Screen time : a permanent debate for today’s parent

Tags

parenting, screen time

Put a few young parents in a room together, and you can be sure that within a few minutes or so the topic of discussion will soon divert to the dilemma on most parents’ minds: Screen Time! Questions like, how much is enough, do they even need it at all, and how the child is being affected by the medium – are all grey areas for most parents.

Every parent has a viewpoint on the subject and every parent has an unfailing logic attached to it. Frankly, I have sensible friends at both ends of the spectrum – the ones who truly believe TV is evil and that kids shouldn’t even get near it to the ones who think of TV as the salvation to all their problems ranging from babysitting to everyday tantrums.

The reality, according to me, as is always in life, is to be somewhere in the middle or as they say, striking a balance. Assuming that in this day and age, a 100% cut from technology and TV is possible, is an act of delusion. Schools start computer classes in 1st standard these days and if that is the case how does one keep the child away from the screen? TV and screens are the necessary evil of this generation and I feel that creating a balance is the key for sowing the seeds for your child’s healthy relationship with screen.

At our home, screen time has simple rules. Weekdays are only allowed for project and research for school work and over the weekend, an allowance of 45 minutes of TV and 30 minutes of iPad. Now this worked perfectly fine till I started realizing it’s not the TV I hate but the thousand and one ads that run on TV. Advertisements that tell me child that he will grow well if he drinks boost and he can probably forget all vegetables and other stuff. Ads that tell him that fat is ugly and that hands shouldn’t be washed for 1 min, well I can go on but you get the point.

Plus the quality of programs like Oggy who taught my son to talk in Hindi which scared me like shit, to give you an example. One day at dinner table the child told my mom “Kya mast khaana banaya re bidu” in the voice similar to hold your breath Shakti Kapoor. That is what scared me with his TV time and we struggled, we went and back and forth. I got him some CD’s that he got bored of and hence wanted to go back to TV again.

And then we discovered Teewe, which changed and eased the whole screen time situation at our home

Teewe is an HDMI media streaming device which transforms any TV with an HDMI port, into a smart TV via which streaming becomes a child’s play (pun intended) on your TV. It allows you to stream content from your phone, laptop, PC or tablet, right onto your television so essentially the control of what your child watches is with you.

The child can’t really wander on the internet which I think is any parent’s fear and yet the child is entertained, can play games, learn the stuff he wants on YouTube (mine loves to watch videos about underwater creatures and how the parts in bike and cars work), listen to music and dance with his friends or watch the good old Tom & Jerry. Its safe content with control in parents’ hands which I think is the only way forward.

So at our home we resolved the screen time tension with Teewe. You can do it too. Whether it’s learning about types of flowers or listening to nursery rhymes or catching a great episode of Mr. Maker, with Teewe the much desired balance and control is easier to achieve.

To know more click here

 

 

Dear Badi Mummy : A letter to my Granny

Tags

feelings, grandparents, letters, parenting, personal

Dear Badi Mummy,

It is almost been 14 years since you left us and I realised I have never written to you in these years though I don’t think there has been a week which has passed in which I haven’t had a conversation with you.

Last week I was in Delhi, enjoying the Delhi winter, eating the food that I would eat sitting next to you every December, food cooked by you. Gajar ka halwa, the pinnis. I was remembering the sunny afternoons where we would all sit in the verandah of your house and eat moongfalis (peanuts) and how I would blackmail you with the look in my eyes and you would give me the peeled ones. How every evening, you would give us money and we would walk to the nearby shop freezing and rubbing our hands to get samosa and jalebi to eat. I remembered how I would cuddle with you to get warm.  When I saw O grating the carrots with mom to make gajar ka halwa, I felt a strange stab in my heart. I wanted it to be me again sitting with you and making gajar ka halwa. I smiled when I looked at them happily bonding but somewhere the heart gave a cry of longing for you.

I remembered the days gone by, on how I would come from school and rush to hug you. On how I would tell you every small thing that happened in school. On how I shared about my first crush with you and you looked at me with wide eyes and said “moyi marjaani, dhyaan rakhin” and then the warm smile spread at your face and you gave me the best hug in the world. On how, when I hid that I have flunked in one subject in school from mom-dad, I came and told that to you and how you slowly and gently made me confess that to mom. On how it was you I told about my first boyfriend ever, it was you I shared my fear of mensuration, on how it was you whom I came and told my nightmares and my dreams. Both the ones I saw in the day and night. For me while growing up you were my friend, you were my mom and you were the force in my life, my strength and that one person who would drive me. Who I would look upto, who I would search for in happiness and in sadness, in clarity and in confusion.

And then that day 13.5 years ago, on a Diwali night when I got a call that you are sick, I remember every turn of the foggy Delhi roads, every thought that came to my mind that evening and I remember reaching there to be told that you are no more among us and I remember feeling nothing. And then ofcourse the tears came and they went. Life moved on, we all moved on but somewhere you left a huge void in my life that no one has been able to fill.

So much has happened in this past 14 years, so much that I would have loved you to be a part of. I married a person who understands me, supports me and loves me. Ofcourse we fight, like you used to say if two people living together don’t argue, they are drifting apart. But we also have a bond that I saw you and daddyji sharing. A bond of love and trust, a bond of togetherness.

I am now not a software engineer, who just sits in front of computer doing god knows what (though to be honest, I still sit a lot in front of my laptop). I now work in the food industry. It’s a love I have picked up from you and taken to next level.

But more important than anything else, I am now a mother of a 7 year old boy who I would have loved you to meet. In whom, sometimes I see your spunk, your zest for life, your stubbornness and my eyes wet because there is nothing more I would want than to see you and him bond. The joy of my life and the most important person in my life. I would give anything to see you hug him, to see you bless him.

Early this week, I went to meet daddyji who at the age of 93 is so different from the grand-dad image I have from my childhood, he is ageing, he is frail and he remembers you. He often says “Tu te chali gayee, mainu chod gayee” and I see that sadness in his eyes. My heart broke to see him like that, asking the same question nth time and forgetting he has asked it before. I remembered the man who would bring us all fruits, always the sweetest ones, and cut post dinner. A man whom everyone was slightly scared of, a man who commanded respect and love in every action. Old age is evil, old age is harsh and I could see it in him. If you ask me, I saw that in him the day you passed away. He has never been the same after that but this time it hit me that daddyji who 10 years ago shocked everyone by dancing on my mehendi is now an old man.

But you know what badi mummy, you know what I felt the most when I met him. That where are you? Why aren’t you around? I feel terribly selfish thinking about it but I wanted you to be there, I don’t have the heart to see daddyji anymore without you. I miss you today and everyday.

Yours Khasma-nu-khani,

Mona

Day 3 : Letter to Parents

Tags

30 day letter challenge, just me, letters, parenting, parents, personal

Dear Mum and Dad,

When I read the list of people I have to write the letters to I knew this one is gonna be one of the toughest ones to write. Also it’s funny because this is the first ever letter I am writing to you, stayed at home with you guys till I started working in Bangalore and by that time, cellphones and phones had made permanence in our lives.

As with every parent-child relationship, ours has gone through major ups and downs too. I have worshiped you guys, I have loved you guys, I have hated you guys too and now I am at a stage in life where I can say I understand you guys.

But today what I want to tell you is that I am scared of the role reversals which are happening. Two years ago when I had to rush to Delhi because both of you were not keeping too well it stuck me that you guys are finally ageing and will need care from our side. It’s not a happy thought, not because I don’t want to take care of you or not because I want to run away from my responsibility. I will stand to that but it’s not a happy thought from the point of view of emotions.

I want to always be the little girl that you take care of, the idea of me taking care of you instead is so heartbreaking. It means that I have to grow up, it means that I can’t be your baby forever. This isn’t fair I tell you. I love you guys and I want you guys to be healthy forever so that I can be a baby, I know I am being selfish here but then if I don’t be selfish you guys whom will I be selfish with.

So dear mom-dad, please take your medicines and vitamins regularly and let me the tantrum throwing baby around

Lots of love

Mona

10 on Tuesday written on a Friday

Tags

blogging, life in general, parenting, personal, tattoo, ten on tuesday, This and that

Yes you may laugh at the title. But you know everyday I think I should write something here and everyday I come open the new post window and everyday I sit and think, what should I write. Its not that I don’t have topics to write about. I do I do infact many of them. The problem right now with me is of plenty. I have been away from this blog for soo long that I have a lot to write about and I don’t know where to start.

So I think a bullet point post, mentioning 10 things that have been on my mind and in my life would be a good way, before you see more of me here hopefully regularly enough.

So here is my  10 on Tuesday written on a Friday

1. Life has been full of travel the past couple of months. From 7 months of no travel to the last 3 months full of travel, its hectic but its happy hectic. So in the next few days expect a lot of travelogues namely Kolavara Heritage in Shimoga, Raju Guest House in Tirthan, Ride Inn at Manali, Country Club trip to Kandaghat and then finally Goa. Have also done a lot of work travel to Hyderabad in between that has helped me explore the food scene there. More about that too on the food blog
2. Ojas has joined a new school after a break of about 4 months and seems to be pretty happy with it. And while he was on the school vacation, he went off to my mum’s house in Delhi for about a month followed by my SIL’s house for about 2 weeks. So all in all we had some couple time to ourselves after about 6 years and I can’t tell you how different it felt. Good yes and empty yes too but all in very different and weird. I realised that I am always thinking in terms of three now, always thinking as a mom and to actually think as a couple I have to make an effort but I also found it very refreshing. Had forgotten what uninterrupted conversations felt like and what a delight it is to have them. Also what I learnt was that it really is difficult to adjust back to being a mum now 😉 but I am trying I am trying 😀
3. Also like I mentioned in the earlier post, we moved back to the old new house. And one of the highlight for me moving back has been the studio in the house. Baking Studio, a working space for me. It has a desk corner, an island cooking corner, couple of racks for ovens etc. It is not a HUGE space but big enough to be called an office. I have already have had about three workshops there and they all felt nice and cosy. So excited to bake, teach and make videos out of the studio. One by One
4. One of N’s closest cousins P, actually if you ask me they are more like brothers and he is one of the closest people to N, is getting married end of this month. He went and proposed to his girl in full Bollywood style and decided to get married 6 weeks from the date of the Bollywood proposal. As a result we all running around as headless chickens, trying to arrange everything and enjoying every bit of it. The madness, the shopping, designing the card, dresses to stitch, jewellery to match. So much fun. I missed part of this for my own sister’s wedding in October, one because I was so far and two because they pretty much did a very simple wedding. I am making up for that with this one 🙂
5. Robin Williams passed away, leaving each one of us shocked and sad. Sad because there wasn’t anyone like him. We all loved him, We all loved to love him. Shocked because none of us imagined the person behind those laughs was suffering from depression and could commit suicide. I actually wanted to write a whole post on him but then somehow never got around doing it. Let me tell you this, most people who suffer from clinical depression try hard to hide that from the world and we are experts in doing that. I say we because yes I am one of them. I suffer from clinical depression, have been and will be on medications for a long time. And I bet people who read my blog or know me  can’t guess that till I tell them. So be sensitive to people around you. Read up on depression and mental health and please stop using sad and depressed in the same way. One day, one day may be I will be brave enough to share the whole story here. Till such time, I will do with hugs
6. I set myself a 100 book reading challenge for this year. I have read about 36 till now. I know I am behind but the good thing which has happened this year is that most of the books that I have read have been really good. Will list my favorite ones soon. Till then tell me which are the books you have been reading? Which ones did you like? And which ones you hated?
7. The child is growing up fast, he has already joined 1st standard and each time I think of it I wonder wasn’t the day of his birth just yesterday? With him are growing his questions, arguments and logics. This is a strange stage of parenting, I am enjoying it the most but it’s also bringing out the worst in me. Testing my limits, specially the limits of patience. I am loving watching him develop a personality of his own but I am getting scared of the fact that the personality is sometimes looking like a mirror image of me. I love seeing him becoming the independent big boy but each time he does something on his own without even looking at us once, the heart skips a beat and I wonder if the empty nest is not so far away after all. I love his witty answers but hate them when the same are used as smart A&^ replies. Such a strange and lovely stage of parenting this and I am absorbing it all as it comes.
8. I have decided to give this blog a breath, a last hope of survival with the 30 days letter challenge, I saw it first when a friend shared it with me and then I saw Shail doing it and it’s something that excited me after so long. I am itching to write some of the letters, I just don’t want to write some of them. I know some will be intense and will evoke memories, but I have decided to it. Thought long and hard actually and realised some demons needed to be dealt with, some thoughts needed to be written. Hopefully some of them will be funny too 😀 So from Sep 1 for 30 days, hopefully you will have a letter each day to read here. A letter which holds a tiny part of my heart somewhere
9. Some pictures you take make you happy. Make you so happy that you share them everywhere. They might not be the best of the pictures but you like them and they make you happy. The cat stories is one such set for me. I found those cats so so so irresistably adorable that I can’t tell and I am not even a cat person. Go see for yourself
10. And I saved the best for the last, my tattoo 😀 Yes finally after years of planning and thinking and wondering I got a tattoo done. I got an excellent person who heard me out, designed my tattoo and inked it on my patiently. Check out her page here and I strongly reco her if you are in Bangalore. And here is what it looks like

And we failed at Day 26…..

Tags

2014, orange rhino challenge, parenting, personal

25 days, I lasted that much. I still can’t believe it. When I started the challenge I thought I would fail at Day 2. I mean really I thought so. Yes people I am talking of the Orange Rhino Project.

26 days ago I had taken the pledge to not scream on O but this morning, I lost it. I woke up with a headache and the child was creating a fuss for everything. I don’t want to eat this, I don’t want to brush. I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to….

Sigh with hubby traveling I lost it and screamed, screamed “shatup, I don’t want to hear a word” and the minutes those words came out of my mouth, I regretted them I know none of this is an excuse and the deed is done and I have gone back to Day 0.

But I am not giving up, re-starting the counter I am back to the no screaming zone, wish me luck yet again

 

55 word fiction : That tender kiss

Tags

55 word fiction, 55-er, 55-err, emotions, kiss, love, Marathon Bloggers, parenting

She looked at him losing track of time

She looked at him with tenderness and with love

She looked at him with fear and with apprehensions

She looked at him for a long long time before she picked up the bundle of joy and placed a tender kiss on her first born’s forehead letting the tears flow

 

2014 and what I want it to be

Tags

2014, looking ahead, parenting, planning, resolutions, wishes

I have been kind of running away from this post all of December and January, resolutions don’t work is what I have realised in the past some years. I even joked about not keeping any resolutions this year via the very popular bitstrips

This one makes sense doesn’t it?

But then as January is progressing and I am sitting on bed nursing a sprained ankle, I am realising that there needs to be some planning done on how you want the year to turn out, how you want the year to look. The challenges you want to take this year. The goals one wants to achieve. I might or might not achieve everything but then if I don’t even know what I want to do, there is no chance of doing it anyways.

So lets on my list, a goal list, a resolution list, a wish list. Call it whatever you want to but here it is. Must warn you before you go ahead of this post, I have a gut feel this one is gonna be one long one

Lets start with where we are now, the blog

Blogging 

So this one had me thinking hard, 6 years ago when I started the blog I had no plans in my mind. It was just a random penning down of random thoughts. I grew with the blog. I grew away from it too sadly for a while but overtime I have realised I a calmer person when I write here regularly, nothing special even an update on what’s happening, my travelogues, the recipes and the reviews on the food blog (the food blog has survived better than this one I think). It’s a small target but I have decided to write atleast 52 posts on this blog in 2014. That makes it’s a post a week. I can do atleast this much. What you do think people.

While on blogging, I realised I have also stopped reading them,specially after the reader died a death that I hated. I never got around transferring my feeds (yes I am stupid like that) and hence the reading kind of stopped. So feedly will be setup and reading will start again. Commenting shall also be tried though really can’t promise that one 🙂

Reading

Coming to the next in my list, reading and books. Last year wasn’t bad with about 80+ books but this year I have set myself a big goal. I have taken up the goodreads 2014 reading challenge of 100 books in 2014. Yes you heard that right. I might be mad but that’s what makes me me.

And to add-on to that, I saw the RandomHouse Bingo Challenge this morning and it called out to me so the 24 out of those 100 books will have to fit this pattern. Gotta keep things interesting

🙂

I will be updating the progress of the reading challenge in my page Reading Corner, which I haven’t updated in such a long time, 2010 to be precise *hangs head in shame*

Travel

Well this one almost always is one of the most important parts of my year planning but the last two years we haven’t taken a single long vacation. We have done many many trips, the one to Mugilu, Sinna Dorai, Kufri, Linger, the big drive to Delhi on road, Agra and many more. But all these have been small breaks which I know will keep happening. This year I want to do that long 10 day holiday where we tune off from work and the rest of the world for 10 days, come back refreshed and charged.

Also this was in my list last year too but last year sister got married and most of my off time went there happily. This year I want to do that solo trip, to start with a three-day weekend all by myself and my books and yes ofcourse my camera

Work

I have a detailed plan charted out for work, which I really won’t be sharing here but yes I have it and will be tracking it 🙂

Relationships

In 2013, there are some relationships which are special to me but somehow somewhere got left behind. This year I will make that effort, put that energy in those and see if I can revive them like seriously.

I know life is about moving on but sometimes holding on is very important.

Another very important challenge I have given myself when it comes to relationships is the Orange Rhino Challenge. I read about it first time on Aparna’s blog and god it came at the right time. Just that afternoon me and Ojas had a yelling match and he told me the nth time that why am I shouting on him everyday these days. Reasons of yelling could be many but when I look back reasons of not yelling are always more. It needs strength and it needs patience (which I have very little of) but I think I will try this one, I THINK I NEED THIS ONE.

Tips – Read this one, I am sure you all will be nodding and this one

Ok : While on this I need a counter up which will work on WordPress, essentially not a javascript one.

When I told Ojas about this one, you know what he told me. Lets do this together and call it a Blue Rhino Challenge, such a sweetheart he is. This one is a huge one, the one I am capable of failing in a day. Wish me luck people

and yes health and weight loss doesn’t feature in this list here, cause I will continue to do what I can on it without getting depressed about it. I am working on it and I know it 🙂

So here is to 2014 and the joy and success

G is for Guns

Tags

AtoZChallenge, guns, kids, parenting, toys

Guns is what we are talking about today, when most of buddies seem to be taking about Gratitude (I’ll admit I haven’t read any of your posts, this is just a feeling I got doing a quick glance on the FB group) I am talking about Guns…

This evening I just have a question for you in the form of a post? Whats your stand when it comes to kids and gun toys? Do u think its ok for kids to think its just toys and play or not?

Will write in more detail after I hear from you… so go on share ur thoughts

 

On the road with kids

Tags

Highway tales, parenting, parenting thoughts, road trip, road trip with kids, traveling with kids

We do a lot of long drives is not a news to the regular reader of this blog. When we were just married people used to tell us that chalo do as many road trips as you want now once you have kids there is no way you can continue this craziness and now the question I get asked most often is how the hell do you manage with a child? How does he take it? Ofcourse not all are as critical and some really want to know how do I manage road trips with kids. Some days back when I was just coming back from the epic delhi drive, I was talking to Ro and she said that she wants to drive from Hyderabad to Bangalore and would I have some tips, I am wondering if this tip a little too late for her as she is starting tomorrow but nonetheless jotting it down here 🙂

Let me begin by stating that I have really been lucky enough to have a child who loves the road and does have motion sickness but I also think that apart from the fact that I am lucky somethings always work well when one is on the road with kids… Here are my top few things to take care of while traveling with kids via road

1.Enough to Eat – If O is very very cranky there are usually two major reasons to it : sleep or hunger. Sleep usually is not a problem with 90% of the kids during travel but hunger it can turn a child into a monster (I think to some extent adults too). So plan to carry snacks and lots of it, you can’t be stopping every hour or so for food… biscuits, fruits, chocolates, chips, muffins, cakes, vegetables, bread, butter and jam are something you will always always find it in my car when I am off to travel. Infact N makes fun of me that I overdo the snacks but I can bet my life on it that its never too bad too overdo on it. Snacks also work as a perfect time filler…. keeping the little one busy for a while. Get fruits that take time and are fun to eat like oranges, things like crax which you can play with along with eating. Take butter knifes along and let the little ones assemble a sandwich for u once they are above 3 yrs, if they are under that age, let them lick the spoon. But having enough stock and variety to eat would be my top most item to plan when traveling with kids

2. Entertainment – The second most important point when it comes to kids is entertainment, here you have to think according to your child. What works for mine is a couple of CD’s (we have a portable DVD player, but the its timed) some music that he likes that we can all sing along too. Playing word games which are age appropriate, for the younger kids start with showing things on the road and ask what is that and explain what they don’t know. Actually that works for kids most ages – this delhi trip we discussed clutches, gears, windmills, volcanoes, earthquakes, sun and shadow, truck sizes and its relation to the number of wheels among many more things on the way. The trick is to keep them engage in things. If you have two kids you can get them to play dots and cross and some simple games with each other too. In our household books play a very very important part of entertainment too. Let the child chose his or her own books. If he/she is big enough to read by themselves let them else you read to them

3. Toys or Familiar Objects – Kids thrive on familiarity. All it takes is the favorite teddy or ball or bay blade for them to feel comfortable and at home. Let them pack their own toy travel bags. Give them guidelines on whats good and whats not but let them choose. O has been choosing his own toy bag with our help since he was 1 and now he does it all by himself, it also helps me run away from the blame he might put on me incase I forget his toy home 😉

4. Bio Breaks – For babies and kids in daipers this is not a big deal but with older kids it does become a big deal. So be prepared, the rest rooms on the Indian roads unfortunately leave a lot to be desired for. So carry your own toilet seat covers, anti bacterial wipes, santiser. And be prepared to explain to them why the toilets on the road are not clean and what can we do it make them better, its a great time to instill some values. Having said that prepare for all this but also prepare to make them willing to pee on the roadside… some places in India unfortunately one just has to do it

5. Frequent Stops – Kids need to stretch legs, take fresh air more often then us so plan a stop even if its for 10 minutes, every two to three hours. It may seem a lot but trust me it will save you lot of effort and time in the long run

6. Fight the big battles, not the small arguments – I think this is just as most of the time at home too but becomes even more important when it comes to travel. Don’t fret if he has eaten a little two many chocolates but yes fight if he doesn’t sit in his car seat

7. Start Early, Start Small – This is what I tell most parents, for the first two – three years if you never travel with your child on road, please don’t expect him to do a 12 hour road trip in his first trip. Get him used to the car, get him used to the road and see your child fall in love with it. We actually did the first road trip with Ojas when he was a little over 3 months and we think we delayed the first trip 😉

So happy driving folks, do share if you have more tips to add to this

Raising a Reader : Some Parenting Thoughts

Tags

books, how to get kids to read, Ojas, parenting, parenting thoughts, raising a reader, reading

There are some sights that warm your heart like when you finish a call and see your child buried in a book you know you have done something right 🙂 Fortunately for me its a sight that I get to witness very often, Aren’t pictures like this very heartwarming. They give me hope that reading is not going to die a slow death to ipads and the likes. They give me hope that books are going to be alive and the kids of the next generation will still know the pleasures like smell of a book

People often look at O and tell me you must be lucky, he loves books so much, these days kids hardly read all they want is an iPad. Though I agree that touchwood I have been lucky but this luck has come its share of hardwork.

Reading is a habit I wasn’t introduced to as a child. I mean neither my mom or dad are into reading big time and while growing up reading meant course books. However that changed somewhere when one of my uncles introduced me to Famous Five and there hasn’t been any looking back ever since. So whenever I used to think about my child there was one thing clear in my head, love of reading is something I want to pass down to child… Love of reading is something I want to introduce to him as early as possible and something I was keen to cultivate in him. So here are just a few things I did and think should generally to encourage reading in your child

Give him a headstart : The first thing I ever bought for him was a book, yeah might sound funny but its true. We started reading to him as soon as we could settle down with the initial euphoria and madness of becoming parents. Did he understand, most likely not but kids have memory and that made him comfortable with books. Fabric books, books with textures and board books are perfect for kids.. By the time he was 5 months, he would often lie like this and play with his favorite fabric book

Take time to read to him : As they grow older, take time to read to him EVERYDAY… Make a schedule, a time of the day which is dedicated to reading.. May be bed time? In our house time before bed time is reading time. We started with reading one book to him when he was small, slowly the number of books increased (he asked for it) and we would read four books to him. Now we read two books to him, he reads two himself and then sleeps

Let them choose the books : From as early as one year, O had preference on what books he likes, encourage them to select what books they want to read to. Read those books everytime they want. It might get boring to you as they will want the same book over and over again but trust me they will eventually get done with it and move on to another. The thing is the they can only assimilate little and also familiarity is a big thing at that age and hence they want to read it over and over again

Nothing like a good library : Reading can be an expensive habit (ask me ask me) also there is nothing like a charm of a library. Introduce your child to a library early in life. There are kids libraries in town like Hippocampus, as well as bigger libraries like Easy Lib have kids section. Take him, let me explore, let him spend time in the company of books. Let him learn to relish them

Make it a part of the family time : At our house, you can often find all three of us immersed in our respective books sitting next to each other. Make it a habit to read together, when the child is younger give them picture books and let me just browse through it. Start with smaller time durations even 5 minutes is good and slowly increase as the concentration span of your kids increases and he goes from seeing pictures to reading himself. Switch off that TV and open books for the family time and you can thank me later 😉

and last but not the least – the biggest way kids learn is by example, so pick up that book yourself too 🙂