Posts Tagged ‘ toddlers ’

The seven ages

The Seven Ages of Man

These days I am reminded a lot of Shakespeare’s “The Seven Ages of Man” from the play “As You Like It.” I had it memorized for elocution contests in school and remember being lauded for my oratory. One teacher had commented that the passion I bring to the poem tells her I “get it.”...
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Parents aren’t perfect

Settle dispute

Your parents aren’t always right. They are not flawless. They’re not always virtuous. They won’t always be there when you need them. They lie. They err. They fight. They sometimes set bad examples. They are unreasonable. They are demanding. They are needy. A lot of times they’re simply selfish. At all times — they’re...
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Winning isn’t everything

In it to Win it

I’ve often wondered where our urge to win stems from. What prompts us to want to come first? Why is coming second or third not good enough? As a kid, I was always taught that winning isn’t everything and yet when it came to class tests or sports meets, my parents would set the...
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To let: a healthy womb

Surrogate Mother

Two recent cases on surrogate adoptions have had me thinking the last couple of days. I’ve learned from the experiences of two very close friends that motherhood is almost like a rebirth for a woman. It’s more than just a physical roller-coaster ride – it’s an emotional voyage that springs new life. For the...
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Gift for your baby girl: a breastfeeding doll

baby breast feeder

Yesterday, a friend forwarded a Huffington Post slideshow of the seven most inappropriate toys for children. I was appalled, needless to say, but one that had me going “No way!” at the top of my lungs was this particular product: The Bebé Glotón breastfeeding doll. Who in their right minds would buy a four-year-old...
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More in sickness than in health

Mom & Dad

As I lie in bed coughing, battling body ache, and trying to kill that monster playing ping-pong in my head with Advil, I think of mom and dad.Twenty years ago, I’d be smothered with care and affection. Soup, fruit, hot meals, sponge baths, loving fingers caressing my messy hair … needs met before I...
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Dear New Parents

New Parents

As I mentioned in one of my earlier blog posts, I am surrounded by children under the age of two these days. It also means, being around frenzied, sleep-deprived adults. They’re reading books, visiting sites online, getting (sought or unsought) advice from parents in India, craving time with and away from their kid, consolidating...
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Return to the age of innocence

IMG_0976

I have been spending a lot of time with toddlers recently. Almost 95 percent of our Indian friend circle in the Bay Area have kids in the age range of 0-24 months and I, inadvertently, end up being the “entertainer” for their little ones. I choose that role because it allows me to experience...
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poetry