From a very early age, Dev enjoyed the company of family and friends.
Infact he loves to be surrounded by people and thats his fun-time.
He would sometimes run to a stranger and hand her over a flower to say "Hello !".
When I chide him to be cautious, he would smile and say, "She is MY Oma" - meaning grandmother in German.
Thats one of his interest areas (I think), he likes to travel to new places where he can interact with people!
He collects new shapes of leaves and flowers to gift them to those old ladies and enjoy seeing smiles on their faces. These strangers are mostly elderly people or small babies.
In his kindergarten(3 yrs), once the manager told us that, he loves visiting old age homes and sing for them! He has a natural liking to "serve", either by help feeding babies in his kindergarten or holding the hand of an old lady crossing the road, that was few days back here(in Switzerland). I'm not sure though if he understands what "serve" means, but the joy I see on his face after the act is so pleasurable!
Recent pleasant changes in Krish. Im loving this.
He wakes up in the morning walks to HIS plants and kisses "Good Morning !"
Every night before going to bed kisses "Good Night !" None of us can touch them, he would give them bath, and water them when thirsty!!
What if you are NOT the teacher's pet?
Have you been ever?
Did it anyway affect shape your personality?
"Chubby Cheeks, dimple chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair very fair Eyes are blue, lovely too
Teacher’s pet, “is that you”
Yes, yes, yes.."
In this case, apart from sounding racial it raises a question which I've experienced in my school days and keep haunting me still - NOT being the pet of your teacher!
Think it over, and I shall come back with my version of story.
written in May 2009
Ever given this a thought - at what age would you like your child to help you with household work, if at all you want...
This is based on a few observations I recently had in my child(3 yr old) at kindergarten...
They are expected to lay the table, eat on their own, pick up the dishes and keep it at a place and then also clean the table. Kids are very enthusiastic in doing all these work and they take turns in doing so.
Similarly they put on their jackets and zip their jacket, wear the socks and shoes... etc..
Most of the family I know here(in Germany), make it a practise from an early age to make the child do his own jobs even at home.
My main concern Im touching here is helping in kitchen. Just now, I saw a German program where children were preparing dishes from salad, soup, main course dishes chopping kneading frying and all. The age group is from 8-12 yrs. I have never given a knife in Krish's hand, but I know a German 4 yr old girl, cuts apples at her home, ofcourse under the supervision of her father. It was a group effort by her, her elder bro(6 yrs) and younger bro(3 yr) and they were making sandwiches for Sunday breakfast. Its like a fun! Every Sunday breakfast is prepared my the children and they decide the menu. I found it really amazing - the way they participate in helping mom at home.
I was wondering whether, we Indian moms would ever allow our child to enter the kitchen, and give excuse that they get distracted form their studeis etc.
I would not agree to do so. Atleast I know a few handful in my own family. Thats the argument I've heard from not one but many moms who have grown up children of 8-10yrs. They dont even know how to get their galss of drinking water as their bottle is always kept in their room. Strange!
Krish is also 3 yr old and has started chopping salad only Gurken that too I can't move beyond two pieces. I dont have the courage to see himhold the knife yet. Krish is visting his kindergarten just 2 mnths now. I really feel very proud at times to notice when he simles after putting his socks right and the shoes on the correct foot (though many a times he goes wrong ). He has learned to put the zip of his jacket too.
We used our with fingers to eat before he started visiting kindergarten. Now all of us eat with fork and knife. He insists we do so. Infact I was never ccomfortable eating without a spoon earlier.
These are small changes but very positive. He has started filling his own glass of water and make his sandwiches. While cooking he puts the chopped veggied in the pan. Everything when I'm around.
My case was a lot different. Many of my friends used to feel "J" that Im not asked to help Ma in kitchen. Only after I finished my schooling I used to volunteer for a special Sunday lunch reading some Recepie from a book, and all the ingredients kept ready by my mom. I know, it sounds very pampered. I was a real pampered child only in this regard. I hope Krish doesnt read this anytime soon.
What do you think of brothers ordering their sisters for glass of water?
Do we still have such Moms around(in family or friends or neighbours) who think any work at home should be done only by daughters and daughters MUST know every househould work. Ofcourse cooking priority and then from shoe polish to ironing to everything. ???
Crazy but true, there are so many of them!
Being a mother of a boy child. I would take pride in saying my son can manage all his job including preparing his own lunch & dinner whenever this time comes.
I shall visit this post and update whenever the time comes.
Check this out on what children can do. Dont stop them and encourage them to move forward leaving your fear behind.
http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html
written on Jan 31 '10
I believe that a child learns best & most from what they see their parents do...
If you do not want your child to do certain things, first reflect if you have ever done the same infront of him/her or he/she has picked up from elsewhere..
Im unable to socialise much given my situation right now, and for the same reason I feel Krish is lacking few social behaviourial skills when we visit someone.
Recently at a friends place Krish walked into the bedroom - the door was wide open and the way through the drawing room where we were sitting...
I didnt find a reason to chide him, as there were no signs for him to stop! I usually would close the door of the rooms when a child is expected at home ...
But I could clearly see the unpleasant look in the face of the host...
If your child did the same in someones house / some child did it in your house, how would you react?
This comes to me query - what is the "expected" & "accepted" behaviour of a child.
Assuming, it's acceptable for kids to explore in a space...
its was ok for Krish to have walked into the room considering the age(he was 3+ yrs). At 5 yrs probably people would say, what an ill-manered child ...
He never enters the room if its bolted or shut. In that house the drawing room led to the bed-room & all other rooms. That was our first visit. Im not sure if I would like to vist there again, after the reaction I saw there.
See what has motherhood done to me, I can't enjoy somewhere the child is not accepted well!
I can't remember having a peaceful dinner/lunch with Krish around in any restaurant. Its been 4 yrs now.. hah........
Moreover, Ive not met many people who are very child friendly. They frown and restaurants simply ask you to leave if the child moves around. People go out to eat to have a "quiet" time, they say - & I too agree.
Infact if you hear some "sound" anywhere you will know they are INDIANS or soem bunch of young kids and the eyebrows raising all around. They find it ill-manered to raise decibles and talk or even laugh!
We have infact started packing our food nowadays when Im not cooking....
In another instance, I saw a child of 4yrs sitting at a place for more than 2 hrs using the fork-kinfe to eat spaghetti all by himself - too good to be true, I was wonderign. The mother of the child was proudly moving around saying my child is the most well-behaved around. He never gave me any trouble blah blah and the conversation changed to "praise my child" pheww.... Most kids here are expected to behave this way and they do behave themselves whether they like it or not.
I actually found it extremely "odd" or not true to nature. There were children of his age who were playing in the house with toys and his mom giving "looks" at my child seeing him not sitting at a place, and frowning and then pitying that I'm having a tough time managing him.
She mentioned - "Stop giving him sugar, biscuits, snack etc etc etc...." the list was endless!
I didn't find it strange for a child to get attracted to new toys. Moving around the play area, and playing!
So, now comes my worry, if its perfectly normal for your child to pick up his toys and play what reason shall I give my child from doing so, other than that not being his toy. Unfair!! tough! In another year he will step into 5th year and I'm trying to be more strict and find it so tough.
Now, he refuses to even greet a person if I ask him to: saying "hello", "good morning" "namaste" - no I dont want to - is the response.
I can't be such a horror to my child !!!
Dev is one of those children whose mother always keeps complaining about his "hyper-active" nature. At his kindergarten we got the same feedback. Infact, till recently his teacher in school was doubtful if she would allow him to go to his next class! She said, he learns, he is intelligent, but he doesn’t have patience to sit and WRITE! Then she went on to add. He is very expressive. In his class there are children from various nationalities - Italian, Spanish, German, English, American, Scottish, Turkish, Indian and all these children didnt speak much amongst themselves till Dev joined them this January. He could not only converse in English but interact with everyone in his class and seniors with equal ease and that she found very commendable in a child of 3 yrs. Here, I’m here to present to you, my son, Dev Acharya Menon who completed his 4th yr this March.
In this cross-cultural and multi-lingual environment, the child is exposed to more than one language especially in a country like India.
In India, apart from the mother-tongue, a child has to learn English, as the medium of studies and then a second language is introduced as early as 6-7 yrs, be it Hindi or the language he already speaks. The concern of "teaching" a language is very prevalent in the mind of parents if they do not speak much English or Hindi at home.
My writting is based on my experience with my child just to assure you that its easier for a child to communicate than you can even imagine.
It might be hard to believe that a 4 yr old can understand partially/completely English, German, Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam... so Ive attached a few vedios which randomly recorded at different ages.
Dont worry too much about "teaching" a language to your child. They pick up things so fast that you would start wondering, where & how they learnt this! Main point is, to learn any language, first a child should be able to express in his MOTHER TONGUE - the first language or the language he speaks most with his parents.
In my case I spoke Bengali with my child from the very beginning. My husband speaks Malayalam and Tamil, but he chose not to use either with the child in an attempt not to confuse him too much with different languages. The languages spoken at home was mainly English, Bengali and Hindi amongst ourselves. Krish was exposed to all the 3 from the first day. While conversing with my in-laws my husband still maintains Malayalam. So, he knows thats a different language and now at 4 yrs he is inquisitive about this language too.
At 2 yrs he was trying to tell this story in Hindi with the actions of a lion pouncing on everything around, till we got the camera to record!
Krish is narrating a story in Hindi
Krish spoke only Bengali initially, say upto 2 years with a very little English. Then when we shifted to Germany, as I knew he would visit kindergarten at 3 yrs, I started to speak to him in English, little did I realise that his kindergarten would use German as their first language. He didnt want to go there and would cry his heart out, as he had never heard the language before. He couldnt converse with them but then within 3 months or so he would speak German with me at home and his Papa would come pleading to speak in English. It was extremely humorous watching father and son speaking to each other and then me being interpreter most times. I had my share of pleasure of acting pricey at time.
Krish reciting Bengali poem - Kathberali at 3 yrs.
At 3yrs 9 mnths he started with his International School with English as first language. I was amazed at the ease he shifted from German to English. Now at 4 yrs he doesnt use much of German, sadly neither Bengali or Hindi, but he speaks beautiful English replicating the accent and style of his Scotish teacher, Anna.
Intially he used to mix up English and German, though he knows they are different when he cant remember a word in either or even slip of tongue.
Now he is amused at the way his father seaks to his Ammuma & Appupa and wants to be a part in that. He has started singing in Malayalam and says a few words too.Infact, he speaks both Hindi & Malayalam in Bengali.
Any idea how he manages?
I shall record and post that.... its hillarious..
Krish singing Malayalam lullaby for Appupa-Ammuma at 3 yrs. (composed by his father)
Just discovered he is made a close friend at school. She is an Italian girl, Melissa. Not sure if he has picked up a few Italian words.
I would love to see him do that :-)
For my Mom:
May peace fill all the empty spaces around you.. may happiness answer all your wishes!" Happy Mother's Day !
I wish I could tell you Ma,
...how much you mean to me... but there are no words to say...
...how much I admire you...
...how much I appreciate you...
...how much I thank you...
Love you Ma!
My son:
On Friday at school, they made a card written "Mom" on it, and paper flowers. Today we had a Schwazwalder Torte... Amazing!!! Did he realise why he did that?
never mind, I njoyed it :-)
