candid diaries of a dogged mom

Recently, when my 3-year-old son’s school made an announcement, I thought to myself ‘This can’t be happening to me.’ They were shifting to a new location and they were closing for a week to make arrangements at the new place. So, there you go. I would be spending an entire week with my son. Now, to most people, that might seem the most normal thing. After all, parents do live with their children all the time. Of course, spending time with children is a beautiful thing. But with me and my son, we have an arrangement of wanting space for each other even if it’s just three times a week. And now, when we both were forced to live with each other 24/7, we got to see the worst and the best of each other. I got a few sympathetic messages from various friends who offered me with ‘awww, you poor little thing’ and strength for the coming week. I decided to get through the week as smoothly as possible, so I charted up events for each day. I kept the car to myself and told my husband to f...

Do you read to your children? If yes, then you know that the experience of reading is wonderful and joyful. If not, then it’s never too late to get started. Here are some tips on how to get most from the experience of reading for little ones. BEGIN reading to your children as soon as possible. The younger you start, the easier and better it will be.   FOR infants and toddlers, it’s important to include books that contain repetitions, add predictable, and rhyming books. Chose lift-the-flap or touch and feel books.   READ as often as you can the child have time for.   SET aside a routine time for daily reading.   REMEMBER - The art of listening is an acquired one. It must be taught and cultivated gradually.   START with picture books that have only a few words on the page. AVOID long descriptive passages until the child’s imagination and attention span are longer. READ aloud and use plenty of expressions.   AVOID reading too fast. Rea...

When I first became a parent, I didn’t think about the friends that I had or the ones that would come in my life. With a newborn, I plunged myself day and night tending to the needs of my baby. Some old friends did try to talk with me but I was too busy for them. No, not ‘too busy’. I simply was not in the ‘state of mind’ to return their calls. My husband and my son became the center of my universe. But nothing lasts forever. And so, the feverish parenting phase finally smoothed down. My son turned a little older and I found time for the things I had been missing out. First, I started reading the books that I had missed out. I even found time to make entries into my journal. At one point, I could even make time to work on a story after a gap of three years. I loved this phase but I still lacked something. I quickly realized that I didn’t have any friends. The old friends were there on my Facebook. I could pick up the phone and dial to one of them right away. We could either s...

Recently, I convinced my husband for a trip (by declaring that it is my last wish for the month or something like that). He grudgingly agreed, only if it brought some peace inside the house. I started preparing for the trip. My toddler sensed the vibe and injected enthusiasm on his part too. He was pretty excited when I told him that we would be flying on an airplane. Now, I gave it a lot of thought before deciding this trip because with children, one has to really foresee everything that can happen. You need to prepare yourself for limitless possibilities. Because my son appears to enjoy spending time outdoors, I thought this would be a good time to make some memories. Anyway, the big day arrived (Which initially got postponed due to the snow storm). I swear, all I plan is one bloody trip and I have to pray for a list of things: a fever free child, a husband who doesn’t change his mind at the last minute and a snow free day. This combination is pretty rare and when it happene...

This one is for all the mommies who have so much to say but with busy lives and scrunching timelines, they usually let the days scroll by them. And once, our children grow up, all we can say is - They grow up so fast. Today, why don't you pause and think if there is a moment that you want to jot down and share it to the world. I am inviting mothers to share ANY experience or suggestion or tips that you want to write about.  Okay, yes, it's true that not everybody likes to write and not everybody think it's exciting to write a 500 word or more draft article. If you have something to say, write to me and we can work out something. Mail me here : chitalmehta1987@gmail.com

When I woke up today morning, the weather forecast said there would some heavy rains and some ice. I quickly ignored the warnings and started to get my fresh cup of coffee to kick-start my morning. It was my son’s playschool day. Because he only goes for three days, I usually try not to miss any of them, unless there is a heavy snow storm that I can’t pass. Today, my morning began with a series of erroneous combinations. First, my husband announced that he had early meetings so he would be out of the door soon and would also take the car. He asked if I would consider keeping my son at home, given the weather? I shook my head incessantly, as I eyed my son waking up from his deep slumber. My son and I stared at each other, knowing well that we both loved the space we got from being apart for short periods of time. So, yes, rain or no rain, we were sticking to our plans. You have to look out for the ice, said my husband. I nodded, not really listening to it. What ice? I th...

So, just a week before my fifth anniversary, I tell my husband that we have to do something this year and not just sit at home and while away time. Before my husband could protest something in the lines of (But I only get a weekend to rest), I was quick to remind him of the past anniversaries that ended up being quite uneventful.  And so, I let him know that I was determined not to let this year slip by me. Besides, it was important to mark the occasion. We were completing five years of married life in which we had managed to keep our sanity intact in the midst of driving each other crazy due to our erratic, intolerable habits which only spouses can understand. Not to mention, that we had also managed to create a little human being who was currently having his own plans for the upcoming big weekend. The toddler must have heard about our plans. Why else would he unleash his own plans exactly at the wrong time? Five days before the weekend, toddler wakes up midnight...