Mommy syndrome

Ah, the age old tradition of mommy mania. All of us have experienced that constant urging and cajoling about everything we do or don't from our dear mommies. Of course, when one is on the receiving end, it feels more of a nagging, especially those teenage years, where you hear the loudest. From waking up early on a holiday, watching TV, talking on phone to eating healthy and doing homework, sometimes made us wonder if they were born obsessed about everything.

And now that we are parents, the perspective takes a 180 degree turn. When it comes to us telling our kids, we want what is best for them. And suddenly nagging becomes worrying!! Interestingly, both words (nag and worry) have pretty much the same connotations. It just changes our perception depending on which side of the fence we are on. Our parents were probably right when they said; we would understand when we had our children.

Women seem to develop this syndrome the moment their baby is born. And as much as we are exasperated by our mothers and our children by us, it is something that makes us feel loved and cared for. And of course it amuses us too! We do sometimes make fun of them and would definitely miss it if moms weren’t the way they are supposed to be – all cute and quirky!

Well, mommy dearest know the best, always!!

Here is the link to a very funny video from Youtube, ‘A typical conversation with mom’ which says all about the ‘Mommy syndrome’. Enjoy!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XmecyCCdknk&mode=related&search=

Diapering dramas

Toddler phase is a high energy period, not just for kids but for parents as well. Especially when it is the time to change their diapers - the toddlers try all they can to test the parent's patience. Parents who have experienced the phase know it is not easy to change the diaper of a toddler even though it takes just a few seconds. They squirm, struggle, roll, run and try to do everything except lying on their backs for those couple of minutes.

Sometimes I think if getting the toddler used to a changing table would make the process any smoother? After asking around, I gathered that some kids tend to be generally more calmer which makes it a little easier while the others are an excited bunch. I am not sure if there is an easy way out except waiting for them to be potty trained.

But here are some tricks I found in the Parenting magazine. Most of the parents naturally adopt these tricks but this is more of a guide.

To minimize the diapering dramas:

1. Taking a stand: Changing while standing! I know it sounds difficult, but after a few incidents you become an expert. Of course this is majorly not for potty episodes.

2. Enlist their help: The magazine talks about taking their help with holding pants/diapers and narrating the process enthusiastically. Talking to them probably works for older toddlers because the with Tarush it only lasts for a couple of seconds and then his attention shifts to something far end of the room!!!

3. Offer a treasured toy - a favorite book or stuffed animal. And rotate the items so he doesn't feel bored. This does help a lot in the beginning. But soon they start to recognize the toys and that doesnt interest them anymore.

4. Try a high-tech tactic: Giving watch, cell phone, calculator or anything little shiny with lots of buttons. This trick is still working for me. But be sure to remember to take it off their hands after the work is done. Otherwise, your expensive gadget will become non-functional in the matter of minutes!

5. Hold on tight: Ah, the last resort!! All else fails, pin them down and change it fast. Toddlers have more strength than they let on especially when they don't want to do something. Sometimes, it takes one to pin them down and another to change the diaper.

Thankfully, the saga of the toddler diaper change is a passing phase. I am still waiting for Tarush to outgrow the phase. Meantime, all tricks in full throttle!!

FYI, Parenting magazine is a pretty good source for advice and helpful tips for all ages and stages of kids. It also has lots of information for parents from health & fitness to recipes etc.

Hot yoga

Hot yoga/Bikram yoga is one of the many styles of yoga that have cropped up in the recent times and gained popularity especially outside India. It was started/innovated in Los Angeles by Bikram Chaudhury in the 1970's.
It is a series of 26 poses done in a heated room with a temperature about 110 degrees F. It is a 90 minute session with designated water breaks. It promotes profuse sweating to remove toxins from the body. It is also designed to make the body warm and flexible.

I recently signed up for 20-day introductory session but managed to attend about 8 days. The first day was a total burn-out! I had to rest one out of every 10 minutes in the last half-hour. But the second day was much better. It definitely gives the feeling of an intense workout, partly because of the heat that tires you easily. I liked the postures and but somehow did not really connect with heat part. I felt it was too exhausting and found myself dreading the class even a couple of hours before. I feel more comfortable with my usual strength training at the gym. But it does work for some people like my friend who attended the classes with me. She likes it and knows a couple of people who have actually lost weight with hot yoga. For those who would like to give it a try, here is the link to more information:

http://www.bikramyoga.com/