Dear Stay @ Home Moms

Just be content or quit your whining.

Oh, the poor, exhausted stay-at-home!mother: her favourite lil black dress constantly covered in little people's various body fluids and her dreams of honeymooning throughout flushed down the toilet with her cell phone (courtesy of her toddler). The sad, resentful woman with a sink full of dirty dishes, a hamper full of dirty diapers, unhelpful husband and terribly naughty children.

Before you knock me off  and charge at me with sharp kitchen utensils because of that first controversial paragraph, please know that I, too, am a stay-at-home mom (SAHM), and surrounded by friends and family who are also SAHMs, so I have some authority on this subject.

I know what it's like to have a horrible day. I know what it's like to run a fever of 103, with the intense desire to sleep, and still have to burp people and try to block out the shrieking sound of screaming toddlers. I completely, utterly, wholly and thoroughly understand that being a SAHM is a stressful, selfless and never-ending job. I believe it is easier to solve calculus problems whilst under the influence of mind-altering drugs than it is to devote all of your time and energy to short people who rely on you for everything.

However. 

I am beyond sick and tired of hearing SAHMs complain about their long resume of "chef, maid, chauffeur and bookkeeper all rolled into one!" I, too, command all of those roles, and yet, I manage not to constantly sigh in disgust at my choice to care for my children or vent to anyone who will listen in the grocery store line about my unfulfilled life. 

I think it's time for the indignant SAHMs of the world to take one step up. Instead of complaining about how weary, exasperated and annoyed you are with caring for your children and your spouse, reconsider for a moment that you are one of the most privileged species on the planet. 

I have friends who choose to work and I have friends who must work. My friends who are required to clock in every day leave their children in the care of others while they solve the business world's problems. They duck out of meetings to take a call from caretaker and discover that the baby just said her first word or took his first step. They hang their heads at cluttered desks because they've missed so many precious milestones.

 I was sleep-deprived when I witnessed my daughter's first step, and her first plummet to the floor. Caretaker wasn't there. I was.

And I'm incredibly thankful for that.

I am thankful that I have the option of wearing my pajamas until noon. I am thankful that I don't have to answer to some sleazy boss.. I am thankful that I was the one to clean the baby diarrhea from the rug, to console colicky cries. Many of those things weren't easy, and they sure weren't fun, but I'm thankful that I experienced them.

To the SAHMs who can’t be thankful and instead view life at home with their children as one putrid event after another, I say this:

If you despise constantly being in the company of humans who drool, if you are completely unsatisfied and miserable and longing for a way out, then, pretty please with a cherry on top, get a job, volunteer, find a hobby, go out with the girls. Do SOMETHING.

Just stop knocking on your friends door with your greasy hair and your caffeine withdrawals and sit at the kitchen table and try to convince that your children are Satan's spawn and gripe that you had to clean all their shits everyday.

I'd just like to hear one of these SAHMs say to me, "I am so blessed. I have a faithful husband, gorgeous and healthy children, a beautiful home, and I am fortunate enough to stay home and enjoy my blessings." Just say that once per day to yourself instead of continually moaning about the dust accumulation on your furniture, your baby's constant mischieves, and unhelpful hubby.

Be happy and thank God for a wonderful life.

ICE CREAM CLOWN SUNDAE For Kids

ICE CREAM CLOWN SUNDAE

Ingredients

• A quart of vanilla ice cream 
• 3/4 cup chocolate sauce 
• 4 ice cream cones
• Red candy pieces for the nose, chocolate eyes and mouth

Method

1. Using a tulip shaped glass, pour a small amount of the chocolate sauce to the bottom. Place a scoop of ice cream in the glass. Pour some more chocolate sauce. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and place an ice cream cone upside down on top of the scoop.
2. Cut a round shape from a red-colored soft candy and place it on the scoop as the nose.
3. Using melted ice cream as glue, stick the chocolate eyes and mouth onto the scoop.
4. Serve immediately.
5. Serves 4

Accessories That Turn a House into a Home

If you want to instantly transform the colour and personality of a room in your house without having to redecorate, try using accessories for those finishing touches that can give you such pleasing results.

Here is a look at some quick and easy ways in which you can use accessories to turn your house into a home.

Seasonal makeover

Learn to be inspired by the weather outside and give your room a seasonal makeover that reflects what is going on outside your window.

Use objects and accessories that are symbolic of the colours of each particular season, with lots of reds and greens for winter working well and white pottery and flowers when spring arrives.

The relevant point to note in order to succeed with your makeover, is to have several different levels and layers of things to notice in each room, so that it brings out the right personality and is instantly recognisable as associated with the particular season.

Using rugs

Rugs can be a real focal point of any room and is often the foundation from which you build the rest of the room around.

If you search sites like www.camdenmarket.com, you can build up a list of stalls and shops that you can visit in order to find a suitable rug that can be used to make a statement and create the right atmosphere and colours for the season in question.

Cushions

Using cushions allows you to add touches of colour and pattern to a living room with ease.

Cushions really are one of the quickest and easiest ways to influence the look and feel of a room by experimenting with different colours and patterns in order to get the seasonal look that you are after.

Don’t be afraid to try contrasting colours and whilst you might think that plum and turquoise might be an unusual combination for example, you will often be surprised how well some permutations work together, especially if you have a neutral background or cream sofa in the room.

Accessories

You should take the view that accessories are similar to jewellery items, as you would never wear them all at the same time.

Swap around your accessories that are being used to dress a room to match the seasons and if you have built up a bit of a collection of trinkets and favourite items over time, try to limit those that are currently on display to about a quarter of all the items you have to work with.

Using art

You will probably have chosen your art very carefully and will there will be pieces displayed on the walls and around the house that are personal favourites and may have also been brought to fit in with a theme or colour scheme.

Try to swap items around if you can and use some seasonal pictures or objects to accentuate the season that we are currently in. A beach scene picture will be uplifting in the summer months but might look a bit out of place in the depths of winter, so don’t be afraid to rotate your artwork if you can.

Take the time to think about the accessories you are using and you should be able to achieve your goal of transforming your house into a home and have a beautifully staged room that is relevant to the season we are in.

5 Maggi Recipes With A Twist

SOUTH INDIAN STYLE MAGGI

Ingredients: 

1 packet Maggi

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon oil or butter

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon of vinegar

Method to prepare:

1) Heat a pan and add oil or butter to it.

2) When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add mustard seeds to it.

3) Now add water to the pan

4) When water starts boiling, add dry spices including salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.

5) Immerse Maggi noodles into this mixture and bring to boil

6) At this stage, add vinegar to the dish and remove it from the gas

Tip: Garnish it with finely chopped coriander or celery.

BAKED CHEESE AND CORN MAGGI

Ingredients: 

2 packet Maggi

2 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzrella cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Salt to taste

1and a 1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup semi boiled boiled corn

Method to prepare:

1) Add water in a vessel and bring it to boil

2) Now add Maggi and masala into the water

3) At this stage add corn and a bit of salt to the Maggi

4) Grease a flat baking tray with a dollop of butter

5) Once the noodles are half-cooked, pour them in the greased baking tray

6) After leveling up the noodles on the tray, add the shredded cheese on top

7) Cover the bed of noodles with cheese and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top

8) Place the baking tray in a preheated oven for 4-5 minutes

9) Take the tray out of the oven once the cheese melts and a light brown crust starts appearing on top

Tip: While making Maggi in the vessel make sure that it is not too runny or watery.  

MAGGI NOODLE SALAD

Ingredients: 

1 pack Maggi noodles

1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin

2 pinches rock salt

1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar

Salt to taste

1 diced cucumber

1 finely chopped onion

1 finely chopped tomato

A few mint leaves and coriander leaves (finely chopped)

1 green chilli

2,3 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon chat masala

Method to prepare:

1) Break down Maggi noodles into small curls and dry roast them in a heavy pan until a light brown colour appears

2) In a large bowl, combine vegetables like cucumber, tomato and onion

3) Coarsely crush garlic cloves and green chilly by a rolling pin and add to the bowl of chopped vegetables

4) Add spices like rock salt, chat masala, cumin, salt  and sugar to the mixture

5) Combine the veggies with crushed Maggi noodles

6) Garnish it with mint and coriander leaves

Tip: To prevent the salad from going soggy, serve the salad immediately.

MAGGI MASALA TIKKI

Ingredients: 

1 packet Maggi noddles

2 boiled potatoes

1 finally chopped onion

1 boiled carrot

Bread crumbs (optional)

Salt to taste

5 tablespoon oil

3 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste

1 teaspoon chat masala

Chopped coriander

Method to prepare:

1) Use the leftover Maggi or boil Maggi into the water

2) In a big bowl, grate the potatoes and mix with Maggi. Add carrots or any vegetable of your choice – along with bread crumbs (if you want)

3) Add salt, ginger and garlic paste, chat masala  and coriander to the dry mixture

4) Mix the ingredients together and shape it into a round tikki

5) Deep fry or shallow fry the tikki as per your liking

Tip: Sprinkle a bit of Maggi masala (tastemaker) on tikki for that extra zing

MANGO MAGGI

Ingredients:

1 pack Maggi noodles

1 cup thick Mango Syrup (made of mango and sugar)

1 cup diced fresh mango

2-3 spoon sugar

2 cups water

Method to prepare:

 1) Boil water and sugar together in a vessel

2) Immerse Maggi cake into the liquid until it is cooked. (Do not add masala to it)

3) Now sieve out the excess water and allow the noodles to rest

4) When the noodles are cool then add mango syrup to it

5) Put the vessel into refrigerator for 2-3 hours

6) Top it up with fresh mango

 Tip: You can also add any other fruit of your choice like strawberries or kiwi.  

Kids Favourite: Banana Sandwich

BANANA SANDWICH

Method 
1. Slice the bananas into circles and drizzle the honey over it. Gently toss it together.
2. Apply peanut butter on one side of each bread slice and spread the banana mixture over it.
3. Top it with the other slice of bread.
4. Heat a griddle, add little butter and toast the sandwiches till both sides are brown and crispy.
5. Drizzle some honey over the sandwiches, top with some whipped cream, fresh berries and enjoy as a snack or meal.

Cooking Tips

• Always add hot water to the gravy to enhance the taste.
• Add 1 Tbsp of hot oil to the dough for making Kachories or Kulchas.
• Always use heavy bottomed vessels to make desserts, in order to avoid burning.
• Immediately after boiling noodles put them in normal cold water to separate them each.
• If you forget to soak chana/Rajma overnight. Just soak the chana/Rajma in the boiling water for an hour before cooking.
• Curd in winter - Set in a ceramic container and place it on the voltage stabilizer of your refrigerator.
• Potatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.
• Make desserts with full cream milk, to get thick creamy texture.
• Whenever curd is to be added to the masala, it should be beaten well and add gradually.
• While using ginger and garlic paste in curries, always use garlic at 60% ratio and ginger at 40% as ginger is very strong and may make your dish sharp and pungent.
• Add a few drops of lemon a tsp of oil to rice before boiling to separate each grain.

Teach your child to share

Teach your child to share with these simple steps 

Children have difficulty sharing, especially young children. This is a normal part of the development process. Knowing and accepting this is the first step in helping your child grow up to be a generous person. Here’s an overview of what’s going on inside that possessive little mind.

1. Selfishness comes before sharing

The power to possess is a natural part of the child’s growing awareness. During the second and third years, as the child goes from oneness to separateness, this little person works to establish an identity separate from mother. “I do it myself!” and “mine!” scream the headlines in the toddler’s tabloid. In fact, “mine” is one of the earliest words to come out of a toddler’s mouth.

The growing child develops attachments to things as well as persons. This ability to form strong attachments is important to being an emotionally healthy person. The one-year-old has difficulty sharing her mommy; the two-year-old has difficulty sharing her teddy bear. Some children get so attached to a toy that the raggedy old doll becomes part of the child’s self. 

2. When to expect a child to share

True sharing implies empathy, the ability to get into another’s mind and see things from their viewpoint. Children are seldom capable of true empathy under the age of six. Prior to that time they share because you condition them to do so. Don’t expect a child less than two or 2½ to easily accept sharing. Children under two are into parallel play — playing alongside other children, but not with them. They care about themselves and their possessions and do not think about what the other child wants or feels. But, given guidance and generosity, the selfish two-year-old can become a generous three or four-year-old. As children begin to play with each other and cooperate in their play, they begin to see the value of sharing.

Even at four or five years of age, expect selective sharing. A child may reserve a few precious possessions just for himself. The child is no more likely to share her treasured teddy or tattered blanket than you would share your wedding ring or the heirloom shawl your mother gave you. Respect and protect your child’s right to his own possessions.

3. Don’t force a child to share

Instead, create attitudes and an environment that encourage your child to want to share. There is power in possession. To you, they’re only toys. To a child, they’re a valuable, prized collection that has taken years to assemble. Respect the normal possessiveness of children while you encourage and model sharing. Then watch how your child operates in a group play setting — you’ll learn a lot about your child and about what kind of guidance he’ll need. If your child is always the grabber, he’ll learn that other kids won’t want to play with him. If he’s always the victim, he needs to learn the power of saying “no.” In the preschool years your child naturally goes through a “what’s in it for me” stage, which will progress into a more socially aware “what’s in it for us” stage. Gradually — with a little help from parents — children learn that life runs more smoothly if they share.

4. Get connected

A child gives as he is given to. We have observed that children who received attachment parenting during the first two years are more likely to become sharing children in the years to come, for two reasons. Children who have been on the receiving end of generosity follow the model they’ve been given and become generous persons themselves. Also, a child who feels right is more likely to share. An attachment-parented child is more likely to have a secure self-image. He needs fewer things to validate his self-worth. In taking a poll of attachment- parented children in our practice, we found they needed fewer attachment objects. They are more likely to reach for mother’s hand than cling to a blanket.

5. Plan ahead

If your child has trouble sharing his toys and a playmate is coming over, ask the playmate’s parent to send toys along. Kids can’t resist toys that are new to them. Soon your child will realize that he must share his own toys in order to get his hands on his playmate’s. Or, if you are bringing your sharing child to the home of a non-sharing child, bring toys along. Some children develop a sense of justice and fairness at a very young age. One of our children didn’t want to return to a friend’s house because “he didn’t share.” We made this a teachable moment by praising him: “Aren’t you glad you like to share? I bet kids like to come to your house.”

How to Prepare Your Child for Preschool?

Don't Overprepare

There's no need to start preparing your child for preschool months in advance. Some well-meaning parents begin talking about preschool and building it up too far ahead of time, and by the time school starts, the child feels this is a huge event in her life, which can be overwhelming to a little one" Instead, start talking about preschool in a casual, upbeat manner about two to three weeks before class starts. For example, if you drive by a playground, "When you go to preschool, you'll have a slide like that one" or "There's your school. I'll walk in with you right by that blue door. Your teacher will be there." This lets your child know what to expect and gives her something to look forward to.

Set routine

Following a routine provides opportunities for making decisions and acting responsibly, and having a daily schedule can help ease your child's transition to the structure of a preschool setting. Children learn best when routines and daily schedules are established. Routines provide opportunities to learn about order, sequencing, and concepts of time. Established routines make for smoother transitions and help children to prepare mentally for the day ahead while providing frameworks in which creative learning can occur. If you don't have a consistent schedule at home, your child will likely have difficulty adjusting to school.

Stick With Morning and Bedtime Routines

If done consistently, routines give the preschooler a sense of belonging and reassurance, and provide parents with frequent opportunities to connect with their child, so it's best to be available, attentive, and responsive to your child's needs. An early-morning routine can include helping your child make her bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth and hair, and assemble personal items. Young children typically love a Good Morning chart with the tasks listed in order and a picture next to each item to provide a visual reminder for what is expected of them. Some preschool classrooms have similar daily schedules, which help prepare and organize your child.

Bedtime means sleeping in a dark room alone, which can often stir up nighttime fears. A comforting routine before bedtime can include: bathing, changing into pajamas, reading a book, brushing teeth, saying prayers, discussing the day's events, singing a song, giving hugs and kisses. These tasks add closure to the day, settle down a restless child, and provide additional bonding.

Take Advantage of Teachable Moments

Children are naturally curious about the world, and this makes life full of teachable moments. In the midst of a busy day, find brief opportunities to slip in simple lessons . teachable moments can help a child learn about and understand empathy. "This can be done through serving others to help your child gain an awareness of others, When another sibling or friend is having a difficult time, use that as a teaching moment with your child. Talk about the situation and why the sibling or peer is experiencing those feelings. Ask your child if she ever feels that way too and how she might be able to help. Teachable moments can take place when a bird flies by, a dog barks, or a cat sheds. A lot of that learning will occur naturally, but parents can also help it along.

Fine-Tune Fine Motor Skills

Prior to preschool, help your child develop his fine motor skills during play by creating a fun craft that involves snipping paper, coloring,having your child manipulate modeling clay to form shapes and letters, which will prepare him for future handwriting demands at school. Hide small beads or coins inside putty and have your child locate them; this activity addresses dexterity and improves hand strength, which will in turn improve small hand tasks such as manipulating small fasteners and using scissors. Provide little ones with Play-Doh and scissors as well. Cutting Play-Doh provides practice with proper hand placement and gives a child the basic idea of how to open and close the scissors for cutting.

Set up Daily Chores

Even a child can clear his plate from the table, pick up toys, dress himself, feed a pet, and make other small household contributions. Always give support and encouragement when chores are completed.

Make Time for Reading

Read to your child every day to foster a love for reading and to enhance your child's vocabulary. "When we give children the gift of books and language, we are providing them with imaginative experiences that are important in building creative thinkers and innovators. Always have reading material on hand in the car, in the kitchen, in your child's bedroom, and even outside. Whether books are checked out of the library or bought at the market or a bookstore, good children's literature provides the rich language needed for your child to be

Plan a Sneak Peek of the School 

It's a good idea to visit the school ahead of time while it's in session. Introduce your child to the teacher and give him time to observe and explore the room. If it's not possible to visit a class during the day, visit the new school on a weekend or evening. "Play on the playground and walk around the campus. Explain what is going to happen there -- like story times, meeting classroom pets, learning new things, and eating snack with new friends."

Look Out for Separation Anxiety

It's perfectly natural for children to experience separation anxiety during the first few weeks when they're dropped off at school. Be prepared for a few tears, but stay positive so that your child doesn't pick up on any anxious feelings that you may have about leaving her. On the drive to school, let your little one know how her day will proceed so that she knows what to expect. When you drop her off, calmly assure her that you will return at the end of the day. Keep your goodbyes short and sweet. Don't linger, as that will only make the separation more difficult for both you and your child. Once your child adjusts to the new school setting, goodbyes will be much easier.