Songs -heard and forgotten ?
11 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: songs for kids, traditional songs
We often snatches of songs heard in childhood which we want to teach our kids.
An excellent source for songs for camping, teaching various themes is
http://www.songsforteaching.com/index.html
A site which allows legal downloads of MP3 files and provides lyrics for traditional songs is
http://freekidsmusic.com/
When little kids have a vacation..
09 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: creative, parent- kid projects
Some parents look at vacation time with a little anxiety. If they aren’t going on a holiday, they wonder how they will spend time with kids and keep them happy.
There are many websites which give ideas for craft work for kids. When I and my kid do some creative work together , we are not only utilizing time usefully ,we are creating great memories for the kid.
The sense of satisfaction of having created something goes a long way in building self esteem and also eventually allows the kid to look at honest work with an open mind.Not as just work – but as something that will bring happiness.
Here is a site/ blog that will help a parent find things to do with a kid during vacations.And the idea of building a lap journal is quite delightful.
http://delightfullearning.blogspot.com/
And one more that has specific activities even for Indian festivals
Art of living from auto drivers….
29 Nov 2009 5 Comments
On a recent visit to Bengaluru, I got to travel a lot in autos.
The first memorable drive was with Narayana of Kumaraswamy layout. We were struck in a jam near BTM layout when he began his painful story.It seems he had just begun his day and became a victim to a superwoman. He had ferried her to some company. She offered to pay with 100 rupee note. He didnt have the necessary change.Kind soul that he was offered to bring change for the note he possessed. By the time he came back, she was gone.The story began now. He was so dejected , he was going back home.He went on to tell me some incidents in which he had ferried people for free on being told of their problems.What amazed me was he told me that he would not lose faith in people just because he was cheated by one.
On one another such journey, late in the evening , we travelled with a senior member of their tribe. He asked us which route we preferred..we told him to choose -depending on traffic density.Just this little trust in him made him happy. He talked about how honesty has helped him and his family. He narrated an incident where an unknown passenger gave him a recommendation letter to a philanthropic hospital. This gift saved his son’s life.He said that if we ever earned anything by dishonest methods the money would just go to medical expenses. This belief of his has kept him happy , healthy and content.
It was truly a learning path that we travelled .
My Little Jakkanachareez
06 Sep 2009 6 Comments
Ronak's Ganesha
My kids(age .. 5+) were given a demo on how to make clay models. As it was their first lesson, their Craft teacher showed them how to make a Ganesha.They made these in just a few minutes.This was sometime in July.The multi coloured one below is made by kind -hearted Rohit.
In August they made collages.
More Ganeshas
More Ganeshas...
Ganesha-- in my class
My class IB
23 Aug 2009 6 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: My class memory test
Each day at school is so unique.
Meet Rajat. The ever jumping restless little fellow. He can’t sit still to write neatly-unless he is cajoled that he has the best writing !
He surprised me by getting 10/10 in the memory test .he got selected for the finals.
And when I was conducting the finals, the kids were shown 10 objects and told to close their eyes and recollect them .Rajat could hardly concentrate ..or so I thought. He was hopping and playing imaginary games with someone. When his turn came, he cooly reeled off all the names of the 10 objects.And the kids who I thought were calmly recollecting and would score full marks were leftfar behind.
My perceptions were wrong -yet again.
Another lesson.
Back to school..
03 Apr 2009 7 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: kids, sensitive
School has restarted.
Meet my new children in Std. I …
Meet Aneeket.
The child who is bouncy and noisy.Yet he is so thrilled to be in his ‘big brother’s school.
I was suddenly asked to fill in some statistical details by the office.
I gave the kids chalk and told them to draw on the floor.
kids drew flowers, trees,animals, cars and what -not
And dear Aneeket drew a boy with tears .
A few minutes ago I had told him to sit away from his newly acquired friend.
Kids are so sensitive.
I felt lousy.
I hugged him and told him to move back to his coveted seat
I was repenting my action :’(
Truly a rewarding lesson on the first day of school—for the teacher.
Will you be my …
13 Feb 2009 2 Comments
in At school Tags: commerce, culture -shocks, kids
Mayank greeted me this morning with a huge chocolate bar.
When asked the reason for this gustatory gift.he reminded me of the upcoming valentine’s day. I nearly fell ….
I was dizzy with surprise .
I couldn’t believe that commercialisation has reached the such levels ..
I consoled myself that he must have just mimicked his mother in wishing me a happy V day.
His mother met me at “going home” time and hugged me..saying,”happy V day!”
I somehow controlled my laughter.
If Mr. Custodian of Culture could hear this ?? I wonder what his plans would be ?
Celebrating such ‘days’ is no longer a choice..the friendly neighbourhood malls and gift shops give you no choice.
And Mayank is all of 5 years and 4 months old.
I was stunned..
Should I put my foot down and refuse the chocolate bar..Or simply avoid creating an issue and divide it among the children…
On Teachers’s Day my standing instructions to ‘my’ children: I accept gifts ONLY in the form of hugs.
I didnt know.. primary section school kids of this century end up celebrating V’s day.
Next time I will be forewarned. Infact at the end of the day when my fifith standard kids reminded me of V’s day..I just told them I believe more in showing love to family and friends through out the year and not ‘showing’ it sporadically according to the diktats of Tv and other media.
Boramma BengaLoorige bundaaga…
17 Jun 2008 13 Comments
in myself, Random thoughts Tags: b(l)ooming bengalooru, pitiable kids in the metros
I am ‘stealing’ time from my holidays to scribble a few lines..
My visit to BengaLooru this time was a little tizzy at the start. I stayed with my bil and family at Koramangala and once our planned activities got over we statred freaking out to visit all the malls in the vicinity.
We circumambulated Forum, Star Bazar, Big Bazar, both the Lifestyles, Garuda …… Our footwears showed signs of wear and tear and by night my twice injured left foot ‘sang’ songs . Once home I felt as if I was still precariously walking on the slippery mall floors…And soon started expecting an escalator in the next room or a Macdies in the next floor ..
My senses were revolted by the overdsose of vanilla essence near the cookie /cream and fudge factories ,the sight of dark red chaats in the roadside eateries, the open gutters in national games village, the kids ‘playing’ in barricaded play pens at the so called fun place in one such mall.
The kids were being minded by teenagers who were more interested in chatting with themselves, or tossing the balls among themselves.I don’t blame them, however. The poor kids were in a make -believe playground. The slides and seesaws were all so cozy that it wouldn’t have been any fun !! There was no thrill in sliding down those slides as the gradient was so simple , the ‘plastic’ world around was exactly that!There was no sand for them to play with. Instead they had a wide array of coloured plastic balls to throw at each other or sink into.The place was quite tiny. Elsewhere it was full of virtual games letting out screaming lights and sounds.Yeah, the lights were screaming too.. They were that obnoxious. Kids were busy counting the tickets won and calculating what they would eventually get . They barely enjoyed the game as such.The ‘gifts’ on display included silly looking incorrect rulers and useless pencils. There was just too much of showiness and unreality in the whole place. Some grandparents were enjoying more than the kids. This was the only pleasing sight.
When I came down to Malleshwaram, I somehow felt I had come close to my old BengaLooru. The long , slow sojourns on Sampige Road and Margosa Road , the scents of mallige and grandhige angadies, the sight of MaakLi beru, nallikai, Amtekai , the discourses at Madhwa Sangha, the taste of Panchaamruta at the SP extension Rayara Mutta ,the slow climb over the 11 th cross , the gradual roll down of the 10 th cross , the lure of Sandiges from Loveluck Stores,the scented adike from Srinivasa Stores, the visually appealing Hurigaalu angadi, the beckoning happalaas of Radhakrishna Stores, the come hither looks from the second -hand , yellowing ,ageing ,books , the unputdownable Real cane (this was available at K mangala in an unappetising way ,though ) the ‘aaseya dukhakke moola ‘ freshly unravelled jackfruits , the unrelenting call of the friendly hanchu, sowtu , baandle ,halguLu mane shops , the stop – pray and scoot shrines that abound here …….
…Oh!! Paradise revisited.
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