This is a precious stage in my Ankita's development. She is a toddler at the grand old age of two-and-a-half. The "toddler" can be tough to figure out. With their changing moods, their desire to establish authority by stepping over and challenging already-imposed boundaries and rules, and their incredible ability to soak up new information like a sponge, parents are often left helpless as to what to say, how to say it and when to step in to say "Time out!" to these little ones. But this is also the time when these little people get us adults to wonder about the fascinating way their minds work, how they evolve with their own personalities, what they choose to learn and repeat... naughtiness, clever deeds, newly learnt skills... it's a constant stream that keeps me fascinated, frustrated and super-involved all the time!!
My daughter has just started to discover that she can be funny. She stares at the mirror and makes faces, laughs at herself and calls herself funny. She jumps up and down on the sofa or the bed (or anything that can spring back) and says she is "being a monkey." She now knows our names and finds it hilarious to call me Amit and her dad Mimi... who would think that name-swapping could cause as many laughs! She has also figured out the power of laughter to dissipate tension. So when she has been naughty -- and knows that she has done something she shouldn't have -- she tries to cover up by doing something silly and then laughs that loud, forced "ha ha ha" laugh that only kids can bring forth, and says "Mamma, I am being silly?". The hope: her mother will not see the misdemeanor and all will be fine. Yeah, right!
Sometimes when I think of all that life could throw to stall us, crumble us, make us cry and feel defeated, I feel blessed to be able to spend this time with my little one and share her laughter, nod at her attempts at being funny and smile with her. It doesn’t take long for my anger or frustration to dissipate… she drives me crazy one minute, and then the next minute when she comes and puts her little arms around me, I melt.
A typical scene at our home at 6 p.m.
Me: “Ankita, what will you eat? Rice or noodles or roti?” (I have been told that toddlers love being given the power to choose)
Her: “White rice” (She doesn’t like anything mixed into her rice – or any other food item to touch it on the plate)
Me: “OK” – while I run around and get that ready on the plate with a side plate of vegetables or chicken to go with it – just in case
Her: “NOOOOOO. Don’t want it!! Want roti” (after I have put rice before her)
Me: “But you just wanted rice!”
Her: “No, don’t want it.”
Me: “Have a bit then I could make some roti if you are good”
Her: “No eat! Want to watch Dora!” (note: this is a new request for her favorite cartoon show – where did this come from?)
Me: “You have to eat first.”
Her: “Watch Dora, watch Dora, watch Dora…” (this litany continues for the next 10 minutes)
Me: “Ok, so you won’t get roti and Dora. You have to eat the rice and then maybe I will let you watch” (by this time my temper has soared higher by the minute)
Then follows an arm-wrestling spree to get her spoon… she won’t eat and won’t let me feed her. And all along I am wondering: why do I do this every single day???
Then she suddenly calms down, smiles and says “Mommy help Ankita eat?”. Hooray! I have received the green signal from her, the white flag of truce is waved and I can go through the evening now. And that surge of ‘momminess’ in the pleasurable act of spooning rice into my little diva's mouth makes it all worthwhile.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Kids Crafts: Dragon Puppet
The Year of the Ox
is here!
is here!
And, to commemorate it, Ana and I made a little craft project over the weekend.
[Also posted here]
Materials used: Card stock paper for head and tail, construction paper for accordion-folded body, two bamboo skewers (or straws or even long Popsicle sticks if preferred), craft glue or cello tape, color markers or paints or crayons or glitter glue to decorate the dragon
The idea is not original, of course. I was looking around for activities to do with Ana and came upon various versions of this project on the web and decided to give it a try.
Ana decided it had to be a girl dragon and didn't like any of the elongated reptilian head I came up with, so, we went with a jolly-looking round-faced dragon with a weird pout and pointy ears/horns :)
Next time, we probably will try to make the dragon fancier - maybe glue glitter and tissue paper to make shiny scales, and probably try a more traditional-looking face...
Method:
- make a head and a face from the card stock paper, and decorate it as you please
- fold along the long edge and cut the construction paper; make a fan fold or accordion fold with both the pieces and glue them together to form a long accordion body
- glue the head, body and tail appropriately
- glue the straws or Popsicle sticks or bamboo skewers one at the head and one at the tail to hold it up and make it dance
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Recognising the symptoms of food allergies...
(Part of the Food allergies awareness month)
Disclaimer: I have no experience of allergies and no medical background. So if you do spot any information that isnt accurate here, please feel free to point it out to me and I will put up the correct version.
This started a while ago when Tharini of WinkiesWays sent out an email asking if some of we mommy bloggers would be interested in writing about childhood food allergies. Frankly I had had no experience of the same, though I could write a thesis on problem children and how to manage monsters under three feet in mall and restaurant situations. With much agony and heart felt emotion at that.My first instinct was to cry off. After all, it was Ganapati time, I was already stressed out. But Tharini was gently persuasive. And it struck me that if one parent and one child could be helped by what I wrote about allergies on the blog, it would be worth it. After all, it was just a matter of an hour's dedicated put my butt to the seat kind of work which would be good for me to do, rather than the regular five minute and done kind of post I tend to do.I chose to write on symptoms of allergies and how to recognise them. Plus treatment. Broad outlines of course. Why? Primarily because I had no firsthand experience of dealing with allergies. I have, touchwood, not faced this thus far with the brat. And I would like to be informed in case I ever had to come across such a situation, so I would be able to recognise the symptoms for what they were and deal with them in the best way I could. Yes, selfish interest at the heart of everything.It is scary with children. They are so very vulnerable. You never know what could set off an allergy attack. And while some allergies are mere minor annoyances, some can be lifethreatening. Which is why, I think it is essential for anyone to be able to recognise the symptoms of an allergy attack immediately.What is an allergy? It is basically the body's reaction or defence to something it considers hostile. These hostile things, called allergens, are more often than not, something that most people can live with very comfortably. Food allergies in young children are more common than in adults, but most children outgrow them by the time they get into school. But, it is also possible to develop a food allergy as an adult, even if you never had any when you were a child.Allergies are a miscommunication between the body's auto immune system which generally works fantastically to protect us from the irritants, toxins and potentially infectious agents with it misreading the threat levels from a certain anything one is exposed to. This creates an inflammatory response within the body. The bone marrow releases eosinophilis and other cell types from the immune system get on overdrive creating an inflammatory response overload to fight with these perceived hostile allergens.In a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen, it releases chemicals, such as histamines. This causes itching, swelling, mucus production, muscle spasms, hives, rashes, and other symptoms, which vary from person to person.The specific symptoms of the allergy is what can help pinpoint the allergen that causes it. Allergens that are breathed in often cause a stuffy nose, itchy nose and throat, mucus production, cough, or wheezing. A food allergen can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, or a severe, life-threatening reaction. Allergies to plants or any thing that touches the skin surface like a chemical or a metal often cause a skin rash. Drug allergies usually involve the whole body and can lead to a variety of symptoms. Some medical conditions, such as eczema and asthma, are linked to allergies.If the body develops a sensitivity to an allergen once, you are likely to develop the response everytime you get exposed to it.Allergens comprise air borne allergens like pollen, mould, dust and pet dander which could trigger asthma attacks. Poison ivy or certain chemicals in detergents, or creams, soaps, etc can result in skin allergies, and the scariest of all, especially for kids, food allergies which can create such a dangerous reaction - anaphylactic shock - a true medical emergency. Insect stings are another potentially life threatening allergy.According to research, breast-feeding children for at least 4 months or more may help prevent atopic dermatitis cow milk allergy, and wheezing in early childhood. If there is a family history of eczema and allergies in a parent, brother, or sister, you need to discuss this with the child's pediatrician. The timing of introduction of solid foods and the use of several specific foods, can help prevent some allergies.There is also evidence that infants exposed to certain airborne allergens (such as dust mites and cat dander) may be less likely to develop related allergies. This is called the "hygiene hypothesis" and sprang from observations that infants on farms tend to have fewer allergies than those who grow up in environments that are more sterile.
As far as food allergies are concerned, problem foods include peanuts, tree nuts (including macadamia and Brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts), fish and shellfish, cows' milk, eggs, soya and wheat. Interestingly, a child having one food allergy may also react to other foods (cross-reactivity). For instance, a child allergic to prawns may also react to other shellfish. People with hay fever or an allergy to latex may also have a cross-reaction to certain foods.
If you have a food allergy, your body mistakes certain foods as harmful, and produces antibodies. This is known as sensitisation and may not cause symptoms. However, the next time you eat the food, the antibodies are ready to react with it. This causes the body to release chemicals, which lead to a range of physical symptoms known as an allergic reaction.
Some food allergies result in immediate, severe and even life-threatening symptoms, such as severe peanut allergy
Allergy SymptomsAllergy symptoms can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.Mild Allergic ReactionsMild allergic reactions can include:RashItchy, watery eyesCongestionMild reactions do not spread to other parts of the body.Moderate Allergic ReactionsModerate reactions can include symptoms that spread to other parts of the body, including:ItchinessDifficulty breathing
Food and the immune system
Anaphylactic shock is caused by certain insect venoms; drugs such as penicillin; and foods like fish, peanuts, nuts, eggs and seeds.WARNING: If a person is experiencing more severe symptoms than what is listed above, they may be in anaphylactic shock.Anaphylactic shock is a medical emergency which is an acute systemic (affecting the whole body) allergic reaction. It occurs after exposure to an antigen (allergen) to which a person was previously sensitized. It can progress in minutes to serious levels.Symptoms usually appear rapidly - within seconds or minutes - after exposure to an allergen, but in some rare cases, reactions have been delayed by as much as 12 hours.In anaphylaxis, cells in the immune system release large amounts of chemicals - including histamine. As a result, blood vessels open up and begin to leak fluid into surrounding tissues, producing swelling.The signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock include the general symptoms of a common allergic reaction, PLUS:Rapidly worsening symptoms (or previously severe reactions to this allergen)Swelling of tissues such as lips or jointsWheezing, noisy breathing or shortness of breathRash or redness of the skinLoss of consciousnessAnxietyItching of the skinHeadacheNausea and vomitingAbdominal crampsDiarrheaLow blood pressureConvulsionsItching of the mouth and throatHoarseness, change of voiceChest pain and tightnessA feeling of warmth and flushingThe feeling of having to urinateSweatingConfusionCall emergency ambulances or 911 if any of these symptoms occur with an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis can result in death if not treated in time.Doctors will treat anaphylactic shock by injecting adrenaline (epinephrine) to constrict the small blood vessels, raise the blood pressure and dilate the airway. This may be followed by injection of antihistamines and/or steroids, plus the use of life-support systems.Do noteEating contaminated food can cause a reaction similar to that caused by a food allergy. Some medicines can also trigger allergic reactions like skin rashes.Diagnosing an allergyBefore an allergy is diagnosed, you need to go through a battery of tests and a detailed history to correlate symptoms and history.Allergen testing will reveal the specific allergens you are reacting to, the most common is skin testing, including scratch and path testing depending on the doctor's recommendation for individual cases.Some sensitive individuals will go through RAST testing. This is a blood test (RAST : radioallergosorbent) which measures the levels of specific allergy-related substances.Other blood tests that may help reveal allergies include:Antibody/immunoglobulin (particularly IgE) levelsCBCComplement levelsA simple method employed by some doctors is to avoid certain items, or use the suspected allergens in a controlled setting to monitor the reaction.While the ideal treatment would be to avoid all the factors that are known to bring on an allergic response, this is not always practically possible. The most appropriate medication depends on the type and severity of symptoms.Allergy shots (immunotherapy) are occasionally recommended if the allergen cannot be avoided and if symptoms are hard to control. This includes regular injections of the allergen, given in increasing doses (each dose is slightly larger than the previous dose) that may help the body adjust to the antigen.Some children generally outgrow an allergy as the system becomes less sensitive to the allergen, but normally once a substance is proved as provoking an allergy attack, it will continue to do so lifelong.Finally, as research has proved there might be some credence in the old wives tale that children who play in the mud grow up strong. The lack of exposure to allergens and the extremely sanitised environment we are bringing our kids up in could be one of the reasons for the increasingly levels of allergic diagnosis amongst our children.Nonetheless, do not take allergies lightly. Be aware of the symptoms, and know your line of treatment if you have a child suffering from any. Forewarned is forearmed.
Finally, here are what some more moms from the blogosphere have to write about childhood food allergies.
Tharini
Sujatha at Blogpourri
Indianmommies
Dotmom
Everyday Life
Cross posted at www.karmickids.blogspot.com.
Disclaimer: I have no experience of allergies and no medical background. So if you do spot any information that isnt accurate here, please feel free to point it out to me and I will put up the correct version.
This started a while ago when Tharini of WinkiesWays sent out an email asking if some of we mommy bloggers would be interested in writing about childhood food allergies. Frankly I had had no experience of the same, though I could write a thesis on problem children and how to manage monsters under three feet in mall and restaurant situations. With much agony and heart felt emotion at that.My first instinct was to cry off. After all, it was Ganapati time, I was already stressed out. But Tharini was gently persuasive. And it struck me that if one parent and one child could be helped by what I wrote about allergies on the blog, it would be worth it. After all, it was just a matter of an hour's dedicated put my butt to the seat kind of work which would be good for me to do, rather than the regular five minute and done kind of post I tend to do.I chose to write on symptoms of allergies and how to recognise them. Plus treatment. Broad outlines of course. Why? Primarily because I had no firsthand experience of dealing with allergies. I have, touchwood, not faced this thus far with the brat. And I would like to be informed in case I ever had to come across such a situation, so I would be able to recognise the symptoms for what they were and deal with them in the best way I could. Yes, selfish interest at the heart of everything.It is scary with children. They are so very vulnerable. You never know what could set off an allergy attack. And while some allergies are mere minor annoyances, some can be lifethreatening. Which is why, I think it is essential for anyone to be able to recognise the symptoms of an allergy attack immediately.What is an allergy? It is basically the body's reaction or defence to something it considers hostile. These hostile things, called allergens, are more often than not, something that most people can live with very comfortably. Food allergies in young children are more common than in adults, but most children outgrow them by the time they get into school. But, it is also possible to develop a food allergy as an adult, even if you never had any when you were a child.Allergies are a miscommunication between the body's auto immune system which generally works fantastically to protect us from the irritants, toxins and potentially infectious agents with it misreading the threat levels from a certain anything one is exposed to. This creates an inflammatory response within the body. The bone marrow releases eosinophilis and other cell types from the immune system get on overdrive creating an inflammatory response overload to fight with these perceived hostile allergens.In a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen, it releases chemicals, such as histamines. This causes itching, swelling, mucus production, muscle spasms, hives, rashes, and other symptoms, which vary from person to person.The specific symptoms of the allergy is what can help pinpoint the allergen that causes it. Allergens that are breathed in often cause a stuffy nose, itchy nose and throat, mucus production, cough, or wheezing. A food allergen can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, or a severe, life-threatening reaction. Allergies to plants or any thing that touches the skin surface like a chemical or a metal often cause a skin rash. Drug allergies usually involve the whole body and can lead to a variety of symptoms. Some medical conditions, such as eczema and asthma, are linked to allergies.If the body develops a sensitivity to an allergen once, you are likely to develop the response everytime you get exposed to it.Allergens comprise air borne allergens like pollen, mould, dust and pet dander which could trigger asthma attacks. Poison ivy or certain chemicals in detergents, or creams, soaps, etc can result in skin allergies, and the scariest of all, especially for kids, food allergies which can create such a dangerous reaction - anaphylactic shock - a true medical emergency. Insect stings are another potentially life threatening allergy.According to research, breast-feeding children for at least 4 months or more may help prevent atopic dermatitis cow milk allergy, and wheezing in early childhood. If there is a family history of eczema and allergies in a parent, brother, or sister, you need to discuss this with the child's pediatrician. The timing of introduction of solid foods and the use of several specific foods, can help prevent some allergies.There is also evidence that infants exposed to certain airborne allergens (such as dust mites and cat dander) may be less likely to develop related allergies. This is called the "hygiene hypothesis" and sprang from observations that infants on farms tend to have fewer allergies than those who grow up in environments that are more sterile.
As far as food allergies are concerned, problem foods include peanuts, tree nuts (including macadamia and Brazil nuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts), fish and shellfish, cows' milk, eggs, soya and wheat. Interestingly, a child having one food allergy may also react to other foods (cross-reactivity). For instance, a child allergic to prawns may also react to other shellfish. People with hay fever or an allergy to latex may also have a cross-reaction to certain foods.
If you have a food allergy, your body mistakes certain foods as harmful, and produces antibodies. This is known as sensitisation and may not cause symptoms. However, the next time you eat the food, the antibodies are ready to react with it. This causes the body to release chemicals, which lead to a range of physical symptoms known as an allergic reaction.
Some food allergies result in immediate, severe and even life-threatening symptoms, such as severe peanut allergy
Allergy SymptomsAllergy symptoms can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.Mild Allergic ReactionsMild allergic reactions can include:RashItchy, watery eyesCongestionMild reactions do not spread to other parts of the body.Moderate Allergic ReactionsModerate reactions can include symptoms that spread to other parts of the body, including:ItchinessDifficulty breathing
Food and the immune system
Anaphylactic shock is caused by certain insect venoms; drugs such as penicillin; and foods like fish, peanuts, nuts, eggs and seeds.WARNING: If a person is experiencing more severe symptoms than what is listed above, they may be in anaphylactic shock.Anaphylactic shock is a medical emergency which is an acute systemic (affecting the whole body) allergic reaction. It occurs after exposure to an antigen (allergen) to which a person was previously sensitized. It can progress in minutes to serious levels.Symptoms usually appear rapidly - within seconds or minutes - after exposure to an allergen, but in some rare cases, reactions have been delayed by as much as 12 hours.In anaphylaxis, cells in the immune system release large amounts of chemicals - including histamine. As a result, blood vessels open up and begin to leak fluid into surrounding tissues, producing swelling.The signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock include the general symptoms of a common allergic reaction, PLUS:Rapidly worsening symptoms (or previously severe reactions to this allergen)Swelling of tissues such as lips or jointsWheezing, noisy breathing or shortness of breathRash or redness of the skinLoss of consciousnessAnxietyItching of the skinHeadacheNausea and vomitingAbdominal crampsDiarrheaLow blood pressureConvulsionsItching of the mouth and throatHoarseness, change of voiceChest pain and tightnessA feeling of warmth and flushingThe feeling of having to urinateSweatingConfusionCall emergency ambulances or 911 if any of these symptoms occur with an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis can result in death if not treated in time.Doctors will treat anaphylactic shock by injecting adrenaline (epinephrine) to constrict the small blood vessels, raise the blood pressure and dilate the airway. This may be followed by injection of antihistamines and/or steroids, plus the use of life-support systems.Do noteEating contaminated food can cause a reaction similar to that caused by a food allergy. Some medicines can also trigger allergic reactions like skin rashes.Diagnosing an allergyBefore an allergy is diagnosed, you need to go through a battery of tests and a detailed history to correlate symptoms and history.Allergen testing will reveal the specific allergens you are reacting to, the most common is skin testing, including scratch and path testing depending on the doctor's recommendation for individual cases.Some sensitive individuals will go through RAST testing. This is a blood test (RAST : radioallergosorbent) which measures the levels of specific allergy-related substances.Other blood tests that may help reveal allergies include:Antibody/immunoglobulin (particularly IgE) levelsCBCComplement levelsA simple method employed by some doctors is to avoid certain items, or use the suspected allergens in a controlled setting to monitor the reaction.While the ideal treatment would be to avoid all the factors that are known to bring on an allergic response, this is not always practically possible. The most appropriate medication depends on the type and severity of symptoms.Allergy shots (immunotherapy) are occasionally recommended if the allergen cannot be avoided and if symptoms are hard to control. This includes regular injections of the allergen, given in increasing doses (each dose is slightly larger than the previous dose) that may help the body adjust to the antigen.Some children generally outgrow an allergy as the system becomes less sensitive to the allergen, but normally once a substance is proved as provoking an allergy attack, it will continue to do so lifelong.Finally, as research has proved there might be some credence in the old wives tale that children who play in the mud grow up strong. The lack of exposure to allergens and the extremely sanitised environment we are bringing our kids up in could be one of the reasons for the increasingly levels of allergic diagnosis amongst our children.Nonetheless, do not take allergies lightly. Be aware of the symptoms, and know your line of treatment if you have a child suffering from any. Forewarned is forearmed.
Finally, here are what some more moms from the blogosphere have to write about childhood food allergies.
Tharini
Sujatha at Blogpourri
Indianmommies
Dotmom
Everyday Life
Cross posted at www.karmickids.blogspot.com.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Pat a cake, pat a cake
Pat a cake, Pat a cakeBakers man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Pat it and Prick it and mark it with a T
Then put it in the oven for Teddy and ...
“Chip!” Chip completes the rhyme excitedly. And then asks, “Does that cake have egg in it?” “No sweetie.”, I reply. “That’s a special cake. No eggs.”
Chip is allergic to egg. Both yolks and whites. It means that his body does not recognize the egg protein as a harmless food. It attacks the egg protein by releasing immunoglobulinE that cause certain histamines to be released in his blood, causing a severe reaction. He gets hives, his face and ears inflame, he itches, gets unbelievable stomach cramps and finally his body tries to get rid of the offensive substance by making him violently sick. When Chip was younger, he would also wheeze – his airways would get inflamed as well. Fortunately egg allergies rarely result in an anaphylactic shock – something that nut allergies can snowball into.
For Chip, the tiniest amount of egg causes a severe reaction. (For differences between intolerance and allergy refer to Tara and PG’s posts). Pastas made on equipment shared with products that have egg in them. A bite of a bread brushed with egg whites. A tiny dot of ice-cream containing egg yolks. When he was younger, even touching egg products would bring on a dermatological reaction – the site of contact would get itchy and he would develop rash or hives. As he has grown older, the response has toned down in its ferocity. Instead of suffering for a few hours, he suffers for one. His pediatrician thinks he might outgrow the allergy by the time he is 5 or 6, and even if he doesn’t, it would downgrade to an intolerance level- he should be able to enjoy a small slice of cake or half a muffin by the time he reaches adulthood. He might not be able to eat a plate of eggs all his life.
Chip was diagnosed with egg allergy when he was 10mo old. The allergy had manifested itself once before, when I gave him a dot of peach ice-cream, he grew red instantly and howled and vomited multiple times. But he suffered from colitis as a baby and we attributed it to that fact. When he started flailing his hands and turning red and having severe bouts of vomiting, twice, when I fed him french toast, I suspected an allergy and the doctor confirmed it. Chip also has eczema and asthma, which put him in the high-risk group for food allergies as is.
Having an egg allergy is difficult. A lot of foods have egg or egg derivatives in them. Baked goods, salad dressings, battered foods, ice-creams, chocolates, potato chips, corn chips can have egg in them. So do influenza vaccines (which Chip does not get). The first few months after the diagnosis were hard. Two years ago, many foods did not list egg as an allergen 9many still don't), so before buying every processed product I had to learn to read labels. Before buying every ice-cream at the concession stand I would have to ask to see the list of ingredients. Before buying every pizza, I would ask the restaurant to provide me with a list of ingredients. Often we would turn back with Chip not getting the ice-cream, pizza or chicken nuggets. Baked goodies were avoided like the plague. The nanny was taught to spot an allergic reaction and dispense Benadryl. Then the same process repeated when he started daycare.
The first thing we realized in dealing with Chip’s allergy was that we had to make him aware and educate him. By the time he was two, we taught him to ask “Does this have egg?” when offered a new food. And to decline if it did. He did admirably, most of the times, but sometimes it was hard for him, especially when a plate of birthday cake with colorful icing was offered to him, and on many occasions he ended up having a meltdown and refused to accept substitutes. But he learnt. We reminded him of what an allergic reaction would do to him. It was not the world’s most pleasant experiences. He also learnt to identify when he was having an allergic reaction and alert a grown up.
He did me proud a few weeks ago. We had carried chocolates for our family when we visited India. Twix and mars bars and three musketeers, that sort of thing. Someone offered Chip a chocolate and he ate it –nobody thought chocolates had egg in them. A few seconds later, Chip ran into the kitchen proclaiming he was having an allergic reaction. “To what?” I asked. He said he had eating a piece of candy and it had egg in it. The signs were all there. He was itching, his face had inflamed. I gave him ½ tsp of Benadryl, but it was too late. His stomach started to growl and he started to howl in pain as cramps twisted inside his little tummy and a minute later, he violently threw up. This was not the first time Chip had eaten candy. He ate lollipops and gold coins all the time – it was just luck that he had never consumed candy with egg in it – I really had no idea candy would have egg.
It’s hard for Chip at birthday parties. And other social occasions. And it’s hard for us. I wish people were a little more sensitive to his allergies. Especially in the desi circles. I remember an incident a few weeks ago in India. We were visiting some family and they had bread (the paav, not the sliced bread) for dinner. It came from a small bakery, with no nutritional information anywhere. A similar paav had caused an allergic reaction in Chip once and I was cautious. I asked Chip’s aunt if there were any rotis for Chip or rice. The paav might have an egg glaze. She said she could make rotis, no problem, but could he not “try” the bread and see if it had egg in it? I did not know whether to laugh or beat my head against the wall.
Parents whose kids have allergies are most understanding. I have two such friends (one of them is gnd) who will always have a ready substitute on hand for Chip. And for that I am grateful to them. Another friend is also very understanding. Her child has no food allergies, but knowing how hard it would be on Chip, she asked me before her daughter’s 1st birthday party if it was OK for them to cut cake in front of Chip. I thanked her for her consideration and quietly took Chip away to the garden while cake was served. Most people don’t realize what it is to have a food allergy, in a social sense, for a young child. To be “different” like this. It’s not easy for a child. So, I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of dos and don’ts for all of you out there that are fortunate to not suffer food allergies.
Don’t feed my child without asking me first.
Although Chip will ask if a food has egg in it, he is only three and very often he will forget. Check with me or his father before you feed him anything. For parents of young children who are allergic, there is a good selection of tees and onesies at cafrepress.com. Just search for 'allergy' and you will get results for tees with things like “Don’t feed me, I am allergic to XYZ.” It’s great if you are attending large parties or if your child is starting a new daycare.
Do inform the parents which foods with common allergens will be served at a party
While your menu should be allergen-free when a child with severe allergies (like nuts) is invited, for most other non-anaphalytic shock causing allergies (like egg), a warning will be appreciated. The parents can then decide how best to handle the situation.
Do serve alternate foods
Don’t make it a party where the child can only eat potato chips and nothing else. Children are very sensitive. Do offer some, other non-allergic foods.
Don’t pity my child
Not to his face, at least. Admire his courage instead, when he declines a piece of most yummy looking cake. I have had friends exclaim loudly to me at parties “This is such a pity. So sad he can’t eat the cake.” To Chip’s face. Don’t rub it in.
Don’t thrust a cake in my face when I am shaking my head to a “no”
This does not mean I am disrespecting your party/guest of honor. It only means I am going to give my son some company while he sits by himself, unable to enjoy the goodies. And yes, please refrain from asking things like “Even if Chip can’t eat, you can eat, na?” in Chip’s presence. Especially when he is whining for that item. The child is old enough to understand. And if you do ask, don’t be offended by what I answer.
Do educate your own child about food allergies even if your child doesn’t have them
No parent wants their child to be weird of different. In the US at least, there is a growing allergy awareness and kids are understanding. In India, even adults think allergies is a firang disorder and will tell you so. No idea what their kids will do.
This post is a part of an allergy awareness month started by Tara. Please share your stories and comments and help spread the word around.
Cross posted on : http://thekarmacallingblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/pat-cake-pat-cake.html
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
To Homeschool or not to homeschool?
I have had issues with the education system in this country and the sheer pace at which it forces children through a fixed curriculum. You put in your child into playschool in this country when he or she is still in diapers, still unable to speak, still to develop their gross motor skills to perfection, forget the fine motor skills. And then, the syllabus. And the speed at which it is rushed through before the child is even able to grasp or comprehend what is being taught to him or her.
But yes, the children cope. Or rather, we force them to cope. My son, as you might know from my blog, is struggling. He has issues with attention, with hyperactivity, and I am fully aware of his issues and working with him.
The entire rush at which we start morphing our children into pressurised little studious robots has always had me wondering if there was an option. If there was a method by which I could take his unique interests and integrate them into his studies, considering he was lagging behind awfully in class, despite the fact that he does, blasphemy, go for tuitions after school, and I sit with him and do his school and tuition homework with him every single day.
My search for options lead me to google baba and to Homeschooling. The premise is interesting. I could draw up age appropriate syllabus according to the class my son is in and work on it with him at home. And I discovered on Wikipedia that it is legal in India.
But do I have the courage to withdraw him from organised school and go through the homeschooling experiment, especially in this competitive world where a piece of paper from an educational institution can make all the difference between a career and stagnation? I dont. Honestly, I dont. So I will opt for the happy compromise of having him go to regular school. And working with him at home with a syllabus more suited to his level of comprehension and understanding and willingness to grasp. Without pressurising him as much as I can manage it.
Research conducted by Raymond S Moore in the 1970s revealed that putting children into the education system too early was detrimental to their self esteem. The resultant book, Better Late than Early has a self explanatory title.
What are the advantages of homeschooling? The child gets one on one attention from the parent or the primary care give who is involved as much emotionally as is mentally in the process of educating the child. The syllabus can be tailored to the individual interest of the child and the parent will move up the syllabus is consonance with the speed with which the child assimilates what is being taught.
A group of parents can get together to form a core homeschooling team with each parent taking on a single subject and preparing lessons accordingly, if parents are able to find likeminded parents who share the desire to homeschool their children.
As to the syllabus, it can be developed through interenet downloaded resources, through books and educational DVDs, and text books meant for the level of class the child would be in should the child be in regular school. The flexibility of homeschooling is that, you can take lessons at your convenience. You can speed up or slow down according to the child's mastery of the subject, and you can devote one on one attention to the child.
There are plenty of parents out here who are homeschooling their children as an option to the standardised Brick in the Wall education system we follow. Their children are as intelligent, informed and capable or even better than those who go to regular school.
But homeschooling is not the rosy picture it seems. For one, the parent must have the ability to teach. And that is a natural ability that makes imparting knowledge interesting and fun for the child. The Good Lord knows I have to work really hard on that part. For another, the parent has to be disciplined enough to ensure that they have their study sessions every day regardless of distractions. For another, there is always the fear that the child is not upto snuff when compared with other children their age. The assumption is that school learning is the norm and is therefore better for the child.
The debate includes whether the child will be deprived of peer socialisation, and fail to develop adequate social skills in such a homeschooling setting. And also, when is the child ready and able to join institutionalised education and will the child then feel a misfit. All these questions still are under debate. But the bottom line is that homeschooling is an idea whose time has come, especially with all the parents out here, dismayed with the sheer insensitivity and overload the education system is putting on our precious little children.
I am going to try it out, in my own form, while staying put in the school. Any resources that would help, would be welcome. And any opinions too!
Would you homeschool your child, if you could?
Notable homeschooled individuals?
Numerous historical and current public figures were home-educated[2][56][57]. Some examples include:
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) the 16th President of the United States, received very little schooling, but was an avid reader and taught himself how to read, write, and do arithmetic.[56][58]
Andrew Wyeth (1917), an American realist painter, was taken out of school at young age because of illness, he then received education on art and other subjects from his parents.[59][56]
Bode Miller (1977), an American alpine skier, was homeschooled by his parents until he was ten. [60]
Che Guevara (1928), left-wing guerrilla leader in Cuba, Africa, and Bolivia, and prison commandant and national bank president in Cuba, born in Argentina, was educated at home, mainly by his mother, until the age of 13.[61]
Ernst Mach, Austria, Physicist. Homeschooled until highschool by his parents.[62]
Erwin Schrödinger, Austria, Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Homeschooled until age 10[63]
Elizabeth II (1926), the queen of the United Kingdom, received early education at home, later she attended lessons in constitutional history at Eton College.[64]
George Washington, United States, First United States President[56]
Rosa Parks, United States, civil rights activist, homeschooled until age 11[65]
Sho Yano, United States, child prodigy
Susan La Flesche Picotte, United States, first American Indian woman physician
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) an American inventor and businessman, was taught reading, writing and arithmetic by his mother. Before that he left school after only three months, as he had trouble following the lessons. Most of his other education he received from reading books on his own.[66]
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) the 28th President of the United States, was home educated by his father because of the Civil War. When he was nineteen he entered the Princeton University.[56]
Resources: http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/
But yes, the children cope. Or rather, we force them to cope. My son, as you might know from my blog, is struggling. He has issues with attention, with hyperactivity, and I am fully aware of his issues and working with him.
The entire rush at which we start morphing our children into pressurised little studious robots has always had me wondering if there was an option. If there was a method by which I could take his unique interests and integrate them into his studies, considering he was lagging behind awfully in class, despite the fact that he does, blasphemy, go for tuitions after school, and I sit with him and do his school and tuition homework with him every single day.
My search for options lead me to google baba and to Homeschooling. The premise is interesting. I could draw up age appropriate syllabus according to the class my son is in and work on it with him at home. And I discovered on Wikipedia that it is legal in India.
But do I have the courage to withdraw him from organised school and go through the homeschooling experiment, especially in this competitive world where a piece of paper from an educational institution can make all the difference between a career and stagnation? I dont. Honestly, I dont. So I will opt for the happy compromise of having him go to regular school. And working with him at home with a syllabus more suited to his level of comprehension and understanding and willingness to grasp. Without pressurising him as much as I can manage it.
Research conducted by Raymond S Moore in the 1970s revealed that putting children into the education system too early was detrimental to their self esteem. The resultant book, Better Late than Early has a self explanatory title.
What are the advantages of homeschooling? The child gets one on one attention from the parent or the primary care give who is involved as much emotionally as is mentally in the process of educating the child. The syllabus can be tailored to the individual interest of the child and the parent will move up the syllabus is consonance with the speed with which the child assimilates what is being taught.
A group of parents can get together to form a core homeschooling team with each parent taking on a single subject and preparing lessons accordingly, if parents are able to find likeminded parents who share the desire to homeschool their children.
As to the syllabus, it can be developed through interenet downloaded resources, through books and educational DVDs, and text books meant for the level of class the child would be in should the child be in regular school. The flexibility of homeschooling is that, you can take lessons at your convenience. You can speed up or slow down according to the child's mastery of the subject, and you can devote one on one attention to the child.
There are plenty of parents out here who are homeschooling their children as an option to the standardised Brick in the Wall education system we follow. Their children are as intelligent, informed and capable or even better than those who go to regular school.
But homeschooling is not the rosy picture it seems. For one, the parent must have the ability to teach. And that is a natural ability that makes imparting knowledge interesting and fun for the child. The Good Lord knows I have to work really hard on that part. For another, the parent has to be disciplined enough to ensure that they have their study sessions every day regardless of distractions. For another, there is always the fear that the child is not upto snuff when compared with other children their age. The assumption is that school learning is the norm and is therefore better for the child.
The debate includes whether the child will be deprived of peer socialisation, and fail to develop adequate social skills in such a homeschooling setting. And also, when is the child ready and able to join institutionalised education and will the child then feel a misfit. All these questions still are under debate. But the bottom line is that homeschooling is an idea whose time has come, especially with all the parents out here, dismayed with the sheer insensitivity and overload the education system is putting on our precious little children.
I am going to try it out, in my own form, while staying put in the school. Any resources that would help, would be welcome. And any opinions too!
Would you homeschool your child, if you could?
Notable homeschooled individuals?
Numerous historical and current public figures were home-educated[2][56][57]. Some examples include:
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) the 16th President of the United States, received very little schooling, but was an avid reader and taught himself how to read, write, and do arithmetic.[56][58]
Andrew Wyeth (1917), an American realist painter, was taken out of school at young age because of illness, he then received education on art and other subjects from his parents.[59][56]
Bode Miller (1977), an American alpine skier, was homeschooled by his parents until he was ten. [60]
Che Guevara (1928), left-wing guerrilla leader in Cuba, Africa, and Bolivia, and prison commandant and national bank president in Cuba, born in Argentina, was educated at home, mainly by his mother, until the age of 13.[61]
Ernst Mach, Austria, Physicist. Homeschooled until highschool by his parents.[62]
Erwin Schrödinger, Austria, Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Homeschooled until age 10[63]
Elizabeth II (1926), the queen of the United Kingdom, received early education at home, later she attended lessons in constitutional history at Eton College.[64]
George Washington, United States, First United States President[56]
Rosa Parks, United States, civil rights activist, homeschooled until age 11[65]
Sho Yano, United States, child prodigy
Susan La Flesche Picotte, United States, first American Indian woman physician
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) an American inventor and businessman, was taught reading, writing and arithmetic by his mother. Before that he left school after only three months, as he had trouble following the lessons. Most of his other education he received from reading books on his own.[66]
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) the 28th President of the United States, was home educated by his father because of the Civil War. When he was nineteen he entered the Princeton University.[56]
Resources: http://www.alternativeeducationindia.net/
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Our Journey of the Lost Pound
Inspired by Kay, my friend and myself have started a similar blog.
We have been struggling for quite sometime to lose the weight piled up during pregnancy. We have had enough of wearing of shapeless, over sized clothes. So we have decided to 'Work It Out, Live It Up'.
This blog is our attempt to keep track of our efforts in burning up calories. We will also be sharing health food recipes, health tips, etc that will help lose extra pound.
If anyone is interested in joining us, you are most welcome. Drop in a line on the 'About Us' page and we will get in touch with you.
Cheers
Batul (http://scribblermom.wordpress.com)
We have been struggling for quite sometime to lose the weight piled up during pregnancy. We have had enough of wearing of shapeless, over sized clothes. So we have decided to 'Work It Out, Live It Up'.
This blog is our attempt to keep track of our efforts in burning up calories. We will also be sharing health food recipes, health tips, etc that will help lose extra pound.
If anyone is interested in joining us, you are most welcome. Drop in a line on the 'About Us' page and we will get in touch with you.
Cheers
Batul (http://scribblermom.wordpress.com)
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