Kids Craft: Caterpillar Greeting Card

While Thumbprint Caterpillar cards were fun, Ana, my 4-yr-old, seemed to want more. That's how this fabric-card caterpillar project came about.

Items Used: scraps of cotton fabric, card stock paper, craft glue, scissors, googly eyes, dried garden debris, pink fuzz

• Step 1: Cut some scrap fabric to reasonable size/shape


• Step 2: Apply some glue generously on card stock paper and paste the pieces of fabric willy-nilly covering the entire surface


• Step 3: Allow it to dry a little


• Step 4: On the backside of the card stock paper with glued-on fabric, draw little circles with some bottle cap, without much wastage


• Step 5: Cut out the circles as best as possible


• Step 6: Fold a card stock paper to required greeting card size; Glue these cut out circles onto it to make the caterpillar form; cut little antennae from the remains of the fabric-card or use twigs from the garden


• Step 7: Add fuzz, twigs, and other yard debris for texture; glue eyes with googly eyes or beads; glue pink fuzz or a piece of yarn or any other handy thing for a smiley mouth


• Step 8: Stand back and beam

Ana needed some help cutting out the circles - the card stock with glued on fabric was rather thick making it tough even for me to cut out.

Disclaimer: we were not aiming for anatomically correct reproductions, just something conjured up with some imagination and produced with available items at hand.

A variation: To get extra dimension and effect, we took little strips of card stock paper about 0.5cm wide by 1.5cm long, tri-folded it, glued one per circle on the back, then, glued the other end (flat surface) of the tri-fold strip on to the greeting card, for the standard "raised" effect.

Also glued leaves from the backyard tree for legs/hair, and Ana's touch: glue some green leaves for the caterpillar to eat. Of course, when the leaves dry out they will naturally fall off, so, make this card fresh and hand it over to the lucky recipient right away :)



And, when caterpillars are here, can butterflies be far behind?

This butterfly is Ana's imagination: There was enough fabric-glued card leftover from making caterpillars and Ana started cutting them up just like that. And, seeing that there were purple and pink pieces that sort of looked like butterfly wings, she started gluing the various pieces to resemble the butterfly form. There were leftover antennae pieces that she didn't want to throw away so they came in handy as well. I gave her the buttons just for effect.

Kids Games: Würfel-Zwerge

This charming little kids game, Dwarves and Dice, is quite popular with my four year old, so, I thought I could share it here... and hopefully get fellow moms to let me know about other simple kids games that is a hit with their little ones. Also known as Le jeu des nains (French) or Würfel-Zwerge (German) the game is made by Selecta^™.

It is a very simple game: 56 little wooden cards have pictures of dwarves wearing pants, shirt and hat of various colors. Three dice are rolled at once. The resultant color combination starts the race to find the one single card among the 56 in which the dwarf's pants, shirt and hat matches the colors from the dice roll. Whoever finds the matching card first gets to keep that card. And the next player takes turn to roll the dice and so on. The game has a few variations for older kids, but in the simplest version the game ends when the dice-roll results in a color combination already played (and therefore the card is not on the table anymore).

I fell in love with this game right away and haven't turned down an invitation from Ana to play so far. Ana is pretty quick if she is into the game, so, initially I take it slow and let her 'win' a few cards so she doesn't get frustrated...

This is not really a memory game, just needs sharp observation and quick processing.

The pictures of the dwarves on the cards are terribly cute with interesting facial expressions and poses. The first few times we played when Ana was three, she would just stare at the pictures and study them, not really getting the hang of the game. The colors are vibrant and eye-catching.

If there is one thing I would change about it, it is the same issue I had with Candyland: the red and pink tend to blend together in indoor light; I would make the red a little deeper and leave the pink closer to pale baby-ish pink. Invariably D confuses the pink and the red, and Ana and I have to help him relearn his colors :)

The Mom from Little Guru Skool

About 3 months back a Mom sent me a mail. She said "I have created this collection of bilingual Books and DVDs because I wanted to introduce my son to Indian culture at an early age. I feel that this is an issue that might be interesting to your readers. " and then she gave me her website address and some media articles about her and her company.

I was thoroughly impressed, a Mom, a MBA and an entrepreneur with such a creative idea. I was so smitten that I asked her for an interview by e-mail. She readily obliged. I was still more impressed, she had done a lot of the artwork and content for the line of books and DVD and those books looked write on target to get a kid growing up in a foreign country acquainted with India and its culture and also the language

My Mothers Day post which is way late is dedicated to Pooja Pittie Goel the founder of Little Guru Skool. Kudos to her for pursuing her dream

Below is the interview she did for Desi Momz Club

1. What prompted you to start Liitle GuruSkool ?

I was inspired to create Little GuruSkool because I wanted to introduce my son to Indian culture at an early age. I could not find any books or DVDs in the market (either in the US or in India) that were appropriate for pre-schoolers - educational and entertaining at the same time. I wanted to expose my son to Indian languages, music, art and nature in a fun and interactive way. When I talked to other parents, I discovered that I was not the only one facing this problem. So I decided to create the products myself!

2. Were you inspired by Baby Einstein series ?

I think we have many products in the US for preschool children that are interactive & fun while being educational. I admire Disney's Baby Einstein range of products - they are brilliant! Since similar products don't really exist for this age group in India, I drew inspiration from my childhood memories in India while developing Little GuruSkool. Everyday objects, colors, music and nature that represent India to me - things that I want my son to be aware of and relate to - they are my inspiration.

I like to think that Little GuruSkool books and DVDs provide a good balance of Indian and American culture. The material isn't too "ethnic" - the color sensibility & illustration is quite modern.

3.Which age range do you target ?

The current products are targeted towards the preschool age group - 1 to 5 years. However, I have had parents use them for older children too - it depends on how much exposure the child has had to Indian languages and Indian culture. My son turned 6 last October but enjoys reading the books (now he reads them himself!) and looking at the illustrations and listening to the music.

4. Who writes and illustrates for the board books as well as the DVDs ?

I have created the storyboards and illustrations for the books myself. I am an amateur painter so this is a great creative outlet for me! I have also produced the DVDs myself - I worked with a film production studio in India. I traveled there often and spent weeks at a stretch - I was involved in every aspect of production from script writing to graphic design to filming & editing.

5. I see the books are bilingual. What about the DVD ?

The books feature words in English, Hindi (in Devnagri script) and transliteration in English. The DVDs are bilingual too - one can choose either an English or Hindi soundtrack from the main menu.

6. How old is your son ? Does he enjoy this line of product ?

My son turned 6 in October 2008 - I have used all the books and DVDs with him and he enjoyed them a lot! Even now, he enjoys reading the books himself, looking at the colorful Indian illustrations and learns new Hindi words each time he watches the DVDs.

7. Tell us a little about yourself and how you ventured into this business. It might inspire many more Moms you know

My academic background is in Accounting and Finance (I'm a Chartered Accountant from India and a CPA). I got my MBA from the University of Chicago GSB in 2005 and worked in Brand Finance at Unilever's Dove hair for 1.5 years thereafter. In March 2007, I left Unilever to pursue Little GuruSkool full-time.

I have no prior media experience but as an Indian mom living abroad, I have a clear idea of what I want my son to learn about India. This vision is what guides me as I build and grow Little GuruSkool!

The response to the products has been thrilling - it is very satisfying to answer my son's questions about Indian culture as he reads a Little GuruSkool book and I hope that parents around the world can enjoy exploring this exciting culture together!

Do check out her web site nad products and send comments, ideas and suggestions at pooja.goel@littleguruskool.com

Parents, WATCH your kids please!

I was asked by Sandeepa to contribute to a Mothers Day special at Desi Momz Club (love this site with its wonderful contributions). Yes, my previous entry was in a way dedicated to mothers, but I felt I needed to say something else... not just a personal entry on what happened between me and my little one. Well, last night something happened which prompted me to write this...

It was a beautiful, sunny evening and I was preparing dinner, when at around 6 pm, there was banging on the front door and someone ringing the bell frantically. Turned out to be the 14-year-old boy from across the street, clutching his 10-month-old sister (the fifth child of our neighbors) - asking if I had seen his other sister - a beautiful 5-year-old with curly blond hair and greenish blue eyes. She was nowhere to be found, he screamed - could we join the search party please?

Of course, my heart started pounding and I was stunned. We live in a very safe neighborhood in the suburbs of Houston, where people leave their doors open and the children walk or cycle to school on their own. And yes, people do let their kids play unsupervised on the front yard. That was something which always bothered me. The little girl would play everyday all by herself in front of the house - on her bike or walking their poodle. My first thought was "Oh God, someone has snatched this pretty little girl away from her front yard" - not because I am paranoid and never let my little one alone (and that is true - I am with her if she decides to play in the front yard), but because this is a reality which has repeated time and again to so many families across the world. Little ones lost because some creep found it easy to stop, chat and whisk them into cars.

The next 20-25 minutes were a blur - all the neighbors outside, the mother screaming and wailing down the street and banging on every door to ask if their daughter was inside playing, and the older siblings rushing around on bikes searching the jogging trails in the area. My husband joined them, but the first thing he did was to go inside the neighbors house and look through closed cabinets, inside the pantry, inside washing machine and dryer and checked the bayou which ran behind their home. He tried to ask the couple if they had searched every room in the house for he was wondering if she could be hiding somewhere inside. The mother and the father were too upset and hysterical to answer questions. The cops came. And then as suddenly, the little girl was found. She was, indeed, hiding inside the house!!!!!!!! What joy, what relief. And what a jolt to the tranquil suburban lifestyle. I bet her mother will keep an eagle eye on her from now on. I will see if she is allowed to play unsupervised from now onwards.

There are plenty of scary statistics out there on how many kids get abducted (see National Center for Missing & Exploited Children too). To quote one "In 80% of abductions by strangers, the first contact occurs within a quarter mile of the child's home. In many cases, the abduction does too.- - 1990 U.S. Justice Department". You will get plenty of information on how to keep your child safe and what to do if one does go missing. We should all take the time to read these. And pray that this experience NEVER happens to you, to anyone you know or any other child you don't know. But this is beyond our control. While there are disturbed people with bad intentions, this will continue. Think of Madeleine McCann. Did the parents ever imagine their child would be taken from their bedroom at a resort? No. She's still missing.

I think, as mothers (and I say mothers first because statistically they are higher in numbers than dads who stay at home or take their kids to the park) and fathers, the one thing we can do is keep an eye on our children!! Don't assume they are safe just because they are playing outside your home or with the neighbors kids. Talk to them about safety issues, and pay attention to your kids if they tell you they don’t want to be with someone or go somewhere.

Here are some tips we all can follow.

What are the most important things parents should tell children about safety?
- Always check first with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult before going anywhere, accepting anything, or getting into a car with anyone.
- Do not go out alone. Always take a friend with when going places or playing outside.
- Say no if someone tries to touch you, or treats you in a way that makes you feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused. Get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
- Tell a parent, guardian, or trusted adult if you feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused.
- There will always be someone to help you, and you have the right to be safe.

I will end now. My thoughts are with all those who are still searching for their missing kids. Good luck and may you have the strength to go through this terrifying situation. And for the others, hope these tips will make us at least more aware of the harsh reality of a world where things can go terribly wrong... in a matter of seconds.

What it takes to be a good mother

My choice of mothers for the Mother's Day event at DMC may be a little unusual, but bear with me...

Many years ago, on a shivering cold, rainy monsoon day, a cat landed up at our drawing room window. At the time we stayed in a government bungalow which had deeply recessed windows at an almost 2 foot depth, so it sheltered the cat very well from the rain and she gave birth to two kittens. One of them died that very night, sadly, but the other one lived and graciously allowed us to look after him whenever his Royal Majesty pleased.

We observed after some time that our cat, Sphinx, was always highly alert on Saturday mornings, at about 10:00 am. I don't know if he could tell time, but we could have told it by his behaviour. Bang at 10 am, every saturday morning, Sphinx would clamour to be out in the garden, and would sit there, every muscle focused, whiskers quivering with excitement. And every Saturday morning, without fail, dropping all her other commitments, his mom would come, on the dot of 10 am.

The two of them would have a gala time, running and chasing each other by turns, jumping through the tall grass in our somewhat overgrown garden, leaping up at flowers, playing roll-me-over, giving in to the irrepressible joy of meeting again in the most physical way possible. And then, the two of them, tired out from the hullabaloo, would curl up in the shade of the peach tree, all snarled up so you couldn't tell where the mother cat ended and the baby cat began, and take a peaceful nap, before momma had to get back to her usual job.

It was amazing to see with what regularity this happened, and to feel the joy of the two cats. All too often, one hears that cats are unemotional, practicalt creatures, more conscious of their own creature comforts than anything else. But this instance was almost an object lesson, about creating quality time for your child, and letting nothing - no deadline, no dead mouse - come in the way.

Years later, our servant had kept a Spitz as a pet but once it got pregnant, he realised that he didn't want to spend the money on getting her proper treatment through the process so my sister took on the job. We had to rush her to a vet all the way out in NOIDA, a good 1 hour's drive away from our then home, not to mention feed her motion sickness pills and later give her lots of vitamins and supplements to replace those she didn't get as a young puppy. She had 8 puppies, two male and 6 female, though one of the males died soon after birth.

We put out a cardboard box lined with an old, soft, cotton sari for the puppies, and the mother took amazing care of them. She was barely a year old herself at the time, much too young to have kids. She used to sit with them for the first couple of weeks, and then, as they grew up a little, she loved walking around the huge lawns of the house. Every time she came anywhere near the pups, all 7 would start mewling at her in the most plaintive way and she'd have to lie there and feed them for hours. As they became older and stronger, we could tell that she was getting really irritated with the whole feeding process, not to mention tired out, but apart from a few teeth-baring incidents, she did her job as a mom. This actually carried on till we took her to the vet for a postnatal check and found out that since she hadn't been given the right supplements when a baby, her feeding the pups was actually weakening her own bones.

Watching her in action with the pups was incredible. One may say whatever one wants about animal instinct, but she, at her young age, was so giving of herself, literally and figuratively. It was a great lesson about what it takes to be a mom - dedication and the ability to put someone else's welfare ahead of one's own.


We wound up adopting her and her son, since the servant didn't have the means to take proper care of them. We're grateful we still have this mother around, a matriarch now at 14 ( 98 dog years), and only hope she stays on with us a little longer. And though since then she's gone on to bite almost everyone in the family at least once, except Dad, we still rate her one of the best moms ever!

Mothers Talk related to Kids Social skill

From CNN,

Mothers often get blamed for the way their children turn out, and a new study gives additional weight to that accusation.

Research from the United Kingdom shows that the way mothers talk to their children at a young age influences their social skills later in childhood.

It also says,

But social understanding does not guarantee good behavior, the authors said. Children who showed the most sophisticated social skills in this study also behaved the most negatively toward their mothers in the team task of steering a model car around a race track. This suggests that social understanding isn't everything and must be used in beneficial ways, Yuill said.

Looking for a Nanny???

This is just a random post, nothing to do with Mothers Day or anything.

It is some information about Nannies that I wanted to share especially for people living in the Tri-State area. Some of these nannies are willing to re-locate within the US too.

If you are looking for Indian Nannies, try putting an ad in Indian news papers from NYC like India Abroad etc.

There is this Bangladeshi newspaper called "Thikana". You can fax them your ad and pay $25-$35 for an ad run for a week. Most Bangladeshi and Indian nannies in NYC peruse this newspaper for job openings and chances are your phone will be ringing non-stop

There is an agency in NYC whose name I don't know but the Ph. # is 718-205-9870. They are a good point-of-contact for Indian nannies too.

I have no ties, links, sponsorship from any of the above sources and I do not vouch for them either. Hire someone at your own discretion

Before you hire someone though, do a thorough background check, get several referrals, check out the family they have worked for before, spend a week or two with the nanny & your baby at your home after hiring, keep random checks by popping up un-announced and go with your instinct.

It washes, It rinses, It even dries the clothes.....

Remember that jingle from yesteryear?

It washes, it rinses,
It even dries the clothes....
In just a few minutes....
Videocon washing machiiiiiiiiine!

It tells how one machine does everything.... I know a mom who does that.

She willingly gave up her career since her husband has a very busy job and stayed home to raise kids. She was/is there every time they need her. She cooks the most delicious things from India and all over the world, making it seem like a breeze to make. She imparts family values and gives the kids a great grand chance to know the Indian culture but also let them enjoy the culture of the country she calls home, now. She manages the family finances; She plans vacations; She disciplines gently; She also enjoys her hobbies of reading and gardening... and shows her kids how to take time out for themselves and to take vacations to unwind. She lets the kids be themselves and to find their own identity. She gives them the wings to follow their dreams. And she's very organized with her time. She also blogs all her culinary adventures for her kids might need all her recipes some day, and graciously shares it with everybody. And to top it off, she has love plenty enough to share with everybody who leaves comments on her blog.

Dear Asha, someday soon..... I hope to be a mom like you.

Mothers Day Event @ DMC

Its that time of the year again. Though I agree Mothers Day is a Hallmark event and I am not too much into it, I secretly like it.

At DMC though I wanted Mothers Day to be a bit different. This Mothers Day lets raise a taste to "Another MOM", lets appreciate, admire and write about a Mom outside our own closed sphere.

So, a member writes about not herself or her own Mom but a Mother she knows and admires. This could be your fellow Blogger Mom or a Mom you know in real life. Gives us a chance to appreciate Moms outside our own sphere.

Please do participate with your entries in the month of May only. When posting choose Label "Mothers Day 09". If you are not a member but want to participate, mail your entries to desimomz.blog@gmail.com before May 31st.

And guess what one lucky winner gets a $10 Amazon Gift card as a Mother Day Gift from DMC. The lucky winner will be randomly picked from all contributors.

Happy Mothers Day !!!

Two ordinary moms...

Two ladies come to mind from my childhood when I think about enterprising and hard-working single moms who just kept at it and made their lives better, especially for their children.

I was about six or seven years old when my mom, a superb cook and multi-tasker, told us that Saraswathi maami* would come in every evening, make chapathis and dal and such for us, and watch me for a bit till my mom can come home. Now, I did not like this arrangement much. I was not happy about somebody else in my mom's kitchen. However, with gentle demeanor and lots of Rosemilk, Saraswathi maami patiently won my trust so much so that I would long for her relaxing ritual of oiling my long hair and braiding it every evening while she told me stories from mythology. I would venture by her side and watch closely as she puffed up the chapathis over kerosine stove flame. I would get cross with her when she admonished me for not behaving ladylike at times. I didn't know much about her, except that she was widowed, with a few kids of various school-going ages. Not old enough to fathom her tragedy or her struggle, I went about my young life, slightly mad at my mother. Little did I know that she welcomed the income from making us chapathis to help raise her family. One fine day she stopped making chapathis for us, we moved, and that was that.

During my high school years, my mom introduced Jayanthi* into our kitchen and lives. Jayanthi had a tiny toddler and her husband was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that left him almost bed-ridden at that time. She had joined as a new lab assistant in the school that my mom was teaching at that time. She didn't get a chance to finish college but was quite good with assembling chemicals and preparing the lab for the children's guided experiments. To be honest, Jayanthi was an awful cook. But, she was very sincere about her tasks. Over time, I began to respect her simplicity and guilelessness. She kept at it, quietly working away at school, and our house on and off. Meanwhile, I went away to pursue my own stuff and years rolled by with my mom filling me in about the little toddler getting to be in middle school and finally in high school. And, the last time I visited India, this very same shy young lad was eager to befriend little baby Ana. He is now in college, with help from a lot of people who probably never met him on a daily basis but took that extra effort to find Jayanthi odd-jobs to do so she can raise her child with dignity and strength.

This Mother's Day, I wanted to dedicate a post to these two ordinary moms, who have shown extraordinary strength and courage to get out of the little holes that Life dumped them in and managed to keep their chin up and their spirits high while giving their children all they can, no fuss, no muss. I am glad to have known them.

*Names have been modified, respecting their privacy.

Nancy Elliot Edison, you are my inspiration

When Sandeepa of Desi Momz Club came up with an idea of a Mother’s Day Special on DMC, with the caveat being that one didn’t have to write about oneself or one’s own mother, I was immediately intrigued. I don’t fall to praise easily, and to find another mother worthy of my admiration apart from my own was a tall order.

Luckily for me, I didn’t have to think too hard, there was one mother I’ve never known, who has lived centuries before me, and who I admire and who, unknown to her, has given me hope and courage. The mother of Thomas Alva Edison. Everyone knows the man, he has given us some of the most useful inventions, with his life the stuff genius is made of. But did you know that when he was seven, a schoolmaster called him slow and his brains, ‘addled’. His furious mother removed him from school and began homeschooling him herself. She was a teacher. And her faith in him and his abilities were what made him what he eventually went on to become.

Here’s the little I have researched on her:

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=fsMhuXeEtH4C&pg=PA44&dq=Thomas+Alva+Edison,+mother,+influence

Thomas Edison's forebears lived in New Jersey until their loyalty to the British crown during the American Revolution drove them to Nova Scotia, Canada. From there, later generations relocated to Ontario and fought the Americans in the War of 1812. Edison's mother, Nancy Elliott, was originally from New York until her family moved to Vienna, Canada, where she met Sam Edison, Jr., whom she later married. When Sam became involved in an unsuccessful insurrection in Ontario in the 1830s, he was forced to flee to the United States and in 1839 they made their home in Milan, Ohio.
Birth of Thomas Alva Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was born to Sam and Nancy on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. Known as "Al" in his youth, Edison was the youngest of seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Edison tended to be in poor health when young.
To seek a better fortune, Sam Edison moved the family to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1854, where he worked in the lumber business.
Addled Brain?
Edison was a poor student. When a schoolmaster called Edison "addled," or slow. his furious mother took him out of the school and proceeded to teach him at home. Edison said many years later, "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had some one to live for, some one I must not disappoint."

What can I say? Everytime I struggled with my child and his seeming slowness and reluctance to fit into the mould of learners, everytime I shed bitter tears after PTA meetings when I was told he was far far behind the class and when it was hinted that I should perhaps take him out of school and put him in a special school, I would think of this mom and her determination to refuse to accept a schoolmaster’s definition of her son’s limitations, and her ferocity in educating him herself, giving us some of the most important inventions we have in the modern day world.

I think of her and feel ashamed of myself, for feeling cowed down and hopeless and hovering on the edge of despair. And I pick myself and push my son to prove to his class teachers that he can cope. And he is not slow. He is brilliant. I know it. And I hope one day he proves it to the world. And remembers how his mother fought for him and believed in him too!

Happy Mothers Day to you too!

(posted by karmickids)

Free Mother's Day Book download

I saw this on a newsletter from Mothering.com. I just registered for my free copy. Thought others might want to use it too. I'm not affiliated with Mothering.com, or this website where you can download the book, or with the author in ANY way.


Free Mother’s Day book download

Download a free copy of life balance expert Renee Trudeau’s award winning book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life from May 8 through May 10 at www.mothersguidetoselfrenewal.com

Learning Disabilities Awareness Month

This has been a topic dear to my heart, as any of you who follows Karmickids might know, the brat has issues with learning. While they are not specifically any learning disability related, there is definitely the issue of PPD/NOS that has impinged on his learning skills, and slowly but steadily I have been working with him to get him on a level that he can cope albeit tenuously with the rest of the class, and the rather punishing syllabus they seem to have in schools these days.
Therefore, when I broached the idea of a month devoted to spreading information about learning disabilities on the mommy blogosphere amongst few mommies I knew would have the inclination to take time out from their daily routines, and spend time researching the topic, I wasnt prepared for the overwhelming support I got. So here, first, is the thank you. A huge thank you to each and everyone of you who agreed to be part of this month. And a special thank you to DotMom for creating us a wonderful badge.
Here, in no particular order, are the posts on issues relating to Learning Disabilities from the mommy blogosphere.
Disclaimer: Some of these posts are compiled through online research and none claim to be conclusive. None of the mommies who have written for this Awareness month have a medical background in the topic (although some might have personal experience in dealing with a child), and therefore, if anything written seems to ring a warning bell, please do consult a medical professional for appropriate assessment and guidance.

Tharini of Winkiesways wrote on Types of Learning Disabilities, a post that is crossposted on DMC.

Lak concentrated on the self esteem issues faced by a child with learning disabilities in her post.

I wrote on how important it is for parents to work with the child towards dealing with Learning Disabilities. I wrote partly from my personal experience. And partly through net research.

Girl Next Door wrote on treating and managing the Learning Disability.

Itchingtowriteblogs wrote on Unlearning Learning Disabilities.

Art Navy wrote this on Enabling Learning Disabled Parents.

(The operative word, and what Priya also mentioned, and what I also firmly believe in, is early intervention. Use your instincts as a mother and get help for your child the moment you feel there is an issue. Speaking from my experience, I kept getting told that boys speak later, and I was making an issue of a non issue, but my gut instinct that my child did not respond like other children had me making the rounds of pediatric neurologists from 18 months to find out what was wrong with him. And the brat started speech and occupational therapy at 19 months. Early intervention, I cannot stress enough, is the key.)

Ceekay, the dear, gave us two posts on ADHD and on a very important topic, namely that of Being an Advocate for your child. I feel the second topic is vital for parents who deal with educationists who insist on slotting children into categories, and neglecting children they feel dont make the grade. You have to push for your child, and by that I dont mean you need to be a Momzilla, but you need to work with your child's teachers to bring out the best in your child and make sure your child gets the opportunities he or she deserves.

Sue drew on her personal experience with her brother to talk about the stress examinations cause. And the bitter truth that the examination system often doesnt account for intelligence.

Priyainsuburbia talks about how she and her daughter have come a long way, drawing on her experiences with her daughter's speech and language delay. A post that really touched my heart, seeing as the brat was also struggling to speak full relevant sentences till age 3 and a half. Now of course, he doesn't shut up.

There are a couple of more posts scheduled, and we will update this list when they come up.
I do hope this month has been educative and informative to all the blog mommies. Do write back with your feedback.

Sleeping through the Night Hunger Pangs...

[written by Sheela at The Joy of My Life, crossposted here]

At just about every visit for the last few months, Oggie's doctor has strongly recommended that I turn a deaf ear to his cries in the middle of the night, stay firm about not feeding him, and let him sob himself to sleep. Not in any cruel manner, but by using Kim West's technique like Shuffle or something similarly humane and gentle.

Now, the theory seems to be that a 'normal', average-weight 10-month-old can go upto 10 hours without feeding, with no adverse effect on his growth. He can be trained to recognize that 10-hour stretch of nighttime is to be reserved for sleeping without eating or drinking. This, after making sure he feeds every two hours during his waking hours. Go Figure!

Backing up a little, How much should a 10-month-old eat, and how often? Well, approximately 3 meals (3-4oz serving of veggies/fruits/meats/cereal) and maybe 3 snacks (baby's handful of finger foods/fruits) at daytime - viz., breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks roughly inbetween - giving allowance for his nap times, if they exist, plus about 16oz of breastmilk or formula (some claim up to 24oz).

Hm. Seems like a lot, doesn't it?

But, considering that his stomach is the size of his fist, and that I manage to sneak in only about 5-10 baby spoonfuls before he protests vehemently, turns his face away while mercilessly swatting my over-eager feeding-hand, I guess it makes sense to feed him as often as suggested so it manages to meet the nutritional needs for his age. Perhaps this is precisely why they recommend feeding attempting to feed every two hours or so during daytime...

How then can I train him to not expect any meal from 7:30 pm to 5:30 am, from his bedtime to his wake-up time?

The books I've read so far on teaching babies to sleep on their own, for I do believe I should not be a crutch that makes him rely on me for his restfulness, seem to be geared towards getting the baby to fall asleep on his own in the first place, and then simply extrapolate the same technique when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

Now, when a particularly delightful and sweet-tempered baby decides that no amount of cuddling/patting/rubbing/singing is going to make his hunger pangs go away, and holds out for the measly 4-5oz* of beverage that he sucks down in almost a single long gulp, I feel terribly cruel denying him that in the middle of the night in the name of teaching him to fall asleep on his own. I mean, he can fall asleep on his own if he is not so darn h.u.n.g.r.y, it seems to me...
* and, I have greedily attempted to offer 6-8oz hoping he would sleep longer with a fuller tummy - quite an unsuccessful enterprise so far

Unbeknownst to me, and much to my exasperation, my mother has sneaked into me this seemingly altruistic belief that once I have kids, my life is not my own: I live, breathe, sleep, wake up, eat and think only for the kids, and God forbid I put myself first every once in a while and choose sleep over burnout.

I have been breaking out of it slowly now with Oggie (seeing how detrimental it was for me with Ana), choosing not to co-sleep but to be at a sneezing distance from the wee one at nights, one ear cocked to the tune of the baby monitor and feeling terribly guilty the whole time.

How is that better for me? Well, naturally, it is better for me because it is better for Oggie as he is not dependent on me to rock him or cuddle him to sleep - he can fall asleep on his own terms. But, more importantly, after I set him down for his sleep in his crib, I get to take care of my other domestic chores, and maybe sneak in a movie or show or some good-reading to relax, or perhaps even grope for a sense of fulfillment by indulging in some sewing/crocheting/knitting/painting before I retire for the night and catch a couple of hours before Oggie's tummy tugs at my heart again...

Quelle horreur! I chose not to co-sleep because I can have some "me time"?! What sort of a mommy am I?

When Ana was a baby, she would not fall asleep on her own, so I'd have her on my bed, cuddling and patting till she seemed in deep delta non-REM state, enduring my overfilled bladder and longing to read a book but not daring to turn on the light, or for that matter move much as that would wake her up screaming... it was harder for her to break out of it than me, I admit, but, she eventually accepted her crib away from my bed and learnt to fall asleep.

And, of course, each baby is different, so, I cannot expect Oggie to mimic Ana in every way, at least not at this age, not in any significant way... so, I have to figure out what works for him. And me, of course.

And, letting him cry for an hour before giving in and feeding him makes no sense. So, I watch for signs and count the hours before his wee tummy might feel the hunger pangs again - this depends on how his previous feeding went, naturally - and just get up and feed him. Which turns out to be every four** hours still!
** p.s: it is not like I have not tried loading him up right before bedtime with a thickish 8oz mixture of cereal with formula as the doctor suggested... after wasting about 6 of the 8oz for about 6 out of 6 days in a row, I decided to respect Oggie's tastes.

And my colleagues wonder why I bother chugging down decaf by the potful every morning, leaning over my desk dangerously close to resting my carelessly up-swept hair on the keyboard, blissfully unaware of my mismatched socks...

Managing LD

Girl Next Door who blogs at Girl-Next-Door has the next post in the series Learning Disability Awareness month

She says "Once you have a diagnosis, what's next? Is there a cure for LD? It depends on how we define "cure"! If a cure to you means ensuring a successful, independent life for your child, then ABSOLUTELY YES!! With proper help and guidance, your child can learn to adapt to living with LD and go on to accomplish their dreams. I prefer to use "Managing" rather than "Treating" LD."

She has excellent points on how to manage the condition

One of her points say "Any site I checked emphasized on - "EARLY EARLY EARLY!" Early Intervention! Because otherwise, it can have a snowballing effect - if not intervened early on, the child can get frustrated at lagging behind, and that can lead to severe self-esteem problems, and it will take much longer to undo this damage!"

Go over to read the entire text here.

To know more and to contribute to this ongoing event contact Kiran @ Karmic Kids

Advocating for your child

CeeKay who blogs at My Two Cents has the next post in the series Learning Disability Awareness month

She says "A child with learning disabilities needs an advocate more than anyone else. Teachers and caretakers would just as easily recommend the child be pumped full of drugs to make him/her more manageable instead of putting in time and effort to manage his behavior. I am sorry for this harsh judgment because I know there are still many dedicated teachers and caretakers out there who wouldn't take this route. But it is because of those who take the easy way out instead of working with the child that I have formed this opinion"

She also references articles and puts an emphasis on being assertive to advocate for your child

Go over to read the entire text here.

To know more and to contribute to this ongoing event contact Kiran @ Karmic Kids

Earth Hour

Switch off your lights Saturday March 28th @ 8:30 PM for an hour and support the earth

Save the earth...and have fun

As middle class Indians, somewhere the concepts of thrift and of being kind to the planet were embedded into us right from the start. Whether it was little things like turning out the lights when you left a room or reusing dishwater to water your garden, or selling old newspapers and magazines to the kabadi wala, one was just intuitively geared towards reusing and recycling. One of the great joys of birthday party gifts was to slowly and ever-so-carefully peel off the cellotape and take the paper off and keep to away to be reused. I still wince when I watch TV shows where one of the characters rips the wrapping paper off and shucks it away.

Particularly now that I have kids, the need to make them responsible citizens is all the more critical. Luckily Chubbocks' school also has an environmental science program that starts from kindergarten and teaches kids about conservation. So this year, I got Chubbocks to make wrapping paper at home to wrap birthday gifts for his friends. It's recycling and it's creative. Plus it gives the kids something to keep them busy when they're revved up about a birthday party!


What we did was to dig out old white-coloured newspapers. I cut out a flower and a leaf from a potato and poured some water colour paint into plastic cups. Both kids were at it for hours and we ended up with a wrapping paper that looked pretty and original.

What you can do as a parent if your child has LD

Disclaimer: This post is compiled through online research. In no way does it claim to be comprehensive, exhaustive and put together by an authority on the topic. If you suspect your child has a learning disorder, please do consult a specialist on the topic immediately.
When Tharini of WinkiesWay came up with the Food Allergy Awareness Month, a few months ago, I thought this was a brilliant way to bring the blogosphere together to create awareness about topics that needed awareness spread about them and my immediate thought was that it would be wonderful if we had something on similiar lines for Learning Disabilities. I grapple with it on a daily basis albeit on a mild scale with my son. He has not been tested for Learning Disabilities, but he is definitely slow to pick up.
In this era of acute competition, with school syllabuses incredibly fast paced and unforgiving, what is a parent to do when his or her child is confronted with a system of learning that is beyond their abilities? Or if they are highly intelligent, yet unable to process specific information. I've tried to put together a guide to how you can work with your child at home, apart from the help your child should receive at school and a professional special educator if required.
First, if your child has been diagnosed with a learning disorder, learn as much as you can about it.
Figure out how your child learns best. What are their special skills, talents, and interests? This information can help you motivate and foster your child's learning. Be open to other ways of learning. The senses, movement, and listening are all ways of gathering information. What works best for your child?

Encourage your child to work on their special talent. When they can really shine in some area, it helps them feel like a success.

Give your child unconditional love and support.

Accept your own mistakes. Model for your child that mistakes do not equal failure! Show your child that mistakes can be useful and lead to solutions.

Help your child understand their learning problems and talk about them. Focus on coping skills.

Help your child stay strong in body and mind by providing good food, enough rest, play, and family outings.

If you're having trouble coping, get professional counseling. It can be tough handling difficult behavior from your child and difficult feelings of your own.

Join a support group for parents of kids with LDs. A support group can help you feel less alone, get information, and learn strategies from other parents.

Helping your child with his or her school education.
The first step is to get involved.
Involve your school with your child's learning issues. Speak to the teachers and the coordinators. Ask teachers how you can help provide consistency and how you can reinforce and expand on what's going on in the classroom.Talk with your child's teacher about both academics and behavior.Plan homework strategies with your child's class teacher.
Help your child with their homework to the best of your ability without applying too much pressure on your child.

Provide an organized home with time and a place for study.Ensure your child understands and values the need for a good academic record and works towards it.
Inculcate good study skills and independent studying habits.
According to research, children whose parents are involved in their education benefit all round with:
Better grades

Better attendance

Higher graduation rates

Better self-esteem

Less drug and alcohol use

Less violent behavior

Fix a daily study routine which makes study time an integral part of your child's day. Have a fixed spot for study.
Keeping tabs on kids’ after-school activities and making sure they are supervised.S

howing your kids you value learning, self-discipline, and hard work.

Setting realistic, but high goals and standards for your child.

Guide and supervise TV viewing, read aloud, take educational trips with your child, having books as an integral part of your child's life, and doing interesting activities that stimulate your child's mind.
Going to the school regularly, so your child will view home and school as being connected, and will view school as an important part of the family’s life.

Self Esteem issues can crop up with children who have learning Disabilities. It is your role as a parent to ensure that you reassure your child to develop a strong sense of self worth, by reassuring them, working with them and building on their unique talents and skills.

Tips for how children with learning disabilities can succeed at school

Ways to help a student with a learning disability succeed at school

Accommodations - these can be as simple as being seated in the front row, having extra time on tests, or can involve electronic equipment and auxiliary personnel

Compensatory strategies - ways to use their cognitive strengths to offset weaknesses. If they have poor auditory memory but strong visual memory, have them draw or write down the instructions

Special education - instruction taught by specially trained personnel in smaller classes which focuses on working on specific skills

Self-advocacy skills - empowering students to ask for what they need in order to learn in the most effective way. Motivate the child to ask questions if they don’t understand the instructions

Working with your child at home

When you work with your child at home on academic and life skills, you help them recognize their own strengths and increase their self-esteem. Examples of activities you can implement at home fall into several categories – accommodations, organization, critical thinking, and emotional support.

Ways to cope

Take frequent breaks when doing homework

Accommodate for the child’s primary learning style by allowing them to pace around, listen to background music, attach visual displays to the walls, or wear earplugs or headphones if distracted by noise

Provide a computer for written assignments if the child has difficulty writingOrganizationModel and teach them how to make “to do” lists and prioritize their homework

Set aside a regular time each week for organizing workspace, belongings, schoolwork, and activities; make a game of it or provide a reward

Give your child a task that requires organization: grocery shopping required for a recipe, planning a birthday party on a budget, using a map to figure out the route from one place to another

Critical thinking

Play games of strategy

Talk about current events and ideas with multiple points of view

Encourage all sorts of age-appropriate reading and writingEmotional supportPraise your child for the positive qualities they exhibit during the whole process of doing homework not just when they finish their homework

Engage them in social problem-solving: how to resolve conflicts with friends, teachers, and kids who may be bothering them at school

Encourage activities that your child enjoys and excels inKeep open lines of communication so your child feels comfortable discussing feelings with youLet your children know that you enjoy their company by playing and talking with them. It’s important not to ignore other children in the family. Many activities geared for learning disabled children can include and benefit children without disabilities as well
Set reasonable expectations

Try not to expect more than the child is capable of doing, but expect the best that he or she can produce, with and then without assistance. Many young children with learning disabilities have significant problems with visual-motor integration. Some do not know how to hold a pencil or draw the simplest figures. In these cases, an occupational therapist or specialist in learning disabilities may be needed. Parents can, however, assist by having children draw figures in sand, make designs with finger paint, etc.

Introduce mathematics as a meaningful, pleasurable activity, not a rote memory skill. While most parents play simple counting games and sing number songs (all of which are helpful), we also recommend activities which strengthen the language of mathematics and one-to-one correspondence. Some children with learning disabilities have difficulty counting systematically; others have difficulty with words such as more, less, few and other relational terms. Encourage children to help estimate, measure, pour water or milk, not only to learn some of the quantitative terms but to help them acquire certain visual- spatial-motor skills.Simple games with dominoes can be used to match quantities, to strengthen counting skills and one-to-one correspondence. When reading to children, have them note the numbers of the pages and say them. Some youngsters learn to count, but they do not learn how to read numerals.Seriation (ordering objects according to size) is an important aspect of mathematics which parents can encourage. When children are given pots and pans of various sizes to stack in order, they are learning the rudiments of seriation. When they stack various size rings on a peg they also learn about the smallest and largest figures.

Simple problem solving can begin with activities such as setting the table. How many more forks do we need? Do we have enough spoons? These same types of activities can be used when playing games-- Do we have enough players, cards? etc. Many simple board games with dice are excellent ways of teaching counting, one-to-one correspondence, and turn taking.
Above all, be an involved parent. You are the only person who can truly hone your child's potential to its maximum. And you are the rock your child will turn to for reassurance.

Compiled by Karmickids.

(This article is compiled from online research)

Delay & Early Therapy for LD Awareness Month

Priya who blogs at PriyainSuburbia has the next post in the series Learning Disability Awareness month

She says "No one knows the cause of delays / disabilities in development. . . What we do know, is that earlier children are diagnosed and the earlier children are provided with appropriate help and therapy - the better their overall outlook for leading a normal life. Learning Disabilities usually span a spectrum. And really, a vast number of children are perfectly normal. However, if at all you suspect a problem, then its in the child’s best interest to get help as soon as possible. Here’s what to do and not do if you suspect an LD:"

She has very good points there to grapple with the fact, to get help and to deal with the situation.

Go over to read the entire text here.

To know more and to contribute to this ongoing event contact Kiran @ Karmic Kids

Your Kid is Reading

Your child starts reading, now you better stop.

Your child has started reading, now she is reading books, she can read an entire book by herself, you are one proud Mom or Dad, you have a feeling of déjà vu BUT wait don't get too elated. There is a downside to this whole thing which might not have crossed your mind when you were desperately trying to teach her the difference between "C" in Cinderella and "C" in Cat.

Pros of Reading:

• The child can read, reading is definitely a good habit, being a voracious reader myself I don't have enough words to say how reading can change one's life.
• You no longer have to read your child a bed time story and so can utilize that time for better things like maybe blogging
• If the older one reads, you might just get away reading a bed time story to the younger one. Yeah, delegate and so now the older one reads to the younger one. Yippeee!!!
• Your child can now read road signs and give you directions from the back seat.

Cons of Reading (not to be taken seriously) :

• You no longer can read whatever you want. If you are the kind of person who has hoity-toity coffee table books and cheap romantic trash in the bedroom, your life is doomed. You wouldn't like it if your 5 year old picks up one of those and reads a page aloud...ahem
• You can no longer take her and roam freely through all aisles of the Super Store, you never know what might spring up. I suggest keep away from aisles labeled "Feminine Hygiene" and such
• You can no longer write a blog where you exaggerate and basically write stuff which might not be exactly true to life, small deviations like "I made Chicken Curry yesterday" might make her comment, "No, you did not make it yesterday, it was 2 days back"
• She peers over your shoulder while you type and suggests that you put her stuff on the blog too, so your personal space is no longer yours now.

Since Big Sis S started reading fluently a year back, I have to be more careful around her at home. More than her own books, she is interested in reading my e-mail or the bills or even Toys R Us fliers and at times my blog. She does read to her sis, which is a good thing though

We also used up our time last snow day by making a book, nothing fancy, something a child can do on her own. I cut up some of her old daily sheets (we reuse all such papers by using them for printing, drawing, writing etc.) and she made a book with a story and illustration. Served with some cookies she helped to make. Next on line, she wants to make a book about her little sis.


On another note, to get your kids interested in reading try these

• Start early (as in once they recognize alphabets) and ask her to read out aloud and sound out letters when you are at the store, on the road where ever
• Get those fridge letter magnets and form words with them which she can read. This can be done any time, all the time.
• You need to read to at least initiate her interest. If you don't have any books at home or a reading atmosphere, and ask her to sit and read that won't help a whole lot. Once she is into it, go watch your TV
• Go to the library or the bookstore and spend time browsing, borrowing, reading.
• Ask her to read and write your grocery list to show how reading is incorporated in daily life. She will get a kick out of writing and reading simple words like Milk, Egg etc.
• Ask her to read instructions of her new game, the card she has received, her school calendar which shows the "pizza day"
• And again each child will read, write, do whatever at their own pace, don't rush and be patient.

Do you have any ideas to share about how to get kids interested in reading ?

Check out these posts on DMC for at home Snow/rainy day Activities

More on how reading can be exciting -- My work here is done

Happy Holi and Happy Reading !!!

An Intro..

Hello everyone,

This has been long due now. I became a member of this club around 2 weeks back and only getting to post this intro now. My name is Bhagyashri and my daughter will be 2 yrs old this May. To tell you something about S, she is a tremendously active child, so much so that she doesnt want to sleep or even lie down even when she is very very tired. Is there a 'touch wood' button here somewhere, because although it becomes a bit hectic for me, I want her to be active at the same time. More about her in subsequent posts.

I first came across Desi Momz Club while browsing through some food blogs. After following the blog for quite some time I found quite a few posts exactly reflecting my feelings and thoughts about various topics including parenting, food & nutrition for kids etc.  I am sure there will be many more such contributions from members (& me too!) through which I will be able to answer a lot of my own questions regarding the upbringing of S. 

And most imporatantly, I feel that this is a place where I can meet other Moms and share the anxiety, anguish, tension and also the happiness, excitement & pride involved in being a parent, more so a Mom.

We were discussing Spring and I was talking to Chintu about the different colored flowers we would get to see in Spring. This is my newly turned 3yr old's expression of Spring....well actually he forgot about Spring and named the first one 'tracks' and the second one 'forest'...

Here's wishing everybody a VERY HAPPY SPRING !!

Kids Libraries

If you are in Bangalore, India, Choxbox has some libraries researched for your kids via this link Citizen Matters

• Out of The Box, J.P.Nagar
  
• I-Cue, J.P.Nagar
  
• MyMitra Children's Library, Jayanagar
  
• Hippocampus, Koramangala
  
• Easy Library, Koramangala
  
• Mindgym, Off Sarjapur Road

If you are in India, please leave a comment with news and views about good libraries in your town/city/area/village

Types of learning disabilities

[This post is written by Tharini of Winkie's Way and crossposted there.]

DISCLAIMER!!!

Before reading further, please note that the info presented here is purely cursory information based on some online research. It is by no means conclusive and if you feel that your child exhibits one or more of these warning signs, it does not mean that he/she suffers from a learning disability! Thank you.

March has been dedicated to awareness of learning disabilities in children in our little slice of the blogosphere. To be frank, I have no experience or knowledge about learning disabilities. But that should not stop any of us from understanding more about what it is, because being educated is being empowered. And when Kiran gave us a list of topics to address I chose 2. Namely, types of learning disabilities and warning signs that parents and teachers need to watch out for.

But before we get into any of all that....let us first clarify our understanding of what learning disabilities in children really are about. Some individuals, despite having an average or above average level of intelligence, have real difficulty acquiring basic academic skills. These skills include those needed for successful reading, writing, listening, speaking and/or math. These difficulties might be the result of a learning disability. It is basically a condition when a child's achievement is substantially below what one might expect for that child. Learning disabilities do not include problems that are primarily the result of intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbance, or visual, hearing, emotional or intellectual disabilities.

Many children with LD have struggle with reading. The difficulties often begin with individual sounds, or phonemes. Students may have problems with rhyming, and pulling words apart into their individual sounds (segmenting) and putting individual sounds together to form words (blending). This makes it difficult to decode words accurately, which can lead to trouble with fluency and comprehension. As students move through the grades, more and more of the information they need to learn is presented in written (through textbooks) or oral (through lecture) form. This exacerbates the difficulties they have succeeding in school.

What are the types of learning disabilities (LDs)?

LD is a broad term. There are many different kinds of learning disabilities. Most often they fall into three broad categories:

Reading disabilities (often referred to as dyslexia)

Written language disabilities (often referred to as dysgraphia)

Math disabilities (often called dyscalsulia)

Other related categories include disabilities that affect memory, social skills, and executive functions such as deciding to begin a task.

Here is some general information on the more common forms of LD. We will not get into too much of detail, and restrict this to an overview understanding of the types of LDs.

Dyslexia (difficulty reading)

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Reading disabilities affect 2 to 8 % of elementary school children.

To read successfully, one must:

Focus attention on the printed symbols
Recognize the sounds associated with letters
Understand words and grammar
Build ideas and images
Compare new ideas to what you already know
Store ideas in memory

A person with dyslexia can have problems in any of the tasks involved in reading. Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn; with appropriate teaching methods, dyslexics can learn successfully. Remedial reading specialists have developed techniques that can help many children with dyslexia acquire these skills.

However, there is more to reading than recognizing words. If the brain is unable to form images or relate new ideas to those stored in memory, the reader cannot understand or remember the new concepts. Other types of reading disabilities can appear in the upper grades when the focus of reading shifts from word identification to comprehension.

Dysgraphia (Writing difficulty)

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Just having bad handwriting doesn't mean a person has dysgraphia. But if a person has trouble in any of the areas below, additional help may be beneficial.

>Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
>Illegible handwriting
>Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
>Tiring quickly while writing
>Saying words out loud while writing
>Unfinished or omitted words in sentences
>Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper
>Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
>Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech.

Dyscalculia (Difficult in Math)

Dyscalculia is a term referring to a wide range of life-long learning disabilities involving math. There is no single form of math disability, and difficulties vary from person to person and affect people differently in school and throughout life.

Since math disabilities are varied, the signs that a person may have a difficulty in this area can be just as varied. If a person has trouble in any of the areas below, additional help may be beneficial.

>Good at speaking, reading, and writing, but slow to develop counting and math problem-solving skills
>Good memory for printed words, but difficulty reading numbers, or recalling numbers in sequence
>Good with general math concepts, but frustrated when specific computation and organization skills need to be used
>Trouble with the concept of time-chronically late, difficulty remembering schedules, trouble with approximating how long something will take
>Poor sense of direction, easily disoriented and easily confused by changes in routine
>Poor long term memory of concepts-can do math functions one day, but is unable to repeat them the next day
>Poor mental math ability-trouble estimating grocery costs or counting days until vacation
>Difficulty playing strategy games like chess, bridge or role-playing video games
>Difficulty keeping score when playing board and card games.

Other related conditions

Many aspects of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and arithmetic overlap and build on the same brain capabilities. It is not surprising that people can be diagnosed with more than one learning disability. There are many disabilities that are related to learning disabilities. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) makes it difficult for children to control their behavior and pay attention.

[This has been a very brief overview of LDs. More exhastive information can be found at http://www.ldonline.org/]

GENERAL WARNING SIGNS OF LDs

Warning signs may differ depending on whether it is a preschool child, or elementary school or secondary school.

PRESCHOOLER

Language
* Slow development in speaking words or sentences
* Pronunciation problems
* Difficulty learning new words
* Difficulty following simple directions
* Difficulty understanding questions
* Difficulty expressing wants and desires
* Difficulty rhyming words
* Lack of interest in story telling

Motor Skills
* Clumsiness
* Poor balance
* Difficulty manipulating small objects
* Awkwardness with running, jumping, or climbing
* Trouble learning to tie shoes, button shirts, or perform other self-help activities
* Avoidance of drawing or tracing

Cognition
* Trouble memorizing the alphabet or days of the week
* Poor memory for what should be routine (everyday) procedures
* Difficulty with cause and effect, sequencing, and counting
* Difficulty with basic concepts such as size, shape, color

Attention
* High distractibility
* Impulsive behavior
* Unusual restlessness (hyperactivity)
* Difficulty staying on task
* Difficulty changing activities
* Constant repetition of an idea, inability to move on to a new idea (perseveration)

Social Behavior
* Trouble interacting with others, playing alone
* Prone to sudden and extreme mood changes
* Easily frustrated
* Hard to manage, has temper tantrums

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Language/Mathematics
Slow learning of the correspondence of sound to letter.
Consistent errors in reading or spelling
Difficulty remembering basic sight words
Inability to retell a story in sequence
Trouble learning to tell time or count money
Confusion of math signs (+, -, x, /, =)
Transposition of number sequences
Trouble memorizing math facts
Trouble with place value
Difficulty remembering the steps of mathematic operations such as long division

Motor Skills
Poor coordination, or awkwardness
Difficulty copying from chalkboard
Difficulty aligning columns (math)
Poor handwriting

Attention/Organization
Difficulty concentrating or focusing on a task
Difficulty finishing work on time
Inability to follow multiple directions
Unusual sloppiness, carelessness
Poor concept of direction (left, right)
Rejection of new concepts, or changes in routine

Social Behavior
Difficulty understanding facial expressions or gestures
Difficulty understanding social situations
Tendency to misinterpret behavior of peers and/or adults
Apparent lack of "common sense"

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Language/Mathematics/Social Studies
Avoidance of reading and writing
Tendency to misread information
Difficulty summarizing
Poor reading comprehension
Difficulty understanding subject area textbooks
Trouble with open-ended questions
Continued poor spelling
Poor grasp of abstract concepts
Poor skills in writing essays
Difficulty in learning foreign language
Poor ability to apply math skills

Attention/Organization
Difficulty staying organized
Trouble with test formats such as multiple choice
Slow work pace in class and in testing situations
Poor note taking skills
Poor ability to proofread or double check work

Social Behavior
Difficulty accepting criticism
Difficulty seeking or giving feedback
Problems negotiating or advocating for oneself
Difficulty resisting peer pressure
Difficulty understanding another person's perspectives

Draw it out!

This is a drawing that Winkie did when he was angry. Very angry. Great big angry gashes across the page in circular motion helped him expend some of that negative energy building inside, and when he was emptied, what started off as morose, unhappy expressions turned into downright goofy, happy ones. All in a space of 2 minutes. What a metamorphosis huh??? I agree. And I wouldn't have known to give him a paper and pen to express himself if I hadn't read the book. At first, I had tried accepting his feelings with those simple monosyllabic replies, but that only seemed to incite him further. He seemed to want more of a reaction from me. Then suddenly this idea struck and I took a chance. He looked puzzled with the invitation to draw...and threw me a suspicious look, but I looked dead earnest. And he said...yes, he would like to draw and show me HOW angry he was!

I also invited him to draw how his face would have looked so angry, and he did. And in just under 30 seconds, his countenance calmed, his breathing became more regular and the muscles on his face relaxed, and struggle as he did, he could not stop that smile from escaping. Pretty soon, he openly acknowledged it and smiley faces began to appear on paper too. And we were both laughing together like a merry lot, and it didn't seem like only minutes before, we had a potential disaster waiting to happen.

But of course, the success of each technique is not set in stone. What might work today, is bound to flop miserably tomorrow, and we once again have to rely on our own creative instincts to diffuse an intense situation. But while it works, what it does achieve, in addition to effective result, is that it creates more trust and understanding. Smiles that are shared deepen the goodwill and a value of a light moment is never to be underestimated, right? :) For me, it just gave me some faith as a mother. I felt more capable when my son responded to me. I felt wonderful about keeping my dignity and grace intact, which is usually the first thing to go in a confrontation, at least in my case!

One year of home-delivered milk...

When you live abroad, one of the things you surely miss about India is having milk delivered daily to your doorstep. When I found out this farm in Maryland, you can only imagine the excitement I felt. All I do is order the quantities online and manage my account. Bottles of milk right outside my doorstep every Monday by 11 am. I am simply loving this arrangement. One of those life's little pleasures, isn't it? It's worked out great the last one year. I also love the fact that they use glass bottles instead of plastic. It's a once-in-a-week delivery. They also offer eggs, bread and butter. You pay the same price for a gallon of organic milk at your store. The only extra amount is is the delivery fee and that's $3.25 per week.

Back in India, last summer, when the sabjiwalla brought veggies to my mother's doorstep, I certainly saw old-fashioned ways of living in a very different, refershing light. I started thinking about how the food system operates in the US. I thought about how dependent our lives on the giant corporates and the price of oil to meet even our basic services such as milk, bread and eggs. Farmers' markets are nice, but they operate seasonally except of course if you live in a warm place like CA.

We have been very fortunate to have access something like this here in our neighborhood.(Touch wood!) Pretty soon, they will start delivering locallygrown/organic (you never know!) vegetables and fruit - again once a week delivery in small/medium/large sized boxes. Delivery starts in early June. During winter months, they are lining up some greenhouse farmers in the area for the winter supply of produce. I normally hate going to the stores in any weather. Particularly, having to run behind a toddler (who simply wouldn't want to be tied to a cart) that likes to be chased from one aisle to another in a huge grocery store that is the size of the planet is certainly not fun. :-) Well, I am sure you hear my woe! :-)

On a slightly different note, leaving you with this eyecandy of a cart filled with little saplings/plants - a mobile nursery - that was parked outside my mom's home in Chennai last summer. My girls standing beside me helped me choose the plants for my mother & my mother-in-law - who are neighbors! How wonderful the whole experience felt! Not to forget the delightful conversation I had with the seller. Truly one of my fondest summertime experiences of recent memory.

The classical class clash!

[This post is written by Tharini of Winkie's Way and crossposted there.]

Last year, I enrolled Winkie for a couple of classes a week. It was at the local community center and I enrolled him for Karate and a keyboard class called Kinderkeys. I thought long and hard about which classes he should go to and how many per week. Asking him doesn't yield any real answers, because he says yes to everything at first, or no to everything at first and only later does he actually figure out which one he likes and which one he doesn't. So I figured, something that gave him a physical outlet for his energy and something which nurtured his artistic side. So a little bit of each world neatly packed into 1 hour classes, once a week. It turned out to be good decisions, because he enjoyed both of them. But beyond my own initial enthusiasm, I began to bristle under the effort to chauffeur him those evenings on cold winter nights and manning a hyper Thambi for 60 minutes. Add to that the need to get him to practice his keyboard lessons. Eventually, it boiled down to too much of work for my lazy self. After the winter break, I did not enroll him because of our coming India trip and what a lovely breather that was. Now the spring session enrollments have begun and my stress level is once again peaking.

This is going to be a rambling post so please bear with me. Here I am questioning so many things...is it necessary for him to go to these classes? I guess NO, not really. And yet, the answer is a resounding yes. Its not purely the peer group or competitive angle....it boils down to something simple. As parents we want to guide our children to be exposed to a wide range of social situations, and also give them an extra curricular avenue to round their personalities. Right?? Now I know I would love to provide my son with the opportunity to learn music, because it is a soul thing. It gives sooo much of joy. And a physical sport builds physical confidence, no denying that. You make more friends, you have fun. Right? So based on this, maybe my reasons for him to go to class are valid enough.

Now the next crucial question. How many classes? What classes? There is sooo... much of choice out there to dazzle the mind. I look at the brochures and the my greedy mind jumps to each one of them and says...I want this! And THIS! And THIS! There's chess, and playacting, and gymnastics, and soccer and taek won do and painting and swimming and chess and ....! Phew! Just to navigate through these array of activities and calm your mind down and decide on a select feasible few is in itself a task. Forget about the driving around and dropping off and practice sessions. Come summer, and the dynamic is that much more complex with all the varied outdoor activities and camps. Oh my God! Makes me just want to curl up under a blanket and go to sleep like a weary child, never to wake up and decide!

But wake up I must and decide I will have to, because I can't settle for a no-class life too, and be at peace with it. *shudder* No classes????? Blasphemy!!! So at least with that sorted out, I have decided on what I would like for him to be involved in this coming session. He needs to continue with the karate, because we have already invested in the uniform!! He has to continue with the Kinderkeys class, because we already paid for the next book! He needs to start off on swimming because he wants to go for swimming, and everyone must know how to swim. Right??? And I want him to learn carnatic music, because our families are very involved with it, and any offspring of mine will have to live up to that innate expectation. And perhaps, one more sport thrown in?? Maybe soccer, so he'll learn team spirit etc etc???

So those are my picks and my reasons for the picks. I realise that I sound ridiculous, stressed, hypocritical and downright unsound in most of the logic....but you know how it works!! Tell me now...how you, as a parent feel about all these classes and how do you make the best choices possible? What are the pitfalls to avoid? And are we all going down the right path in giving our children opportunities to explore all of this? Will it really round their personalities? Will they feel grateful for this later in their lives? I just need to find a balance in my own perspective...and your inputs will help.