Pregnancy, Parenting and Beyond

2 cups Rice. (long grain basmati) 4 cups water/broth 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 5-7 peppercorns 1in stick of Cinnamon 2 green cardamoms 1 bay leaf 1 large pinch of Turmeric powder for color 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil Let the spices fry in the oil for a little bit. Add the Washed Rice to the pan and keep stirring adding 1 cup of water/ broth at a time. Once all the water is added, and is boiling. Cover with lid and lower the heat and cook for 13-14 mins. Garnish with dried mint or cilantro. Optional Garnish of Fried Onion/Cashew nuts/ Raisins. Serve as side dish with meat/fish or with Dal/lentil soup.

1 cup Potatoes 1 cup Cauliflowers 1/2 cup each of G.peas, carrots, green-beans,corn. 1 tomato Pressure cook with no water or about 1oz of water Mash and add slices of bread - wet and broken. Finely chop onions. green chillies and broccoli. Saute along with Ginger/Garlic Paste. Add it to the Mashed Veggies Combine and form small flat patties Coat with Rava or bread crumbs shallow gry Serve hot with Ketchup or Coriander Chutney Great for Party Appetizers, Lunch Sandwiches, Picnics. Prepare ahead of time and store in containers/ziploc for future use. Freeze and use within 30days.

Register Here http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/webinars/real-food.html My older kiddo is about 4.5yrs now and since we've recently gotten our hands busy with our 3month ol' LO, life has turned 360 for us. Its been a challenging journey for my household and I strongly thing that a webinar like this with like-minded mom's would help to bring life as it is, into better perspective. Its been wonderful all along but its only human for each of us to act out every once in a way, and I am using this as my learning moment to better handle situations... as No One is Perfect :) We only do what is in the best interest of our families.

Courtesy Kindergarten dot com It is very important to make sure a child can sustain play .  When a child plays he or she is building social language, imagination and creativity.  Sustained play will teach a child how to focus on one topic at a time and help develop natural conversation skills .  More importantly, playing teaches a child new concepts, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills.  Using simple blocks as an example, a child may learn about construction, spatial awareness, balance, colors, sizes, shapes, etc.  If a child has delayed language, an adult could model a lot of functional language by simply talking about what kind of building he or she wants to build, suggest who might live in the building, or compare her building to something else. You may have a child that is easily distracted, hyperactive or sensory seeking.  He or she may not know how to play with a specific toy and become easily frustrated.  One of the best things you...

Click on the link below. its a wonderful read. It is 26 slides with tips on Parenting from child psychologist. I bet that each reader will relate to atleast 10 of the tips... as to things the already do daily or things they are yearning to do with their child. All in all its a great read !! Courtesy :   iVillage- Child Psychologist share best Parenting Tips

Reposting this for my audience. I am so proud that my 4yo loves our reading time. Most books that we repeatedly read every night, he can now recite the stories to himself. Once Dad or I finish reading him a book, he then flips pages of 3 books. Of them, he recites themm to himself.(some days of course he is just so tired and will flip over pages and fall asleep) But, its like music to the ears to hear your child read out loud to themselves. I come from a family of teachers, and I know that my mum will be so proud of her Grandson. He is totally into Disney Cars Dinosaur Train (the PBS series) Little Critters series by Mercer Mayer Franklin series by Paulette Bourgeois, Brenda Clark and Jane B Mason Sesame Street Character short stories Recently, I started getting the Golden Book Series - such an amazing collection We purchase books that we really like and then I mostly get books from our local library.  I stumbled upon this list of books on another blog that I follow an...

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Parenting  is sure a mammoth task, as it is necessary to instill  good values  in your child since an early age. It is necessary for parents to motive their kids, build their  self-esteem and make them realise that no matter what, your love and care will always be there with them. If a child is raised in such a manner, he will never suffer from outer world insecurities and will be able to stay away from bad habits. Here's how to raise a happy baby regardless of the parenting style you choose: 1. You need not define your parenting style:  One cannot raise a child just by following a guidebook, so first thing you must know is that you do not need to follow a particular rule. Discuss with your partner and come to an agreement on how you wish to raise your child. You and your partner need to support each other in parenting style instead of opposing each other at every stage. 2. Take advice carefully:  People who are experienced in parenting give you loads of ...

10 Tasks that kids should learn to do by themselves 1. Avoid helicopter tendencies I have an almost 4 year old. and though we've taught him to do stuff for himself, there are times where I find myself 'hovering' over/near him to check if he's doing it correctly and then I end up offering to do it. and he of course takes full advantage of it. It is so important to Let go at the right time and trust that they'll do a good job. 2. Build Self confidence Unless we let go of our kids and give them the opportunity to do it for them self; only then they gain the confidence of what they are capable of achieving. 3. Take responsibility of clothes I can proudly say my 4yo puts away his dirty clothes, helps load the laundry, pour the soap with supervision, load the dryer, sorts while I fold. He does know what goes where... but I am more paranoid about folding them a certain way ;). He picks his own clothes on most days. 4. Care for Toys Start at an early age. Give ...

Courtesy Kindergarten dot com If you have a child or student prone to behavior outbursts, you may feel desperate to find ways to stop the behavior or at least reduce the intensity.  Here are a few strategies that might work for you in the heat of the moment: 1. Ignore the behavior Unless your child or student is doing something dangerous to himself or others it is a good idea to try to ignore the behavior first.  Most times a child acts out to get attention.  Remember, even negative attention is attention!  By talking about what your child is doing you may actually be reinforcing his or her behavior.  Try ignoring the behavior first.  If that doesn’t work consider one of the strategies below. 2. Redirect Attention If your child or student is acting our physically or verbally, it is important to try redirecting him or her to something more appropriate.  Instead of focusing on the poor behavior, try to focus on what you want him or her to do ...

4 Power-Food Pairings for Kid s Strawberries and Whole Wheat Toast The vitamin C in strawberries converts the iron in whole wheat bread to a form that cells can absorb. Oatmeal and Milk The magnesium in oats increases the amount of calcium your child gets from the milk by keeping it from binding to fiber and other nutrients. Olive Oil and Veggies Spritz spinach, green peppers, squash, and dark greens with olive oil. This healthy fat helps your child absorb the veggies' antioxidants. Chicken and Carrots Don't save chicken soup for sick days -- and always include carrots. The zinc in chicken helps the body metabolize the carrots' vitamin A.  Originally published in the October 2008 issue of Parents magazine.

Find answers to your questions like What's the best way to brush my child's teeth? When should I let my toddler start brushing his own teeth? What should I do if my child won't brush? When does my child need fluoride and how can I tell if he's getting the right amount? When should I start taking my child to the dentist?

Tips from Members on IHM and Indian Moms: >Check with Friends and neighbors in the area, as to which doctor they recommend? >Try to go to an Indian, as they know more about our personal habits, foods, and remedies. >Go to a doctor who has not less than 15years in the business. >Check that the Ped is in network with your Insurance, and that the hospital that they are affiliated with is in network as well. >It is not necessary for the Ped to be affiliated with the Hospital where you will deliver your baby. >Check that the Ped practice has multiple doctors, in case your Ped is out of town or not available. >Are the office hours of the practice comfortable to your schedule? >What are their after-hours policy, on-call doctors/nurses, weekend arrangements? >If you do wish to meet the doctor, do they charge a fee for prenatal consultation? http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/postpartum/pedsquest/index.php

Ø Have ginger tea Ø Gargle with lukewarm water by adding some salt 3 times a day Ø Take a glass of milk. Add little haldi, ½ tsp black pepper, 5-10 dry grapes (kissmiss) & required. qty of water. Boil this milk & drink it before going to bed. Don’t drink water immediately after consuming this mixture Ø Take small pieces of ginger & garlic. Grate them well. Take a tsp of honey & mix grated ginger-garlic. Swallow before going to bed & don’t drink water. Ø Take 1 cup of rice (Sona masoori is best or else Basmati but not boiled rice) & prepare it like normal white rice. Add bit salt while preparing. For tadka- use ghee or any kind of oil. Heat it & to it add 1 tsp of black pepper, cumin seeds (jeera), hing, cashew nuts(optional), curry leaves. Let this mixture stand for sometime & then add it to rice along with some salt for taste. It should be warm/hot when you eat it. You can eat this for dinner along with dal too. Ø You can ...

Contributed by members on the IHM Comm. Chicco Cortina KeyFit Travel System Evenflo Aura Select Travel System Shaily - Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe Travel System - Bermuda Its so nice and easy to maneuver. Tejas is 14 months and he uses a front facing car seat; he used the car seat of the travel system until last month. It can accomodate a baby till 30 pounds and 32 inches. Its sturdy and safe. It comes in 2 colors....both r nice. Graco Quattro Travel System Bhavna Patel-Bhatt I have bought 3 Travel systems in total Graco is the worst purchase ... Very bulky and inconvenient... i used the Snap and Go until 8 months Later on bought the macclearan Voila stroller... Best stroller in the world. Also, Indian babies never reach 32lbs within one year... and after than rear-facing car seat become uncomfortable for baby... so the smaller version is fine. Shriya There's one more choice for travel system too, the earlier one was Alano Travel System - Mulberry And the ...