Catch-Up Kid!

It is no secret that children who are healthy are often the brightest, for a healthy body is the foundation of a healthy mind. A tired body can never make a child participate in activities that develop physical fitness and alertness, like games and other sports. It is now a norm to make a kid a complete bookworm. I agree that studying is indeed a good thing and every parent wants his/her child to be well versed in some foreign language like French, to know beautiful verses by heart and to top in all subjects in school but no one bothers to check what is put up on stake for all this. A stunted physical growth is caused by many factors; it may be a heavy school bag. According to a study done, an average schoolbag weighs around six kilos and we cannot even imagine how a child with a poor health carries it every day. Another thing is too much time spent in studying and that too becomes inevitable sometimes as the exams approach or the child approaches higher classes. However, the good news is that it is not too late, especially when we have something that can revive the growth as well as make up for the lost growth for a child. It is Horlicks Growth +. This product has been designed by specialist doctors for children aged 3-9, a time where most of the growth takes place.

A child with low weigh and height factor will always feel inferior and this complex will definitely spill to other compartments and thus in the long run he will be alone, down with a deep complex. Such children often develop suicidal tendencies; self-torture becomes one of their many behavioral issues. In our efforts to prevent all that the phrase ‘long run’ is rather not appropriate because children grow up really fast and the time we have in their growing up years is short. Here, we can rely upon one thing very easily and that is Horlicks Growth + that has a high protein quality essential to maintain an appropriate height-weight ratio and which gives visible and measurable results in mere six months. Parents who keep very busy can give Horlicks Growth + to their children and ensure that their growth and development takes place according to the standards of a healthy body.

It is however a problem that children are often moody and choosy in matters of food, especially health drinks and supplements. But there is nothing to worry as this drink comes in two delicious flavors of chocolate and vanilla that are commonly liked by all children. Those who have no time or no good shops in their vicinity, can order this online too with a click! There are few things that should not be compromised and the growth of your child is one of them. After all, what can be a greater gift parents can give than a good health & fitness? It is the best gift indeed sans an iota of doubt!

Please visit the website for much more info and height-weight calculator @ https://growthplus.horlicks.in/

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Bits & Pieces 4

Tu Mera Hero!  (You are My Hero)

Someone I know is all set to tie the knot with her intimidating and macho boyfriend very soon. This girl has been through all his temper tantrums and slaps, bouts of extreme possessiveness but still, like a dim-wit follower of a local pseudo god man, she is hell bent on marrying the boy who she  believes, is a hero and will make her life a secure heaven. Anyways, it is just one story amongst the millions where girls easily or rather willingly marry boys who are involved in brawls and even heinous crimes like rapes. The basic feeling that runs deep down is the point of ‘safety’ which, to most girls, means only physical strength and a dominating personality. 

Image- art.wallpaperhd.rocks

I feel such girls themselves lack confidence in their own selves or maybe they are too insecure and shudder at the very thought of a big bad world out there that gets them naturally and mindlessly attracted to men having such terrifying personalities. Surprisingly, they are often happy in facing physical abuse and severe excoriations all their lives and barter dignity for a sense of safety.

I discussed this with my friend and she gave me a solid suggestion for their wedding gift that made me laugh my ribs out! “Why don’t you gift her a year’s supply of Volini!”

Good one!

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Didi! (Elder Sister)

On One sleepy afternoon, a few days back, two cute little boys rang my doorbell. I answered from inside and one said ‘Aunty, ball aa gai hai, please de do’ (Aunty, please return our ball) but before I could utter a syllable, another one promptly interrupted in somewhat hushed tone and said ‘Pagal, Aunty bolega to nai milegi, didi bol’ (Dumbo, she won’t return if you’ll call her aunty, instead call her didi). And both cried in unison ‘Didi…didi please ball de do’ and honestly, I could not stop giggling for an hour or so! Such instances of pure innocence can make one smile even after years pass by.

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Blossoms!

I have of late grown quite fond of flowers and have even memorized the names of various types with much interest. I can name them like kids can tell you alphabet table- excitedly, in a single breath! Blossoms add a dash of color and style in other wise wilted and annoying days of scorching summers. I easily identified a wild flower growing in my neighbor’s garden. It was a white petunia (in pic) and for some reason seemed to me like an infant, too cute to avoid! There is another plant called ‘Chinese Lantern’ (in pic below) that has a box like net that covers the fruit and looks beautiful in fiery orange! Now, I have added to my ‘to-do’ list this task of buying new flower-plants from nearby nursery and placing them in beautiful pots (gamla) that are easily available in the markets now. I have plants in plastic pots but still I feel earthen ones are better. I prefer flowers in pots because of the ease in carrying and also you can arrange and place them as and where you wish, unlike rooted ones.

Images- castleofcostamesa.com and www.whiteflowerfarm.com

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NO KIDDING -2- Is failure a sin??

I am motivated to write this post because of my friend UA’s response to my last post ‘No Kidding’. He came out with a very relevant point: we perceive failure as a sin, something criminal.

His comment refers to an adv of a leading toothpaste where a mother hides her child’s face and avoids camera when a reporter asks her whether her child has failed. She then passes the blame onto her toothpaste and looks confident and happy. UA says he is appalled by this commercial and I back him because if we look deeply, this adv is giving wrong messages to the audience.

Firstly, why is the lady hiding faces from the camera if her child has failed? That means failure is a sin and it’s the worst thing that can happen to a child. And if a child has failed, does that means his parents are in no position to show their faces to the world?? Imagine how much pressure it would put on the child himself, who would see and subconsciously register the fact that because of him his parents are facing the humiliation.

Secondly, the mother says with a somber expression “pata nai kaise fail ho gaya” (don’t know how he has failed). Are we teaching our kids to win at all costs, to become bookworms, theoretical robots or to gain applicable and real knowledge? Are we preparing them for a rat-race of academics or we want them to apply that somewhere usefully? Do we want them to become ‘educated’ or simply exam-passing literates?

And the third thing, which I hated the most too- Suddenly, the mother places the blame on the toothpaste she is using and then the duo regains confidence and feel easy. Are we teaching our kids to pass the blame? Instead, we must teach them to deal with the problem and own the failure as much as we would own success rather than passing the buck around . We must teach them to look for solutions to every problem, not to pass the problem itself to someone else and come out clean. Thus, in the real life a kid who flunked the exams would say "not me my tutor has failed or my books have failed but not me"

I would love to share a small incident that taught me valuable lessons in life at an early age. When I was in seventh standard I flunked the mathematics exam in the first term. I was called to the staffroom and very calmly my mathematics teacher asked me the reason for my low performance, since I had been a good student. I told her that my mother was admitted to the hospital and my father lacked time and I always saw him tensed and busy. Other members were busy too, so I had managed whatever I could, all by myself. She told me to again go through the lessons and consult her for any doubts. I managed time and made a timetable especially for maths, I asked my friends and teacher and meanwhile my personal life came back to normal. In the final exams I came second in my class and got good marks in that very subject- mathematics. Also, this entire thing deepened the bond between me and my friends and I understood how to handle similar situations in future.

We can only value light if we know how scary the dark is, similarly only failure prepares us to understand the joy of success. Failure is not a sin rather an experience that always teaches us something.

NO KIDDING

There are certain things that are powerful enough to thwart me in a second. In a moment I feel like leaving that place at once. One such thing is encounter with precocious children. Well, I have always loved kids and I love them when they share their little sweet secrets like how they managed to open the packet of chips noiselessly, how they managed to sharpen a pencil without a break in its point, how they managed to remove the blade of the sharpener or how they shared their tiffin with that stray puppy etc but I do hate it like everyone else does when kids show an irritating maturity and start teaching the elders or start speaking on topics they are otherwise not supposed to think about, let alone discuss. I do get irritated when they crack adult jokes but that’s just a momentarily reaction of mine, somewhere deep in my heart I get worried and tensed about where our kids are going? Needless to repeat, kids are the mirrors of society, so in short what is our society teaching the kids?

Parents take pride when their children are seen exhibiting such a behavior. Mothers delight when their little girls win local dance competitions by dancing ‘ditto’ as Bipasha of Omkara or Kareena of ‘bebo main bebo’. Parents encourage their kids to take part in all the reality shows originally designed for adults. Recently I saw a humor show on a leading TV channel where kids were seen cracking frivolous jokes with adult overtones. These kids might not know the exact tenor of the act but parents certainly do. I agree that our education system is faulty and cumbersome, it’s a very Herculean task for any child to carve out a successful career but that does not mean turning to reality shows for an easy way out to world of money and fame, even if a short-lived one.

Do notice that most of the time little girls are dressed up in the miniature version of clothes that we see in films. Glittery and short dresses, often with fashionable cuts and high heeled stilettos are the most common. Ask any child to sing a song; high chances he/she will start off with some funky bollywood number that can befuddle or stun you. Often you’ll regret for that request of yours.

I happened to read an interview of a leading child actor. He was anything but a kid. This little boy has a girlfriend, goes to clubs and loves his personal ‘space’. I was simply dazed. Even after accounting for the advancement in technological awareness in the modern society, this seems a bit too much to accept. When I and most of us were of this age, we did not even know half of the things going around. Studies, games, DD and food made up our world. It was much later we came to know about relationships and all that. Take any ad review, like those coming in Brand Equity or Mint. Most of the ad people tag certain ads as video garbage because the kids can be seen what the adults are supposed to say or do.

Sometime back I remember meeting some family friends. We were all chatting and the kids were playing, when the little girl (she was of 4-5 yrs then) spotted her kid brother playing with a dupatta and started laughing out loud, screaming from one corner of the room “oye, tu apna sex change operation karale aur ‘poora’ ladki banja” (u get a sex change operation done and u’ll be a full woman, emphasis on poora or ‘full blown’) and after that for the whole day all the kids were seen repeating this joke in all the possible forms. Surprisingly this did not embarrass their parents, who were giggling all day at the audacity of their children.

Unlimited unchecked access to TV and internet, and lack of the necessary amount of parental time is definitely making kids grow up fast.

Yes, innocence is lost.

Jai Ho!!! - But Kiski ??

Well I am feeling stuffed, tensed and choked again. As I opened the TV, it was flooded with the news of 8 Oscars the movie Slumdog Millionaire has won. My God! The whole country has gone crazy!!...People have proved that there are only two religions in India– movies and cricket. By the way, except for AR Rehman’s and Pookutty's awards, what exactly do we have for celebration? Their awards are for their own technical skill apart from the story. Only these can be called the ones truly bagged by Indians. Otherwise, what are we so excited that we are celebrating... for the parade of our country’s black side to the rest of the world? What are we so proud of? Should we really do so?

But my point is, making money and popularity by showcasing our penury is definitely not digestible. This movie has shown all the poverty and distress in details to outside world giving the ‘real’ picture of India. Agreed, we have slums, we are still juggling with penury and hunger, but then does even the USA not have its own slums, its dens of crime? There are a lot many countries worse off than India. And India has brighter faces as well.

Similar is the case with 2008 Man Booker Prize winning book ‘The White Tiger’ by Arvind Adiga. The very concept is strange prima facie; the protagonist, a slum urchin rises all the way through all possible means including robbery and murder to become a white collar entrepreneur. Then he writes to the Chinese Premier giving graphic details of his ‘successful rise’ as well as of the countryside’s dark life. It might seem interesting for the foreigners, but for us the stark realities of slums are everyday sights. And other countries don’t have better or no slums. We don’t need entire (and so depressing) book to understand it.

Slumdog Millionaire is not Indian but a British movie shot in India and was released here later. Lovleen Tondon, the assistant director was roped in to get the local flavor. Even the lead actor Dev Patel is out and out an NRI.

Also, an amazing movie like Tare Zameen Pe (TZP) was packed home. I feel TZP showed how cinema can be used as a powerful medium to the benefit of the society and changed the way every parent, teacher and even our sleepy government looked at the school children. The government actually made amendments in the existing rules to give dyslexic kids half an hour extra in Boards.

We have a mental block that ‘west’ means ‘best’ and crave for its approval for our best. I strongly feel Oscars are over hyped. We need to shun chasing them and maintain our self confidence. Though India has gained independence long back, we still continue to be mental slaves to the white skin.