband and I had decided that the things which were not used anymore should be given away , so that someone else, could enjoy. Out came clothes, shoes, socks, shirts, etc. from every nook of the house. I appreciated the whole family’s helping hand; the work got done faster and easier. For my sons this was a fun activity, they were so generous in parting with some of their toys to put in the charity box. My older son loved playing with the duster; he even imitated his Dad, wearing a piece of cloth tied loosely around his nose, like a mask.
By the way I love garage sales! But to organize it here in the country we reside would be a bit of a hassle! Nevertheless I have no regrets depositing all the stuff that was not in use for ages, into the charity box, which was installed close to a popular Mall nearby my home.
It didn’t take a while to understand that by doing this task of cleaning the house together as a family we had plenty of quality time together. No strict rules were imposed on the work task and there was no time limit , but the concept was to complete before night approached. So after a hard day was done, everyone felt tired but happy to see the house neat, clean and clutter free. But I was wondering for how long!
I came to the conclusion by making the children participate in this household chore; we were actually inculcating and developing their skills, sequentially, to complete a given task. They will also learn to arrange and put their toys away in boxes than keeping them scattered on the floor. We also teach them values like being responsible and being productive.
The kids learnt to work as a team. I fervently hope this ‘working together’ notion will be put into practice again, during our next spring cleaning day!
The very first thing my son did was to get this particular pair of shoes and said, ‘This is Garbage! I held on to it, as if for dear life before he could dump it into his thrash bag. I was wondering how children observed everything and anything., This one pair of shoes which I loved dearly was a bit tattered, nevertheless I enjoyed wearing it , because it always made me so comfortable .I could walk with ease. Incredibly I‘d never got a leg pain after I‘ve walked, confidently with these, during our many fortnightly outings to the Mall.
Then there was a pile of books, which had to be tackled , with my elder daughter. Those books had been in her room, in the same spot, for several months now, but she wouldn’t let me go any closer to them. Eventually it was decided all the books would go into a cupboard, that was out of view and for later use for my other daughter,( if she finds anything interesting to suit her tastes!)
My husband and I had decided that the things which were not used anymore should be given away , so that someone else, could enjoy. Out came clothes, shoes, socks, shirts, etc. from every nook of the house. I appreciated the whole family’s helping hand; the work got done faster and easier. For my sons this was a fun activity, they were so generous in parting with some of their toys to put in the charity box. My older son loved playing with the duster; he even imitated his Dad, wearing a piece of cloth tied loosely around his nose, like a mask.
By the way I love garage sales! But to organize it here in the country we reside would be a bit of a hassle! Nevertheless I have no regrets depositing all the stuff that was not in use for ages, into the charity box, which was installed close to a popular Mall nearby my home.
It didn’t take a while to understand that by doing this task of cleaning the house together as a family we had plenty of quality time together. No strict rules were imposed on the work task and there was no time limit , but the concept was to complete before night approached. So after a hard day was done, everyone felt tired but happy to see the house neat, clean and clutter free. But I was wondering for how long!
I came to the conclusion by making the children participate in this household chore; we were actually inculcating and developing their skills, sequentially, to complete a given task. They will also learn to arrange and put their toys away in boxes than keeping them scattered on the floor. We also teach them values like being responsible and being productive.
The kids learnt to work as a team. I fervently hope this ‘working together’ notion will be put into practice again, during our next spring cleaning day!
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