Why we celebrate diwali?

Why we celebrate Diwali? Every child asks this question and sometimes it is very difficult to explain them the whole story. 

So here is the easy way by which you can narrate your kids the story of Diwali.

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Why we celebrate Diwali?

Diwali is a festival of joy and prosperity, and a celebration of the victory of good over evil. This is the story of Ram and Ravan. A story related to this festival.

The most well known story behind Diwali is in the Ramayana, the great Hindu epic.
Thousands of years ago, in the city of Ayodhya, there was a wise and good king named Dasaratha who ruled along with his three queens and four princes.

The eldest, Ram and his beautiful wife, Sita, lived happily along with his other prince brothers and their wives. But one of King Dasaratha’s wives was jealous of Ram and demanded that he be exiled to the forest for 14 years so that her son, Bharat, be made king.

Having once promised his wife to fulfil any wish of hers, the helpless king exiled Ram to the forest. And so, Ram set off on foot accompanied by his loving wife Sita, and loyal younger brother, Lakshman.

A few years into their exile, a demoness named Surpanakha saw Ram and fell for his looks. She asked Ram to marry her. Ram refused and asked her to go to Lakshman instead.

But Lakshman also refused. Enraged, Surpanakha showed her true form and Lakshman cut off her nose and ears.

The demoness went wailing to her brother who was none other than Ravan, the demon King of Lanka. Ravan was furious and swore revenge.

With the help of another demon who took the form of a golden deer, he distracted Ram and Lakshman and kidnapped Sita from their hut.

When Ram and Lakshman returned, Sita was missing! They realised that something bad had happened while they were gone and immediately rushed to find her.

On their way, they came across an army of monkeys and bears that agreed to help them. Among them was a monkey named Hanuman who had once vowed to be at Ram’s service.

Now Hanuman was no ordinary monkey. He could fly over mountains, change size at will and had super-human strength. He had the power to leap across oceans in a single stride. So obviously, he ended up being Ram’s strongest ally.

It was Hanuman who finally found Sita, imprisoned in one of Ravan’s beautiful gardens. Hanuman reassured Sita that Ram would be here soon to rescue her.

He came back to Ram with Sita’s whereabouts and the army of monkeys, bears and men marched to Lanka.

Soon, a great battle started between to two mighty armies and Ram’s soldiers managed to kill all the demons, except one – Ravan.

The battle was now between Ram and Ravan. He gave Ravan one last chance to apologise and return Sita. Ravan instead rained down weapons on him. Ram too fought back relentlessly but despite all his efforts, nothing seemed to kill Ravan. Finally, Ravan’s brother Vibheeshan told Ram that Ravan’s weakest point was in his navel. Using an arrow given to him by the gods, Ram shot Ravan in the navel and killed him instantly.

And so, Ram and his love,Sita, were finally reunited.

Soon after, upon completion of their 14 years in exile, Ram, Sita and Lakshman returned home to find the entire city waiting for them! The streets were decorated with flowers and lamps and there was happiness everywhere

And this is why every year on Diwali Festival Facts, you see the streets, homes and offices lit up with lamps, like the city of Ayodhya, in celebration of Ram and Sita’s homecoming.

DO's and DONT's ON DIWALI

DO's and DONT's ON DIWALI

Diwali is INDEED the most awaited festival of the year. It is the festival of lights. Love, new clothes, and lights all over. Children await this festival more because of fireworks and sweets. This festival along with happiness and togetherness brings sometimes the fear of being burnt because of crackers.But this Diwali make your Diwali tension free and yet sparkling. Diwali is that festival which is celebrated by everybody with lots of happiness and togetherness. But burns and mishaps which are caused due to crackers makes things worse and take away the happiness of many families. So this Diwali do not let anything ruin your celebration. Do not let any mis happening happen to your child or anybody on the house. You can save your day by adhering to some simple steps.
   
-Try using crackers which do not explode massively
-Do not leave children with crackers.
-Ensure that there is considerable distance between your child and crackers.
-Learn first to handle them properly and accurately and then burn them
-Don’t leave children with crackers unattended.
-Make sure they don’t wear silk or nylon clothes
-Everyone should wear closed shoes while with crackers.
-Always keep a bucket of water and sand handy wherever you are bursting crackers.
-Keep a first-aid box handy to deal with any emergency with basic burn medications like ointments.
-Keep the number of the closest hospital and emergency handy.
-Check the surrounding area for any inflammable material before lighting fireworks.

-In case of burns, wash the area with cool water. Forming of blister is an indication that burns are only superficial.
-Seek medical assistance immediately in case of serious burns.
-Do not light divas or candles near curtains, or upholstery.
-Get good quality lightnings to make sure there are no short-circuits etc.
-Buy only good quality fireworks from licensed shops which have been checked for quality and safety.
-Always light fireworks in an open space like terrace or a garden and never inside a house.
-Change into cotton clothes while bursting crackers. It is common to wear festive silks and synthetics during puja but they are more likely to catch fire. Do not wear flowing clothes while bursting crackers.
-Make them wear good closed shoes so that they don’t burn their feet accidentally.
-Burst crackers from safe distance and always take enough time before going back to a dud.
-Supervise children while they light fireworks
-Make them light fireworks outside the house
-Have them hold sparklers away from the body
-Keep flower pots and chakras on even flat ground while lighting them
-Have them light up rockets only on open ground
-Ensure proper distance from the fireworks away at a distance while they are lighting them
-Make sure they are wearing closed footwear and close fitting clothes of thick material instead of loose or flowing garments while lighting fireworks
-Keep a water bucket and burn ointment or aloevera gel handy
-Check the area before igniting fireworks to ensure that no inflammable materials are near
-Ensure they light only one firework at a time
-Discard used fireworks in a bucket of water
-Don't let them bend over fireworks while lighting them or approach them if in doubt about whether they are live or not
-Don't let them light fireworks while holding them in hand
-Don't let them keep extra fireworks in pockets
-Don't let them wear Nylon clothes – cotton is safest while lighting crackers
-Don't let them try to light used fireworks
-Don't let them light firecrackers with a matchstick but rather a candle of agarbatti this ensures sufficient distance between their hands and the cracker
-Don't let them use fireworks indoors
-Don't let them put fireworks into any container before lighting them up
-Don't let them mix anything with the contents of fireworks or make fireworks at home
-Don't let them ignite aerial fireworks where overhead obstruction trees wires etc. or even heavy wind exist
-Don't let them throw or point fireworks at other people

Right from cleaning the house , to decorating the house , making the sweets or snacks, making rangoli, performing pooja, bursting crackers, ensure that your child is actively involved. Give him or her small tasks so that they also enjoy the festivities. This indirectly will keep them around you all the time and ensure their safety.

Kids love to decorate their houses on Diwali. Here are some ideas for rangoli for your kids. Let them make rangoli with colors and flowers.

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Things Your Kids Should Be Doing Instead of Homework

Things Your Kids Should Be Doing Instead of Homework

Jump rope
An important part of how young kids’ minds develop is through free, self-directed play. How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children, free play is critical now more than ever, as recesses are shortened or eliminated, and kids’ calendars are busier than ever. Playing help children to create new learning experiences and help them acquire social, emotional and intellectual skills.

Talk with parents
Instead, of parents nagging their overtired kids to do homework they’re too young to do independently, families should spent much time talking together about their day.

Sleep
 Lack of sleep can cause all sorts of problems in kids, including poor attention, behaviour problems, academic difficulties, irritability, and weight gain. But even small amounts of additional sleep can have big impacts. One study found that only 20 additional minutes of sleep can improve kids’ grades.

Independent reading
Most of us know that developing good habits is critical to doing well at school. However, homework can actually interfere with the time that kids can spend on reading.

Listen to a book

Studies show that kids who are read aloud to do better in school and have better vocabularies.

Work on a puzzle
Being able to play on their own without adults builds confidence in kids and makes them more relaxed.

Go up a slide backwards
“Risky” play — activities like climbing a tree — is good for kids. Children need to explore their own limits, to be able to assess risks, and to learn how to negotiate their environments.

Playing with a friend in a sandbox
Parallel play, or the type of play in which kids play next to each other, begins in toddlers. But even for older kids, parallel play can help develop critical social skills.

Help with dinner
Kids who learn about new foods, and how to prepare them, may be more likely to choose more nutritious foods later on.

Practice an instrument

Participate in a community service project.
Through volunteering, kids can become more grateful, empathetic, and feel more connected to the wider community.

Draw a picture
For kids who have trouble expressing themselves verbally, drawing can be a way for them to relax and communicate in a different way.

Do a science experiment
Kids are naturally curious and want to know how things work. Scientific exploration outside the classroom may be particularly effective at teaching kids about scientific thinking.

Clean their room
When kids are spending their afternoons working on homework, there’s often not time for them to help out with housework and other chores. kid’s future success is whether they contributed to household chores as a young child. Through participating in household tasks, parents are teaching children responsibility, how to contribute to family life, a sense of empathy and how to take care of themselves.

Write a story
By writing down stories, kids can express their feelings, stretch their imaginations, and practice their fine motor skills.

Plant a garden
Kids who work in gardens may have higher achievement scores in science than those who don’t. That’s because they’re actively engaging in scientific concepts and practising math skills as they learn about plants.

Meditate
Kids also benefit from meditation. Studies have found that mindfulness and meditation can improve behaviour, focus, and reduce impulsiveness.

Create a collage
Constructive play building a fort, making a snowman is goal-oriented and involves kids building something using tools and materials. Constructive play also has an important role in developing children’s communication, mathematical, and socio-emotional skills.

Take pictures
Photography can help develop a child’s voice, vision and identity as it pertains to their family, friends and community.

Walk the dog
Kids who help take care of family pets may be less anxious, less likely to develop allergies and  are more active.

Ride a bike
Kids who are physically active – as well as adults! – have stronger hearts, lungs, and bones. They are less likely to develop cancer or be overweight and more likely to feel good about themselves.

Listen to a long bedtime story
Babies, children, and adult sleep better when they have a regular (not rushed) bedtime routine. Kids who don’t have bedtime routines are more likely to have behaviour.

problems, be hyperactive, and suffer from emotional difficulties.

When homework is assigned to young children, it doesn’t improve academic learning. In any case, the learning done in school is only one form of learning. Homework takes away from the time available to engage in endless other forms of learning, such as social, physical, and emotional, as well as rest. Our kids deserve a chance to spend all their other hours outside of school doing their most important job of all: being a kid.

Some ideas for Diwali greetings for your kids. Send good wishes to all your family and friends

Some ideas for Diwali greetings for your kids. Send good wishes to all your family and friends

#kids #jugnukids

Calm down your impulsive kid

All kids are impulsive. They hit, bite, kick and yell without thinking through the consequences. They feel a feeling and act on it. We can blow this off as kids will be kids or send them to the corner until they learn their lesson. Or, we can introduce our kids to the PAUSE.
One of the first steps to making a good decision is to think calmly about our options. Unfortunately, when we are upset, worried, frustrated or angry, our brains are responding emotionally, not rationally. Which means our child will respond emotionally…not rationally. The word PAUSE is a verbal reminder to our kids that they need to calm their body so that they can make a better choice.

TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO PAUSE

- To begin, talk with your kids about their brain using age-appropriate language.
Your brain is awesome! It sends messages to all of your body parts and tells them what to do. It helps you jump, run and also your brain helps you do math, spelling, and reading. It also helps you make decisions.   Unfortunately your brain does not think clearly when you are mad, upset or super-duper excited.

- Next, introduce the concept of a pause. If you don’t like the word PAUSE, pick something else…even something silly like  RAISINS.
You know how to pause your video games and the DVD player, but did you know that you can also pause your body? Yep. Let’s play a game.   You do a silly dance until I yell PAUSE, then you freeze.

- Tie the brain information and the pause together.
Remember when I said that sometimes our brains can’t think very clearly? Did you know that you can help your brain think clearly? Yep, you can! By doing a PAUSE! When we pause, we’re going to take a big deep breath. This is going to give our brains some good clean air to think better. Can you do a big deep breath? Good! We might need to take more deep breaths if we’re not feeling calm yet.

- Let’s think of a time when it might be hard to make a good choice. Maybe when someone takes your toy without asking, when you’re confused about your homework assignment or when mom says it’s time to come inside for dinner. Can you think of some? When those things happen you might be feeling sad, angry, frustrated or worried.  

- Practice the pause.
Oh No! That means our brain is not thinking clearly! We can’t make a good choice when we’re so upset. So sometimes we hit, kick, rip up our homework or yell. How can we make a better decision? What can we do?? PAUSE! Let’s take a deep breath. Do we need another one? OK, deep breath. Good!

#kids #jugnukids #kidsparenting

Make studies interesting for your kids.

Make studies interesting for your kids. Teach them in fun ways. Here are some ideas

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How to create a Heron from Number 2 Step by Step - Kids Drawing Videos | Drawing Tutorials for kids

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GET YOUR TODDLER READY TO WRITE!

Writing is a Waterloo for many children. The act takes a lot of effort and deliberate movements which can be discouraging for some kids. Do not feel pressured for your child to develop good handwriting as soon as he/she can hold a pencil. Holding a pencil to paper and using deliberate movements of the hand to write letters and numbers is not as easy as it seems. It is a fine motor skill that only gets gradually developed with proper preparation and practice. Your preschooler is starting to experiment with letters. Soon she will be writing complete sentences. Here you will learn to teach your preschooler how to grip a pencil, fundamental writing techniques, and more.

At around 4 to 5 years is a reasonable age to expect your child to write letters and numbers. Before your child even gets to this point, there are a lot of ways you can help him be ready to write. It does not mean giving him pencil and asking him to write. There are activities that do not involve any actual writing but will help develop the muscles and coordination that your toddler will need to learn the skill. Let your child have fun trying these activities!

Play with clothespins

A clothespin or sipit is one of the most fun things for toddlers. The best part is these are great for developing fine motor skills that will come in handy when learning to write. There are countless ways you can use clothespins. It can be as simple as giving your child an empty cardboard box and letting him attach the clothespins around the edges. You can even take it further by including some alphabet, numbers, colours, or shapes matching. Although you can definitely hand over any clothespin you may have readily available at home, you can add in some difficulty level by looking for a variety of clothespins. Start with plastic ones that are quite easy to open. Once your child has mastered using them, let him ‘move up’ to sturdier plastic ones. If you want to challenge your toddler even more, give him some tight wooden ones.

Paint with cotton buds.

Cotton buds are not just for cleaning ears but great for painting as well. These are perfect for those who would like to go beyond finger painting and would like an alternative to the usual paint brushes. The size of cotton buds is perfect for your little one’s hands to develop just the right degree of dexterity. Simply bring out your child’s favourite colouring book or hand him a blank piece of paper. Bring out several pieces of cotton buds and colourful paint and let your toddler create his masterpiece. Just make sure to be within easy reach as he just might think of using the buds for what they are originally used for.

Knead some play dough

Another sure hit for many toddlers is play dough. Don’t think that your child will have to create fancy figures to make sure that he is developing his fine motor skills – the simple acts of squeezing, rolling, pinching, pressing, and all other movements typically made when playing with play dough will greatly help in building strength in your child’s hands.

Use a dropper

Get ready for a bit of messy fun. Give your child a few droppers, several plastic containers, and a cup of water, and then let him transfer the water in the cup to the containers using the droppers. You can make it more fun and educational by putting some water with basic food colours in some of the containers and then teaching your child to mix two colours at a time.

Make paper balls

Do you have a lot of used paper at home? Give a few to your child and show him how to make balls out of them by scrunching them. This may not seem like it will do much in terms of preparing your child to write, but scrunching the paper into balls will help build hand strength and develop a strong solid grip.

Get him a tong or a tweezers

Another great material for developing hand muscles are tongs and tweezers. Get your toddler started with tongs and then eventually letting him progress to using tweezers. A simple activity would be to have two containers – one empty and one with items that can be picked up with tongs or tweezers. Simply ask your toddler to transfer the items from one container to another using the tongs or tweezers.

Lace up

Lacing is a great activity not just for developing fine motor skills, but for keeping your little one busy too. There is no need to look for fancy lacing materials; just get a sturdy used cardboard and an old but clean shoelace to get your toddler started. Cut the cardboard into a simple shape and figure and then punch holes around the edges. Make sure to keep the holes at least an inch apart to make it easy for your child to put the laces through. Show your child how to put the lace around the cardboard by putting it through each hole and then let him try it out for himself.

Cut. Paste. Repeat

There are numerous activities that involve gluing and pasting and all of them are awesome for developing hand strength and dexterity. A basic and simple activity is to draw a shape on a piece of paper and then asking your child to fill up this shape by gluing or pasting small pieces of precut coloured paper. The coloured paper can be any used paper; it can be from old magazines, newspapers, brochures and flyers, and other paper materials that you might have ready for throwing away.

Beyond these prewriting activities, remember to give your toddler a lot of opportunities to doodle with anything that can be used for writing. Have crayons, markers, pencils, and pens ready, as well as pieces of paper or colouring books, available for him to practice with. Any activity that will let him use his hands actively will greatly help in developing his fine motor skills and in getting him ready to write.

NO MEANS NO!!!
TEACH YOUR KIDS TO PRESERVE PERSONAL SPACE

Personal Space is like an invisible bubble that surrounds you and make you feel safe. This is something that everyone needs and we should always respect our loved ones privacy. Adults will easily understand but it is also very important to teach your kids about the personal spcace that they have to maintain from others. But parents face it very difficult to explain this to their child.

So here are some ideas that can help you to make your kids understand the value of personal space

MYSELF

The first and foremost thing that you need to tell your child is about themselves. Your body is no one’s property but your own. Only you can decide who should be allowed to get close, to touch you. No person should do that without your permission. And it doesn’t matter which of the relationship circles that person belongs to — especially when it comes to protecting one’s personal space during childhood. Be it the case of your grandpa forcing you to sit in his lap, or your mom’s best friend demanding that you give her a kiss on the cheek, you must not hesitate in telling others about it and you must not hesitate to say, "No! Stop doing this!"

FAMILY

This one represents our family and loved ones. Respect, trust, and affection — those are the factors that determine whom we admit into this closest of circles. However, even our nearest and dearest should be mindful of our personal space boundaries. Similarly, we, ourselves, should respect our loved ones’ privacy.

FRIENDS

It consists of people who belong to the "far away hugs" category. This includes our friends and those with whom we like to communicate. Friendship is very important and involves many things: cooperative games, conversations, revelry and, sometimes, friendly hugs. Friendship is always based on trust and respect. It is only natural that all of its manifestations, including hugs, must be based on mutual consent. This is important in relationships between kids as well as adults. A child must be aware of the fact that not all classmates have the right to behave as his or her friends. Also, parents should talk to their children to make them understand what criteria define friendship and how one must behave toward one’s friends.

ACQUAINTANCES

It encapsulates those to whom we might wave to in passing: superficial acquaintances that don’t play an important role in our life. When you’re a kid, these could include children on the school bus, kids from your neighbourhood, your sports teammates, or friends of your parents. Moms and dads need to introduce their little ones to social norms, different types of acquaintances, and related safety rules. Every kid should know the difference between close friends and the people with whom one simply exchanges a few phrases now and then. Children also need to be aware of the distance that must be observed by both sides in such relationships.

PROFESSIONAL HELPERS

Teachers, kindergarten workers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, and doctors — these people can help us when we need it, but they are not our friends. Parents ought to make sure their kids are familiar with different kinds of emergency situations and know whom one needs to contact in each particular scenario. Also, it is important to stress that all these people always wear special uniforms/badges and carry relevant ID papers.

STRANGERS

Here are some important that kids should know about the strangers. We don’t know these people (even if they say they know us, it doesn’t matter). Not all strangers are a threat, but, because they are strangers, we can’t tell whether they are good or bad. We don’t trust strangers. We don’t talk to them, and we don’t tell them anything about ourselves or our loved ones. We must not answer strangers’ questions. We must never, ever go anywhere with strangers or get in their cars. We don’t take sweets from strangers. We must not help strangers search for their runaway dogs or help them find the street they are looking for — adults should never seek assistance from those younger and weaker than themselves.

Parents and Teachers should talk about it through various situations, encouraging them to suggest what course of action needs to be taken in each case. All the while, the teachers repeat over and over, a hundred times, that If someone’s behaviour causes you discomfort, you must say “NO! STOP THAT!” If you feel that someone is treating you in unacceptable ways, tell your parents or your teachers at once. No one can touch you without your consent. But neither do you have the right to invade someone else’s personal space without permission. If the adults fail to see the importance of your complaints right away, repeat them again and again until they understand you. You must not try to solve the problem on your own. You must not hide your problem, and you must not feel ashamed of it. Do not be afraid to speak out. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Most kids have a built-in understanding of how close to stand to other people when talking to them. But some kids who struggle with social cues don’t have that awareness and may turn off or annoy peers by standing too close. If your child stands too close to people when he talks to them, he probably does not feel the discomfort they feel. He may also not recognise the social cues that indicate he should take step back. Here is how you can teach the concept of personal space. Have your child stand about two feet away from you. Ask if that distance feels uncomfortable. Explain that this is how people feel when he stands too close, except their personal bubble is larger than his. Have family members, include your child as well, take turns standing too close or just the right distance when talking to each other. Take videos of these scenes, and review them together so your child has a clear idea of what appropriate spacing looks like. Explain if someone he is talking to takes a step back, your child should remain in place. The person is signalling that he would like more distance between them.