The Human Body

Learning many new concepts from a single book read!

It is so interesting to browse through a book and deep dive into specific topics out of one's own interest. This experience of learning is very much different from learning via subject books where related topics are grouped into subjects.

Book : Maisy goes to Museum





DD1 read about elephants being woolly and huge. And there were more questions.
Did elephants have hair on their skin earlier ?
Were they very huge, like giant?
Oh, humans also had hair earlier?
She googled(with my help) some pictures, texts about ancient humans.

Book: The Human Body








She read about bones and joints in human body.
Many questions, pointing to various bones that can be felt in our body.
Then, she got so involved that, she started drawing and colouring bones couple of days later.

Reading out a book, picking up a topic of interest, thinking about it further, reading further using our friend Google, recalling all that learnt even after few days, drawing them on paper in a way to express her thoughts and much more - Learning happens so beautifully and naturally when the child is on her own!

This experience is so different from what happens in school - opening a subject text, reading out, asking questions and MAKE the child do some activity related to what was introduced(no guarantee if it was actually learnt) in the class. And to reinforce what was taught in class, homeworks, projects, assignments are given to the child that are again done in major part by the parent at home.

See the reality?

To self learn is the best way to learn.

#openlearning
#learningwithoutschool
#learningeverywhere
#4.5

Intuitive Parenting - Way to Go!

Gentle Parenting does not make a child weak.
Parenting from intuition does not make the child unprepared for life ahead.

Violent Parenting does not make the child strong.
Parenting from inhibitions does not make the child be able to withstand all odds in life.

What YOU as a parent believe of your child will BECOME true.
A child learns from how the parent leads life and it is quite evidently seen in the parenting style.

It is not true that 'Boys need to be parented in a harsh way, else, they go out of control'.
It is not true that 'Girls need to be parented in a delicate way, else, they might feel hurt'.

What you think, so you believe.

Harsh way of parenting does not make the child strong. In fact, some later time in adulthood, it brings out many emotional gaps within the child that have been suppressed and that could show up in various behavioural issues of the adult.

Intuitive parenting is the perfect solution to connect with a child.
Be it a boy or girl, natural intuitive parenting is the way to go in order to connect with another being, resolve conflicts and understand life better.

Happy moments

DD1, once she wakes up, comes running to me where I usually am, doing morning chores.

DD2 walks in towards me, smiles, and says, hello, good morning.

I feel so good seeing and hearing these words.

I do not seem to relive my childhood, instead, I am living my childhood.

I don't recall days when I walked in casually to greet the adults around.

#grateful
#thankyoulife
#thankyougirls

Counting by 10

Me, DD1, DD2 travelling in auto.

DD1: how many more minutes to reach destination?
Me: 20 minutes
DD1: if you add 20 chocolates to 20 chocolates, how many do you have in total?
Me: 20 plus 20 will be 40
DD1: If you add 20, 20, 10, how much will it be?
Me: 20 plus 20 is 40, plus 10 is 50
DD2: no, if you add 20, 20, 10, how much?
Me: yes, 20 plus 20 is 40, plus 10 is 50
DD2: if you add 20 and 30?
Me: 20 plus 30 will be 50 or same as, 20 plus 20 plus 10
DD2: If you add another 10, it becomes 60
If you add another ten, it becomes 70, that way we keep adding 10, we reach 100, is it?
Me: yes

And I've kept wondering how one should introduce the fact that 10,20,30,40 and so on are all separated by 10, that when you keep adding 10 to 10 and it's sum consecutively, you get multiples for 10, that when you write numbers in 10 by 10 matrix, every two numbers in adjacent rows of the same column are separated by 10. Kids are at their best, learn the best, when on their own. Indeed true!

It's all a journey of learning that starts with a curious child, not a rigid system.

#learningwithoutschool
#4.5
#playingislearning

Respect the child

Respect the child.

No matter how cranky she gets, respect the child.

If she had only 5 spoons of rice for dinner, still, respect the child. She could have chosen not to have even 5 spoons and become more cranky and in turn disturb the mother. Always remember to respect the child.

When one is aware that the child is a physical form of divine soul that has taken life with some goals in mind, one is bound to respect the child.

When there is respect, you are inclined towards hearing your child. Every child wants to be heard. Just because child cannot communicate in the same way adults do, do not underestimate her ability to perceive things, do not yell at the child. Every thing you do to her, every single aspect of your behaviour is well registered in your child's brain and will some time be shown in her personality development.

First, assure her that you are always there to hear her needs. Next, get down to her level of seeing things, her level of talking and her level of understanding. Change the tone of your voice accordingly. Talk slowly, repeat telling the same in various voice modulations until your intent is conveyed to the child. She is sure to understand what you wanted to convey.

Here in this post I list further posts on parenting based on my experience. I inculcate the no-yelling no-spanking blissful and respectful parenting and encourage others to try experimenting in their journey of parenthood. It is sure to bear fruitful results in shaping of your child's personality.

Remember, I am not a professional early childhood expert. But, I love perceiving things in the way my child does and I think this is the reason behind my blissful parenting experience. I become a child when with my child. I talk in various rhythmic tones that catch the attention of my child. I respect her. I hear her out. I satisfy her needs be it water, food, games, play in an organised manner.

She does throw tantrums but I believe there's always a positively pleasant way to deal with everything in life. You can read more on specific topics on parenting in the list below:

(This post will regularly be updated and always pinned to the top of this page)

1. Live the Moment
2. Dealing with a stressed out toddler
3. Best or worst moment- Realise your love
4. A Child's Miracle
5. Just Let Them Be
6. The BIG Bank of Child's Brain
7. Children and their teeny happiness
8. Interacting with a child
9. Play with a child
10. Feeding the child
11. Kids and their power of learning
12. Human values in daily life
13. Family - the way you see it
14. How to handle toddler's tantrums?
15. Shaping of a child's persona
16. Teaching your child how to eat
17. The art of parenting
18. Bonding with your child
19. Being Responsible vs Controlling
20. Are you teaching or controlling your child?
21. Children and mess - Is it really a mess?
22. Follow your child's lead
23. Dealing with sick child - All you need is love
24. Conscious Parenting
25. Parent vs Child - Conflicting needs
26. Parent vs Child - Sleep Time
27. Play and Mess around - What is your role?
28. Time - kids vs adults
29. Another busy day when child needs parent's warmth
30. Toddler behaviour - screech and scream
31. Conveying your message to toddler
32. How does parent's reaction matter?
33. Explaining our intention to a toddler
34. Try to understand your child's intention
35. Toddler: Feelings and Emotions
36. Handling Toddler's Momentary Mood
37. Learning while messing around
38. 2 year old - changing views
39. You should not because...
40. Give them time..
41. Understanding your child's reaction
42. Blissful parenting
43. Explain to your child first
44. Handling hyperactive toddler
45. Providing opportunities or rushing things?
46. Love multiplied
47. Show some love
48. Gentle Parenting Tips
49. Physical needs and emotional well-being
50. How are you doing, as a parent?
51. A Child's Letter
52. What could you teach a child?
53. Teaching your child how to write
54. One thing you could do when your child who is upset, upsets you
55. How do you connect with a child?
56. Let me explore
57. Are you connected to your child?
58. Nurturing Emotions in Child
59. Intuition and Parenting
60. Toddler's tasks
61. Is there any learning?
62. What are instructions for?
63. Hold back, don't push yourself to push your child.
64. Schooling or Unschooling?
65. Overcoming or Living in Fear?
66. Society says, Be tough with your child!
67. What is too-much love?
68. Good, Bad and the Ugly
69. Is improvement self-directed?

Playing is learning

                                (Image Source: dreamstime.com)

Kids love to be busy, kids love to do messy things. kids love playing, kids love learning, kids love experimenting things, kids love imitating, kids love getting dirty.

Remember, exposure and the freedom to experiment are two most important things that a child can be provided. Those who can afford to provide good exposure and are tolerable enough to bear the consequences of freedom given to a child to experiment can be deemed as a valuable asset in the journey of learning of a child.

Why not think of something that combines all that kids love and offer as a play? In our daily life, every activity has a purpose. There will be some reason for doing what we are doing.

In the same way, try creating fun activities for kids that they not only enjoy playing but learn something new in every play.

Remember, it is only that the toddler cannot reciprocate all that she is learning by speaking out but the world's smartest storage device is in that little head of theirs and whatever you speak or teach makes it's way to their brain and stays there. Always keep talking about what the child is doing, what the purpose of any general item lying in the room is and this list of what you can talk to your child goes on. I will write another post on key things to be learnt during our interaction with child sometime soon.

Following is one such list where the child not only enjoys playing but gradually learns how things work in this world. I will keep updating this post with more activities as time goes on.

There will be few activities that the child clings on for reasonably longer time and few that the child gets bored of very easily. Make sure you always keep your child engaged in a joyful manner. Watch out for boredom signals and quickly turn the environment cheerful with quirky talks or funny faces. 

1. Miraculous Magnets
2. Aim it - Throw it
3. Ringa Ringa
4. Coins in Kiddy Bank
5. Bowls and Stands
6. Drop it down the bin
7. Tearing activity
8. The idea of floating
9. Matching the shoe pair
10. Cloth Hanger
11. Making water bubbles
12. Scoop out
13. Writing on a balloon
14. Pass it down the pipe
15. Mess around with paper
16. Matching the shoe pair
17. Hook it up
18. Playing with play dough
19. Touch and Texture Activities
20. Stacking cups
21. Free hand sewing
22. Moving beads
23. Stacking blocks
24. Scoop out - 2 
25. Wall painting
26. Play with wool
27. Play with foam
28. Play with water
29. Play with cotton balls
30. Play with dal seeds
31. Toy-free games to play with 1 yr old
32. Experimenting with dropper
33. Segregating activity
34. Making rainfall
35. Gardening with toddler
36. Stamping with paint
37. Screw - Unscrew
38. In and Out
39. Pushing
40. Move it - Count it
41. Fun observing ants
42. Fun with Shadow
43. Playing with seeds
44. Carrom game with toddler
45. Concept of rolling
46. Dropping seeds in pores
47. Toddler and Physics
48. Toddler and Maths
49. Playing with seeds
50. Train with empty tins
51. Spot On
52. Stacking Spoons
53. Ice Painting
54. Art of Cutting
55. Crawl - Jump - Bend
56. Stick them all
57. Roll the die and clap
58. Depicting rhymes and stories on paper
59. Stamping activity
60. Tracing with paint brush
61. Fun with flour
62. Clipping on Clothes pegs
63. Pricking
64. Colour the shapes
65. Finger painting
66. Numbers - Tracing and Colouring
67. Vegetable Art
68. Filling up water bottle
69. Introducing fractions - Explaining Half
70. Finger Figures
71. Empty foil roll
72. Playing with magnets
73. Dropping Toothpicks
74. Alphabet Stamping
75. Plastic Cover - Mirror Image
76. Explaining Transparence
77. Coloring on Seeds
78. Making Shapes with Rubber Bands
79. Sticking Activity
80. Counting and Reverse Counting
81. Play washing machine
82. Play Elevator
83. Making Shapes - Circle
84. Counting while sticking
85. Making Alphabets and Numbers
86. Revealing figures/stories in parts
87. Race track for cars, balls
88. Pick up the card
89. What's in the bag?
90. Infant Stimulation - Texture cards
91. Paper Stencils - Painting
92. Ice Cubes - Painting
93. Drop it down the cone
94. Paints and Ear Buds
95. X Mas Tree Hand Prints
96. Pouring Water
97. Sponge Painting
98. Sponge and Water
99. Water Balloon
100. Icecream parlour
101. Paint with Talcum Powder
102. Texture Play
103. Sandwich, anyone?
104. Counting and Fractions
105. Understanding Soaking
106. Simple play with stone
107. Containers and Play
108. Play with Ice
109. Paper Mache
110. Hurdle Run
111. Water Paint on Wall
112. Pass it down - 2
113. Hidden Treasures in Ice
114. Peek-a-Boo
115. Basic Arithmetic
116. Pouring
117. Pouring - 2

Why this life?

Me and DD1 often discuss about birth and death, of course, only when DD1 brings it up. As most of the times, it is DD1 who initiates anything.

All the below chunks of conversations happened at various instances, not the same time.

DD1: Why does anyone die?
Me: Once, we are done with what we have done here, we go back to where we came from?
DD1: And, where is it?
Me: May be energy? Or you could find out. That's what I think.

DD1: So, we come here to do some tasks?
Me: Guess so. So, what did you come here for?
DD1: I don't know. You say. You should know.
Me: No!! I do not know!! You know it ( I always want to break this notion 'AMMA knows ALL, listen to her'.
So, you should tell me some day.

This one was randomly asked as she observed me doing something for her grandfather and while we were climbing back upstairs after that.

DD1: Why did you come here to help grandfather?
Me: What???
DD1: Why did you come here to help grandfather?
Me: He needs help, and we help him.
DD1: That's correct. But you are born and you are doing this task. So, WHY? (She chuckled as she understood that she got my mind thinking in the context of her question)
Me: All of us are connected and we grow together, help each other.
DD1: So, we are here to play together and help each other?
Me: May be, partly. And a lot more to go!
DD1: But, why?
Me: We shall know in time :)

Today, there was a brainstorming story reading about Mahabharata. So much that I wanted a break but DD1 refused to pause, she continued to ask me to read the next chapters. Mahabharata followed by the Kurukshetra war. Though a lot remains untouched, guess, her mind is hovering over the battle scenes, haha. I could hear her talk to her sister in the language of pandavas/kauravas.
So, in the middle of me reading out text on Kurukshetra War,

DD1: Why are the pandavas, kauravas present? Why are we here? What for did we come? What for did they come? Why did they have kingdoms? Why do they have kings? Why are they fighting to be the king? Why should they kill to become king? Many more whys followed by the finale Why is each one born, in the first place?
Me: Exactly, Arjuna, when he had to head for the war, had exactly these same questions that you have and he asked Krishna. Krishna replied in the text of Bhagavad Gita. That is another text(story) to read.
DD1: Why did I come here?
Me: To accomplish some tasks?
DD1: What are the tasks?
Me: You will know?

Edit - Nov 19, 2018
DD1: Why are we born?
Me: To accomplish some tasks?
DD1: But, Why are 'we' born? (with extra stress on 'we'). Why am I born? (extra stress on 'I')
Me: To do some things? And to help people around?
DD1: But, why are 'we' born?
Me: Because 'we' had to something?
DD1: But, there could have been someone else born to help someone else, right ? Why should only I be born? Why am I born?
Me: To do certain things? To help certain people 'you' thought of? 'You' should tell me!!
DD1: I have been telling you I will go to D aunty's house to help her for decorating the house, and you didn't drop me, you have been saying, you have work, have dinner, then we all can go together. I wanted to 'help' her.
Me: Hmm.. They called us at a later time! Okay !

As we stepped out of a birthday party,
DD1: Why do we get birthdays?
Me: Days keep passing by and after many days, a year completes, then the day when you were born comes again in the next year, then we say it is your birthday.
DD1: But, why do we get birthdays? Is it to become giant?
Me: Not exactly giant. But, yes, we keep growing big.
DD1: Yes, we keep growing little bigger. And then, we become old.
Me: Yes
DD1: And then, one day, we are no more here.
Me: Yes
DD1: Oh!!

Another day while walking down the lane,
DD1: Amma, why were you born first and me as your daughter?
It could even happen that, I would be born first and I will be your mother, right?
Why didn't it happen that way?
Why did you only become my mother?

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Her question of WHY remains. I am sure, she realizes the answers to her WHYs soon, the answers of those that cannot be penned down can only be experienced.

Don't you think these questions are more important to the progress of one's life than the questions that demand answers from a textbook?