Discipline and Good Behavior

As mothers we are responsible for your child’s actions and behavior. But, it is not  easy to inculcate discipline and good behavior. Kids try crazy things as per adult standards like, climbing on table, running on street and so on. Their action follows impulse, with no thought in between.

Connecting with your child helps. Discipline and good behavior is grounded on a healthy relationship between parent and child. Connected parents become their own experts on their own child, so they know what behavior is appropriate to expect and how to convey these expectations. Connected children know what behavior parents expect and make an effort to behave this way because they want to please their parents. Together these parents and children develop a style of discipline that works for them.

 It is important to note that our child watches us. Any misbehavior or wrong act will be imitated by our child.

Have conversations with your child. During bed-time make-up stories that reflect good behavior and consequences of bad behavior.

Tell her your experience as a child when you didn’t listen to your parent and paid for it. Also, some good examples. The key is to get behind the eyes of your child.

 Do share your experience on how you handle this important responsibility.

Take Care - Keep Smiling!!!

The cutest smile is that of babies. And the best one is that of my baby. Every mother believes it. So do, I.

To make sure that this cute, sweet smile never fades, take care. Take care - start early. Quintessence of a smile is health teeth. If ignored leads to serious problems. 

Some Facts:

• Parents often don't think about oral hygiene until their baby gets his/her first tooth.
• Dental caries (tooth decay) can attack the teeth at any age.
• If care is not taken, milk tooth caries can reach the roots. This might need root canal treatment. A painful experience for both parents and child.

When to Start

• Before your baby gets his/her first baby tooth, that you should wipe your baby's gums with a soft washcloth or soft infant toothbrush and water each day, best time is during bath.
• Once your baby has several teeth, you might try using a small toothbrush with just two or three rows of very soft bristles.

Some useful tips

• Avoid your baby fall asleep with a bottle of milk nursing at night once he/she has teeth.
• Between the age of 1 and 2, clean the teeth of your child with a small toothbrush and soft toothpaste without fluoride. Train your child to spit the toothpaste out of his/her mouth.
• Always help your child to finish brushing his/her teeth. Usually, until the child is about 7-8 years old, he/she is not able to do a good job on his own.
• Do everything possible to make tooth brushing a fun activity!
• Let you child choose his/her toothbrush with his/her favorite cartoon characters.
• Set an example by brushing teeth before your child. Play your child’s favorite music. Laugh and make noises! Make it a game and make it fun!
• Do not forget to replace your child’s toothbrush every 2-3months.
• Brush twice a day: in the morning and before the bedtime.

And don’t forget. Keep Smiling!!!!

Monsoon Mania

Monsoon has arrived in Mumbai and is loving its stay here. Showers in morning, showers in noon, in the evening and at night. Days are dark and nights darker. Cold breeze blowing getting temperatures lower.

Thursday was the day rains began. It poured unexpectedly all over Mumbai and most of us didn’t have umbrella. I was one of them. I was forced to venture in the rains as my kid and guests waited for me.

  

Next day I woke with cold, fever and sore throat. The scenario from my window was the same, dark clouds pouring. My little son came up to me all excited about the rains. There was something special about his excitement. It was infectious. I too began to enjoy the scene. Wet roads, water filled pot holes, colourful umbrellas and raincoats. Birds hiding from rain while few street dogs enjoying the rains. We sat by the window wetted out hands and sprinkled water on each other.

Now, the child in me was growing bolder. Ideas crept in making leaps forward. I asked my son, “Would you like to go for a walk?” I knew he would agree so did he. Soon we were on the street heading towards playground. Our pants folded, holding an umbrella and giggling most of the time.

We walked hand-in-hand while it continued to pour. To our surprise there were enthusiastic lads playing football in the playground. Every kick splashed muddy water and every goal saved had a proof on their cloths. In no time their enthusiasm got injected in my son. He jumped in puddles splashing water on me. With a smile I let him do it. The moment I got a chance I did the same. In one splash he was wet till his waist. For few seconds he was shocked. But, in no time my child comprehended with the child in me and played sportingly.

We were wet, we were dirty, we were enjoying it but we were hungry. Just like a cherry on top of the cake we spotted a Bhuttawala in the rains. In the noise of rain drops corn cracked on charcoal lit fire. A layer of nimboo masala made it a perfect eat. We relished each bite of it. It was delicious.

It was time for me to pay for the corn. There was a problem when I fished my pocket. In all the excitement the money has got wet. The ten rupee note looked as if it was out from a torture cell. The crispiness had vanished; the strength was lost, if not carried carefully it was about to part. I dared to present it to the buttawala worrying he would only deny. But, again to my surprise he accepted it with a smile.I think and believe that the monsoon mania has taken over him, like it did to me, my son, the football players and many more whom I couldn’t see.

Tired we returned home, ate and slept like a log. We woke-up to narrate our expedition in rains to my husband, animatedly. He was shocked and surprised at the same time. He confessed he had missed the real fun. I felt sorry for the child in him; because I know it is no different than the child in me.

I am sure I will cherish those two hours for rest of life. I wish my son enjoys rains all his life and remember this day when he made the child in his mother come alive.

Rains are to enjoy and the best way is to enjoy it child-like.

Please share your best monsoon clicks.

Mail to: motherchild.ind@gmail.com, I will upload it on this blog as well as on the FB id. Thanks and enjoy monsoon!!!

Recipe

Thirst Quenchers

Summer begins.

Feel the warm breeze, scorching heat and enjoy your drinks.

For the entire summer this section will bring tongue tingling quenchers in different flavors to refresh and chill you. 

Get started!

Note it, try it and enjoy it.

Carrot Orange Frappe

Ingredients:

Orange juice (chilled)……………………………………………………2/3 cup

Carrot  juice (chilled …………………………………………….………1/3 cup

Lemon  juice …………………………………………………………………2/3 tsp.

Crushed ice …………………………………… ……………………………2/3 cup.

Lime slice ………………………………………………………………………1

Method of preparation:

1. Blend orange juice, carrot juice; lemon juice and crushed ice.
2. Pour into Collins glass
3. Garnish with lime slice and serve.

Simple, isn’t it!

Pannah

Ingredients:

Raw mango…………………………………………………………1 big.

Water…………………………………………….……………………2 glasses

Cummin seeds (roasted & powdered) …………………1/2 tsp.

Sugar…………………………………… ………………………………4 tblsp.

Rose essence …………………………………………………………few drops

Cracked ice……………………………………………………………..few

Method of preparation:

1. Boil mango in water till it turns very soft.
2. Peel. Mash  and then remove the seed.
3. Mix with water and then strain through a fine cloth
4. Mix in sugar, add rose essence and cumin seeds.
5. Chill and serve with cracked ice. 

Lemon Barley

Ingredients:

Barley……………………………………3 tblsp.

Water……………………………………1 ½ lit.

Lime juice………………………………to taste

Sugar…………………………………… to taste

Salt ………………………………………to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Boil barley in water till the barley is puffed and the water turns light pink in colour.
2. Remove from fire, add salt and strain out the water
3. Chill and mix in lime juice and sugar.

Note: it is a very cool and nourishing drink usually given to invalids and children.

 

Water Melon Cooler

Ingredients:

Water melon (medium)………………….1

Sugar ground………………………………….2 tblsp.

Cardamoms ground ………………………1tsp.

Rose essence…………………………………few drops

Cracked ice……………………………………few

Method of preparation:

1. De-seed and extract the pulp from the melon
2. Add the rest of the ingredients after chilling the juice.
3. Serve garnished with cracked ice.

Mint Nectar 

Ingredients:

Mint…………………………………………….50gms

Ginger………………………………………….2 inch piece

Lime juice……………………………………2 limes

Sugar…………………………………………….10 tblsp.

Water……………………………………………2 glasses

Green food colouring (optional)…….....1 drop

Cracked ice……………………………………few

Method of preparation:

1. Grind and extract the juice of mint and ginger.
2. Strain through a cloth
3. Mix with water and the rest of ingredients except ice.
4. Chill, mix in ice and serve.

 

Moon Rice Upma

Ingredients

Moong…3 cups

Rice….1 cup

Oil/Ghee

Green chillies, finely chopped

Curry leaves (Kadi patta/meetha neem)

Cumin Seeds (Jeera)

Coriander leaves

Salt

Sugar

Method

Roast Moong in kadai till light brown. Keep aside roasted moong and let it cool. Roast rice in kadai till light brown. Keep aside roasted moong and let it cool.

Grind Moong and rice separately. Mix both moong and rice and store it. Use as per requirement.

Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, chopped green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for few seconds. Add the roasted mixture of moong and rice as per requirement.. Stir-fry till light brown. Add warm water (5 times the quantity of roasted mixture) stir well. Add sugar and salt as per taste. Reduce till semi-solid. Add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Cooking method of this recipe is same as that of upma. This delicious recipe is high in protein and easy to digest. Can be given to kids from 6 months.An ideal evening snack.