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Life Wrecking Moment
By: Shiksha Surana
Tags: Cancer, Short Story, Health, Life, Parents

P.S- This is a small narrative that I wrote in second person for a content writing course. It is about a man who lost his wife and has to be strong for his 2 boys.

Your wife has been suffering through stage III brain cancer for the past six months. The suffering is almost at an end. She is laid on the bed in your bedroom. Your wife looks very small and frail, her skin pale and beyond recognition. Her hair had grown in patches after the chemotherapy treatments. She looked nothing like a 35-year-old woman. Her hair was grey and her skin wrinkled. There were tubes attached to her mouth and a needle from her bony hand was connected to a pulse detector. The breathing had slowed down and she was in a coma. A doctor was in your room with you.

“She will pass away in her sleep. Say your goodbyes.”

You just nodded, without moving your glance away from your wife. The doctor left soon, and you get up to call your two sons to spend the last few minutes with their mother. You enter the room with them, their eyes are all watery with the tears. Your sons, aged 8 and 10, sit up on the bed and hold your wife’s hand in their palms. You look at them, they are so young, so very young and so like their mother in appearance. You sit with your sons for a half-hour when her pulse dies away.

You want to cry out in pain but you control your instincts. You have to be strong for your kids. You pick them up from the bed and take them to their room. You help them sit on the bed and dry their eyes. Their tears flow freely now. For one second, you wish you could deal with your pain but you dispel the thought away. They come first, they just lost their mother and they have nobody but you. You hug them hard and your eyes are flooded too, but you don’t let one tear fall down your cheeks. You touch their curly hair, so similar in texture to your wife before she had to undergo chemotherapy sessions.

“Guys, we will be okay. It’s going to be tough, very tough. But, we can do it.”, you say, trying to convince them and yourself. Your sons believe in you and seeing that trust shining in their eyes, you realize that you are promising them things that you yourself had no idea how to achieve it.

You get up from the bed and leave them crying in the room. You call up the doctor and tell him that your wife has passed away.

“I will be there in half-hour. I am sorry for your loss.” That’s the first time you hear this and your loss registers and sinks in your head. You feel a heavy burden in your heart. But, you have no time. You need to call your relatives and family members. You need to arrange a funeral service for your wife.

You lean heavily on your bedroom door. You take a long look at your wife and promise her departed soul that you will take good care of their sons. Your tears flow from one eye but you steel yourself and move to the kitchen to call your parents.
The struggles of having strict parents
By: Just Mikki
Tags: Struggles In Life, Lifestyle, Teens, Life, Parents

Pathetic a word that I believe in because of their ridiculous parenting.

It’s tiring to even think about my scenario, but that’s the sad truth of having strict parents. Living under their roof is hard and tough because you get constant pressure to do your best in school works not only that but you are not allowed to do things that they don’t want.

It’s sad to even think that living under their roof means no freedom at all. I feel so helpless and pressured to be with them, isolated with my emotions because of their selfish way of not considering my side of defense on what I want to do in life.

I can possibly say that they are controlling, on how they act towards me is sick and tiring, to be honest. You must do what they want and they must be followed every time and if you disobeyed them a bunch load of punishments will come to your way. All my life I have been living in a prison considering my parents are strict and let me add the school that I attend to is also strict so I rebel against their hysterical rules to escape the sense of them controlling me.

“Control .”

a word that I hate.

We live in the 21st century where people have the rights, all genders, all ages and the universality of everyone, of every living thing we have rights to do what we desire and what we want to achieve. And I believe in that. I believe that I have my rights but considering my state I lose hope but I continue to strive and fight for my freedom even tho it is hard and impossible. But I know too well that giving up is not the answer.

Social media, school and my parent's way of showing their love really have affected my mental state. Anxiety kicks in whenever and wherever.

I’m just a girl who seeks freedom and happiness.

I sometimes think that maybe this is only a phase in my life and that gives me hope that someday I’m free from them. That one day I’ll live my life as I please.

And I can’t wait for that day.
4 Things Parents Hate about Giving Cash to Kids
Tags: Parenting, Personal Finance, Children, Childhood, Parents

4 Things Parents Hate about Giving Cash to Kids Akudo Jun 2·3 min read

As a child grows and enters into his/her teen years, they expect to be given some cash for their daily expenditure. This expenditure increases with time, from spending at the gaming zone to buying their favourite dress. Every parent must understand that giving money to kids is not wrong. However, it comes with its cons. Money, hard cash, is a threat in a lot of ways. Not just kids, but we, as adults too, face issues with cash at money.

Here are four things parents hate about giving cash to kids –

Losing the money: Kids are always on their feet and playful. They are generally busy playing with their friends or swinging on their favourite swing. A mere 13 or 14-year-old is most likely to lose the cash given by his/her parents. It can either be while paying or just forgetting it on a table. And money is hard-earned, so when it is lost, it sure does hurt. It ends up making both your child and you upset, which is why digital money is a more reliable method for payments. Theft and Conflict: If someone knows that your child is carrying cash, little or a lot, it can invite theft. People can go on and about stealing your child’s money. This makes the child distressed and makes their trust in the people around them tremble. Anybody can fall prey to pickpockets. It can be troublesome if your child is carrying money and a pickpocket is around. It also puts the child in danger as pickpockets generally use sharp objects to get hold of other people’s wallets. They can end up hurting your child, too. Hence, teaching children how to use digital money works makes it easier for both the parents and the children to be away from such dangers. The Value of Money: When children are given authority over money, they do not think much while spending. They often end up splurging on things they do not need, which results in money wastage. Parents often get irritated by children hoarding unnecessary items at home just because they are given cash to spend. Showing off: As kids grow, they want to look cool in front of their friends. When the parents hand over cash to their children, they often show it off to their friends to act cool. This not only invites the danger of theft to your child but can also negatively affect children who do not come from equally financially stable families.

The points mentioned above are the significant reasons why parents hate giving cash to their children. To avoid the dangers of money, parents need to move their children towards digital, and plastic makes it easier to handle and helps keep a better track of the payments. Of course, making kids financially responsible from a young age is essential, but ensuring that they are not obsessed with having cash around all the time!
Grizzly
Tags: Alcoholism, Fathers, Alcohol Addiction, Hurt, Parents

When I was younger I used to find the soft snores rumbling from deep within his chest endearing. He was like a giant Grizzly bear in hibernation, big belly and all. Now those snores serve as a reminder of broken promises.

“I promise I’ll stop drinking,” he said after his first DUI.

“I promise this is the last time,” he said after slipping on a patch of ice and getting a concussion while 2x over the legal drinking limit, according to the ER doctor.

“I promise I’ll do better,” he said after my mother’s birthday. After having spent the entire night binge drinking, when he finally showed up, we had to put a blanket under him to drag him into our living room floor so that our tenants wouldn’t see him passed out drunk in the hallway during their dinner party.

I don’t remember what was heavier, the shame or the weight of his unconscious body as my mother and I struggled to drag him in. The blanket was my mother’s idea. She had seen it on one of the medical shows she watches to escape the disappointing truth she refuses to face. You see, my mother is one of those people who likes to pretend there’s nothing wrong. She could be standing in a room, flames all around her, yet she won't admit there’s a fire.

There have been so many broken promises, so many tears, so much shame over the years. Witnessing his drunken antics in public as onlookers cast their judging stares upon him. He never sees those stares nor does he hear the whispers as they pass. He just lays there, in inebriated bliss. I feel his shame. I feel the anger and despair bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

There’s a rattling in his chest now. Every time he snores, I hear a rattling, like a loose nail in a steam radiator, dancing in the pipes as the steam rises to the surface. I even hear it when he’s not around. It haunts me. I wonder if it has been there all along.

The realization that he’s never going to change and I’ll always forgive him because he is my father jolts me awake some nights. My mother has never left him, I suspect she never will. They just carry on in this endless cycle of disappointment and worry. When the clock strikes twelve and he’s not home, Sometimes I wonder if he’s passed out somewhere, whiskey in hand. Sometimes, I’m ashamed to say, I wish he won't come back, at least not like that.

He could’ve been somebody you know. He had a successful business, money to invest, and people who believed in him. Yet, it all went down the drain along with countless empty bottles of whiskey. It’s not too late for me though. I’m plotting my escape. One day I’ll be free. I’ll be free from this Grizzly’s vicious grasp.
Ball Pool 2
By: Amit Mehta
Tags: Parents

Date: 21-Dec-2018

Amar wished the moment could last forever at the Ball Pool day watching his daughter Amayra. For him, she’s his lifeline, the heartbeat, the Universe and whatever is there, if there is anything, beyond the Universe. Her smile, her laughter is all he lives for.

Amar instantly remembered his parents. They are living in different city — Mumbai. Amar was born and brought up in Mumbai but shifted to Pune for a job. “I will return after couple of years and settle in Mumbai”, he had decided while taking up the job.

It has been 13 years now, and he is “still” in Pune.

While living in Pune was not at all bad for him, staying away from his family always hurts him.

Amar had already created his Ball Pool, his Inner World and his parents could only get a sneak peek during the evening calls or during the time they visit Pune and stay with him.

For his parents “Forever-is-a-lie” has already happened.

Work hard, party harder,but make sure you do not fail to express your love towards your dear ones. Try to spend more and more amount of time with them.

Someone is waiting for you, someone is recalling your stories and past memories for the umpteenth time but they won’t tell you lest you will feel bad about it.

Reach out to them, make a call, give a surprise visit. Now. Because life is not tomorrow, life is Today, life is this very moment.

Nothing can bring more pleasure & satisfaction than seeing a smiling face of your loved ones, because of you.

Love You All.

Promise to come back with different topic next time.
This is half the reason I am the good part of me.
By: Amanda Kasper
Tags: Survivor, Abuse, Parents, Life, Hygiene

This is half the reason I am the good part of me.

I remember going to school stinking so bad, people would make fun of me. Even Tony(my buddy) would say something sometimes not to be mean, but thinking my hygenie was a choice.

I never wanted anyone to know the truth. I was weak, I was already fat and depressed 98% of the time.

The truth was, I wasn’t allowed to bathe. The shower upstairs was turned off due to my siblings being so young they would make a mess, of coarse it was always my fault.

The only shower, to use was in the Master bedroom, which had my Mother guarding it like it was the last gallon of water we would have for the rest of our lives, screaming and yelling, getting violent because the Xanex had kicked in.

All because I asked to take a shower.

The only time I was allowed to shower was when the kids were asleep and my parents had went out to drink, and they forgot to lock the doors.

I now live in this house, no water running upstairs still. Locks are still on the doors just to remind me when I didn’t have a choice.

My parents are both gone now.

The key is still missing
Ball Pool
By: Amit Mehta
Tags: Father Daughter, Parents

Date: 18-Dec-2018

Story Date — 16-Dec-2018



Place — Ball Pool @ Westend Mall, Aundh



City — Pune

A day before yesterday, Amar & Ria went to Westend Mall, Aundh so that their lovable, cute, little girl Amayra, 3 years, could spend great time at the ball pool there.

Amayra was crazy for ball pool and she wanted to go there since the morning. It was Sunday and she knows very well that on weekends we have to go out and have fun.

It was hard time for her papa to assure her that they will be going to ball pool only in the evening and spend amazing time there. Usually she sleeps for 3 hours in afternoons but that day she woke up after two hours because she was super excited to visit the ball pool.

Amar drove his family to the mall in the evening cutting through usual traffic. The ball pool is located at top floor of the mall.

Amayra was super happy to say the least. She went inside the ball pool after removing her shoes. Smiles on her face could not be compared. “Aw my girl” said Ria making a cute face. Amar loved her and Amayra the most in the world. Of course like any father/husband, for Amar, his daughter was always a priority, before his wife.

Amayra started playing, Amar and Ria took her pics and videos. After a while Amayra was completely immersed in the fun she was getting inside the pool. Barely she was looking at her parents now. Amar tried calling her couple of times but she was quite busy with her slides and jumps and falls and swimmings in the ball pool. Yes she was enjoying the inner world called ball pool completely. Amar and Ria were very happy to see her.

But then it struck to Amar. He realised something.

The ball pool has become a small world for Amayra. Something like this would happen a few years down the line. When Amayra will go for higher studies or when she will get married, she will have her own set of people. Her own set of stories, and buddies with whom she would share those stories. She would have her own life, her own space, her own zone which Amar and Ria could just see from outside and feel happy about it, but may not be “part” of it. Amayra may come out of the zone for a while and visit her parents or be with them for a while, but eventually she will go back to her zone, her own inner world and find her happiness there, find her space there, find her life there.

This is life, maybe. “Forever is a lie”, a line from a novel with the same title struck to Amar and he wished the life freezes at this very moment.

A playful day for Amayra and thoughtful day for her parents.

To be continued…
Empowering the Special need children with the power of empathy?
By: Hamza Ali Liaquat
Tags: Special Needs, Special Education, Empathy, Parents, Empowering

But what does it really mean?

Empathy as we all know is the ability to see things from the others point of view and respecting it. And often this famous line is quoted , “Put yourself under the shoes of others”. In order to build peace and harmony in society this rare skill is needed to be practiced by the majority.

But what does it really mean to practice empathy with special needs children? and why developing the right understanding of this amazing tool is essential in order to develop special needs children?. Like any other human we all feel comfortable and influenced by those who genuinely understand and respect us which is relevant for those children.

In life sometimes we try to help others and end up hurting themselves. This often happens due to lack of understanding the others’ needs and what’s best for them.Same metaphor applies to empowering these great childrens.

What often parents , children and counselors does is they implant inferiority complexes among those children rather than empowering them under the name of empathy.

The goal/ motive/objective of practicing empathy with them is to empower them and to teach them to learn with those difficulties Not considering themselves inferior to others fellow humans and building that attitude which enable them to live life to the fullest rather than living under the victim mentality that they cannot do anything in life which at the end turns in to rage and self hatred.
Psychology of Adopted Children. Each child is different when it comes…
By: Srinidhi S
Tags: Psychology, Adoption, Children, Relationships, Parents

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Each child is different when it comes to dealing with being adopted. Some can accept it a lot sooner and move on but some might take little longer as well. As parents, it depends on how openly you convey the message to them.

It is grief or loss that the child would go through despite less or no awareness. They feel rejected and abandoned by their birth parents. The immediate thought is “there must have been something wrong with me that they gave me up”. It takes age, maturity and emotional support to understand that they can be other reasons for giving for adoption. Also, they always have this question of “Who am I”. They grow up trying to build their self-identity. They need to feel loved and constant reassurance from their adopted parents in any form until they understand and develop trust.

The child’s psychological behaviour depends on when they get to know about their adoption. In their young age or teens, they wouldn’t be able to process this. Too many questions arouse in their mind for which they might or might not get answers for. Some kids wouldn’t ask their adopted parents as they feel they might hurt their feelings. So it would be helpful if the parents are more approachable about their adoption. Even if they do search for their birth parents or try to get information, their loyalty always stays with their adopted parents.

The child is curious to understand their history, hereditary or medical background that they come from. It is hard for them to handle questions like “Which parent do they resemble”. Mentally they struggle to answer on this unless they have been taught to be open about their adoption.

Let the child know about their adoption at the earliest possible and also support them emotionally. It helps them to know that you are available or open to discussing this with them at any period. They need to be able to talk about their adoption to someone and it is better if it is you (the parents).

It is important to make them understand that it is nothing to fear. As today, adoption is pretty common and it is not assumed to be unnatural or different. There is a positive way in the way society deals with it. As parents, you need to make sure you build your child’s confidence in terms of adoption.
kin ch. 2
By: Over
Tags: Family, Poetry, Parents

kin ch. 2

more to say

did your kin ever threaten your expression before it dare leak?

forbid overland excursions not traditionally traversed?

tell you to calm down?

to swell in the rain, but never sob in the sun?

and remind you to not make it too easy on yours?

//

I think we’re regimenting mass graves

dirt in the throats of children not harkened to

four triangles on every chest

crossed arms that only opened to girls

caskets fashioned from doors of intimacy closed to boys

\\

I think ghosts of corporal punishment are re-enslaving our spirit

training us to expect abuse

inscribing in us that its love’s strongest ally

summoning monsters for comparison

and slandering that it isn’t that bad

//

can we stop proving what hells we can survive?

can we kill the illusion of isolation?

smother the whispers of doubt?

trumpet worthiness and opulence?

and chill out with the war stories?

\\

I want us to share love

and not scars

share hands

and not chains

let’s do that — we might just like it
Positive Parenting: Parent Child Relationship
By: Dada Bhagwan
Tags: Self Improvement, Parenting, Life Lessons, Parenting Advice, Parents

When it comes to family life, everyone strives to figure out how the relationship between parents and children can become ideal. Positive parenting techniques work well for raising children with discipline and good moral values, and are every parents’ dream. However, it is not an easy feat. And it is important to know that the parent child relationship is a two-way street, in other words, it is actually a partnership between a parent and their child.

A garden with different flowers becomes beautiful when it blossoms. Similarly, if parents learn how to be a ‘gardener’ and are able to recognize their child’s personality and nourish it, then their ‘garden’ will become fragrant! This is what positive parenting is all about!

When parents develop effective parenting skills, they are able to take the initiative in filling the generation gap. When parents start to understand the balance of where to place boundaries, where to encourage, and where to discourage, then their children will not get spoiled. In this way they become good parents. When people do not know how to be a good parent, distance between the two develops.

“Every young adult has the potential power to help the entire world. He just needs the right guidance and support,” says Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan.

With proper understanding, youth can also strengthen their relationship with their parents.

With an aim to offer an in-depth, complete understanding of today’s youth, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan has revealed how to raise a child and teenager with pure love and equanimity, so that they blossom in all fields of life. He has given positive parenting solutions for instilling moral values, good manners, and discipline, which work even during adolescence.
Mistakes Parents of Quarterlifers Make
By: Quarterlife Center
Tags: Quarterlife Counseling, Children, Quarterlife Crisis, Parents

If you’re a parent of a quarterlifer, you may be looking at your son or daughter in distress. These 20- or 30-something Millennials and Gen Z-ers are at a pivotal point in their lives, and along with everything else going on, the last couple of years haven’t been easy on them. Yet, as much as you want to help, sometimes your actions may be making the situation worse (doesn’t every parent love to hear that!). In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 3 mistakes that parents of quarterlifers make and how you can redirect your energy and actions to actually improve their situation.

1. You offer too much help

We all know these types of parents — and you might be one of them. Those that are overbearing and micromanaging. Of course, they mean well and want to help their child. It’s difficult to see your child struggling, and as a parent, you want to do anything you can to help them.

However, now that your children are emerging adults, they’re developing independence and autonomy. This is the time to let them take the reins and help them find the resources to do things on their own. Let your kids fall down, skin their knees, and figure it out themselves. It may not be easy for them (or you!), but it’ll be better for everyone in the long run.

2. You don’t let them help themselves

No one wants to be an enabler, but this is often what parents of quarterlifers are. They do things for their children that they should really be doing for themselves. If your quarterlife child is living with you or you’re financially supporting them, make sure you set boundaries and talk about expectations. You can be helpful to your child and support them without doing everything.

For example, if they are living with you, discuss how they should help around the house and demonstrate responsibility for taking care of the home. What chores should be completed on a weekly basis? How will they work towards their goals while living with you? The best way to support them is by ensuring they are continuing to grow themselves!

3. You wait too long to open up communication

If you see your quarterlifer is struggling, then you may think it’s best to leave them be. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake that parents make. They take too long to open up communication and offer their support. Having a quarterlife crisis is very real, and it is often accompanied by depression and anxiety that must be treated with therapy, medication, or both. Reach out to them and let them know that you’re here, concerned, and ready to support them in a way that works for both of you.

Final thoughts

Do you have a quarterlife child that you’re trying to help? Early adulthood is a common time that low levels of anxiety and depression can become more acute. Your child isn’t alone!

Visit the Quarterlife Center for more resources. Contact us here.
If I’d be 20 again….
By: Abhishek Thakore
Tags: Travel, Classics, Youth, Chill, Parents

I’m a happy 31 year old — my work delights me, consumes me, lets me afford the basics and lets me travel the world, more importantly it contributes directly to improving it. The last decade of choices eventually worked out — could always have been worse and in rare cases it could have been better

But I feel nervous imagining myself to be 20 again — my CAT attempt seems way tougher now (though I had the grades), the job scene seems more damp and competition seems to be fiercer. Each generation has its challenges, but then each generation is also entitled to nostalgia. So if I’d be 21 again

- I’d surely travel the world : no matter how expensive it is, I’d figure a way to travel and expose myself to the breadth and depth of human race

- I’d connect to people very actively : would reach out to my friend’s fathers, father’s friends, relatives, write and meet interesting people

- I’d self study : there is so much online that with some self motivation, a lot can be mastered

- Or, if I’d study abroad : I’d find someone to pay for it! :) Else I’d fall back on internships or volunteering

- I’d serve : Social work opens a side of us that we haven’t experienced — so I’d serve, yes

- I’d read the classics, listen to the best music around, learn music and theatre….where the hell did so much free time go?? :)

- I’d dream big : surely….really big — global. And I’d use a global benchmark for my field to inspire myself

- I’d read non-fiction selectively : No pop self-help, just sensible or deep stuff + lots of TED talks + a broad range of articles with opposing views

- I’d have more meaningful conversations : debates around ideas and dreams on how to dent the Universe

- I’d be more resourceful : in starting my venture or in finding a job — I’d be creative and whacky, not confirming or trying to look ‘good’. I’d take lots of risks

- I’d go more easy on myself : If there are any 20 year olds who have figured their life out fully, chances are they’ve not fully explored the possibilities that lie before them. Or they are terribly fortunate :)

- I’d negotiate hard with parents : while they and I want the same thing (my happiness and success) the HOW is often different. There is value to pushing back, particularly on the ‘big decisions’ of life

- I’d not take my time for granted : Its great to have survived to the 30s but its always worthwhile to directly go for what you really wanna do — why wait?

So wishing all my lovely 20 year old friends a happy 20s :)
Family Dinner
By: Margaret Lydia Von Seggern
Tags: Dinner, Sleep, Soupstory, Baking, Parents

Family Dinner

It is about zero dark thirty and I am sleep unrealized, while the crow is in rem sleep.



Not one to just stay prone, staring out the window waiting for the first rising signs of a new day, I am up. I turned on some old country music on the kitchen radio, sang Crazy alongside Patsy Cline, swapped out the laundry, made baking powder biscuits to accompany the chicken soup I will bring to my parents later today, make some fresh decaf coffee and did all the dishes.



My mom still has dinner on the table every night at 5:30pm at my parents and she will love not having to cook dinner tonight.



The weeks that my father worked the 3–11pm shift at the mill, my mother cooked our regular dinner but before we sat down to eat all four of us jumped in the Chevette no matter the weather and drove to the mill.



My dad walked up the hill from the paper machines through the time office and out to the car. My mom rolled down her window and handed my father a huge basket with his just out of the oven dinner. They kissed and exchanged I love you’s. Dad looked in the backseat at his three lanky kids and said “I love you guys, be good for mom”.



Of course we said we would and we watched my father, basket in hand, dirty white t-shirt and tan work pants disappear back through the time office down the hill into a world we could not see but only hear.



It’s funny now that I think about it, in all the years we took dad dinner at work I never saw any other cars in front of us or behind us bringing their dads a warm dinner basket full of love. It was our way of being together when we couldn’t be together.



My father calls those times “the lean years” but we were love wealthy. Just some 3am memories while making my parents their dinner.

Written by Margaret Von Seggern

photo.Margaret Von Seggern.2021
Parenting: How to Get Kids to Go Outside
Tags: Parenting, Dads, Parenting Advice, Kids, Parents

Entertaining toddlers, getting a break as a parent, and just getting outdoors and breathing in some oxygen are all important for parents. We’ve had a lot of run-ins with a toddler who only wants to play indoors, watch TV, and have a few tips on how to engage your kids to go outside.

Parenting TLDR

· Trick them into it — no seriously it’s for your/their good

· Go check the mail and then stay outside

· See if neighborhood friends are outside

· Go on a walk and give a treat for coming along

Trick Them Into It

We don’t enjoy lying as parents, especially if it doesn’t end up paying off 😉. But sometimes we need a distraction to break our toddler out of the moment they are in and introduce them to a new environment. We will look for reasons to go outside and then conveniently when the kid becomes interested in outdoor toys/activities you stay outside.

Check the Mail

Checking the mail seems innocent and quick, but you must go outside to do it. My son loves checking the mail or seeing the “mail-mail” as he calls the mail truck. So you say let’s go check the mail and then they have a chance to get distracted in a new environment.

Find Your Friends Outside

Use friends or even the possibility of friends as bait. We are lucky to live on a street where we can pop out and see some neighbor kids are playing and join in the fun. In dire times suggest looking to see if friends are outside and even if they are not, you can change the plan to digging in the dirt, playing with toys, or other outdoor activities.

Kids and parents alike can get a bit stir-crazy if they don’t mix up their environment and going outside can be a great chance for new scenery.

Go Outside — Get a Treat

I’m not ashamed to admit as a parent I need the outside time more than my kid a lot of the time. If I have a moment where I realize I’m disconnected or getting annoyed or feeling down in any way, I try to stir things up by getting us all outside. Sometimes kids don’t want to go play outside and I am also not ashamed to break out a snack as a treat for going on a walk. We need to switch things up for our sanity sometimes and so an apple sauce pouch is a small price to pay to get my toddler outside.

You spend too much time inside or in the same space, you are bound to fall into this trap. Getting outside gets you new options, some breathing room (literally), and a chance to reshuffle the attitudes for everyone.

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Your Mother!
By: Nadir Ahmad
Tags: Mother, Paradise, Parents

Your mothers are truly a gift from above!

There’s nothing really like a mother’s love.

She will share with her child whatever she has to eat.

The Prophet said, “Paradise lies at her feet”

She teaches her children how to ponder and think.

And from her bosom they’re allowed to drink,

Milk that strengthens their teeth and bones,

Hardening both of them just like stones.

Mothers are the foundation on which we stand.

And without them around, it’s like being in quicksand.

Think of this mother who gave up an eye,

To a son that hated to see her stop by.

Her quest in life was to give him sight.

So that he’d have the ability to see things right,

Though he laughed and made such mockery of her,

Still she loved him and no fuss did she stir.

Your Mother! Your Mother! The Prophet said, “Your Mother!”

Because before her there is no other!

Look how she tends to you in the wee hours of night.

When others around say, “get out of my sight!”

She wipes your nose and change your diapers too,

When no one else wants to even be near you.

She carried you in her stomach for about 270 days.

And when the time was right, out you came without delays,

Yelling and screaming to the top of your little voice.

But mother pushed you out into a world that’s not her choice.

Look at how she cuddles you and kiss you on your head.

Letting you lie upon her chest as if she were a bed.

You loved her then, yes you did, cause depending on her you must.

But as the time began to pass, on her you lost your trust.

Your friends and peers gained all of your attention.

Your Mother, Your Mother, you would never mention.

Until the time when she was no longer around.

You couldn’t talk back or even frown.

Your Mother, Your Mother, three times the Prophet said.

I say please remember her, before she is dead.

See how she’s doing each and everyday.

And ask God to bless her every time you pray.

Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, then Dad

If you disrespect your mother, your life will end up bad!

Your Mother, Your Mother, she is certainly like no other!

By

Nadir S. Ahmad
The Art Industry Isn’t For Kobolos,Change Your Mentality — Kyrmi Tells Ghanaian Parents.
Tags: Entertainment, Music, Krymi, News, Parents

The Art Industry Isn’t For Kobolos,Change Your Mentality — Kyrmi Tells Ghanaian Parents. 24Newsgh Jan 24·1 min read

Musician, Kyrmi

Henry Nuamah, the highly spiritual music signee known in the industry as Krymi has advised people especially parents to allow their wards do music if they want to.

He said there is a general mentality out there that musicians are “kobolos” adding that people think that one can not earn from the art industry.

The ‘Dede’ hitmaker said the art industry has a lot to offer and it takes a lot of talent, skills, brains and hard work to come out with a song or a craft.

“It takes brains to sit down write, arrange music with rhymes, rhythms, flow, style, and creativity to bring out songs.”

In an interview with Laud Marvin on Jams Show, Krymi said due to this mentality, a lot of people prefer white-collar jobs but he insisted that the music industry brings out quality products which can earn one a lot.

“We need to change our mentality towards the art industry. A lot of people think the art industry is for kobolos or it’s not lucrative so that why they prefer white-collar jobs but trust me, every art person is an entrepreneur because they bring out unique products,” he said.

Source: www.24newsgh.com
My Mother’s Hands
By: Dijon Rolle
Tags: Motherhood, Black Women, Nails, Childhood, Parents

Shiny clear gloss or light pink, buffed and short. That’s how my mother always wore her nails. As evidenced by random bottles of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails polish scattered throughout our house. Clear polish was much too boring for my 7-year-old tastes … therefore my mother never had to worry about any of her bottles going missing.

My mother’s hands were always neat and well- manicured but never fancy or flashy. She would rub in thick globs of Nivea cream or petroleum jelly to soften her coffee-colored hands. I never ever saw my mother go to a real nail salon. She wasn’t the pampering type plus she was always busy working two and three jobs to keep the lights on and food in the fridge.

We didn’t do mother daughter spa days and such, instead we bonded while looking out of the bathroom window together. People watching and talking about life. I had endless plans for my grown-up self and questions about how to make it all happen. She would listen and nod approvingly as mothers do.

Sometimes my mother would watch me ride my bike around the yard and fuss at me for getting too close to her bushes. Other times we’d sit in our living room watching episodes of 60 Minutes or Sesame Street together.

My mother’s hands washed and braided my hair on Saturday mornings. I despised the days she broke out the hot comb. While I begged for fancy updos, the only styles she seemed to know were pigtails with candy-colored barrettes and cornrows.

My mother’s hands rocked me to sleep as I fought desperately to stay awake past my bed time. She cradled my kid body and rubbed my back until I drifted off into a deep dreamland.

Her hands rubbed my head when the world seemed overwhelming, unfamiliar and unkind. Now as a grown woman, I still long to lay in my mother’s lap and feel her hands sooth away the weariness and worry in my spirit. The cares that often accompany adulthood. Regrettably, it was a place I failed to appreciate once I became a teenager. I was 15 and enamored with boys, basketball games and hanging out with my friends.

The last time I held my mother’s hands she lay dying in a hospital bed. Her nails were still manicured, but her hands were ice cold. I squeezed and rubbed them between my own. The doctors told us there was little else that could be done, and so we gathered in her hospital room to say our goodbyes. This time I rubbed her head and reassured her that all would be well. I promised to be good, keep the house clean and to go to college. She was free to go with God now. I held my mother’s hands tightly as she slipped away into eternity.
Why Is Social Media Important to Teenagers?
By: Sven Krüger
Tags: Teens And Social Media, Teens, Teenagers, Social Media, Parents

However, it’s not fair to think that social media is all about filling the empty self for young teens. If we as a parent enlighten our child on the benefits and dangers of social media, we can make sure that he/she does not fall prey to addiction or depression. We can nurture the positive aspects some of which are as below:

✅ Developing strong social skills

✅ Strengthening friendships

✅ Making huge impacts on non-profit campaigns such as preserving the rainforest

✅ Gathering the attention of colleges and future employers

and inform them about the following adverse effects:

✖️ Cyberbullying

✖️ Invasion of privacy

✖️ Misinformation propagation

✖️ Fake accounts

✖️ Unrealistic or harmful sexual behaviors

✖️ Lowering self-esteem (social media is replete with photos of perfect lives, flawless bodies, etc. which leads to having lower self-worth)

as well as below ones which emerge owing to extreme social media use:

✖️ Disrupting sleep patterns

✖️ Gaining weight

✖️ Poor concentration

✖️ Declined cognitive functioning

Below are some social networking tips for parents to help them better treat their children:

🔷 Expand your knowledge about social media

🔷 Engage in more friendly conversations with your kid

🔷 Keep the computer in a common location of your home if he/she is under 13 years old
“Dad, can you get…?”
By: Jonathan Sircy
Tags: Pandemic, Christianity, Children, Parents

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9–11

Photo by Ekaterina Shevchenko on Unsplash

Typically, we eat dinner right after an episode of Wild Kratts begins. The first few times this happened, our daughter reacted to our meal time as though she had been shot through the heart.

My response was to subscribe to Amazon Prime’s PBS KIDS database, a resource that pretty much grants me access any PBS KIDS show out there. Now when it’s dinner time, I know that I can get the episode our daughter’s about to miss.

This has led to a pretty standard refrain: “Dad, can you get…?”

Fill in the blank with “Odd Squad” or “The Cat in the Hat Knows All About That” or “Peg + Cat” or “Daniel Tiger” or, of course, “Wild Kratts.”

It’s always a treat when I pick our daughter up from daycare with a previously requested episode on my IPAD.

She seems me. We got through our “How was your day?” ritual.

Then I say it: “Guess what I’ve got.”

Today it was the Cat in the Hat space movie.

A week ago it was episodes of the Nickelodeon show Team Umizoomi.

It gives me delight to answer her request.

I thought today about how much more it must please God to do good things for His children and what inexpressibly good gifts He can and does grant us.

I want to be the kind of father who gives my daughter good gifts, and so I aspire to do more for my daughter than offer PBS cartoons (and to teach her there are much better gifts in the world than Team Umizoomi!).

I also want to be the kind of child who believes his Heavenly Father gives good gifts, and I aspire to be the kind of child who trusts his Father implicitly.

My prayers will not be start with “Dad, can I get…” though. They start “Dad, would you…”

“Would you let my wife and I better know your love in this difficult season?”

“Would you let us be your hands and feet to those in need in our community?”

“Would you save our daughter?”

These are requests worth making. We have a Father who can answer them.
THE QUEENSLAND INVENTION CHANGING THE LIVES OF PARENTS IN WHEELCHAIRS
Tags: Medical Devices, Disability, Parents

A Queensland start-up has invented a world first that has the ability to change the lives of mums and dads using wheelchairs.

1 in 6 children in Australia lives with a parent with a disability and, until now, many people in wheelchairs have had no easy way to feed, change or even interact face-to-face with their babies.

PWA Mobility has changed that, releasing the first prototype of a device called The Care Station.

Lochlan Kennedy uses The Care Station

PWA Mobility spokesperson Adrian Burke said after working closely with leading disability support agency Spinal Life Australia on the development of The Care Station capsule, the organisation is keen to become a longer-term partner of PWA Mobility.

“The baby can be placed in The Care Station so the parents can more easily change nappies, interact and connect with their babies, which all help to strengthen the bond between parent and child,” Mr Burke said.

Katie Hammond became a paraplegic after an injury almost 20 years ago and during this time has raised three children. She said she personally experienced the need for a product which facilitated spending quality time with her daughters.

“When I started feeding with a bottle, I’d hold a bottle in one hand and baby in the other which meant I didn’t have a free hand to push around my wheelchair or reach out and grab other items to assist me,” Ms Hammond said.

“The capsule means that you’re still able to be an active part of your child’s life while maintaining safety for the child and independence for the parent.”

PWA Mobility conducted extensive consultation with parents with a disability throughout The Care Station’s development and testing. Spinal Life Australia Executive Manager Ross Duncan said the approach taken by PWA showed the organisation cared about creating a product that makes a difference.

“We have not seen another product on the market that supports the connection between parent and young children like this. The Care Station will be wonderful for families from mums and dads and their infants, to grandparents and their grandchildren,” Mr Duncan said.

“The capsule aligns itself very closely with our pursuit of helping people with disability live independent, empowered and accessible lives. The wider market for the product also includes aged care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes.”

A Kickstarter campaign is currently underway to raise funds for the manufacture of The Care Station. A media kit, including fact sheet, images and video available here.
SLEEP REGRESSION IN BABIES: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
By: Bidisha Das
Tags: Parents, Sleep, Toddlers, Baby

What is sleep regression?

“ sleep regression in babies” — it’s a period of time, it’s usually about two to four weeks, when a baby who’s sleeping well suddenly has trouble settling down for sleep or wakes up fussing in the middle of the night called sleep regression

signs of sleep regression in your baby

signs of sleep regression can based on the cause of your baby’s sleep problems. Here are some lists of signs your baby may be going through a sleep regression:

More frequent night waking ,

Trouble falling asleep at bedtime,

Increased creakiness or fussiness ,

Suddenly resisting naps.

sleep regression ages -

sleep regression — it is linked to some unpredictable factors like disruptions in routines or an illness so it can happen at any time,

But there also a few periods when sleep regression is relatively foreseeable, due to baby growth spurts, reaching new milestones or teething .

sleep regression 3 to 4 months:

This time is often the hardest for parents simply because it’s the first.

sleep regression 5 months:

There are several things behind baby sleep problems at this age:

the pain caused by teething,

hunger linked to baby growth spurts and

the excitement of rolling over for the very first time.

sleep regression 6 months :

Babies sometimes go through another growth spurt at this months old. By this age, your little ones are capable of sleeping through the night and may wake simply for snuggles — which means it might be time for testing a sleep training method.

sleep regression 8 months to 10 months:

Many babies begin crawling when they’re around 8 to 9 months old, and begin standing at around 10 months. Anxiety is also common (and perfectly normal) around this age, which may cause your baby to wake up during the night.

Sleep regression in 12 months:

Sometime between 9 to 12 months, babies start standing up and starts walking also. At around the one-year mark, others take their first steps (although the average age is 14 months, with some babies starting earlier and others waiting until the 18-month). Reaching A big milestones can cause temporary sleep problems with baby.

sleep regression toddlers

Toddlers are also often go through sleep regressions at around 18 months and 24 months. But that may be caused by nightmares and night terrors also, fear of the dark, toddler teething and separation anxiety, caused sleep regression toddlers

Tips for dealing sleep regression in your baby or toddlers

Can we prevent sleep regression

Unfortunately there’s no way to prevent sleep regression. For the many bleary-eyed new parents out there who’ve struggled with a sleepless baby, there’s no way to prevent sleep regression. It’s generally a normal part of baby and toddlers.

In the meantime, following a bedtime routine and sleep schedule may help reduce the likelihood of sleep regression. Hang in there and know that this, too, shall pass.

When you need the medical help about sleep regression