Monday, December 15, 2008
A little apologia
If anyone is following this, and has received report of a recent post - I apologize. It was as yet a draft, not completed, and accidentally published. The revised one follows. Soon. :)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Just books
If I sit still, I can hear the leaves shivering gently in chill puffs of wind.
If I sit still, I can see the moth flutter faintly in the darkness.
If I sit still, I can feel the moon beams leave dewdrops on my skin.
If I sit still, I can remember. Remember nights from my life, sharp as starpoints, soft as moon haloes, nights of beauty and joy and contentment. And so I try to return to the time before I learned to read, to the time when bedtime meant snuggling up to mother for stories and security and comfort. Ah those days! A blink of the eye and night returns, warmer from those heavy quilts , those stories told softly, that cozy embrace...
Isn't it strange then that I should have no recollection of those stories? I know that I heard countless stories - but I don't remember! It is a loss I feel all the more now that it is my turn to tell the stories. In a strange way, it is my love of books that has perhaps led to this state of affairs: because I read my books so many times, I lost the ones I had only heard but not revisited later. It is a loss I deeply regret.
Neverthless, books are an abiding love that I can not give up on. And today's post is - as an exception - going to be solely about books. A bit of a hotch potch too, let me warn you, because at this time of the night I can't really think straight, certainly not enough to unravel the subconscious threads that may join one memory with another. Or to formulate meaningful links between two topics. Take it as a basket of old books at a garage sale, if you will. Rummage and you will find a treasure or two - but only if you love books enough to go through them in the first place!
'Vintage books my kid loves' is a blog I have but recently discovered, and much though I envy all these book blogs which talk of books I don't have, I still have to read them! And share! I am not particularly partial to vintage books, but that is because I am partial to books of any vintage, any form. As long as there is printed paper, I am hungry for it. The only two things which keep me from buying all the books in the world are price, and space. (Pity that both are so severly limited...) But old books have a charm all their own. I like to have books with history, to hold in my hand something printed in the last century and feel awed at the number of people who might have read and enjoyed that book. Perhaps it also gives me a feeling of being connected to all those bibliophiles before me who so lovingly preserved that book. So I especially enjoyed reading about the old kid books on this blog and looking at the photos posted.
Similar little squeals of joy emanated when I discovered 'Golden gems' - the blog which has high quality scans of these 'little golden books' and other illustrations. What a beauty! It is so much fun to look at these paintings/drawings - and sometimes you can almost read the whole book! The only drawback, of course, is that clicking each photo is a rather slow process...
Eklayva is a NGO, based in Bhopal, 'that develops and field tests innovative educational programmes and trains resource people to implement these programmes. It functions through a network of education resource centres located in Madhya Pradesh.' I could summarize more - but as I said, the labour laws of my brain require it to be shut down now, so you'd have to go to their site to check out more. But I have been meaning to write about Eklavya for a long time now because of the children's books they publish. We met them in a book fair, and liked the four little books we got for about Rs. 15 each I think. Unfortunately, although they do have an online order form, and a list of publications, I haven't bought any more because I like to actually look at a book before I buy, and they don't have any outlet outside of Madhya Pradesh... Today I find that they have a hindi flip book online - great! Hope there are more to follow. Even detailed descriptions and a one page sample from each book would suffice to encourage more buyers online though.
There are more where this lot came from - but nope, my mind has totally packed up, and as I have to be up in another three hours, it is time to call it a day! To make up for my ramblings, here is something you might enjoy -
A TRAGIC STORY
William Makepeace Thackeray
If I sit still, I can see the moth flutter faintly in the darkness.
If I sit still, I can feel the moon beams leave dewdrops on my skin.
If I sit still, I can remember. Remember nights from my life, sharp as starpoints, soft as moon haloes, nights of beauty and joy and contentment. And so I try to return to the time before I learned to read, to the time when bedtime meant snuggling up to mother for stories and security and comfort. Ah those days! A blink of the eye and night returns, warmer from those heavy quilts , those stories told softly, that cozy embrace...
Isn't it strange then that I should have no recollection of those stories? I know that I heard countless stories - but I don't remember! It is a loss I feel all the more now that it is my turn to tell the stories. In a strange way, it is my love of books that has perhaps led to this state of affairs: because I read my books so many times, I lost the ones I had only heard but not revisited later. It is a loss I deeply regret.
Neverthless, books are an abiding love that I can not give up on. And today's post is - as an exception - going to be solely about books. A bit of a hotch potch too, let me warn you, because at this time of the night I can't really think straight, certainly not enough to unravel the subconscious threads that may join one memory with another. Or to formulate meaningful links between two topics. Take it as a basket of old books at a garage sale, if you will. Rummage and you will find a treasure or two - but only if you love books enough to go through them in the first place!
'Vintage books my kid loves' is a blog I have but recently discovered, and much though I envy all these book blogs which talk of books I don't have, I still have to read them! And share! I am not particularly partial to vintage books, but that is because I am partial to books of any vintage, any form. As long as there is printed paper, I am hungry for it. The only two things which keep me from buying all the books in the world are price, and space. (Pity that both are so severly limited...) But old books have a charm all their own. I like to have books with history, to hold in my hand something printed in the last century and feel awed at the number of people who might have read and enjoyed that book. Perhaps it also gives me a feeling of being connected to all those bibliophiles before me who so lovingly preserved that book. So I especially enjoyed reading about the old kid books on this blog and looking at the photos posted.
Similar little squeals of joy emanated when I discovered 'Golden gems' - the blog which has high quality scans of these 'little golden books' and other illustrations. What a beauty! It is so much fun to look at these paintings/drawings - and sometimes you can almost read the whole book! The only drawback, of course, is that clicking each photo is a rather slow process...
Eklayva is a NGO, based in Bhopal, 'that develops and field tests innovative educational programmes and trains resource people to implement these programmes. It functions through a network of education resource centres located in Madhya Pradesh.' I could summarize more - but as I said, the labour laws of my brain require it to be shut down now, so you'd have to go to their site to check out more. But I have been meaning to write about Eklavya for a long time now because of the children's books they publish. We met them in a book fair, and liked the four little books we got for about Rs. 15 each I think. Unfortunately, although they do have an online order form, and a list of publications, I haven't bought any more because I like to actually look at a book before I buy, and they don't have any outlet outside of Madhya Pradesh... Today I find that they have a hindi flip book online - great! Hope there are more to follow. Even detailed descriptions and a one page sample from each book would suffice to encourage more buyers online though.
There are more where this lot came from - but nope, my mind has totally packed up, and as I have to be up in another three hours, it is time to call it a day! To make up for my ramblings, here is something you might enjoy -
A TRAGIC STORY
William Makepeace Thackeray
Smile, and keep reading - books!
There lived a sage in days of yore,
And she a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much, and sorrowed more
Because it hung behind her.
Se mused upon this serious case,
And swore she'd change the pigtail's place
And have it hanging at her face,
Not dangling there behind her.
At length "Eureka!" was the sound,
Said she, "The mystery I've found --
I'll turn me round!" She turned her round;
But still it hung behind her.
Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain -- it mattered not a pin --
The pigtail hung behind her.
And though her efforts never slack,
And though she twist, and twirl, and tack,
Alas! still faithful to her back,
The pigtail hangs behind her.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Almost defeated by an idea, and Clifford at Scholastic****
Some ideas are clear; smooth and free is their sailing over the screen, words tripping in their hurry to get formed in black. Others are equally recalcitrant, and stand obstructive in my path, declaring with cool passion, "No other way save through me". For a week, ever since the Bombay bombing, I have tried to get around one, and failed. I have approached it from all angles, rejected and re-approached, and gotten nowhere. I have started thrice, changed my mind, moved the posts to Alternate/Parallel, and still not posted them. And yet, the idea is simple really. How do you talk of a tragedy like the Bombay attack? Or any other - take your pick, for there are so many of them in recent times. There is terrible mindlessness, innocents die, thousands suffer directly or indirectly. Tragedy? Of course. Horrifying, sombre, mind-numbing tragedy. What do you feel? Do you feel the pain like I do, the overwhelming shearing sensation with each news of a world grinding carcasses in daily turning? Each day, each little report - theft, violence, rape, corruption, rage, political divisiveness, riots, jail breaks, delayed justice, terror attacks - each and all of these hurt me daily. Each of these I have learnt to avoid since I became aware, as a teenager, of a world beyond my home, because I couldn't handle the pointlessness of it all. Because I couldn't do anything about any of it, anything at all. And so began my attachment to the only part of the paper I do read carefully - the cartoons! For the rest, when was there ever good news? Rare the athletic prowess to be inspired by, lessening with increasing years anyway. Rarer still the news of a man who could inspire. And yet, we all are hungry for that, as was obvious by the amount of interest Obama generated worldwide. For a brief moment, democracy seemed actually meaningful, each vote a choice... But something like this happens, or the last blasts in Delhi, or the tsunami in Indonesia or the floods in Bihar - and your life gets dwarfed once more by calamities far beyond your control. So, how do you talk about these? Can you find words to really talk of it, or do you deal in cliches, safe passages through these turbulent waters? A friend from US asked me of - folks in Bombay - and I didn't know how to respond. I can write, and search for words chiselled to fit the thought and feeling, yet I'd feel bombastic and utterly false using those in my daily talk. Just at the time of the event, yes, possibly, overawed by the magnitude of it all, when we stand small and baby-nude with each other, putting arms out to be hugged, I might let my heart show. But later, when the tragedy is in the realm of conversation?
How do you deal with it?
Today, because we were watching a Clifford video lately, it is Clifford at Scholastic Inc., the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. One of those 'leaf' posts by my classification, for Scholastic is a huge site. As a matter of fact, the link I am starting with is the wrong end of the candy cane - it is Clifford at the teachers' site at Scholastic, rather than Clifford games per se, educational though they may be. And just to make matters more complicated, the teachers' site itself and the games section of Scholastic both deserve a separate mention. Not to speak of various Clifford games at other sites... Oh, what the heck, we'll simply stick to Clifford at Scholastic, the name I have bookmarked the site as, simply because Clifford is a favourite :)
If you follow the link here, you'll find four games and four English/Spanish interactive story books. And a teachers' guide about using them - introducing the child to consonants and so on. Not being a Montessori mama, nor a gifted teacher, I have simply been using these as games with random and occassional comments re consonants and vowels and so on, and hoping that some of it will simply soak in...
The concentration game here has a slight twist - kids have to name aloud the object in the photos displayed, and then find the ones with the same beginning, middle or ending sound. Quite useful to get them used to breaking down words into phonic components.
The word making game is a variant of the paper slider used to fill vowels in words at kindergarten. Drag a letter to the middle of a word - if it is right, it is read aloud by the computer; if not, the vowel slides back.
A letter match game teaches children to differentiate between letters that they often have difficulty identifying eg. p and b, d and p, i and j.
Sound match has kids picking out words starting from the same sound as a given word given images which are read out by the computer on clicking. Stories are simply worded, each frame with three sentences, the last of which needs to be filled in with one of three choices. The choices don't impact the story line much, however they are good for learning how to read.
At the bottom of the page is a link to 'Clifford's website' - which is the actual Clifford site on Scholastic. And on that page are more games and other goodies which I can't write about now because I have to vacate the computer so they can be played... Maybe later, editing this post?
The url - http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/index.htm
P.S. As and when I do post more about the above - whether it is Bombay, or Clifford, I will update here :)
P.P.S. At the bottom of the page, there is a Scholastic Word Wizard box powered by Wordsmyth, which claims it'll look up any word you double click on the page. Trouble is, almost every written word is a link...
How do you deal with it?
Today, because we were watching a Clifford video lately, it is Clifford at Scholastic Inc., the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. One of those 'leaf' posts by my classification, for Scholastic is a huge site. As a matter of fact, the link I am starting with is the wrong end of the candy cane - it is Clifford at the teachers' site at Scholastic, rather than Clifford games per se, educational though they may be. And just to make matters more complicated, the teachers' site itself and the games section of Scholastic both deserve a separate mention. Not to speak of various Clifford games at other sites... Oh, what the heck, we'll simply stick to Clifford at Scholastic, the name I have bookmarked the site as, simply because Clifford is a favourite :)
If you follow the link here, you'll find four games and four English/Spanish interactive story books. And a teachers' guide about using them - introducing the child to consonants and so on. Not being a Montessori mama, nor a gifted teacher, I have simply been using these as games with random and occassional comments re consonants and vowels and so on, and hoping that some of it will simply soak in...
The concentration game here has a slight twist - kids have to name aloud the object in the photos displayed, and then find the ones with the same beginning, middle or ending sound. Quite useful to get them used to breaking down words into phonic components.
The word making game is a variant of the paper slider used to fill vowels in words at kindergarten. Drag a letter to the middle of a word - if it is right, it is read aloud by the computer; if not, the vowel slides back.
A letter match game teaches children to differentiate between letters that they often have difficulty identifying eg. p and b, d and p, i and j.
Sound match has kids picking out words starting from the same sound as a given word given images which are read out by the computer on clicking. Stories are simply worded, each frame with three sentences, the last of which needs to be filled in with one of three choices. The choices don't impact the story line much, however they are good for learning how to read.
At the bottom of the page is a link to 'Clifford's website' - which is the actual Clifford site on Scholastic. And on that page are more games and other goodies which I can't write about now because I have to vacate the computer so they can be played... Maybe later, editing this post?
The url - http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/index.htm
P.S. As and when I do post more about the above - whether it is Bombay, or Clifford, I will update here :)
P.P.S. At the bottom of the page, there is a Scholastic Word Wizard box powered by Wordsmyth, which claims it'll look up any word you double click on the page. Trouble is, almost every written word is a link...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
List of sites covered August to November 2008
List of sites covered to date - these are only the game sites; any others are not included though half the post may be dedicated to them :) Use the tags to search for sites by age group - here they are, on the right :)
ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) kids playground**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Ambulance service of New South Wales** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Animaland*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
Artpad*** - preschooler, kindergarten, adult
Babloo - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Baby tv**** - infant, toddler, preschooler
BBC Family time (including mummy's pregnant)*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, parent assist
Bembo's zoo*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
British Council**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Caillou**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Cbeebies***** - toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten, tweens (note: this link is to the part IV of th post about cbeebies, but they are linked serial fashion)
Children's museum of Indianapolis*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tweens, teen
Coloring.com*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Dr. Seuss*** - kindergarten, tween
Faces in places*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, adults
Fifi*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Faust and Hubert*** - infant, toddler
Fireman Sam*** - preschooler, kindergarten
Fisher-Price**** - infant, toddler, preschooler
Fun baby games online*** - infant, toddler
Funbrain mom and kids playground***** - favourite, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
H.I.P.(History in your pocket) pocket change**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
I heart wavs*** - infant, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
International Digital Children's Library***** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
Kiddonet*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Kipper** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Kneebouncers***** - infants, toddlers
M.A.D. paintball*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Mauki*** - infant
Mr. Picassohead**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, adult
My life as an elk***(National museum of wildlife art) - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Netsmartzkids*** - kindergarten, tween, teens
Nursery rhymes lyrics and origins** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Orange** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Orisinal*** - kindergarten, tween, teen, adults
Peep and the big wide world***** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Pocoyo*** -infant, toddler
Poisson rouge***** (Red fish) - infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten
Poisson rouge***** revisited - (more details here than before)
Rosetta project**** - books, kindergarten, tween, teen
Scribbler*** - preschooler, kindergarten, adult
Spectratone*** - toddler, tween, teen
Starfall**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Storyplace***** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
The mouse club*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Thomas the tank engine*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Tumblebooks***** - kindergarten, tween, teen
tygh**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen, adult
Up to ten***** - infant, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Visible body**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen, adult
Wild republic* - preschooler, kindergarten
ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) kids playground**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Ambulance service of New South Wales** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Animaland*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
Artpad*** - preschooler, kindergarten, adult
Babloo - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Baby tv**** - infant, toddler, preschooler
BBC Family time (including mummy's pregnant)*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, parent assist
Bembo's zoo*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
British Council**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Caillou**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Cbeebies***** - toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten, tweens (note: this link is to the part IV of th post about cbeebies, but they are linked serial fashion)
Children's museum of Indianapolis*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tweens, teen
Coloring.com*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Dr. Seuss*** - kindergarten, tween
Faces in places*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, adults
Fifi*** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Faust and Hubert*** - infant, toddler
Fireman Sam*** - preschooler, kindergarten
Fisher-Price**** - infant, toddler, preschooler
Fun baby games online*** - infant, toddler
Funbrain mom and kids playground***** - favourite, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
H.I.P.(History in your pocket) pocket change**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
I heart wavs*** - infant, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
International Digital Children's Library***** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen
Kiddonet*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Kipper** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Kneebouncers***** - infants, toddlers
M.A.D. paintball*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Mauki*** - infant
Mr. Picassohead**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, adult
My life as an elk***(National museum of wildlife art) - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Netsmartzkids*** - kindergarten, tween, teens
Nursery rhymes lyrics and origins** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Orange** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Orisinal*** - kindergarten, tween, teen, adults
Peep and the big wide world***** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Pocoyo*** -infant, toddler
Poisson rouge***** (Red fish) - infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten
Poisson rouge***** revisited - (more details here than before)
Rosetta project**** - books, kindergarten, tween, teen
Scribbler*** - preschooler, kindergarten, adult
Spectratone*** - toddler, tween, teen
Starfall**** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Storyplace***** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
The mouse club*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Thomas the tank engine*** - toddler, preschooler, kindergarten
Tumblebooks***** - kindergarten, tween, teen
tygh**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen, adult
Up to ten***** - infant, toddler, preschooler, kindergarten, tween
Visible body**** - preschooler, kindergarten, tween, teen, adult
Wild republic* - preschooler, kindergarten
MCQ II and Family time*** (Including mummy's pregnant)
Time for MCQ part II.
When your kid asks about pregnancy - yours or somebody else's, in a public place, what do you do?
a. shush, tell her 'will talk later'
b. distract her
c. answer the question in brief
d. remind her of an earlier similar discussion eg. about digestion, and promise more for later
e. apologize to the junta?
Seems to me that lately the only reason I sign on to blogger is to check the dashboard for blogs I am following. By the time I have finished reading them, (and commenting), I don't have any time left over to do my own blog. So today, when Christina asked how to answer her son's "how did the baby get inside your tummy" question, and I couldn't remember the site just then, I figured I could do make a post about this finally after months of planning, er, pondering, er, procastinating. Only, my memory is too much of a leaky sieve to be trusted. That I couldn't remember the site was bad enough, but that the site is not answering her question at all is worse! To tell the truth, we went through it all only once, and I had retained an impression of a 'really useful site'. Sorry Christina, but perhaps someone else will find this useful anyway!
Anyway, here we are at BBC's Family time. It is linked from cbeebies site (under grown ups), so if you have been there, perhaps you already know about it. It is also linked from the BBC parenting site which you might have explored. I have not explored the site well enough to tell you all about it. And indeed it is hardly relevant for this blog, so we'll focus on the things that interest us. Or, well, kids.
First, the Mummy's pregnant animations. These are very short animation segments in a month by month format, explaining how the embyo is growing in mummy's body, culminating in birth. The narrator is supposed to be a small boy who is talking about his newborn sister. The details are accurate, and the summarization adequate. However, the information is rather too sketchy - most kids over 5 years of age will want to know more. Especially the how did it all begin part, on which it is prudently silent. Apart from that, it is a nice tool to use to help your kid feel involved in your pregnancy, and to keep them updated regarding progress...
There are a couple of games of course, and changing links to other games on the BBC site. Teatime racers is about picking the 'right' food to win in a race, as opposed to junk food. But it is slightly marred by the fact that unless you choose all the junk foods first, your child has a good chance of picking a mixed bag, thus leaving a mixed bag for you as well - and in that case, nobody is a clear winner, and there is no clear cut 'this food is right, and this is wrong' message for the child. Robot's recipes is to do with helping the robot make some recipes in the kitchen, with the idea that you and your kid can then make these very same things yourself :) Fun game.
Watch and learn section has some animations regarding food, and some real videos of kids talking of favourite foods etc. As at the cbeebies site, the videos are small and poor quality, and still take forever to load. That, coupled with the inference that I was trying to get some 'nutritional information' across, sent my kid scrambling to another site! Nevertheless, you may find it interesting.
There are also sections on 'learning activities' appropriate for your child and 'parties and charts': take a look.
The url - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/familytime/
P.S. This is also for my friend B., who I hope is able to read this before the nine months are over :) Here is to you - health and happiness!
P.P.S. From BBC parenting, come these tips about talking to kids about sex -
When your kid asks about pregnancy - yours or somebody else's, in a public place, what do you do?
a. shush, tell her 'will talk later'
b. distract her
c. answer the question in brief
d. remind her of an earlier similar discussion eg. about digestion, and promise more for later
e. apologize to the junta?
Seems to me that lately the only reason I sign on to blogger is to check the dashboard for blogs I am following. By the time I have finished reading them, (and commenting), I don't have any time left over to do my own blog. So today, when Christina asked how to answer her son's "how did the baby get inside your tummy" question, and I couldn't remember the site just then, I figured I could do make a post about this finally after months of planning, er, pondering, er, procastinating. Only, my memory is too much of a leaky sieve to be trusted. That I couldn't remember the site was bad enough, but that the site is not answering her question at all is worse! To tell the truth, we went through it all only once, and I had retained an impression of a 'really useful site'. Sorry Christina, but perhaps someone else will find this useful anyway!
Anyway, here we are at BBC's Family time. It is linked from cbeebies site (under grown ups), so if you have been there, perhaps you already know about it. It is also linked from the BBC parenting site which you might have explored. I have not explored the site well enough to tell you all about it. And indeed it is hardly relevant for this blog, so we'll focus on the things that interest us. Or, well, kids.
First, the Mummy's pregnant animations. These are very short animation segments in a month by month format, explaining how the embyo is growing in mummy's body, culminating in birth. The narrator is supposed to be a small boy who is talking about his newborn sister. The details are accurate, and the summarization adequate. However, the information is rather too sketchy - most kids over 5 years of age will want to know more. Especially the how did it all begin part, on which it is prudently silent. Apart from that, it is a nice tool to use to help your kid feel involved in your pregnancy, and to keep them updated regarding progress...
There are a couple of games of course, and changing links to other games on the BBC site. Teatime racers is about picking the 'right' food to win in a race, as opposed to junk food. But it is slightly marred by the fact that unless you choose all the junk foods first, your child has a good chance of picking a mixed bag, thus leaving a mixed bag for you as well - and in that case, nobody is a clear winner, and there is no clear cut 'this food is right, and this is wrong' message for the child. Robot's recipes is to do with helping the robot make some recipes in the kitchen, with the idea that you and your kid can then make these very same things yourself :) Fun game.
Watch and learn section has some animations regarding food, and some real videos of kids talking of favourite foods etc. As at the cbeebies site, the videos are small and poor quality, and still take forever to load. That, coupled with the inference that I was trying to get some 'nutritional information' across, sent my kid scrambling to another site! Nevertheless, you may find it interesting.
There are also sections on 'learning activities' appropriate for your child and 'parties and charts': take a look.
The url - http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/familytime/
P.S. This is also for my friend B., who I hope is able to read this before the nine months are over :) Here is to you - health and happiness!
P.P.S. From BBC parenting, come these tips about talking to kids about sex -
How can I make it easier?
Many parents feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about sex, but there are some ways to make it easier:
- Start early. You'll find it less awkward if you introduce the topic when your child is very young. Answer questions simply and naturally.
- Use everyday situations to start conversations. TV programmes are often a good opportunity to talk about relationships, or talk when you're doing something like the washing up. This makes your child feel that sex is a normal part of family life and not a special subject.
- Have books or leaflets for your child to read, or you to look at together. See below for our list of resources.
- Have a line up your sleeve for difficult moments, such as: "That's a good question, let's talk about it when we get home." And make sure you do.
- Ask your child what they think about these issues. This tells you how much they know and helps you give answers they understand.
- Children notice the tone of what you say as much as what you say. So don't get cross or put them down.
- If you don't know the answer, say so but find out later.
- Try to be truthful as stories about storks and gooseberry bushes just confuse children.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Indian safety and Ambulance service of NSW**
Today, I am talking to Indians.
I wonder how many of you recall, or even are aware of the animated series 'Around the world in eighty days' based on the novel of the same name, which was made perhaps in late 70s, or early eighties? Each episode, if I remember correctly, ended with a saying or a rhyming catchphrase. One of these has stayed with me through all these years, despite having no remembrance of that particular episode: "The motto of the wise is, be prepared for surprises". The usefulness of this motto in daily living is in direct proportion to your tendency to hyperventilate in the face of a wrong morning paper, but as far as real emergencies go, there is no doubt that preparedness saves lives. Being prepared starts with being aware of the risks and limits of whatever you are doing or are involved in, even if it is simply living your life wherever you are, whichever way you are doing it. When you know of the things which can go wrong, and how they can go wrong, you have already started knitting the safety net, because you can then plan the appropriate response. It can mean leaving an earthquake prone area to live in. Or putting up fresh light bulbs in the long corridor of your office. Or wearing helmets. Or government's flood control plan. Or the triage practice at the trauma centre. Or having an emergency evacuation drill in your home every now and then. Anything that either reduces the risks of the unforeseen happening or gets you ready to face it when it does happen in a panic free way.
Unfortunately, on an individual level, and as a community and nation, we are prone to believing ourselves immortal, infallible. Perhaps the blinkers we need to get through the business of daily living without giving in to the invariable tearing apart of our hearts are too large, and they prevent us from looking around, taking responsibility, being pro-active. Instead, we drive on the wrong side of the road, walk in the middle of traffic, hang on from trains, postpone visits to doctors but not to faith healers, break safety rules whenever we can, refuse to subscribe to the notion that our safety is our own concern. Everything that is wrong is to be blamed on another community - of politics, caste, religion, locality, creed - any thread which unites the non us.
Oh well, that is us. "Sau mein se ninyanve beyimaan, phir bhi mera Bharat mahan." But it explains, for instance, how is it that the best of our play-schools run in converted residences without any adequate child protection devices or practices in place. Lack of adequate fire escape pathways, of fire extinguishers, of smoke and fire alarms can perhaps be attributed to the expense. Lack of knowledge of what to do in case of a fire, of how to extinguish it, of how to give first aid to a burns victim; lack of discussion or policy of fire escape, or practice runs, or apportioning of responsibility; lack of basic safety knowledge - these are not excusable. But there they are. I challenge you to find me one school in India that is safety conscious, has these (among others) safeguards in place. In fact, I challenge you to tell me that your household is prepared. That you have - since we are already talking of fire - a response plan, that your toddler knows what to do, that you have the requisite prevention and remedial measures in place.
I don't. Despite knowing and agonizing and theorizing.
I rest my case.
And now, the antidote - knowledge. A very simple site for today, and I must warn you, not really tailored for us, since it is the Ambulance service of New South Wales, Australia. But as a beginning, it will do. Their kid section has simple one pane messages about what an ambulance does, or how to make an emergency call, with voice over but no animation. In itself the site is not enticing enough to hold a child's attention, but if they are young, and looking out for something new, go over this with them and discuss, explain, and guide. Even little children as young as three can save their own lives, and that of others if they know the correct response in emergency situations.
The two games included here are actually quizzes, so suitable only for older kids, unless you are also explaining and translating at the same time. The one about big or little accident is a good starting point to teach them about the seriousness of a situation.
Check it out, and if you know of other sites which are cuter - let me know!
The url - http://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/kids/games/
P.S. Another old phrase which has stayed with me is 'savdhanin hati, durghtana ghati'. I don't recall if it was a governmental campaign or something else related to the government, but it was official alright! And god, so true. Especially for the household and industrial accidents!
I wonder how many of you recall, or even are aware of the animated series 'Around the world in eighty days' based on the novel of the same name, which was made perhaps in late 70s, or early eighties? Each episode, if I remember correctly, ended with a saying or a rhyming catchphrase. One of these has stayed with me through all these years, despite having no remembrance of that particular episode: "The motto of the wise is, be prepared for surprises". The usefulness of this motto in daily living is in direct proportion to your tendency to hyperventilate in the face of a wrong morning paper, but as far as real emergencies go, there is no doubt that preparedness saves lives. Being prepared starts with being aware of the risks and limits of whatever you are doing or are involved in, even if it is simply living your life wherever you are, whichever way you are doing it. When you know of the things which can go wrong, and how they can go wrong, you have already started knitting the safety net, because you can then plan the appropriate response. It can mean leaving an earthquake prone area to live in. Or putting up fresh light bulbs in the long corridor of your office. Or wearing helmets. Or government's flood control plan. Or the triage practice at the trauma centre. Or having an emergency evacuation drill in your home every now and then. Anything that either reduces the risks of the unforeseen happening or gets you ready to face it when it does happen in a panic free way.
Unfortunately, on an individual level, and as a community and nation, we are prone to believing ourselves immortal, infallible. Perhaps the blinkers we need to get through the business of daily living without giving in to the invariable tearing apart of our hearts are too large, and they prevent us from looking around, taking responsibility, being pro-active. Instead, we drive on the wrong side of the road, walk in the middle of traffic, hang on from trains, postpone visits to doctors but not to faith healers, break safety rules whenever we can, refuse to subscribe to the notion that our safety is our own concern. Everything that is wrong is to be blamed on another community - of politics, caste, religion, locality, creed - any thread which unites the non us.
Oh well, that is us. "Sau mein se ninyanve beyimaan, phir bhi mera Bharat mahan." But it explains, for instance, how is it that the best of our play-schools run in converted residences without any adequate child protection devices or practices in place. Lack of adequate fire escape pathways, of fire extinguishers, of smoke and fire alarms can perhaps be attributed to the expense. Lack of knowledge of what to do in case of a fire, of how to extinguish it, of how to give first aid to a burns victim; lack of discussion or policy of fire escape, or practice runs, or apportioning of responsibility; lack of basic safety knowledge - these are not excusable. But there they are. I challenge you to find me one school in India that is safety conscious, has these (among others) safeguards in place. In fact, I challenge you to tell me that your household is prepared. That you have - since we are already talking of fire - a response plan, that your toddler knows what to do, that you have the requisite prevention and remedial measures in place.
I don't. Despite knowing and agonizing and theorizing.
I rest my case.
And now, the antidote - knowledge. A very simple site for today, and I must warn you, not really tailored for us, since it is the Ambulance service of New South Wales, Australia. But as a beginning, it will do. Their kid section has simple one pane messages about what an ambulance does, or how to make an emergency call, with voice over but no animation. In itself the site is not enticing enough to hold a child's attention, but if they are young, and looking out for something new, go over this with them and discuss, explain, and guide. Even little children as young as three can save their own lives, and that of others if they know the correct response in emergency situations.
The two games included here are actually quizzes, so suitable only for older kids, unless you are also explaining and translating at the same time. The one about big or little accident is a good starting point to teach them about the seriousness of a situation.
Check it out, and if you know of other sites which are cuter - let me know!
The url - http://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/kids/games/
P.S. Another old phrase which has stayed with me is 'savdhanin hati, durghtana ghati'. I don't recall if it was a governmental campaign or something else related to the government, but it was official alright! And god, so true. Especially for the household and industrial accidents!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Of sleep, and about ABC**** (part I)
A long time ago, someone told me that those who need more than eight hours of sleep or less than four are geniuses.
Or prone to schizophrenia.
I added the myth/factoid to my list of things I don't feel modest about. And happily ignored the rider. I mean, be reasonable, wouldn't you? But seriously, ever since motherhood happened, I find sleep is what makes the world go around. Regular, full, uninterrupted sleep on my own terms. I need sleep, always have. When occupied by various colds and other such viruses, all I want is sleep, and things get better. When I am too stressed out, a book to unwind and put me in a different land helps before a long long nap, but sleep is essential. Heck, even my labour pains were not as troublesome as the fact that I just wanted to sleep some after 24 hours of contractions! So that is my problem nowadays - how do I get around to writing here when I have more 'important' things to do - and sleep?
ABC kids playground, the site for young children from Australian Broadcasting Corporation is admittedly smaller than the BBC one, but it is still large enough to require two posts. Today we shall talk only about the games visible directly on this page -
Its a simple layout, and enticing too. The characters on the game board, however, lead to other pages of games - or a single one, from where you have to use the back button on your browser to return. There are a couple of broken links, and some game pages are, by their own admission, old. When you hover over a character, a little note next to it informs you of the name and age range for which suitable.
Save-ums have some six or seven games, for which you need to download Axel player in addition to Quicktime with flash - a simple and short download but installation of course requires browser windows to be closed. None of the games are extra special but the animation is fair. Mixy and Joe's games are a mixed bag, with some games like Joe's maze being fairly interesting, and some falling a little short of expectations. 'Petals' have a single jigsaw puzzle.
Billycart racing and Space mission are meant for age group 5-12, but can be handled at a younger level as well; to watch if not to try. Both are based on using arrow keys for navigating the vehicle out of the way of obstacles to reach a goal. However, using a rocket is a first for this kind of game for us, so it was well liked :)
Rattus down the dunny is a game meant to appeal to the, er, base humour of older kids by means of a rat which has to be moved in the sewer pipes so as to retrieve his jacket which went down the lavatory... The mouse movement required can be handled by 4 year olds, and the animation/drawing quality is poor.
Bananas in pyjamas shares its colour game with Mixy and a direct link on the home page itself - and it has very basic limited garish colours and four or five pictures to paint. However, my kid still liked it so I guess my opinion doesn't count. The matching memory game, dress-up (mix and match), puzzle are average. What does make it stand out is the incredibly addicting tune of its title song in 'song time'. Also, you can select one of four instruments to accompany the song or a couple of other rhymes in 'sing-a-long'. Check 'animal sounds' - I should at least give some homework!
The best of all is the Jakers site, better than the link from BBC if I recall. Jakers, if you haven't watched it, is about 'the imaginative world of Piggley Winks. Grandpa Piggley Winks, the elder family member in a typical contemporary, chaotic household of American city-dwellers, (who) entertains and educates his grandchildren with tales of his childhood on Raloo Farm in the village of Tara in Ireland.' Although the size of the game window is not large, it is sufficient, and the games are well designed and innovative.
See-saw hee haws is one of our favourites, and it helped in introducing the concept of two weights being equal even if looking different. It is fun to balance the various animals on the see-saw, and if you succeed, the others jump up in celebration. As you progress up the game, the number of options for balancing increases. However, it doesn't take into account the distance from the fulcrum, which is just as well I think. If you do want that, go to the big wide world of Peep for 'bunny balance'.
Jamming with Wiley is for the older kids - my pre-schooler still can't handle more than the beginning, but is delighted to watch the sheep dance. Its a nice game for getting the hang of beat and rhythm.
Fix-it is a one of a kind favourite of ours. Unlike other puzzles, this is a three dimensional one in which you get to 'glue' together many pieces of increasing complexity broken by the unfortunate pig! Just add your own voice over to the effect of 'Not again! Oh now what do we do?' and the kids will be giggling as they finish repairing things they - for a change - have not broken!
The egg collector and farm escape are some of the other favourites, but all games are likeable at Jakers.
Hickory dickory clock used to be a nice game for introducing the clock, but sadly the link is broken now. I have a feeling that the site is being revamped, and soon I shall be having to re-do this post. In any case, for the newer games and for the five minute more games, some other post, for they are flash intensive and cause my laptop to over heat and shut down...
The url - http://www.abc.net.au/children/games/default.htm
P.S. "And do you know what it's like to go for days on end without sleep, for weeks with only two or three hours out of the twenty-four? Do you know the sensation? That fine-drawn feeling with every nerve in your body and cell in your brain stretched taut to breaking point, pushing you over the screaming edge of madness. Do you know it? It's the most exquisite agony in the world, and you'd sell your friends, your family, your hopes of immortality for the blessed priviledge of closing your eyes and just letting go."
Excerpted, with minor changes from Mr. Maclean's book H.M.Ulysses.
P.P.S. I hope that you have read this book? Please do if you haven't. If I were to say it eulogizes the human spirit while condemning the incredible and incredibly stupid waste of human endeavour in wars, you may be put off. But it is not a serious tome, just a very moving, very well crafted work of fiction in the special style of Alistair Maclean. I never can read it without breaking down once at least, and also without wondering how shallow his other novels seem in comparison... But it redeems them all, if they were ever in the need for it!
Or prone to schizophrenia.
I added the myth/factoid to my list of things I don't feel modest about. And happily ignored the rider. I mean, be reasonable, wouldn't you? But seriously, ever since motherhood happened, I find sleep is what makes the world go around. Regular, full, uninterrupted sleep on my own terms. I need sleep, always have. When occupied by various colds and other such viruses, all I want is sleep, and things get better. When I am too stressed out, a book to unwind and put me in a different land helps before a long long nap, but sleep is essential. Heck, even my labour pains were not as troublesome as the fact that I just wanted to sleep some after 24 hours of contractions! So that is my problem nowadays - how do I get around to writing here when I have more 'important' things to do - and sleep?
ABC kids playground, the site for young children from Australian Broadcasting Corporation is admittedly smaller than the BBC one, but it is still large enough to require two posts. Today we shall talk only about the games visible directly on this page -
Its a simple layout, and enticing too. The characters on the game board, however, lead to other pages of games - or a single one, from where you have to use the back button on your browser to return. There are a couple of broken links, and some game pages are, by their own admission, old. When you hover over a character, a little note next to it informs you of the name and age range for which suitable.
Save-ums have some six or seven games, for which you need to download Axel player in addition to Quicktime with flash - a simple and short download but installation of course requires browser windows to be closed. None of the games are extra special but the animation is fair. Mixy and Joe's games are a mixed bag, with some games like Joe's maze being fairly interesting, and some falling a little short of expectations. 'Petals' have a single jigsaw puzzle.
Billycart racing and Space mission are meant for age group 5-12, but can be handled at a younger level as well; to watch if not to try. Both are based on using arrow keys for navigating the vehicle out of the way of obstacles to reach a goal. However, using a rocket is a first for this kind of game for us, so it was well liked :)
Rattus down the dunny is a game meant to appeal to the, er, base humour of older kids by means of a rat which has to be moved in the sewer pipes so as to retrieve his jacket which went down the lavatory... The mouse movement required can be handled by 4 year olds, and the animation/drawing quality is poor.
Bananas in pyjamas shares its colour game with Mixy and a direct link on the home page itself - and it has very basic limited garish colours and four or five pictures to paint. However, my kid still liked it so I guess my opinion doesn't count. The matching memory game, dress-up (mix and match), puzzle are average. What does make it stand out is the incredibly addicting tune of its title song in 'song time'. Also, you can select one of four instruments to accompany the song or a couple of other rhymes in 'sing-a-long'. Check 'animal sounds' - I should at least give some homework!
The best of all is the Jakers site, better than the link from BBC if I recall. Jakers, if you haven't watched it, is about 'the imaginative world of Piggley Winks. Grandpa Piggley Winks, the elder family member in a typical contemporary, chaotic household of American city-dwellers, (who) entertains and educates his grandchildren with tales of his childhood on Raloo Farm in the village of Tara in Ireland.' Although the size of the game window is not large, it is sufficient, and the games are well designed and innovative.
See-saw hee haws is one of our favourites, and it helped in introducing the concept of two weights being equal even if looking different. It is fun to balance the various animals on the see-saw, and if you succeed, the others jump up in celebration. As you progress up the game, the number of options for balancing increases. However, it doesn't take into account the distance from the fulcrum, which is just as well I think. If you do want that, go to the big wide world of Peep for 'bunny balance'.
Jamming with Wiley is for the older kids - my pre-schooler still can't handle more than the beginning, but is delighted to watch the sheep dance. Its a nice game for getting the hang of beat and rhythm.
Fix-it is a one of a kind favourite of ours. Unlike other puzzles, this is a three dimensional one in which you get to 'glue' together many pieces of increasing complexity broken by the unfortunate pig! Just add your own voice over to the effect of 'Not again! Oh now what do we do?' and the kids will be giggling as they finish repairing things they - for a change - have not broken!
The egg collector and farm escape are some of the other favourites, but all games are likeable at Jakers.
Hickory dickory clock used to be a nice game for introducing the clock, but sadly the link is broken now. I have a feeling that the site is being revamped, and soon I shall be having to re-do this post. In any case, for the newer games and for the five minute more games, some other post, for they are flash intensive and cause my laptop to over heat and shut down...
The url - http://www.abc.net.au/children/games/default.htm
P.S. "And do you know what it's like to go for days on end without sleep, for weeks with only two or three hours out of the twenty-four? Do you know the sensation? That fine-drawn feeling with every nerve in your body and cell in your brain stretched taut to breaking point, pushing you over the screaming edge of madness. Do you know it? It's the most exquisite agony in the world, and you'd sell your friends, your family, your hopes of immortality for the blessed priviledge of closing your eyes and just letting go."
Excerpted, with minor changes from Mr. Maclean's book H.M.Ulysses.
P.P.S. I hope that you have read this book? Please do if you haven't. If I were to say it eulogizes the human spirit while condemning the incredible and incredibly stupid waste of human endeavour in wars, you may be put off. But it is not a serious tome, just a very moving, very well crafted work of fiction in the special style of Alistair Maclean. I never can read it without breaking down once at least, and also without wondering how shallow his other novels seem in comparison... But it redeems them all, if they were ever in the need for it!
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