Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Developing Language
For some reason I d left it blank when I wrote the title. I m sure I d have had some overwhelming thoughts about TV s language acquisitions, but almost a year and a half later, when I'm at editing some of my earlier drafts, I m completely blacked out in my mind at the topic. May be I should follow this up with TV's language skills iand development in current context with a fresh new post
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Watching TV (television)
Have been following new and views about toddlers watching Televesion. Very often the parents are pretty much in favor of their tots (age upto 3years)watching TV. Researchers say, although there's no harm in TV viewing by tots for a short span, there's no significant gain. Some researchers also state that exposing kids to TV animation, violence (even the tom and jerry types) and video games, has a negative impact on kids' attention span and emotional quotient.
So, in a nuclear family, with limited domestic support, husband in a demanding career and as the only caretaker/entertainer during the day, for me to show (TV) or not to show is the question.
TV has been a good tot (especially after her first birthday), in that she can keep herself occupied for a good span (upto 30 min). We do a lot of things indoors - paint, read, puppet play, play, water play, bubbles, cook, play house, push cart, run, talk et al. She herself does a lot of things on her own - watch me, inspect things, spot things in newspapers, books, talk. With some music in the background and two enthu ladies (TV and I) our house is quite vibrant during the day, even with just the 2 of us.
Yet, there are times, while cooking or attending an important phone call, writing or just when wanting some time off, I feel like resorting to this 'new age baby sitter' called TV that is just a button away.
Well, starting from the beginning, we hardly turned the TV on, until our lil TV was 1 year old - even us, the parents hardly watched any TV. (and we didnt miss much)
I distinctly remember that I first showed 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse' to TV in her November, when she was close to 1. She loved it. Till that time, she would have possibly noticed this black window/painting/glass/mirror/frame on the wall. As, when it worked the first time, she was baffled, mesmerised and completely awed at what she was seeing.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Recipe - Spinach and Cheese wraps
TV loves this one and I think it would make a perfect lunch box menu (although lunch boxes for school is sometime away)
Note: This recipe requires some planning and specific ingredients hence not recommended when you are in a hurry.
Ingredients;
For wraps
Dough of Whole wheat flour (with water and some veg oil)
butter
For filling
onion (chopped)
garlic (grated)
spinach (blanched and cut)
cottage cheese (cut into very small cubes)
oil
salt
cumin powder
Method:
1. In a saucepan, heat a tsp of oil and fry garlic and onion until golden.
2. Add spinach and cheese, stir and add salt and a pinch of cumin powder
3. cover and cook for a while (about 5 min) string ocassionally.
4. Roll the dough into small circles
5. cook them on both sides on a hot plate or flat pan
6. butter one side of the wrap
7. on the other side place the filling and roll
Tip: a. small wraps make small rolls - just right for small hands.
b. trimming the wrap a bit once rolled, holds together the entire roll
Note: This recipe requires some planning and specific ingredients hence not recommended when you are in a hurry.
Ingredients;
For wraps
Dough of Whole wheat flour (with water and some veg oil)
butter
For filling
onion (chopped)
garlic (grated)
spinach (blanched and cut)
cottage cheese (cut into very small cubes)
oil
salt
cumin powder
Method:
1. In a saucepan, heat a tsp of oil and fry garlic and onion until golden.
2. Add spinach and cheese, stir and add salt and a pinch of cumin powder
3. cover and cook for a while (about 5 min) string ocassionally.
4. Roll the dough into small circles
5. cook them on both sides on a hot plate or flat pan
6. butter one side of the wrap
7. on the other side place the filling and roll
Tip: a. small wraps make small rolls - just right for small hands.
b. trimming the wrap a bit once rolled, holds together the entire roll
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Head on the pillow
These days (or should I say nights) TV is on a mission - to get her head on her pillow. She loves to do everything we do - only chotta. So when we retire to our bed (and pillows) at night, TV tries to do just that - sleep with her head on her chotta pillow.
It's been almost a week since she is trying really hard to get her head on the pillow.
Just that she first sits on the pillow and then tries to get her head there too. This little one is surely still far away from judging distances and understanding difference between the positions of her body parts when sitting and sleeping/lying down.
It's been almost a week since she is trying really hard to get her head on the pillow.
Just that she first sits on the pillow and then tries to get her head there too. This little one is surely still far away from judging distances and understanding difference between the positions of her body parts when sitting and sleeping/lying down.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Then, what do we do at home?
Yesterday when we were at the Drama Academy (yes, these days we are into drama, I shall write about it soon), a mom asked me a good question; 'Then, what do you do at home?'
It so happened that while into an activity, she asked TV to 'imagine' something, 'like Barney says.'
TV, otherwise responsive, just stared blankly at her.
'Don't you watch Barney?' the mom asked
'No,' I answered, 'not yet.'
'Barney ride!' I heard TV mumble. Apparently, she loves to ride a barney car when we are at the mall. And that's her only interaction with the popular cartoon character, at least so far.
'So what are her favorite cartoons,' the mom quizzed me. 'Does she like Dora?'
'Well ...no,' I managed to say. 'She just watches Mickey Mouse once in a while and sometimes a Hi-5.'
'once in a while?' the lady seemed curious.
'umm may be twice a week,' I replied, 'or even lesser sometimes.'
It seemed, from her wide open eyes and mouth (though not wide open), that the lady was in a shock. This was not new to me though. I have shocked a couple of moms earlier on the same response.
The first time I saw this reaction, I was shocked too ... I mean, did I say something wrong? something outrageous? But then, I soon discovered that Barney and Dora are the most popular characters amongst the babies and just-in-tots. So whoever watched TV (television) watched these. And watching TV was the most followed ritual in a baby's or tot's day - as much as a meal - more so because in many cases, having meals and watching TV always happened together.
Anyway, so the lady further asked me, 'so is she always out of the house?'
'Sorry?' I could'nt really understand what she meant.
'Do you always bring her out?'
'No, only mornings and evenings,' I paused and then quickly added (now knowing her interest in specifics), 'about 3-4 hours a day. Rest of the time we are at home.'
'so you have a large family?' the lady again.
In my memory, I've only been quizzed like this for my interviews.
'No just us - the 3 of us - TV, my husband and I. And its just TV and I during the day, when my husband is off to work.'
'Then, what does she do at home?' came the real big question.
For a moment I was in a haze. Really, what does she do at home?
Just then another activity began in the class and we got busy in there. But the question echoed in my mind. And I decided to answer it to myself. Following is my observation of TV's schedule.
7 to 7:30 am - wakes up
then until 9 am - the morning rituals. She's a part of our morning activities like;
breakfast - we try to have the breakfast together,
newspaper browsing - she flips through the papers, watches photographs tries to copy the expressions if it's an amusing one or spots and tells what she knows like 'monkey' 'car' 'blue' and these days looks for the alphabet 'O' - chotta o, big O
dad's getting ready to office - she actually helps him - passing his wallet, shirt to him as he gets ready. Then follows him till the lobby and gets back in after an elaborate bye bye.
9 to 10 is generally our getting ready time, when I also do some of my lunch cooking.
10 is generally the time when we go out, if we go out that is. I take her with me for my badminton once a week. Then we go to drama class once a week. Then sometimes it's shopping or to a park, or swimming and playing in our condo. Weekends is when we generally go to people's places or have them over or go on picincs or siteseeing or events.
When we don't go out in the mornings, I like to cook an elaborate meal, with music in the background. TV gets involved - passing the peppers or using her toy kitchen or simply moving to the music, getting me to join the dance ocassionally.
12 noon is our lunch time (minus Television) and that's an elaborate one. We talk during lunch, about food, what we are eating, the colors on our plate. We sing some rhymes. At times, when I see TV finding it difficult to sit at one place and have her food, then I get her involved with a story. But as a rule, she would get up from her seat only when she's done. When she gets up in between, I assume she's done.
Then while I am doing the dishes or cleaning up, TV is either with her chotta broom or exploring the cabinets or busy with her toys or board books or simply talking or singing. She can now actually entertain herself for at least 40-50 minutes at a stretch (good for me).
By the time we are done, it's 2 pm. That's when we retire to our bedroom - for a nap. Now this is the process (putting her to sleep) that get's the best of me - creativity, patience and perseverance. (Nap she must, else she starts getting tired by 5). Or sometimes it's my reward time, when I get to nap while TV is busy with her antics (generally, reading books aloud or singing - in half gibberish). But what she really finds engaging is sorting her clothes, or trying to fold a kerchief - I leave a couple of her clothes and a napkin/ kerchief on the bed. After the 'going to nap' process, TV actually falls asleep sometime between 3 to 3:30 and after a quick nap, is up before 5.
Evenings on weekdays is generally papa-TV time when they either go out or we go out or they just play together at home. Then we have some evening rituals (which we try to follow regularly) like saying prayers (TV can now say 'shubham karotu' herself) dining together, reading books or telling stories before going to bed (which is generally between 10 to 10:30 for TV - much earlier for dad)
Well, that's what we generally do at home. Of course then there's always some music running in the background and at times TV and I dancing to the music, or humming some rhymes or making some ourselves, doing household chores - in a fun way, meeting friends, playdates, just going for strolls, watching the gardener or cleaners at work, or just watching birds, ants, snail, squirrels, butterflies in the garden.
It so happened that while into an activity, she asked TV to 'imagine' something, 'like Barney says.'
TV, otherwise responsive, just stared blankly at her.
'Don't you watch Barney?' the mom asked
'No,' I answered, 'not yet.'
'Barney ride!' I heard TV mumble. Apparently, she loves to ride a barney car when we are at the mall. And that's her only interaction with the popular cartoon character, at least so far.
'So what are her favorite cartoons,' the mom quizzed me. 'Does she like Dora?'
'Well ...no,' I managed to say. 'She just watches Mickey Mouse once in a while and sometimes a Hi-5.'
'once in a while?' the lady seemed curious.
'umm may be twice a week,' I replied, 'or even lesser sometimes.'
It seemed, from her wide open eyes and mouth (though not wide open), that the lady was in a shock. This was not new to me though. I have shocked a couple of moms earlier on the same response.
The first time I saw this reaction, I was shocked too ... I mean, did I say something wrong? something outrageous? But then, I soon discovered that Barney and Dora are the most popular characters amongst the babies and just-in-tots. So whoever watched TV (television) watched these. And watching TV was the most followed ritual in a baby's or tot's day - as much as a meal - more so because in many cases, having meals and watching TV always happened together.
Anyway, so the lady further asked me, 'so is she always out of the house?'
'Sorry?' I could'nt really understand what she meant.
'Do you always bring her out?'
'No, only mornings and evenings,' I paused and then quickly added (now knowing her interest in specifics), 'about 3-4 hours a day. Rest of the time we are at home.'
'so you have a large family?' the lady again.
In my memory, I've only been quizzed like this for my interviews.
'No just us - the 3 of us - TV, my husband and I. And its just TV and I during the day, when my husband is off to work.'
'Then, what does she do at home?' came the real big question.
For a moment I was in a haze. Really, what does she do at home?
Just then another activity began in the class and we got busy in there. But the question echoed in my mind. And I decided to answer it to myself. Following is my observation of TV's schedule.
7 to 7:30 am - wakes up
then until 9 am - the morning rituals. She's a part of our morning activities like;
breakfast - we try to have the breakfast together,
newspaper browsing - she flips through the papers, watches photographs tries to copy the expressions if it's an amusing one or spots and tells what she knows like 'monkey' 'car' 'blue' and these days looks for the alphabet 'O' - chotta o, big O
dad's getting ready to office - she actually helps him - passing his wallet, shirt to him as he gets ready. Then follows him till the lobby and gets back in after an elaborate bye bye.
9 to 10 is generally our getting ready time, when I also do some of my lunch cooking.
10 is generally the time when we go out, if we go out that is. I take her with me for my badminton once a week. Then we go to drama class once a week. Then sometimes it's shopping or to a park, or swimming and playing in our condo. Weekends is when we generally go to people's places or have them over or go on picincs or siteseeing or events.
When we don't go out in the mornings, I like to cook an elaborate meal, with music in the background. TV gets involved - passing the peppers or using her toy kitchen or simply moving to the music, getting me to join the dance ocassionally.
12 noon is our lunch time (minus Television) and that's an elaborate one. We talk during lunch, about food, what we are eating, the colors on our plate. We sing some rhymes. At times, when I see TV finding it difficult to sit at one place and have her food, then I get her involved with a story. But as a rule, she would get up from her seat only when she's done. When she gets up in between, I assume she's done.
Then while I am doing the dishes or cleaning up, TV is either with her chotta broom or exploring the cabinets or busy with her toys or board books or simply talking or singing. She can now actually entertain herself for at least 40-50 minutes at a stretch (good for me).
By the time we are done, it's 2 pm. That's when we retire to our bedroom - for a nap. Now this is the process (putting her to sleep) that get's the best of me - creativity, patience and perseverance. (Nap she must, else she starts getting tired by 5). Or sometimes it's my reward time, when I get to nap while TV is busy with her antics (generally, reading books aloud or singing - in half gibberish). But what she really finds engaging is sorting her clothes, or trying to fold a kerchief - I leave a couple of her clothes and a napkin/ kerchief on the bed. After the 'going to nap' process, TV actually falls asleep sometime between 3 to 3:30 and after a quick nap, is up before 5.
Evenings on weekdays is generally papa-TV time when they either go out or we go out or they just play together at home. Then we have some evening rituals (which we try to follow regularly) like saying prayers (TV can now say 'shubham karotu' herself) dining together, reading books or telling stories before going to bed (which is generally between 10 to 10:30 for TV - much earlier for dad)
Well, that's what we generally do at home. Of course then there's always some music running in the background and at times TV and I dancing to the music, or humming some rhymes or making some ourselves, doing household chores - in a fun way, meeting friends, playdates, just going for strolls, watching the gardener or cleaners at work, or just watching birds, ants, snail, squirrels, butterflies in the garden.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Pretty pretty girl!
We were at a dinner last Saturday, with of course TV in tow. She was wearing a red polka dot skirt and a really elegant white (lace) blouse (thanks to her dear aunts). Oh these kids clothes - they are so pretty. And our dear daughter looked really cute in the whole ensemble - with her white Pediped shoes.
A lady at the dinner, commented on TV's 'pretty' shoes, while I was talking with another lady sitting beside me. By the time I could complete the dialogue we'd just started, TV was carrying on her own conversation. And the conversation went like so;
'You have a pretty pair of shoes, little girl.'
'Skirt?' TV, pausing for a response.
Possibly the lady did'nt know what the little girl was hinting at.
So my little girl, without much ado, guided her. 'Skirt, pretty?'
'Oh yeh, what a pretty skirt too.'
'Blouse?'
'...and a pretty blouse.'
'Button?'
'Oh, sorry! I did'nt notice the little pretty button on your blouse.'
'Aai?' (mom - that's me)
That's where I intervened, rescuing the poor rich lady from calling me pretty (even if for the sake of the little girl).
We laughed the situation out but I hope this isn't the sign of times to come and the kind of social talks my little girl would get into!
A lady at the dinner, commented on TV's 'pretty' shoes, while I was talking with another lady sitting beside me. By the time I could complete the dialogue we'd just started, TV was carrying on her own conversation. And the conversation went like so;
'You have a pretty pair of shoes, little girl.'
'Skirt?' TV, pausing for a response.
Possibly the lady did'nt know what the little girl was hinting at.
So my little girl, without much ado, guided her. 'Skirt, pretty?'
'Oh yeh, what a pretty skirt too.'
'Blouse?'
'...and a pretty blouse.'
'Button?'
'Oh, sorry! I did'nt notice the little pretty button on your blouse.'
'Aai?' (mom - that's me)
That's where I intervened, rescuing the poor rich lady from calling me pretty (even if for the sake of the little girl).
We laughed the situation out but I hope this isn't the sign of times to come and the kind of social talks my little girl would get into!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Review - Book
From Head to Toe
by Eric Carle
We've been getting Eric Carle books for TV for a long time now, starting with of course his classic - The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
But 'From Head to Toe' has proved to be the most engaging, entertaining and inspiring book for TV by Eric Carle. The pictures are bright and beautiful, a typical Carle. The rhythm and repetition is great and effective, again as always. But what's special about this book it's 'play with me' format.
I am a ---- and I do -----. Can you do it? I can do it!
Different animals doing different actions - from head to toe. Like a penguin turning head, a monkey swinging arms, a crocodile wriggling hips, elephant stomping his foot. And the repeated use of the Can you do it? question by these animals actually got TV to respond in a 'Yes, I can do it!' like the kids in the book and actually DO it.
The book is like a game that the seasoned picture book artiste-author plays with kids!
Besides the engaging format of a game, what TV also enjoys and mimics is the different expressions on the kids faces. As a mother what I also liked was a subtle introduction to different animals and what their peculiar traits are.
RAW rating - *****
by Eric Carle
We've been getting Eric Carle books for TV for a long time now, starting with of course his classic - The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
But 'From Head to Toe' has proved to be the most engaging, entertaining and inspiring book for TV by Eric Carle. The pictures are bright and beautiful, a typical Carle. The rhythm and repetition is great and effective, again as always. But what's special about this book it's 'play with me' format.
I am a ---- and I do -----. Can you do it? I can do it!
Different animals doing different actions - from head to toe. Like a penguin turning head, a monkey swinging arms, a crocodile wriggling hips, elephant stomping his foot. And the repeated use of the Can you do it? question by these animals actually got TV to respond in a 'Yes, I can do it!' like the kids in the book and actually DO it.
The book is like a game that the seasoned picture book artiste-author plays with kids!
Besides the engaging format of a game, what TV also enjoys and mimics is the different expressions on the kids faces. As a mother what I also liked was a subtle introduction to different animals and what their peculiar traits are.
RAW rating - *****
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