Love me ...Love me not..!!!

It is when you don’t know if the love still persists or not, you start running away from yourself. You hate to be alone. You are scared to believe the realities facing you.
Long hours on the phone, cupid stories to giggle and day dreams everything has faded from the relationship. After years of affair two some don’t really know if they are meant to be together. It is the in thing today. Seriously I know so many couples who have stuck together and are now confused and puzzled when asked if you love each other. Some may say ‘perhaps’ and some may say ‘that they don’t know’, but no one really have answer to this close ended question.
My friends know each other since childhood, from schools to college to work; they have been with each other through thick and thin. But now when they are asked by their parents to get married, they freak out. They simply don’t know if they are in love. Or if they can be together for life. I find this completely ridiculous.
Confusion is the mother of all bemused decisions we take in our life. And if you observe it arises especially when you can’t avoid taking decisions. In love you fumble and restore, this is how an eventful relationship is like.
It is human psyche that you can’t be with anyone with whom you can’t share any vibe. You have been together for ages; this possibility leads you to become a habit to each other. And then it is when your love rises above its coo-chee-coo level. You may not talk to each other for long hours. But when you talk it’s your love that questions the well being, the desires, the anguish, the irritation and sometimes even your suppressions and confusions.
Talk, communicate, this is how any relationship can grow beyond. True Love can never die between anyone; it’s just the priorities that shuffle. And they will keep on shuffling.
Love should be a habit, it should be the confluence of two flowing energies meant for experience. Be with a friend, a friend who brings the best out of you.

Patterning Discipline

Stand at ease, attention. The army way, is it that easy to train our kids our way. I used the word train with respect to discipline as nowadays parents try to train their kids with respect to their expectations.  It may seem easier but in the long run these harsh measures hurt the most. Kids are like soft clay and must be carefully molded with reverence to their nature, age and behavioral pattern.

Every parenting is unique as every child is unique hence it’s difficult to pin point the particular reasons. But here we can discuss few obvious reasons to sustain child’s behavioral pattern.

The ideas are not just for toddlers but are particularly relevant in giving insight and advice for dealing with common toddler problems such as dealing with tantrums, bedtime and constantly saying no to every request. You need to see things from your toddler’s point of view and explain ourselves that we often measure a toddler's behavior by adult standards when we haven't reached the milestones, so that they can meet these standards.

Here are few alarming Behavioral distress when noticed must be stopped:

1. Throwing tantrums to get the things done.
2. Stubborn head
3. Crying unnecessarily to gain sympathy
4.  Temper Tantrums

Parenting is an Art that is yet to be perfected by anyone. Long time parents must suggest you their experiences, but the uniqueness of your bond with your child makes every parenting unique in itself. Many Child psychologist and observers have gathered and generalized few ideas and hence there are good books available to guide new parents or troubled parents. Below is the list of few finest parenting books to manage child behavior:

1. Positive Discipline, by Jane Nelson is a modern day bible on disciplining kids.
2. Setting Limits with your Strong Willed Child, by Robert J. Mckenzie
3. The Smart Love Parent: The Compassionate Alternative to Discipline, Martha Heinman, William J. Pieper
4. Discipline without distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time –out, spanking, punishment or bribery, by Judy Arnall

You cannot Start or Stop behavior of a child with the touch of a button. Being a parent it’s your duty to give a thought into cultivating the best out of the stimulating energy of your child. They are full of energy hence it is necessary to channelize it in the best possible way. Here are few positive ideas to help control the behavior of the child or must say ideas to channelize their energy for the best. Understand their psychology

Though great ideas come with experiences but one of the sort after is getting a handy book for such occasions. Like The Everything Toddler activities Book: Games and Projects that Entertain and Educate, by Joni Levine

Toddlers are limited in their ability to communicate, hence must be patiently heard as they often express themselves by crying, jabbering or with pointing. They will test your patience with their clumsy and awkward gestures. And one of the most annoying aspects could be their inability to share, Mine and No are their favorite words, but you have to understand it ain’t unique to your child.

Redirecting is one technique which when used can be really effective, like if the child is throwing or patting blocks or toys, take them away while saying that ‘ that the blocks are to build”, and substitute it with another appropriate toy like a ball and ask him to throw it in the basket. By redirecting the activity, you channel the child’s more problem activity into an acceptable activity.

It’s important to provide children with opportunity to vent their emotions. They hold up their emotions in public and at school which takes a great deal out of them and hence giving then opportunity to surpass these test and come to you gives them a relief.

Toddlers are not the most empathic ones and hence it’s important for you to as a parent to make them understand how you feel. They may take a while to understand but it’s important for them to review the situation and behave. Over the course of they start understanding more actively.

And most importantly never let the child get away with wrong deeds. They may not have best of the days and expects you to understand, and parents must cut them a slack at times, but don’t let them take advantage of you. Every parent has a bag full of discipline tricks, hence show them as much as you know where it is coming from, them must understand that there are consequences for their actions.

Disciplining is little like juggling, the trickier you get - the better it pays off.

A Planned Joyride.

Being a new parent is overwhelming enough, and taking a trip tops the list of testing patience. I have no tips or agenda to share, but yes would love to share my experience from our first road trip.

It wasn’t an ordinary 2 way trip, back and forth from a destination; it had its twists and plenty of turns. We decided to take our 1 year old on a road trip for 9 days, and cover the coveted natural marvels of southwestern US.  I was so scared on how my lil one will react to an extended car seat ride. So we started taking him for long drives before our trip. Even experimented feeding and entertaining him to observe his moods and reactions. I was elated to see he took all those trips really well.

The grooming was worth it and with only few brief stops, which actually occurred on drivers discretion for regular intake of caffeine, the 8-9 hours stretch were a piece of cake. I noticed if he is well fed and well attended with kids’ humor and talks he was an excellent rider.

For hotel I carried his favorite toys to play with, and as he recently started to walk I frequently made him wander around the aisle, which kept him calm and even made him sleep soundly after.

I have always kept kids food handy and my son is use to it for the same reason. Hence to feed him was never a fuss. I even took rice cooker along for few home recipes. Keep the kid hydrated, it keeps them calm.

Take lots of milk bottles along. I was never worried incase my son wishes to drink only milk, and if I have no way of cleaning them on the go.

Carry zip locks along, they come handy with wet clothes and plenty other things. We took all the possible over the counter medication for a 1yr old along. And even made list of all the departmental stores and hospitals near the places we went. It’s good to be prepared.

As per clothing, just keep them comfortable and warm (in my case). I took all his PJs along especially for the ride.

It was an amazing trip and my son loved it, he climbed the rocky patches of the Monument Valley and played in the sandy swirls of the Antelope.

Don’t be scared kids are stronger and more fun than we credit them for.:-)