bumps n baby monsoon special edition

July –August 2015

Hi lovely readers, First of all we thank you for accepting the Bumps n Baby magazine with arms wide open. It is your feedbacks, encouragements and support that provide us with the much-needed fuel to drive forward and bring in more and more reader friendly initiatives. Monsoon is here and so is our 2nd edition of the Bumps n Baby Magazine. A cup of hot coffee with some healthy snacks to munch on and the BnB magazine to read will make the perfect combo for the rainy days. This time also we have kept in mind all your needs and interest and have come out with an engaging and informative magazine. This edition is Monsoon special. You can read everything about monsoon care and make this monsoon season a healthy and enjoyable one. We value your feedbacks. Write to us at [email protected] with your queries and suggestions and the topics you would like to read in Bumps n Baby. Happy parenting. With love, Team BumpsnBaby

DISCLAIMER: All the contents in this magazine, including advice from doctors and other professionals, should be considered as opinion only. All content provided in this magazine is for informational purposes only.

Copyright@ BumpsnBaby

Cover design by Srikant Agasti

Magazine layout, design and article editing by Anumol K.A

mailto:[email protected]

July –August 2015

|July – August 2015

Mommy and the milestones!!!

First time mothers.. Does the term

milestones ring a bell?

Even before the baby is born the tech savvy

new generation moms have subscribed to

pregnancy news letter describing week by

week fetal development and of course

checking with your doc if anything is missed.

You complete your 9 long months by

comparing your pregnancy with the

pregnancy newsletters that fill your inbox

and ofcourse comparing yourself with other

to-be-moms or moms. And you are stressed

out and worried through out your pregnancy

phase when you know that your pregancy is

not similar to any of your dear and near

ones.

You keep on asking your gynaec whether

everything is alright. To which he says,”

Every pregnancy is different, no need to

worry”.

Finally when the little bundle of joy comes

into this world , you heave a sigh of relief!!

All is well... !! :-)

Nah… But the newsletters you have

subscribed to don't just leave u!!

Here begins the story of mommy and the

milestones. Difference being the

gynaecologist has now been replaced by a

paedaetrician.

1 1

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Initially it's a week by week monitoring that

most of us do. Although all of us are well

read and definitely know that “every child

is different ", but yet don't think most us

can stop reading these milestone journals

and get back to the doc saying ,”She doesn't

turn yet or she doesn't crawl yet.”

And yes panic strikes again when the doc

asks " does she do xyz things on her own"

oh no .. /

This is your story as well as mine. Am sure.

Let me share my experience with my

daughter.

Tishya she is 16 months old now. And yes I

am those totally geek freak working mothers

who had subscribed to N number of

newsletters, blogs etc ( please note the past

tense there. ) and used to compare my baby

with the milestone charts they provide.

And to make things worse for me, we had a

neighbour who has a baby a month older to

Tishya. The milestones haunt you even more

when you have a kid in the same age group

around you! So to be on the practical side, it

wasn’t just me but the entire social circle

comparing my daughter’s milestones with

the neighbour kid being the milestone.

So occasionally rather at every milestone

that he met, I would get a friendly advice

that “oh she would now start sitting in

‘ANOTHER MONTH’ or she would now

start walking in ‘ANOTHER MONTH’ as

the neighbours kid had already done it”


I tried my best to keep myself away from

these, but then Mommy and the milestones

are inseparable.

Tishya started turning on her sides around

2 months, turning on her back at 3.5 months

.and then lifting her head up around the

same time., sitting unsupported around 8

months and walking supported around a

year and recently she has started walking all

by herself. Yes she did reach her milestones

inspite of my worries.

The best advice that I can give from my

experience is that forget the milestones and

enjoy the journey. Your bundle of joy might

walk a little late or talk a little late. They

have to do that for the rest of their journey,

let them take their own time and learn.

Encourage them but do not scare them.

Worry only when they stop enjoying what

they are doing. Evolution is the key to

success here.

Every milestone that your child reaches,

ensure that you capture that moment and

thus cherish them for a lifetime.

This mommy has given up on the milestone

hits and started concentration on the

journey.

Lets hope each of us have a happy journey

and enjoy it so much that milestones are

forgotten -

- Saumya Ajaykumar

3 3

| July – August 2015

My son has just started his preschools.

But he started to notice and identify the

alphabet before his preschool and can recite

ABCs.

Kids begin to recognize letters between the

ages of 2 to 3.

Letters are the first things every parent wants

to teach their kids.

Teaching the alphabet is the foundation of

reading and writing.

When to start teaching your child

letters?

It is never too early to read a book to your

baby. It applies to alphabets too. You can

introduce letter through reading alphabet

books, storybooks, blocks etc. Some kids may

show interest in learning these from a very

young age and some will not until they are 3-

4 years old.

Asking you what letter it is pointing out the

letters, recognizing it by their own are the

sign your little ones might be ready to learn

the alphabets.

As parents we should start encouraging and

give amble opportunities to our toddlers to

learn about letters.

4


How to introduce alphabets to your

little one?

There are lots of fun and creative ways to

introduce alphabets to your child.

Little ones learn through playing and fun

activities. Choose the ways in which your

child loves to learn the alphabets.

Singing nursery rhymes

Singing the alphabets songs to your little one

helps them to learn in a fun way.

Before they can identify the letters they

should be familiar with the phonetics or the

alphabet sounds. Singing alphabet nursery

rhymes helps in this.

Alphabet books

Picture books/ board books about alphabets

and pictures of things starting with each

letter can be given to your kids from an early

age.

Try to point out the letters and read the

words loud and clear and also spell them

while you read pointing to each letter.

Alphabets Cookies

Alphabetical shaped cookies/biscuits,

cheerios and other edibles are available in

market or you can bake/make one at home

itself.

This is a fun way to introduce letters and also

a way to make little ones have a snack or

breakfast.

Pointing out letters

Pointing out and reading aloud the letters on

car plates, advertisement boards, on dress;

pretty much on everything that has letters on

it. This is helps them to identify letters easily.

5


Coloring the letters

Help them to color the letters in books, which

is the yet another good way to introduce them

to letters.

Alphabets in your kid’s room

Hanging out ABCs cut out shapes, decorating

your little ones room with stickers and

posters with ABC’s etc will give more

exposure to alphabets and develop an interest

in learning the same.

Videos teaching Alphabet

There are video/CDs available with alphabet

songs and the introduction to phonetics. As

kids are getting a great visual treat through

video they will pick up alphabet in an easier

way like this.

Magnetic Letters

Magnets in the form of letters are available.

These can be placed on the whiteboard or

refrigerator. It is fun to put all the letters

together; magnetic letters are best toy for

kids to learn the letters.

Alphabet blocks and mats

Alphabet blocks and mats are

available in almost all toy

stores. These are a great way

to teach kids about letters.

Play games with these blocks or on these

mats. Read aloud the letters, ask them to pick

up a particular letter or encourage them to

identify the letters.

Do not force your kids if they are not

interested in learning alphabets.

Each child has his own pace when it comes to

learning anything new. Most of the kids will

master reading and writing alphabets by the

age of 4-5.

Happy teaching. -

Fun ways to introduce ABCs to

your toddler/preschooler

x Singing nursery rhymes

x Alphabet books

x Alphabets Cookies

x Pointing out letters

x Coloring the letters

x Alphabets in your kid’s room

x Videos teaching Alphabet

x Magnetic Letters

x Alphabet blocks and mats

6

|July –August 2015

Rains bring a big relief from the

scorching summer heat. But along with it,

rains bring a risk of infections and diseases.

To make the parents more worried, babies

and toddlers are more prone to these

infections.

Monsoon care for babies and kids is very

important to prevent any health issues and

diseases during rains.

To prevent the babies and toddlers from

contracting any infections or diseases

during the rains, its important to know why

the rainy season is so much disease and

infection prone.

The reason is that during the rains the

weather is moist and humid. This is a

perfect conducive environment for the

bacteria and the viruses to grow and thrive.

Also lack of sunlight further adds to the

multiplication of these rain borne infection

carriers.

Some points to help prevent occurrence of

these rain borne diseases in babies and kids

are given below.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Hygiene is the utmost important aspect to

be taken care of during the rains.

Keep the child and the premises clean. Give

bath to the child daily and wipe them at

regular intervals.

Make sure you wash your hands and your

babies hands before and after meals and

when you change nappies.

Cut nails to prevent dirt accumulation. If

you have a house help , its advisable that

they wash their hands and feet before any

contact with the child.

WATER LOGGING

Ensure that there isn’t too much of water

logging in your premises. Stagnant water is

the source of most rain borne diseases. Also

mosquitoes breed on stagnant waters so

7

|July –August 2015

clear out stagnant water from your

premises.If you have potted plants at home

, ensure that is no water logging in them.

Use a disinfectant around your house.

Protect your little one from mosquitoes

with the help of repellants or by putting

wire meshes on your windows.

DRINKING WATER

Take utmost care that you give only boiled

water to the kids during the rains. Water

borne diseases are at peak this season.

Ensure you carry your own water whenever

you go out.

FOOD

Like water, food contamination is also very

rampant in the rains. Avoid outside food as

much as possible. For kids ensure you give

them homemade and warm food.

CLOTHING

Rainy season is very humid and can get cold

as well. Ensure you keep the clothes dry all

the time. Wear clothing such that they are

protected from mosquitoes. Keep a jacket

handy as well since its cold even in indoors.

Also invest in a good footwear. Keep the feet

of the kids clean since that is the way germs

will enter your household ( applicable to

adults as well)

SKIN RELATED ISSUES

Due to the moist and humid conditions

there are lots of fungal and bacterial

infections that babies are infected with.

Keeping the child dry is very important.

Use a talc to absorb the moisture. Also wipe

clean the child time to time so that the

infection won’t spread.

MOSQUITOES

Keep the mosquitoes at bay. Use a good

mosquito repellent. Close the windows

during evening time so that there is no inlet

for mosquitoes. Keep the rooms well

ventilated.

Ensure there is no stagnant water around. If

you have indoor plants, change the water on

a regular basis.

Hope the points above help you keep your

little one safe during monsoons.

8


Monsoon is here and it is raining cats and dogs. Most of the time

you are indoors due to heavy rains. So is your toddler/kid.

You don’t want them to be out in the rains where there is a high risk

of them catching an infection or fever.

The rhyme that my 2 year old keeps singing these days is ‘Rain Rain

go away. Come again another day. Little baby wants to play…rain

rain go away…’ -

Your little one,like mine, may be getting bored sitting inside the house

most of the time.

Are you looking out for ways and means to keep

your toddler/kids busy indoors?

Here is 10 fun activities to do indoors during the

rains to keep your little one engaged.

9


#1. WATER PLAY !

With the rains pouring outside, don’t you think its difficult to divert your toddler

from not playing in the water?

Setting up an alternate water play works with toddlers. Collect some rain water in a tub or a bucket. Make paper boats out of newspapers and float them in the water. Or make holes in a bucket/mug and pour water through it. A mini rain shower is ready for your kids to play with.

Never leave kids under 4 years unattended near water. So this fun game should be played strictly under adult supervision only.

#2. CARD OR BOARD GAMES

Rains are the best time to get the card and the board games outside. For the

younger lot , the alphabet , fruit , animal cards works the best.

You don’t have to go by the rules. You can just ask them to arrange and rearrange

the cards into different designs and layouts.

#3. PRETEND AND PLAY

Pretend that it’s a rainning inside your house as well. The raincoats and the

umbrellas can be used inside and you can very well set up a rainy day inside the

house!! It will be fun for the kids to pretend play a rainy day.

10


#4. MOVIE TIME

Heavy rains outside can keep you under house arrest for long. You can plan a

movie time with your kids. Arrange some popcorns or snacks and enjoy the time

with your little one.

#5. KITCHEN AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHORES ASSISTANT

Kids love helping you with the kitchen and household. What better way to keep

them busy indoors. Let them play the role of your assistant in everything you do,

be it cleaning ,cooking , dusting etc.

Reward them with a favourite treat or a movie for the help they have done.

#6. ART AND CRAFT

Involve your kids in some art and craft. For example get ready for festivals like

Diwali or Chrismas. Make them do a card for birthday or just paint something

that they want to. For the younger ensure that this is done under supervision.

#7. STORY TIME

Indulge in some story telling and some story book reading for the older kids or

for the younger lot , board books and picture books. Lying on the bed with a book

is something that all of us like to do on a rainy day so why not enjoy the company

of your toddler while doing so.

11


#8.PARTY TIME

Have an inhouse party with your kid and some friends.

Do we need to find a reason to party. Indoor party is a great way to have fun

indoors.

You can celebrate the birthday of her favourite doll or a wedding indoors.

Some music and dance with healthy yummy snacks can add to the fun. Choose

your neighbour’s kids as guests so that you don’t need to pick or drop the kids.

#9. BAKING

Try your hand at baking a small cake or cupcakes or cookies. Kids absolutely love

getting involved in these activities. You could make them decorate the cookies

and the cake with chocolates or icing the way they want and present it to the

family during dinner.

#10. SCHOOL AT HOME

Set up your living room as a classroom and you pretend to be a student and your

child a teacher. It is fun listening to your child teach you poems and alphabets.

So this rains, its not going to be “rain rain go away..,”, but definitely “rain

rain come again… mom and baby want some indoor masti ..!!!“…-

12


Motherhood is one of the prestigious blessings to the women from God. It is very important for the moms and expected moms to take care of themselves during rainy season. As the monsoon has arrived, women should take additional care during rainy season. Moms turn out to be extra busy taking monsoon special care of their kids and family, most of the time neglecting their own health. So ladies, it’s time to take care of you also. Mommies and would be ones should keep few of the following things in mind to stay healthy and comfortable during rainy season. WATCH YOUR FOOD It is generally very important to include nutritional food to your diet. But this is the time to take additional precautions regarding your food habits.

Include whole grains, cereals and sprouts in your diet. This will improve your digestive health. Include ginger, garlic to your regular diet as they boost your immunity. Avoid eating raw vegetables as salads, as they may be contaminated with bacteria or insects larvae/eggs due to moist weather. Prefer freshly cooked food to keep risk of infections at bay. Avoid some kinds of fishes like shark, tile fish due to their high mercury level and possible bacterial contamination. You can include Salmon, oysters, crab and other low mercury seafood. Cook the meat properly to destroy microbes present in it. Stay well hydrated during monsoon to help in smooth digestion. Pregnant mothers should drink at least 3-4 liters of water to maintain good level of amniotic fluid in pregnant woman.

13


If you love eating street food, resist yourself from eating roadside food during this season due to possible risk factors attributable to unhygienic conditions. CLOTHES Increased humidity and fluctuating temperature cause much sweating during rainy season. So it is very necessary to wear right clothes for the season. Prefer wearing cotton clothes to stay away from any skin allergies. Pregnant mothers should choose loose cotton clothes that allow the comfortable space for free baby movements and unrestricted blood flow. Wearing full sleeve clothes help to keep you safe from mosquito biting which is a

common complaint during rainy season.

MAINTAIN HYGIENE Rainy season is the season for the growth of fungi, bacteria owing to damp weather. Don’t step barefoot. Get yourself a pair of comfortable foot ware.

Pregnant mothers should not step out unnecessarily because of possible risks of skidding. If they wear socks at home, they should choose to wear the socks that are comfortable and not slippery. Keep your homes clean using disinfectant everyday. Apply anti bacterial and anti fungal powder after bath to keep your skin free from any infection. Don’t keep your make-up products in bathrooms as humidity in bathroom tends to make your products contaminated with fungus. Thus, it is better to store these products in dry place to be on safe grounds. You are more prone to the skin infection and urine infections during this season due to various reasons like unhygienic conditions, high humidity etc. So try to keep your body clean and dry by taking hot water bath daily twice a day. Keep your genital area clean and dry. Maintain personal hygiene by cleaning genital area with soap and wiping it to dry. Wash your hair regularly to stay protected from scalp fungal infection. Keep your nails trimmed, as there are high chances of contamination during monsoon. Hope this article helps you to stay fit during this season. So all beautiful mothers there let your hair down to enjoy monsoon.

14


Much waited rainy days have arrived.

Now as soon as rain falls, kids would

run out for rain dance and mommies

would stand at their balconies with a

cup of steaming hot tea, taking fresh

earthy scent enjoying the rain

splashing on their face and watch their

little ones dancing and jumping out

there.

Everyone loves to wake up in pleasant

rainy day hearing relaxing rain sound

in back ground along with pitter patter

of rain drops on your glass windows.

But wait before you step out to

appreciate this beautiful weather. First

gear up yourself for health precautions

as the monsoon arrives with the huge

box of different infections and diseases

due to its cloudy and watery nature!!

Water stagnation and unhygienic

conditions during rainy season support

the growth of many insects and

microbes that can cause number of

diseases.

Here I would like to update you with

the various infections and diseases and

15


the precautions you can take to stay

away from them.

#1. MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES

Mosquitoes grow in stagnant water

and thus get the ideal situation for

breeding during monsoon season.

Water stagnation refers to

accumulation of water due to leakage,

unattended water in coolers, open

sewage and dirty water, open water

storage etc.

Malaria: This is the most common

mosquito borne disease. Symptoms of

this disease are fever, chills, headache,

fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Dengue fever: The virus carried by

tiger mosquito causes dengue fever. Its

symptoms are high fever and severe

headache, with severe pain behind the

eyes that is apparent when trying to

move the eyes.

Chikungunya: This disease is spread

by the virus carries by an infected

female Aedes species mosquito. It is

characterized by high fever, severe

joint pain mainly in the arms and legs,

muscle pain, back pain and skin

rashes.

Prevention of mosquito borne

diseases

Ways to protect yourselves from

mosquito bite

x Don’t allow water stagnation in

or around your houses. If there

is stagnant water in or around

your home, pour a layer of

kerosene over the water. This

will prevent mosquito breeding.

x Apply mosquito repellent cream

while outdoors to prevent

mosquito-bite.

x Get protection from mosquito

bites by wearing full sleeve

clothes, being extra careful

during peak hours of mosquito

biting.

x Use mosquito nets. To install

mosquito nets on windows is a

good idea to keep those little

creatures outside and keep

indoor cool.

#2. COMMON FOOD AND WATER

BORNE DISEASES DURING

MONSOON

During other seasons, we find less

number of flies due to effect of ultra

16


violet rays emitting from sun but

muggy weather during rainy days

support growth of insects like

houseflies.

Flies lay eggs and contaminate water

and food, which increases the chances

of occurrence of food and water borne

diseases.

Typhoid: This is very common

bacterial disease spread by

contaminated water and food. This

disease is characterized by fever,

headache, muscle aches, stomach pain,

loss of appetite, small pink rashes.

Cholera: This is also a bacterial

disease spread through contaminated

water and food. Signs of cholera are

profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and

leg cramps.

Leptospirosis: Accumulation of dirty

water on the roads and forceful use of

those roads by pedestrians during

rainy season has increased the cause of

leptospirosis disease. This disease also

spread through drinking contaminated

water and open wound/cut in the body

coming into contact with dirty water.

This is bacterial disease that is marked

by chills, intense headache, muscle

ache, abdominal pain, redness in eye

and occasionally a skin rash.

Rotavirus diarrhea: It is very

common disease in babies below 5,

especially in teething babies. This

disease gets severe during rainy season

due to low immunity in children,

change in temperature and water

content in air. The symptoms of this

disease are diarrhea with fever,

stomach pain, vomiting.

Prevention of food and water

borne diseases

To stay away from water and food

borne diseases, following precautions

should be taken:

x Wash your hands thoroughly

before and after eating food or

feeding babies.

x Wash vegetables and fruits in

vinegar or with baking soda

solution to reduce the level of

insecticides.

x Avoid eating raw food like salad

or wash them intensively before

eating as it may contain insect

eggs that are very small to be

visible.

x Attend open cuts/wounds

properly such that it doesn’t

17


come into contact with dirty

water.

x Avoid eating out. If you are

forced to eat out prefer standard

places to eat and have hot and

fresh food only.

x Keep Rotavirus vaccine in your

babies vaccination schedule (for

babies less than two month)..

#3. OTHER INFECTIONS

1. Fungal infections: Fungus

growth is the most common

complaint during monsoon.

This season suits the best for

the growth of fungus, which

occurs in dark and damp

weather. Fungal infections are

marked by continuous and

severe itching, allergies, skin

rashes. We should keep

surroundings clean and dry to

prevent fungus growth.

2. Stomach infection: It occurs

due to bacteria/ virus. Causes of

transmission are eating out,

unhygienic conditions, eating

food with unwashed hands. It

may be also result of food

poisoning.

Rigorous cleaning of raw food,

proper cooking methods and

washing hands before eating

can reduce the chances of

acquiring stomach infection.

Tips to stay healthy and safe

during monsoon.

x As mentioned above, Fungus

growth is very common during

rainy days due to moist

weather. To prevent fungus

growth, keep your home germ-

free with disinfectant.

x Don’t allow water stagnation in

or nearby you home.

x Look for water seepage on walls

or ceilings and attend the

problems as soon as possible.

x Dirty smell and fungus infection

in clothes is another issue

during rainy days. To keep your

clothes fungus free wash them

top to bottom and iron the

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clothes before storing. Heat will

kill fungal spores if any.

x Get a few packets of

naphthalene balls and place

them in cupboards where you

store clothes, in kitchen sinks

and washbasins.

x Don’t step into water puddles. If

you have to forcefully do that,

clean yourself thoroughly after

getting wet.

x Ride your vehicle being extra

careful, as there are chances of

skidding due to slippery roads.

x Use the soap/body wash which

complement your skin. It is best

to use medicated soaps this

season.

x Remove wet, dirty clothing as

soon as you reach home.

x Take hot water bath twice daily

and wipe the body with clean

towel to keep yourself clean and

dry.

x Apply anti bacterial and anti

fungal powder after bath to

keep your skin free from any

infection.

x Keep your bathroom clean and

dry.

x Some ladies have a habit of

keeping the make-up products

in bathroom. The humidity in

bathroom tends to make your

products contaminated with

fungus. Thus, it is better to store

these products in dry place to be

on safe grounds.

x Keep your genital area clean

and dry. Maintain personal

hygiene by cleaning genital area

with soap and wiping it dry.

x Fungal infection may result in

scalp itching and scratching.

Take extra care for your hair

and scalp. Wash your hair

regularly.

x Along with maintaining

hygiene, do regular exercise and

include ginger, garlic and tulsi

in your food to stay active and

healthy with raised immunity

during this season.

Have a healthy and happy

monsoon. Now, get some

colorful umbrellas and enjoy

monsoon.

- Riddhi Nath

19

|July-August 2015

Organic is trending these days! Healthy

living is something that all of us look out

for.And this is true for our kids as well.

With a lot of news reports revolving around

adulteration of food, you can’t rely on

anything these days. Even the ones sold

branded as organic, you got to be careful to

check the authenticity! It is high time to

think about what is the safest way to feed our

little ones.

So what is the alternative for this?

Make your own food. Grow a kitchen

garden!!

Is that even possible? It’s not impossible and

definitely worth a try.

“We stay in a flat in a metro. We don’t even

have a terrace or a balcony.”- This will be

the first thought that crossed your mind on

mentioning about kitchen garden. Isn’t it?

Well, a vegetable garden is still possible

insipte of the space constraints. You can have

your own kitchen garden even in the window

of your apartment.

“I am working parent. Do you think we have

the time to take care of the plants.” – Your

next excuse to put off the gardening idea.

As a working parent myself I can asure you

that it takes minimum effort to maintain a

garden.

If you have kept some flowering plants in and

around your house , this is just the same!

Infact even lesser effort.Give it a try.

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|July-August 2015

Here are few tips to grow your own vegetable

garden.

The basic essentials to start a kitchen

garden

#1. Pots or containers: You could use the

mud pots available at nurseries or plastic

pots or even old buckets or containers. Grow

bags especially made for growing plants are

also available at nurseries.

Use plastic plates under the pots to avoid

water from draining out especially if you set

this up at the window.

#2. Seeds: Seedlings are easily available at

various nurseries. The people at nurseries

can also guide you on the right season to sow

a seed.

#3. Soil: Soil should be of good quality and

should retain moisture. Again the nurseries

play guide to choose the right type of soil and

also provide the compost needed.You can use

your kitchen waste as an organic compost.

#4. Water: Plants need watering regularly.

Excessive watering is also considered bad.

Depending upon the season choose to water

the plants.

#5. Sunlight: Choose an area where

sunlight is good.However ensure that the

plants are not under direct sunlight for a long

period especially in terraces.Moderate

sunlight is good for germination .

#6. Insect or pest control: Its important

to keep the veggies germ and insect free.

Water boiled with neem leaves can be

sprayed to keep insects at bay.

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|July-August 2015

How to do kitchen/vegetable

gardening?

Once you have the raw materials its fairly

simple. Sow the seeds, water them regularly.

During the germination phase ensure that

you just sprinkle the water.Direct pouring of

water may result in the seedlings to get

damaged. Also do not over expose to

sunlight.

Monitor the seeds on a daily basis to check if

there is any kind of insect attack.

Patience is the key here. Be patient. Every

seed takes some time to germinate. It

dependant on a number of factors like the

weather , water , quality of seed and soil ,

sunlight etc.

What vegetables to try first for a

kitchen garden?

You can begin with, some veggies that have

less maintenance.

From my experience tomatoes, brinjal, ladies

finger, cucumbers, coriander, spinach,

fenugreek ,chillies and curry leaves doesn’t

require much. For a beginner in kitchen

gardening I will recommend to try these out

first. And most of them are what you use in

day in day cooking.

22

|July-August 2015

The benefits of having a kitchen

garden

x The most important benefit of having a

vegetable garden is that you can eat

pesticide free vegetables. Use natural

fertilizers and grow chemical free fruits and

veggies. This is the best thing you can do for

your kids.

x You always have a fresh supply of

vegetables at your reach. Fresh organic

vegetables are more tasty.

x Fun of having your own veggies. Sense of

pride. Oh yes you have grown your own

veggies!! Trust me this is fun.

x Till date kids have been eating what you

cook. Now they can even eat what you have

grown.

x Kids can see this process and take up

interest in the same. Gardening is a great

hobby to cultivate and one of the best things

you can tech your kids

x You don’t have to pay very high prices to

buy organic vegetables from the market.

You can get it for free from your own

kitchen garden. Your only investment is a

little time and effort. When you grow your

own food, you grow your own money.

Having your own self sufficient garden will

take additional effort and time.

First try this out for a simple kitchen garden

and then you can make a full time garden

for your kitchen needs.

Most people give up thinking that the plants

aren’t growing well. Well it takes some time

to sprout and then give fruits. Also ensure

that you pick up the right seed for the right

season. People at your local nursery can

help you here. Also not all seeds that you

sow shall sprout. So patience is the key

here!

Honestly, this is worth giving a try. You

have minimum investment and there is

nothing to loose. Also you enjoy and have

some fun with a trial at gardening and at

the end harvest pesticide free, organic

vegetables.

Hope this helps more people to grow a

vegetable garden and live healthy!!

23


Come the season of festivals and the

splash is seen almost everywhere. Be it the city malls all dressed up in its majestic look, the colorful newspaper advertisements with splendid offers, the flashy streets, the attractive shamianas in the nooks and corners, school activities, spring cleaning or renovation at your place, shopping spree, pulling out the fineries and finally lamenting on your burning pockets – all are green signals of celebration time.

Growing up in a nuclear family didn’t leave me out of the traditional values and the importance of celebrating various festivals. As a matter of fact, it was only during festivals we were given the luxury of goodies and gifts. We had a structured way to commemorate these special days. It was not like an everyday affair.

Similarly, in the current techno aid era, we will never want our kids to lose on this rich heritage of culture and beautiful traditions which are slowly and gradually fading out with the influence of western ethnicity and yes of course, blame the busy schedule wherein both parents are working and even children are busier considering their age with the amount of classes and activities they are so deeply and devotedly involved in.

Are we trailing upon our Indian culture and forgetting these beautiful rites and rituals for which our land is so popularly known around the world?

With the cream education and strong media exposure, I am not declaring our children to be completely naïve rather they are more equipped when it comes to awareness and general knowledge.

The world is a small place now and with the increase in communication connectivity people instantly know the various changes that takes around almost every day.

But our fast lives and a decrease in personal touch, festivals have become more of days to relax at home or go for a holiday to faraway place that is hardly human bound.

It is said that children are our better extensions. They bloom if we fertilize them daily. So, we as parents should take up the responsibility to make them understand the true essence of celebrating various festivals in its traditional manner.

Navratri, should never mean just going to the beauty parlors, shopping for the 9-day attire,

Anjana Jins

2424


late night hang out with friends, taking pictures, eating and dancing around to impress the opposite gender.

Teach them the sanctity of this beautiful festival of fervor, the worshipping powerful Goddess Durga and her 9 incarnations.

Christmas doesn’t mean just decorating Christmas trees, cribs, hanging stockings, waiting for gifts, gorging on cakes, drinking wine and wearing your best dress out. It is a season of love, sharing, helping the needy and regular prayer.

Ramadan should never be a time to show your cooking skills or gorge on the iftar delicacies. It is the month of scarifies and helping. Teach your children the value of empathy and scarifies.

Tips to create awareness amongst our children about festivals and its traditional celebration –

-We all know “Charity begins at home” so create a holy environment right at your place

and become role models for our children during the festive season.

-Narrate fascinating stories from your childhood and the ways you celebrated different festivals along with your relatives and friends.

-Read out stories behind every festival and promote the emotions and feelings behind them.

-Teach your kids to pray on regular basis in order to be always connected to their religion and more importantly to make them learn the supreme power of divinity.

-Take them to temples, churches, synagogues and mosques so that they understand the imperativeness of different religions and associated sentiments. This doesn’t mean taking on pilgrim trips but a balance of both fun and devotion does the trick.

-Encourage them to wear traditional attires on the festival days. Let them know the beauty of these dresses so that they respect and love their age old culture and customs.

-Make them eat the yummy delicacies and teach the significance of these dishes.

-Many festival related shows are aired on TV, develop an interest in the little ones to watch and learn. Have interactive sessions with them.

-Never strictly force them to do follow any particular tradition with sharp words, on the contrary, instill feelings and warmth in them so that they enjoy following their rich civilization.

-Last but not the least; love your kids because love itself creates magical moments in our lives. -

25

| July- August 2015

Notes: x Adjust the sugar as per your requirement. This is the correct ratio, but if you think it’s

too sweet for you, adjust it accordingly the next time you prepare it. x You may add condensed milk also to it though it’s ideally not required. x This tastes best when served cold.

Ingredients

x Rice – handful (ponni/basmati) x Milk - 4 cups x Sugar – 1 cup x Ghee – 1 tbs.

Instructions

1. Wash the rice. 2. Heat ghee in the pressure cooker. Sauté the

rice in it. 3. Add milk and sugar. Stir well for few seconds. 4. Bring it to boil and close the pressure cooker. 5. Once the steam comes keep the weight. 6. Keep the flame low and cook for 10 minutes. 7. Switch off the flame and open it after 30

minutes.

26

| July- August 2015

Notes:

x You could also use pineapple chunks available in stores. But the fresh pineapple tastes much better.

x In few parts of Kerala the pachadi mixture has mustard seeds also grinded along with coconut. I personally do not like flavor of mustard seeds and hence omitted the same. But for all other pachadis it’s a must ingredient. -Roshni Ann Mathew

Ingredients

x Fresh pineapple- 2 cups x Jaggery (grated)-1-2 tb spoon x Chilly pd-1 tsp x Turmeric-1/2tsp x Beaten yogurt-1cup x Salt – as reqd x Grated coconut-1 cup x Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp x Oil-1 tbsp. x Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp x Dry red chillies-3-4 nos x Curry leaves- a sprig

Instructions

1. Cook diced pineapple along with jaggery, chilly powder and turmeric powder in ½ cup of water.

2. Cook for about 20 minutes or till the water is completely absorbed. Let it cool down.

3. Coarsely grind the pineapple. (Please note the desired texture here is chewable bits and not pureed pineapple). Keep it aside.

4. Grind coconut and cumin with a little water and make it into a fine paste.

5. Add this to the coarsely grinded pineapple and cook till the raw taste of coconut is gone.

6. Add beaten yogurt to it and add salt finally. To avoid curdling, keep the flame low once curd is added.

7. Add the tempering using oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

27


INGREDIENTS

x Banana (over ripe) -2 nos

x Eggs- 4 nos

x Powdered sugar- 7-8 tbsp.

x Butter (unsalted) –to grease the pan

x Cardamom pods-2-3

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Blend all the ingredients to a fine puree.

2. Grease a saucepan or a nonstick pan.

3. Pour the blended puree into the pan and keep it on lowest flame.

4. Keep for 45 to 50 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean. Do not

increase the flame else the bottom will get burned.

5. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for about 15 minutes.

6. Cut into squares and serve.

7. You can garnish with fried raisins if you want.

28


What/Who was the inspiration

behind MyBabyCart?

A little about MBC

MyBabyCart started in 2012, after my

son was born. I realized not many e-

commerce websites were offering good

baby products so thought of starting

MyBabyCart.com.

MBC has always stood for 1-thing,

good products for baby and kids. We

never compromise on quality of

merchandise available at

MyBabyCart.com. This quest of finding

amazing products led us to

mompreneurs. Moms who turned

entrepreneurs out of their own need to

give best to their baby.

As we started engaging with

mompreneurs more and more, we

realized the need to build a community

for mompreneurs. An eco-system

which helps them grow, network and

support each other. MBC is trying to

build such an eco-system for

mompreneurs.

Meet the mompreneur of the Month, Mridula Arora, owner of MyBabyCart. Read on to find out about her inspirational journey....

29


MBC community consists of women

entrepreneurs who are -

x Highly skilled at a specific craft

like crochet, knitting, quilting

etc.

x Who can import great stuff and

have an eye for great

merchandise.

x Bloggers, with great insights

about parenting and various

other things.

x Photographers for better

cataloguing.

MBC is not just an e-commerce

website, but it is an initiative which is

helping women at home to build their

identity.

About 80% of urban women don’t join

any job and women who do, out of that

nearly 40% take a break from their

career to be with their little one. There

is a huge talent pool of women at

home. MBC is an initiative to help

those women and utilize their talent

and build a business out of that.

When did the journey begin?

MyBabyCart started in 2012 as a baby-

ecommerce website. We scaled up with

the help of funding from friends and

family.

But by end of 2012 sustaining this

business became difficult and so we

decided to scale down the business.

By end of 2013, my friend Rakchha

joined MBC and that is when we

started our journey to start working

with amazing ladies at home and be

their online business partner.

Does being a mompreneur give a

better work life balance?

How do you define the term

‘Mompreneur ‘?

Yes being a Mompreneur certainly

gives you flexibility of time.

When you are an entrepreneur you

cannot switch off your business, it is

very similar to being a mom.

When you become Mom, baby is

always on your mind. First you think

about baby and then about anything

else.

When you become Mompreneur you

bring the same Mom attitude to your

business. Now you have two things as

priority, your baby and your business.

Behind any successful Mompreneur,

there is an amazing support system.

Support system can be just her

30


husband, her parents/in-laws. It is

very important to value that support

system and make sure you show your

gratitude towards them in your own

way. You take some time out to show

how much their support means to you.

What is the biggest challenge

you face being mompreneur?

Mompreneur is no different than any

entrepreneur when it’s about handling

business.

Business challenges are same, but

being a Mom you must take time out

for your baby. The challenge is to

ensure you that both baby and

business are your equal priorities.

I personally ensure that I am always

home by 6:30 pm without fail, as that

time is only for my son. I never

compromise on that. When I am with

my son, I am only mom!

What is the biggest advantage of

being a mompreneur?

You have right attitude for business.

As I mentioned earlier being an

entrepreneur is very similar to being a

mom! Mom manages at least 5 people,

kids, husband, parents so she is by

default an expert at handling people, 31


multi-tasking, taking care of all the

needs of people around. She is by

default the GoTo person for any

problem at home. This is the attitude

expected out of entrepreneurs as well.

About MBC: What makes MBC

special and different?

MBC is very special, as this is by

Moms, for Moms and of Moms. We are

an all women organization.

Women at home supply our products;

Moms handle our customer support at

home, whom we love to call Customer

Moms.

All our cataloguing work is done by

Moms at home, whom we call Product

Moms. Our blogs are written by

Mother Bloggers.

All products sold at MBC are

handpicked by Moms, so we may never

have 1 crore products but we certainly

have the best and each product is

worth buying.

We don’t want our customers to waste

time browsing through thousands of

product to finally figure out the right

product for themselves. Instead, we

want them to buy fast from our

curated collection and enjoy rest of the

time with their baby.

Any word of advice to budding

mompreneurs?

Lessons learnt during your

journey as a mompreneur. Must

have quality in a mompreneur?

Advice is simple, work hard, have your

priorities right in place and never

forget to show your gratitude towards

your support system.

Lessons learnt- there are no short-cuts

in business. If you want to build a

business, think, plan and then execute!

No problem comes without a solution.

So keep looking for the solution as you

have the potential to solve any

problem.

Must have quality - You are a Mom,

you already have the right attitude,

just go for it!

32

33| July – August 2015

The uterus can

stretch up to 500

times its normal

size during the

course of

pregnancy!!

Tall woman

have higher

chances of

conceiving

twins!! -

The baby’s

fingerprints are

formed during

the first

trimester.

One in every

2000 babies is

born with a

tooth.

During the second trimester of your pregnancy the baby urinates in your uterus. And they drink it!!

The longest

recorded

pregnancy

period for a

woman lasted

for 1 year and

10 days.!!

Only about 5%

of babies are

born on their

due date.

A baby in womb

takes all the

nutrients he

needs and then

only the mother

gets her share of

the nutrients.

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