THE EARLY YEARS OF A CHILD

“Spending time with children is more important than spending money on children.”

Observation leads to revelation and discoveries. As parents and teachers, how much are we observing children? A kindergarten teacher’s work itself is to observe her children. A casual conversation brought to my notice that two children in kindergarten have exceptional talent. One of them could read story books at an age when she was being taught the letters of the English alphabet. I called for her, and there she came, with all her innocence, not realizing the special abilities she was endowed with. A story book was given to her and she read it with ease. I was stunned! Big words were shown and she read it without any hesitation. The parents were called and I was given to understand that the child has been given books right from when she was six months old. Hence, she was able to read beyond her age.

Another child, loves doing addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division, when he is being taught to count in single digits in LKG! He wants to learn percentage! He can complete an Activity book in twenty minutes. He can identify all kinds of shapes. He can read spontaneously. He keeps writing pages and pages and has exhausted many one quire notebooks, that the house does not have enough space to preserve those books.  His house is full of educational toys, puzzles, Activity books and all that is required for the kind of exposure, a child can be given. Both these children were exposed to educational programs and spent their time indulging in productive activities. So, they have become child prodigies.

Many children either watch television or use a mobile or tab. Since mothers are busy with household chores, these have become child-minders. Screen addiction has become very common, and has almost become a disease. Even in shopping malls, I have seen children watching something in the mobile when mothers are busy shopping. The grandparent sits beside them. How about giving them the right exposure? Such brain boosting activities will trigger their thinking skills at a very early age.

The constant use of mobile phones can adversely affect children. Apart from affecting their eyes, posture, concentration, prolonged use of this device can affect their brain and also make them feel disconnected even when they are with family and friends. I can already see these issues amongst students.  In fact, an expectant mother herself should avoid prolonged usage of her mobile as much as she can. The mother’s state of mind, her well-being, her activities, all have an impact on the unborn child.

                “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

It will do a world of good to children if we can connect them to books early in life. Even when the baby is a few months old, we can read out to them. A cloth book can be given to a baby as they might try to chew it.  There are water proof books that can be used in a water tub. Bed time stories, reading out to them, creating a reading space at home, making reading a daily habit, all of these will help in developing your child’s self-confidence, expand their thinking, make them more knowledgeable, enrich their vocabulary, and provide great learning opportunities, to name a few of the many benefits. Gift your child books and create a love for reading. This is the best thing you can do for your child.

Don’t miss out on the early years of your child. Aspire to create a champion out of your child!

               “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

 

IMPECCABLE

 

The door in my room in the school has a sun control film, so it is like a mirror. Hence, students passing by can see themselves in it. But they cannot see inside the room.  Many a time I have seen boys grooming their hair in front of the door. They don’t know that I can see them from inside.

It made me think…. We are so much concerned about our looks; our accessories have to match, our hairstyle has to be stylish, our lipstick should go with our dress, the slippers or shoes we wear has to suit our outfit, the handbag has to be trendy, the saree that we wear has to go with the occasion, the tie has to be the latest, the belt has to be a branded one, and the list goes on. We will not wear a white dress that has a small black spot. We are very particular about what we wear, how we look, it has to be without any flaw or blemish. So much importance is given for the outward appearance.

Can we be impeccable in our value system, manners, etiquette, habits & behavior as well? A stain in our character is worse than all of these. Being ill-mannered will make people move away from us. Social etiquette is expected from an educated person. What we do on a daily basis becomes our habit. Are we making an effort to develop those habits that will propel our growth? Are we conscious of our behavior, especially in public, or are we uncouth in our behavior, such that nobody wants to even associate with us?  Being conscious of all of these would be of help in improving relationships, in avoiding conflicts, to save us from embarrassing situations, to create trust, to make us better individuals and also help in making us beautiful, inside out.

A book is judged by its cover. We pick up a book only if the wrapper is appealing. Only then we look into the content. The main attraction is the cover. Similarly, a good personality is important no doubt. We need to give importance to grooming. But that alone should not be our focus. A tasteful dressing will be appreciated. But too much importance need not be given in that direction. Some of them seek attention on social media. Why should we beg for appreciation or crave for attention?

Beauty is only skin deep. External beauty is a fading phenomenon. Inner beauty is eternal. So, get your priorities right. Are you ready?

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

CARPE DIEM

 

“Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.”

 Every year when the students of std X & XII appear for the Board exams, the school arranges for a motivational session for them on the day the hall ticket is issued to them. They are not only given points on how to write the examination, what should be their frame of mind, how they should be on the day of the exam, how to present the answers, etc, but an “I can” session is also conducted to boost their self-confidence. When the speaker runs through the session and says, “Yes, I can!” students should fist up with a lot of belief and energy to make their subconscious believe that if a blade of grass or a lion or the different parts of our body can do it, I as the highest creation of God can do it. This is the last session for the year. As I was standing in the corridor and watching them, I noticed that many students, boys and girls were only screaming ‘’ Yes, I can!” without doing fist up, which is of no use, as the subconscious will not register and the session was reduced to a mockery. Not all, but many of the students were not whole-heartedly involved in the session. By being part of a session, but not involving in it, is not going to help us.

After all, how many people in the world would be interested in your growth, other than your parents and teachers?

Carpe Diem… seize the moment. Never let go of the opportunity to lift yourself to the next level. You never know what is the tipping point to achieve excellence. Probably this session was needed for someone to become the best.

“Every single hour

Every single minute

Every single second

Seize the Day.”

The school chose to go for the NABET accreditation as we wanted a third party to assess us. Not many will opt for it as there is always this feeling that whatever I am doing is good enough. But when you want to perform better year after year, then this is the choice you will make. The Quality Council of India has set standards towards which one can only move, but cannot claim to have arrived in all aspects. Life, as mahatria says, is a verb. We can only say, we are growing, arriving, learning, etc. The striving will always be there for continual improvement. Whenever there is an opportunity to grow, one should not miss it. We should whole-heartedly involve ourselves in the process. Excellence in process will automatically lead to excellence in results. What we don’t know, we can learn from others. It is important to be open to learning, and that is the way we can set standards and become a benchmark. 

Every minute correction that we make, every minute detail we attend to, every 1% improvement that we make every day, cumulatively leads to excellence.

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

MY SPIRITUAL ASCENDANCE

 

God was an altar

I prayed from far

Visited the shrine

Every other day

 

Whenever I was wrong

I feared the wrath

Of the powerful God

And instantly asked to be pardoned

 

There was always

This feeling of

Being watched

By the omni-present.

 

Rituals were the way

I reached out to Him

That was the only way

I knew.

 

Then came this

Huge realization

Glorification of God

Was replaced

And I began to make myself

Worthy of my glorious God.

 

Thus, began my journey

Of self-purification

Of self-awareness

Of self-discovery

To take me

Closer and closer to my God

 

Serving and loving

His creations

Sharing and caring

Is the way to go

Closer to God.

And attain Him

 

God is

Nearer than the nearest

He resides in me

Withdrawing my senses

Just sat in Silence

My search stopped

And my spiritual ascendance began…

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING

 

A man once visited a temple under construction where he found a sculptor making an idol of God…Suddenly, he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, “Do you need two statues of the same idol?” “No” said the sculptor without looking up. “We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.”

The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. “Where is the damage?” he asked. “There is a scratch on the nose of the idol” said the sculptor, still busy with his work….”

Where are you going to install the idol?”

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high…

“If the idol is that far who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?” the gentleman asked.

The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said,” I know it and God knows it.”

This is true about the work we do. If we, as teachers, could do the work entrusted to us, without requiring anybody to monitor us, rather trusting us in the faith that we will deliver what is expected of us, with a deep sense of commitment, we would be a great blessing to the society and the nation at large. This is how a conscientious teacher will be. Such a teacher will keep aspiring and striving for excellence. We cannot teach the way we were taught. An inspiring teacher will continuously develop her capabilities.

As parents, if we could get our perspectives right, be a little more patient, a lot more conscious of our responsibilities towards our children, develop a strong bonding with them, nurture them with love and affection, invest quality time with them, be understanding and considerate, adapt according to the times, mould them into responsible citizens and selfless individuals, with a strong value system, sound character and high discipline, if we could set the right moral tone and be worthy of emulation, home would be paradise and children will find parents to be their best friends. This is called conscious parenting.

As students, you have a large role to play, as the youth of the country. You need to aim high. No ordinary goals.

You can unleash your potential only through uncomfortable transitions and not by aiming for something that is within your reach. If Rohan Bopanna can script history with a triumph in the Australian Open at the age of forty-three, what are you waiting for? You will know how resourceful you are only if you start using your intelligence. Don’t settle for anything less. It begins from your school days, when you are asked to polish your shoes, tuck in your shirt, comb your hair, wear neatly ironed uniform, dot your ‘i’, cross your ‘t’ and be punctual to school. That is what excellence is all about. A diamond has to go through so many processes before the world can see its brilliance. It has no value in its core form. But once it becomes a diamond, it becomes priceless. Your value is determined by you and not by the world. So, work on achieving excellence.

Parents and teachers are the catalysts of society. If we pay attention to minute details, we could turn around the lives of our children and thereby bring about excellence in their upbringing. It is the small things in life that makes a huge difference. Every piece in the jig saw puzzle is important for the larger picture to emerge. Be relentless in your pursuit of excellence.

“Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude.”

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

 

It is a season of dieting in our family. But I am excluded. Everyone else is seen measuring their food in grams at the dining table, and have some quantity of protein, carbs, vitamins, etc. A pic of the plate is taken to send it to the dietician. As I always eat in small portions, focusing more on proteins and reducing my carbs, I don’t have to change my diet. I eat what is healthy and avoid food that is tasty, but not healthy. Rather I don’t give in to the temptation as I know that momentary pleasures will give me everlasting pain. If food is taken in healthy moderation, we can enjoy good health. It is only when we live to eat that we have to fight weight issues, which will later become health issues.

Even in relationships, it is better not to go overboard. If you can be warm, cordial and polite always, that is better than being over-friendly sometimes and then fighting with the other person, not talking to them, speaking ill of them, and turning the relationship sour. We should always enjoy a good relationship with people. How will this be possible? By maintaining a respectful distance. Even if it is our children, there will be times when it will help the relationship if we refrain from talking excessively. I call it restraint. When we cross boundaries, misunderstandings can happen. Human relationships can become volatile, if it isn’t handled with tact. Fire gives you warmth, when you stand a little away. But, it burns you if you go too close. This is true of relationships too. So, a loving relationship, with a polite distance, will always last.

“Moderation in temper is always a virtue: but moderation in principle is always a vice.”

Today screen addiction is common amongst the young and the old alike. We don’t know when to stop. If we can go on a technology detox for a week, we will believe that we are the master of our life. Else we will become victims of technology. Have a fixed time to use your phone. Stick to that. Let it be a limited time. Because you can do so many productive things in life. “That on which you invest time grows. That which is starved of your time shrinks.” Mobile phones have become an addiction for many people. They use it while driving or riding a powered two -wheeler, while eating, while exercising, and till they go to sleep. I have seen little kids being given a mobile phone while their mothers are shopping, as they will not disturb them. Least do they realize the damage it does to a growing child’s brain.

Some people hit the gym with a vengeance, hoping to lose weight overnight. There is a way to begin your exercise regimen. We will only injure ourselves if we overdo. We need to have the patience to achieve our goal. Step by step we need to move forward. What should be done in a month should not be attempted in a day or two. The body has its own limits. Don’t push it too hard. Begin in a gentle way. You should push your body only when it is ready. Just as how the fetus has a period of gestation and is safe only when it comes out at the right time, so also, our muscles will get injured if we attempt a higher weight. Nevertheless, muscles grow only when challenged. You need to take time.

Everything in life should be in moderation, only then will you be able to appreciate and sustain what you have. Moderation is the key.

#Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting

CONNECTING THE DOTS

“You cannot connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards” Steve Jobs

During my growing up years I was quite independent, as my mother was a single parent. She was running a school, so she could not be with us everywhere. So, we used to travel all by ourselves, locally and even out of station. We used to do our own shopping, consulted the doctor when we were sick and even went for our own admissions, applied for my passport and visa! It was all alright as it was our way of life. It didn’t matter to us so long as things happened our way. I felt my dad’s absence when I had to make the arrangements for my wedding. Though I was the one who made the arrangements when my sisters got married, for my own, I felt that it would have been nice if somebody was there to shoulder the responsibilities and made me feel like a bride-to-be. But life made me independent and a decision maker.

This came very handy for me when I became an educationist and started running the school. Every moment I need to take decisions, and some of them would be vital. I cannot depend on anyone. It became easy for me as life itself was a training ground. That was when I realized that life took me through certain experiences to prepare me for what was to come. When I was young, I had no clue, what was in store for me and what kind of work I would do. There were days I bitterly cried for all the testing times. Least did I know that God was only preparing me for what was to come. So, today, a setback is seen differently. I only ask God, “What are you preparing me for?” and not, “Why me God for all the troubles?”

Life may not give us what we want, but definitely what we need. That is the design of life. Every experience takes us one notch higher in maturity.  Sometimes we would have prepared very well, or worked very hard, and would wait in anticipation. There will be times that we desire something in life. To our dismay, we will find that we cannot get what we desire or succeed in spite of our hard work. We may certainly get upset, as our expectations would have been very high. As mahatria would say, “God upsets our plans so that He can implement His plan, and His plans are always better for us.” Sometimes we cannot explain why something did not work in our favour, even though we tried hard. There is a reason. We don’t know the bigger picture. So, in all humility, let’s wait. So many times, I have seen that I have been denied what I wanted. But later on, I have realized that, it was all for my good. So, today, when things don’t go my way, I don’t get upset. Rather, I am in total surrender, and whisper to myself, “Thy will be done.” This is because, looking back, I am able to connect the dots. 

 #Thoughtfulthursdays #nsn #nsnschool #mentoring #parenting