Patriotic Fervor in High Gear in Mother’s Pride

It was a festive mood in all the branches of Mother’s Pride school on 25th January. No points for guessing the occasion; the patriotic spirit was high on account of Republic Day. As the day began in Mother’s Pride school, one could see little freedom fighters, soldiers, Gandhijis & Sarojini Naidus stepping into the school premises.  Yes, these were none another than, little buds of Mother’s Pride garden, adorned in costumes for the occasion.

As the toddlers got settled in their classrooms, after a while, celebrations began. Kids with the help of their teachers made the queue and headed towards the performance area. It was indeed a sight a watch assemblage of little tiny tots in the colorful attires- all at one place.

The celebrations began with Ganesh Vandana. Standing in the semicircles, children followed step by step instructions of their teachers and performed wholeheartedly on the devotional song. The act indeed looked pious with little ones praying and singing to the divinity.

Following was the dance performance by children in the vibrant Punjabi costumes on the song ‘Kitna sona desh hai mera’.  It was a couple performance and children skillfully showed Bhangara moves on the song.  Also, there was dance performance on songs - Jai Ho and goal which audience thoroughly enjoyed. There was also patriotic singing by children and they beautifully sang the popular number ‘sare jahan se acha hindustan hamara’. Even the audience sang along with the participants.  Altogether, the whole school came alive with the patriotic spirit!

Tips to teach toddlers alphabets

Familiarizing kids with alphabets is a herculean task for many parents and teachers. The initial introduction of the child to his first letters A..B…C could be simplified if creative methods are used. It requires lot of patience and persistence to teach kids alphabets. The whole learning process can be made lot of fun by infusing excitement through games and activities.

Here are few quick tips for making learning fun for kids:

Teaching alphabets through games

Games are the best means of teaching alphabets like blocks, puzzles, bingo etc. They can be very helpful in the teaching process. For instance, teaching using alphabet blocks could be exciting. Children can construct new words, assemble alphabets or arrange the consonants and vowels. Also, in case of puzzles, child can identify a picture or find the alphabet relating to it or fix up the puzzle from the mixed up pieces.

Use alphabets decor

One can adorn the walls with wall arts consisting of diverse sizes and shapes of alphabets and colorful alphabets also add charm to the room.  Also, you can try out putting child's name on the door followed by labeling his drawers and contents. You can even decorate by showcasing alphabets for pictures and frames. Choosing child's play area or bedroom for the purpose is important.

Creating alphabet book

Making your own alphabet book by pasting selected pictures cut out from old coloring book or magazine relating to the alphabets is good idea. You can ask your child to fill the book by making a page with each letter.

Humming songs that include alphabets

Kids are fond of humming songs and what could be better than singing alphabet songs to them. Singing or hearing songs increases the chance of children to remember alphabets longer. Include songs in the daily routine for toddlers as songs provide opportunity to little ones to learn new things more easily and also it increases their activity level and self-confidence. Above, everything else it is a fun way of learning for the child. Sing songs as often as possible. Make ABC song part of daily lesson plan. This is one of the easiest songs for children to learn and it soon becomes their favorite.

Play and experiment with themes to make alphabet learning really fun and interesting for your kid and if you do so it won't look like herculean task anymore. So, gear up and put on your thinking cap to make your child pally with alphabet buddies!!

Baby-proofing your house

When baby begins to crawl, then it is time for parents to take some household precautions in order to safeguard the little one. The safer you will make the home environment, the less you will need to worry about his safety. The zone in the house that you need to child proof extends to the point high above your child’s reach.  Babies are very eager and enthusiastic to explore the world around them. They want to see, play and touch everything that comes in front of them. Parents need to survey the house carefully and make changes accordingly to ensure total safety of the child.

One must remember that babies get into trouble fast than you can imagine. If there is any dangerous spot in the house, make sure your baby stays away from it. You can even install some helpful safety devices within your home to protect your baby. Along with that to prevent accidents, parents need to follow simple household safety measures. But parents need to keep in mind that no amount of childproofing can replace them. No matter what they always need to keep eye on their baby at this stage.

Ways to child –proof your house:

• First, of all, crawl through the house and get a baby's-eye view, and remove anything that is dangerous to your baby.

• Remove all breakables that may harm the child such as vases, picture frames, ashtrays and ornaments from tables.

• Mainly hide and cover all electrical cords and keep them above the child’s reach.

• Pad the corners and sharp edges of the furniture, beds, coffee tables and glass-topped tables.

• Keep tiny objects out of your baby’s reach as he may swallow it. Don’t keep coins, marbles, beads, paper clips and other small objects on the floor or on the low tables.

• Garbage pails should have lids so that baby cannot remove it.

• Cover electrical outlets with special plates or plastic inserts

• Do not keep unsafe indoor plants inside the house.

• Choose toys carefully when shopping for your child.  Look for toys that are well made and appropriate for your child’s age. Watch out for toys that have sharp edges, small parts or sharp points.

Keep out of reach

• Keep alcohol, cigarettes , poisons ,detergents and other chemicals above shoulder level and out of baby’s reach.

• Keep matches and lighters always on a high shelf in the cupboard.

• Keep guns and other firearms out of the house. If guns are in the house, unload them, put them in a locked place.