Long before Nidhi came into our lives, I got interested in how children learn, grow, and develop physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I soaked up on the writings of several people. The writings and work of Maria Montessori at the early childhood ages continues to amaze and inspire me. Whether the present day Montessori schools follow her vision and idea of what she thought children need is another question. But anyone with a child must read some of her original writing, several of which are available on Amazon or Flipkart.
But back to what I wanted to say here. Montessori's basis was respect for the child who is entering the adult world and in the process of becoming one. In order to support this process, two of the many things that Montessori insisted on is
1) To create a physical space for children within the adult's world, so that they can become independent and learn to do things on their own, which they anyway want to do (as anyone with a toddler would know!) That is why many adults feel disoriented when they enter the classrooms in a Montessori based school since most furniture is at the child's eye or body level, materials are kept in a way that children can access them on their own without any help from adults, and so on.
2) To listen to children and provide them with what they need and not what we know! Often in a rush to respond to children we keep telling them what we know or want of them instead of listening to them and doing what they need at that moment. This needs a separate post perhaps, but I will try to address some bits of it below.
In our parenting journey so far we have tried to provide both these opportunities for Nidhi as much as possible (I may have not been able to do when I am tired, or exhausted, and there have been those days!)
When Nidhi started becoming more mobile and walking, exploring various cupboards, opening them and closing them, we decided to create a space that was for her toys and books. We cleared out the bottom shelves of our bookcase and filled it with her books (which on last count numbered about 50 or so and she loves reading each one of them). We showed her how to open and close the book case and she learned that very quickly. Very soon, we noticed that she would point out to us if the book case was left open by any one of us and telling us to close it. A small change that we made in the physical space for her allowed her to be independent of which book she wanted to pick to be read to by us, open and close the bookcase herself, and also tell us of how we needed to close it if we opened it :) Her sensitivity for order was clearly visible!
We began to notice many other instances when her sensitivity to order and sequence became clear. For example, on one occasion, I went to visit a friend with Nidhi, and on our way back, my friend offered to carry the bag in which I kept Nidhi's essentials. Nidhi was in tears when she saw my friend carrying "her" bag and I told her that he was only helping us, but she was not at an age where she would understand it. I soon realized that her sense of "order," of who can carry her bag, had been disturbed. I said so to my friend, and I took the bag from him. Nidhi was now happy that I was carrying both Nidhi and her bag :) A very good Montessori friend of mine said that children have a sense of order of many different things - where they sleep, where they eat, where their parents sleep, when they go out, etc etc. And this sense of order is essential for them to make sense of the world around them.
As Nidhi is growing up and developing her language (a separate post on that as well is needed!), she is able to better express her sense of "order" and "disorder." Part of supporting children develop a sense of order is for us as adults to be sensitive to order as well. So for example when I have worn my "home" slippers and gone out in a rush, Nidhi would usually be the first one to notice it and point it to me. I would usually acknowledge that I forgot or that as soon as I go home I will change it etc. Similarly Nidhi knows that when dad goes to work he wears his helmet. The last few days Satish has been taking the car to work so she will promptly remind him that he has to wear his helmet and we have to tell her thanks for the reminder and that he needs the helmet when traveling by bike and not by car. How complicated, crazy, and inconsistent our adult world is for the child who is trying to create some sense and order out of it all!
The other thing that we have done is to tell Nidhi where we are going or taking her whenever we step out of the house - be it to visit friends, family, shops or the doctor. Nidhi is told where she is going. This is another part of showing respect for the child who is entering our world. Would we ever not tell an adult where we are taking him/her, or imagine how we would feel if we are whisked from place to place without being told or prepared for where we are going. Nidhi loves being told where we are going and usually she would repeat to herself where we are going, while we are going there. This does not need much effort or time from our end. We also tell her if we know someone is about to visit us today, so she knows who is coming.
The second point of listening to children and responding to them with what they need and not what we want or know is quite a difficult task for most of us. I will probably have to write a separate post on that one, but I will share an example of a simple incident that happened a couple of days ago and is fresh in my mind. We were visiting a friend and her daughter in our apartment. After a while Nidhi said she wanted to go (poonum in tamil). I went out and was helping her put on her sandals when she started kicking the sandals in an attempt to remove them and exclaiming dee, dee, dee, and I was confused and unable to understand what she wanted. I stopped for a minute, got up and looked in the direction she was looking (she was not even pointing!) and found that she was looking at a stuffed deer sitting on the sofa of the neighbor (opposite to my friend's) house. She freed herself of her slipper and went towards the deer, held it for a while and then went to see the pet birds they have in their house and having finished her quota of seeing all the "animals and birds" walked down happily with me. All this took an extra few minutes, but it was totally worth it :)
The more I listen to Nidhi, the more we are both at peace. But there are times when it is difficult for me to listen. I hope she forgives me for those times!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
The joy of reading
Both Satish and I love reading and we enjoy spending time at a bookshop, library, or simply reading (or re-reading) a book at home whenever we can. With Nidhi around we hardly get to do much of this and our individual reading time has gone down tremendously. On the flip side we now spend a lot of time reading together with Nidhi and enjoying the experience of savoring a book with her.
When Nidhi was about 9-10 months old we got her a cloth book - it had different textures, made some mild noise when the pages rubbed with each other and so on. It was really a toy for her - she would put it in her mouth, shake it, etc. When she would be sitting, we would sit with her and turn the pages and show her the pictures of the animals and just say the name or read the text as a song. If she wanted to stop at a page and explore it we would let her do that and then move on or just stop if it felt like she was ready to play with it on her own. At no point then or now do we read with a motive to "finish" the story or to teach her something. Over time she figured how to turn the pages of the cloth book. Around the time she turned one we also got a few other books (simple picture books like that of Eric Carle, books by Tulika Publishers, some by Dr. Suess, etc). Many of these related to every day life or to the animals around us, or had a rhyme to the text. As we read them we would not only focus on the text but also the visuals and explore the small details on each page. Sometimes we would point out something and at other times she would point something out to us that none of us had noticed earlier.
Reading books has become a pleasurable and fun activity. We now have the books on a shelf that she can reach out to easily. Often she will pick a book, bring it to us asking us to read it. Sometimes we would tell her to pick a book that we want or ask her to choose a book she wants us to read. We continue reading like this for a while until she decides to do something else. We never read with the intention of "teaching her something from the book." It is for the sheer joy of reading that we read. Nidhi picks up books on her own, looks at them, talks as if reading them and enjoys them for what opportunities they offer to her to make sense of life.
Our neighbors tell us that their children do not want to read books with them but are quite happy reading books with us (either me or satish). I think a huge part of developing a early reading habit is to really read with children for the pleasure it gives. Learning happens on the way!
Often we are just reading a simple story for her - either while eating, at bed time, while traveling and so on. At other times we are looking at the details in the visuals. Sometimes we are discussing the story while we are traveling or experiencing something new - making connections with what we have already read. Each book has been read a gazillion times and sometimes we even create our own story based on the visuals in the book! Sometimes a book will go into the background for a while and emerge back into the scene to be read and re-read after a few days. At other times a new book that we think she is not interested in will become a favorite.
Oh yes - the most important issue of handling books. Board books and cloth books are best at an early age until they begin learn to hold books and turn the pages. There are going to be a few tearing episodes however careful we are. They are in the process of learning and feeling the material. So we have to be prepared to salvage pages with tape and adhesive. I also try to intervene early on if it looks like Nidhi is using the book as a toy by saying "alright, looks like we are done reading. Now lets do something else." And usually at that time she is ready to do something else. Or if she is interested in continuing to read then I will tell her to handle the book gently and carefully and show her how (again and again and again just like anything else).
I have not said anything so far about selecting books, but it is an equally important aspect of this process. A few things that I keep in mind when getting books are - rich visuals, simple text that connects to everyday life (some new stuff is okay, but not everything is the book should be completely unknown and abstract), and the story (is it too complex for her age). After all this, letting Nidhi guide us in this journey of reading has been important. If she wants to read a book we read it, if she does not want to read a book we just leave it around until she decides to pick it up. Nidhi sometimes picks up books that we are reading, magazine, newspapers and want to be read! And we do that. Well we show her the pictures, or just read a line and she will be satisfied and move on realizing that this is probably not very interesting :)
When Nidhi was about 9-10 months old we got her a cloth book - it had different textures, made some mild noise when the pages rubbed with each other and so on. It was really a toy for her - she would put it in her mouth, shake it, etc. When she would be sitting, we would sit with her and turn the pages and show her the pictures of the animals and just say the name or read the text as a song. If she wanted to stop at a page and explore it we would let her do that and then move on or just stop if it felt like she was ready to play with it on her own. At no point then or now do we read with a motive to "finish" the story or to teach her something. Over time she figured how to turn the pages of the cloth book. Around the time she turned one we also got a few other books (simple picture books like that of Eric Carle, books by Tulika Publishers, some by Dr. Suess, etc). Many of these related to every day life or to the animals around us, or had a rhyme to the text. As we read them we would not only focus on the text but also the visuals and explore the small details on each page. Sometimes we would point out something and at other times she would point something out to us that none of us had noticed earlier.
Reading books has become a pleasurable and fun activity. We now have the books on a shelf that she can reach out to easily. Often she will pick a book, bring it to us asking us to read it. Sometimes we would tell her to pick a book that we want or ask her to choose a book she wants us to read. We continue reading like this for a while until she decides to do something else. We never read with the intention of "teaching her something from the book." It is for the sheer joy of reading that we read. Nidhi picks up books on her own, looks at them, talks as if reading them and enjoys them for what opportunities they offer to her to make sense of life.
Our neighbors tell us that their children do not want to read books with them but are quite happy reading books with us (either me or satish). I think a huge part of developing a early reading habit is to really read with children for the pleasure it gives. Learning happens on the way!
Often we are just reading a simple story for her - either while eating, at bed time, while traveling and so on. At other times we are looking at the details in the visuals. Sometimes we are discussing the story while we are traveling or experiencing something new - making connections with what we have already read. Each book has been read a gazillion times and sometimes we even create our own story based on the visuals in the book! Sometimes a book will go into the background for a while and emerge back into the scene to be read and re-read after a few days. At other times a new book that we think she is not interested in will become a favorite.
Oh yes - the most important issue of handling books. Board books and cloth books are best at an early age until they begin learn to hold books and turn the pages. There are going to be a few tearing episodes however careful we are. They are in the process of learning and feeling the material. So we have to be prepared to salvage pages with tape and adhesive. I also try to intervene early on if it looks like Nidhi is using the book as a toy by saying "alright, looks like we are done reading. Now lets do something else." And usually at that time she is ready to do something else. Or if she is interested in continuing to read then I will tell her to handle the book gently and carefully and show her how (again and again and again just like anything else).
I have not said anything so far about selecting books, but it is an equally important aspect of this process. A few things that I keep in mind when getting books are - rich visuals, simple text that connects to everyday life (some new stuff is okay, but not everything is the book should be completely unknown and abstract), and the story (is it too complex for her age). After all this, letting Nidhi guide us in this journey of reading has been important. If she wants to read a book we read it, if she does not want to read a book we just leave it around until she decides to pick it up. Nidhi sometimes picks up books that we are reading, magazine, newspapers and want to be read! And we do that. Well we show her the pictures, or just read a line and she will be satisfied and move on realizing that this is probably not very interesting :)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Another three months
So it seems like 3 months is the duration between one post and another. The last post was in March and now it is almost end June. Time for a long due update. This is what happens when both mom and me are busy living :)
Well, lets see where we left off and what new has been happening. I have been walking on my own for a few months now. And it has been a relief to some extent for my mom because she does not need to hold my hand all the time when I want to walk except when we are outdoors where there are vehicles or other things that I need to watch out for. I still like being carried, especially when I see people who I don't know (read stranger anxiety) and at other times I just want to be carried because I am still a baby :) hey why not! I also understand most of the conversations that happen, and whenever I hear a word in the conversation that I can speak I say it out loud :) So for example, the other day my friend Akshaya was singing "Sa Sa Re Re Ga Ga Ma Ma Pa Pa .." for me and I recognised the word "papa" in that and said it out loud. Oh, you must wonder why i know the word "papa" so well. I do not associate it with father (that is appa for me), but I associate it with my neighbor who is 2 years old and is a good playmate. Papa in tamil means "child". So whenever i hear or say papa, i am thinking of him and referring to him, unless there is some other child in direct sight or reference :)
So that brings me to the next update. Lots of new words - amma, appa, hi, bye, bath, bat, enge (where), papa, dudu (milk), sta, theeth (sheet), oats, thatha (grandpa), thithi (chitti), mama (uncle), ottu (pottu, bindi), oto (auto), animal sounds, other sounds like bup, bum, ooo, etc, boo (the sound to scare people), poo (flower), baw (ball), and probably many more that dont come to mind immediately. I understand much more than what I can say and actually am trying out lots of new sounds before I begin to speak more clearly.
Another big news is that I have finally come to some peace with my doctor, v uncle, after 6 months of bawling everytime I caught sight of him. This time I actually shook hands with him, said hi, and bye as well. Amma and appa have been patiently prepping me every time we go to meet him (about what and how he will do - cheth (check me - see that is another word i know to speak), but I invariable would be fine when mom and dad are imitating him, and cry when I see him! Lets see what happens next time!
These days i enjoy playing a lot of new games and we create new games on the go - the boo game is one of my favorites, where i say boo and appa, amma, or the soft toy gets scared :) I try on others, try from behind the door, etc etc. As many variations as one can come up with. Lots of play time with my pooh bear, dora, doggie - carrying them around, feeding them, boo game, etc etc. I can actually do some hand gestures for a few rhymes - twinkle twinkle, eensy weensy spider (in english and tamil), where is thumbkin, thumbkin he can sing, wheels of the bus, if you are happy and you know it, and a few others. Plus dancing to music is also fun! I have started playing more on the swing, the slide, and the merry go round. Lots of fun. Plus doing other monkey business, like trying to climb gates, jump, go from one chair to another etc. Playing with water and mud is another fun thing that I can NEVER tire off. My mom says there is probably no child that does not like to play with mud and water! All time favorites. I spent a lot of time during the summer in my bucket pool. Now I have started transferring water between buckets :) The other game which is my favorite is hide and seek, and now it happens with people and things. So I search for things as well these days. Kitchen play as always.
We also took a vacation this month and it was nice because my dad was around for a longer time and I totally enjoyed playing with him for longer hours. Now I dont like the fact that he goes to office, so whenever he leaves I am upset for a bit more than I used to be and I also look forward to him coming back so I can play with him. I am also interested in playing with toys in other kid's house than ours, but at the sane time I also like to be back home to the familiar :) Balancing the new and the familiar.
Okay, quite a long update. I will try and give an update a little bit sooner then next time. Till then bye and a flying kiss.
Well, lets see where we left off and what new has been happening. I have been walking on my own for a few months now. And it has been a relief to some extent for my mom because she does not need to hold my hand all the time when I want to walk except when we are outdoors where there are vehicles or other things that I need to watch out for. I still like being carried, especially when I see people who I don't know (read stranger anxiety) and at other times I just want to be carried because I am still a baby :) hey why not! I also understand most of the conversations that happen, and whenever I hear a word in the conversation that I can speak I say it out loud :) So for example, the other day my friend Akshaya was singing "Sa Sa Re Re Ga Ga Ma Ma Pa Pa .." for me and I recognised the word "papa" in that and said it out loud. Oh, you must wonder why i know the word "papa" so well. I do not associate it with father (that is appa for me), but I associate it with my neighbor who is 2 years old and is a good playmate. Papa in tamil means "child". So whenever i hear or say papa, i am thinking of him and referring to him, unless there is some other child in direct sight or reference :)
So that brings me to the next update. Lots of new words - amma, appa, hi, bye, bath, bat, enge (where), papa, dudu (milk), sta, theeth (sheet), oats, thatha (grandpa), thithi (chitti), mama (uncle), ottu (pottu, bindi), oto (auto), animal sounds, other sounds like bup, bum, ooo, etc, boo (the sound to scare people), poo (flower), baw (ball), and probably many more that dont come to mind immediately. I understand much more than what I can say and actually am trying out lots of new sounds before I begin to speak more clearly.
Another big news is that I have finally come to some peace with my doctor, v uncle, after 6 months of bawling everytime I caught sight of him. This time I actually shook hands with him, said hi, and bye as well. Amma and appa have been patiently prepping me every time we go to meet him (about what and how he will do - cheth (check me - see that is another word i know to speak), but I invariable would be fine when mom and dad are imitating him, and cry when I see him! Lets see what happens next time!
These days i enjoy playing a lot of new games and we create new games on the go - the boo game is one of my favorites, where i say boo and appa, amma, or the soft toy gets scared :) I try on others, try from behind the door, etc etc. As many variations as one can come up with. Lots of play time with my pooh bear, dora, doggie - carrying them around, feeding them, boo game, etc etc. I can actually do some hand gestures for a few rhymes - twinkle twinkle, eensy weensy spider (in english and tamil), where is thumbkin, thumbkin he can sing, wheels of the bus, if you are happy and you know it, and a few others. Plus dancing to music is also fun! I have started playing more on the swing, the slide, and the merry go round. Lots of fun. Plus doing other monkey business, like trying to climb gates, jump, go from one chair to another etc. Playing with water and mud is another fun thing that I can NEVER tire off. My mom says there is probably no child that does not like to play with mud and water! All time favorites. I spent a lot of time during the summer in my bucket pool. Now I have started transferring water between buckets :) The other game which is my favorite is hide and seek, and now it happens with people and things. So I search for things as well these days. Kitchen play as always.
We also took a vacation this month and it was nice because my dad was around for a longer time and I totally enjoyed playing with him for longer hours. Now I dont like the fact that he goes to office, so whenever he leaves I am upset for a bit more than I used to be and I also look forward to him coming back so I can play with him. I am also interested in playing with toys in other kid's house than ours, but at the sane time I also like to be back home to the familiar :) Balancing the new and the familiar.
Okay, quite a long update. I will try and give an update a little bit sooner then next time. Till then bye and a flying kiss.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Time flies
Wow! It has been three months since the last post. Many of you have been asking for updates. So here it goes. So what have I been doing last three months you ask me. Here is what is filling my days.
I am busy walking (on my own a little bit, and lots with holding my mom/dad's hand), exploring the whole world out there, playing with mud, leaves, sticks, stones, flowers, and whatever else I can get hold of that looks new and interesting. My mom thinks it is amazing that I can play for over 30 minutes with a leaf that has fallen in our balcony! Ofcourse I say, there is so much to do with the leaf, the floor, the air, the grill etc. All possible combinations have to be explored multiple times!
I can now identify many more people and things nowadays and give different expressions to each of them - smile, a scorn, a grin, a demand to be lifted etc. Well, i dont think amma knows how to describe all of those expressions in writing! I say kaka when I hear/see a crow, woof for a dog, and uhmm for a cat. I am learning to say akka (ka is what i say), and other words. I can point to many other things that I know the names of but cannot yet say them - the moon, the ball, flowers, benny our neighbor's dog, the broom (which can keep me occupied for a long time - there is so much mess to clean ;0), names of toys, eyes, stomach, etc etc. The list is too big for this space. You just have to come and spend some time with me :) You will see that pointing is my favorite activity.
have been swinging, watching the pet birds that my neighbors have, singing, clapping, dancing, laughing, giggling, reading books, scribbling with a pen, babbling non-stop, and again this list is also too long for this space. All this means my mom has to walk along with me wherever i drag her, keep things that are not meant for me out of reach, and ones that are meant for me within reach, understand my cues etc etc. In between all of this, I just use some time to quickly eat and take a afternoon nap.
These days I want to play a lot with people I know - not just my mom, but my patti, neighbors, all the annas and akkas, and all the babies smaller than me. I do not need my mom/dad then, but I sure do need one of them when I want to eat, sleep, and be cleaned.
Oh and I forgot to mention - I took my first train ride in February. I also celebrated pongal at a farm near tiruttani and had a wonderful time. I went to the beach and walked in the sand. I got two more teeth and am now getting two more. So I will have 6 in total. If there is anything I have forgotten you can catch up on it in the photos :P [Hint, you have to see the photos to know what u have missed]
I am busy walking (on my own a little bit, and lots with holding my mom/dad's hand), exploring the whole world out there, playing with mud, leaves, sticks, stones, flowers, and whatever else I can get hold of that looks new and interesting. My mom thinks it is amazing that I can play for over 30 minutes with a leaf that has fallen in our balcony! Ofcourse I say, there is so much to do with the leaf, the floor, the air, the grill etc. All possible combinations have to be explored multiple times!
I can now identify many more people and things nowadays and give different expressions to each of them - smile, a scorn, a grin, a demand to be lifted etc. Well, i dont think amma knows how to describe all of those expressions in writing! I say kaka when I hear/see a crow, woof for a dog, and uhmm for a cat. I am learning to say akka (ka is what i say), and other words. I can point to many other things that I know the names of but cannot yet say them - the moon, the ball, flowers, benny our neighbor's dog, the broom (which can keep me occupied for a long time - there is so much mess to clean ;0), names of toys, eyes, stomach, etc etc. The list is too big for this space. You just have to come and spend some time with me :) You will see that pointing is my favorite activity.
have been swinging, watching the pet birds that my neighbors have, singing, clapping, dancing, laughing, giggling, reading books, scribbling with a pen, babbling non-stop, and again this list is also too long for this space. All this means my mom has to walk along with me wherever i drag her, keep things that are not meant for me out of reach, and ones that are meant for me within reach, understand my cues etc etc. In between all of this, I just use some time to quickly eat and take a afternoon nap.
These days I want to play a lot with people I know - not just my mom, but my patti, neighbors, all the annas and akkas, and all the babies smaller than me. I do not need my mom/dad then, but I sure do need one of them when I want to eat, sleep, and be cleaned.
Oh and I forgot to mention - I took my first train ride in February. I also celebrated pongal at a farm near tiruttani and had a wonderful time. I went to the beach and walked in the sand. I got two more teeth and am now getting two more. So I will have 6 in total. If there is anything I have forgotten you can catch up on it in the photos :P [Hint, you have to see the photos to know what u have missed]
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| Jan11 |
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| Feb11 |
Monday, December 27, 2010
I am a year old now!
Yes, I know I have not written in a while. But I have my excuses. I have been busy and so has my mom (who as you know happens to be my scribe). I have of course been busy growing up, getting to be a year and 2 weeks old now, and my mom has been busy with my uncle's wedding preparations and me. Okay lets get started then on all the updates since I wrote last. Where do we start?
I have now started sitting up well, eating while sitting, crawling at jet speed - if there was a word for crawling that indicates the fastest crawl that would be it, because I literally run-crawl. I can also stand on my own for a few seconds to a minute and sooner than you know I will be standing and walking on my own. For now I am walking holding my mom's legs. That is the one of the fun things these days. I love to crawl up to her legs and hold it tightly and walk along with her wherever she is going. I can also crawl up stairs, climb up low beds/sofas, and also climb down them with some help. My mom says my crawl has become more elegant.
I can now show tata, clap my hands, shake hands, and do high-five. Ofcourse that does not mean I will always perform when my parents or other adults want me to. I am also trying to talk and communicate a lot more. I show my displeasure when someone touches, pinches, hugs or kisses me without my liking - it is a very clear groan to ward them off :) like whaa, aiyee, etc. I am also very vocal when I want something, or when something is taken away from me or when i want to go out. I have some favorite spots in the house - like the water can area in the balcony, the water filter in the hall, the kitchen, the bathroom, the cupboards. Well actually the whole house :) And ofcourse I am always ready to go outdoors anytime.
I love listening to songs, and there are a few tunes that I can recognize and become attentive when they are playing. And of course I am also swaying and moving my body to these tunes and sometimes even without them I sway and move my body (as if I am listening to them in my head?). I love tasting new foods these days and actually prefer to eat small amounts more often instead of big meals at regular intervals.
The things that make me giggle and laugh these days - walking with my mom holding her legs, getting ready for a bath, playing peek-a-boo, the tickling time before bedtime, getting down the stairs with my mom/dad holding while watching behind to see who is coming.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am a year old now. We had three cake cuttings for my birthday. One on the day before my birthday, one on the day of, and one a week later. Here are a few pictures (literally few since mom and dad have been busy and have not taken many pictures!!! hmpphfh) from the last post to give you an update of all that has been happening. Enjoy and drop by to crawl with me in these last few weeks of crawling or join me to explore the world during the first few days of my walking :)
Oh and I totally forgot. I now have two teeth :)
I have now started sitting up well, eating while sitting, crawling at jet speed - if there was a word for crawling that indicates the fastest crawl that would be it, because I literally run-crawl. I can also stand on my own for a few seconds to a minute and sooner than you know I will be standing and walking on my own. For now I am walking holding my mom's legs. That is the one of the fun things these days. I love to crawl up to her legs and hold it tightly and walk along with her wherever she is going. I can also crawl up stairs, climb up low beds/sofas, and also climb down them with some help. My mom says my crawl has become more elegant.
I can now show tata, clap my hands, shake hands, and do high-five. Ofcourse that does not mean I will always perform when my parents or other adults want me to. I am also trying to talk and communicate a lot more. I show my displeasure when someone touches, pinches, hugs or kisses me without my liking - it is a very clear groan to ward them off :) like whaa, aiyee, etc. I am also very vocal when I want something, or when something is taken away from me or when i want to go out. I have some favorite spots in the house - like the water can area in the balcony, the water filter in the hall, the kitchen, the bathroom, the cupboards. Well actually the whole house :) And ofcourse I am always ready to go outdoors anytime.
I love listening to songs, and there are a few tunes that I can recognize and become attentive when they are playing. And of course I am also swaying and moving my body to these tunes and sometimes even without them I sway and move my body (as if I am listening to them in my head?). I love tasting new foods these days and actually prefer to eat small amounts more often instead of big meals at regular intervals.
The things that make me giggle and laugh these days - walking with my mom holding her legs, getting ready for a bath, playing peek-a-boo, the tickling time before bedtime, getting down the stairs with my mom/dad holding while watching behind to see who is coming.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am a year old now. We had three cake cuttings for my birthday. One on the day before my birthday, one on the day of, and one a week later. Here are a few pictures (literally few since mom and dad have been busy and have not taken many pictures!!! hmpphfh) from the last post to give you an update of all that has been happening. Enjoy and drop by to crawl with me in these last few weeks of crawling or join me to explore the world during the first few days of my walking :)
Oh and I totally forgot. I now have two teeth :)
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Thursday, October 7, 2010
All my new stunts
You must have figured that I am super busy these days as I have not written in a long time. I have finally started crawling - yes fully - and am exploring all the rooms in the house. The journey from the time I started doing caterpillar/breast strokes to now it has been fun. The thing though now is that I really do not want to be in one place/position for more than a few seconds. I have to constantly move around. So I am either crawling or am pulling myself up to a standing position, or wriggling my body in all funny ways. Sitting is simply not my cup of tea yet! I love standing up, so much so that I want to do it all day long. And I want to stand up, and leave both my hands free to explore things. I do not yet have the strength to support my entire body this way or know how to lower myself slowly and sit and explore (as I said I am not yet a very big fan of sitting down yet, you know I am not going to like going to a school where they are going to make me sit the whole day!). But I do not want to wait till I learn that, so I try this anyway. Result: I fall back on my bum and sometimes hit my head against the floor! Oh well - actually most adults dont understand that it is only by trying so often that I will learn ;-). I am getting there.
The next big news is that I am now babbling - dada, vava, amma, gurgle etc etc. I now know that Amma exists, so when she is not around I look for her and if I do not find her I get upset and cry. Even when she is around, I will go to someone else only for a little bit and then I want to come back to her. Amma is hoping that this phase will pass soon, but I know better, hee hee hee. I am also starting to distinguish sounds, so some sounds that never used to bother me startle me these days - like a sneeze, the cooker whistle etc. On the other hand I am also recognizing soothing sounds like songs, and rhymes. I continue to love finger play and am enjoying peek-a-boo games. And am expressing more - joy, happiness, displeasure, etc.
I am now more interested in the foods that everyone eats, the cup that they drink tea from, and the things they use. Who wants my toys that are only for me!!!! Not me :-)
Well that is all news from Nidhi land for now. Come crawl with me and have fun :-)
The next big news is that I am now babbling - dada, vava, amma, gurgle etc etc. I now know that Amma exists, so when she is not around I look for her and if I do not find her I get upset and cry. Even when she is around, I will go to someone else only for a little bit and then I want to come back to her. Amma is hoping that this phase will pass soon, but I know better, hee hee hee. I am also starting to distinguish sounds, so some sounds that never used to bother me startle me these days - like a sneeze, the cooker whistle etc. On the other hand I am also recognizing soothing sounds like songs, and rhymes. I continue to love finger play and am enjoying peek-a-boo games. And am expressing more - joy, happiness, displeasure, etc.
I am now more interested in the foods that everyone eats, the cup that they drink tea from, and the things they use. Who wants my toys that are only for me!!!! Not me :-)
Well that is all news from Nidhi land for now. Come crawl with me and have fun :-)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Another month in my life
Hey, so another month has gone by and I have lots to tell you. Life has become very busy. I have started crawling - well sort of - I do breast strokes so I cover a larger area much more quickly. I am trying to sit up by lifting my butt high up, and I can stand with some support. Amma says that I look like some expert yoga teacher when I am doing all this :-) [Amma's note - always in salabasana pose with her back legs and head lifted up with only her tummy on the ground, mountain pose, and many other poses for which I hardly know the names!]. I am eager to climb walls, for that matter anything that is vertical. I am learning to hold on to my mom or dad and prop myself standing up. I am busy exploring the world around me - soap boxes, powder boxes, diapers, milk packets, spectacle boxes, computer, phone, noses, hands, fingers, keys, buckets, camera, plates, cups, chairs, newspaper, clothes, you name it and I am exploring them. The first two things that I do when I grab something is to give it a shake to see if it makes any noise and put it in my mouth and lick it. I am also becoming interested in my mom, dad, and grandma's lunch and dinner plates. I want to have a bite out of whatever it is that they are having :-)
What else, my daily walks are a lot of fun, so many people of different ages to met, watch, and listen to. Amma says I have a multi age fan club ranging from 6 years to 60 years. I am also learning that I have a voice like everyone else and I am using it to the fullest, shouting with all my strength till I start coughing. Amma says that I am most gleeful when Appa comes back in the evening...what a welcome he gets. She wishes she would also get such glee looks instead of the longing looks that I give her once in a while when she is not spending time with me :-). Ofcourse I give glee looks as well, but the longing looks are what stand out in her mind. Although to my credit, amma does say that I play on my own quite a bit and it is fascinating for her when I play with my hands and fingers especially. I am also becoming more picky about the temperature of my milk and food. I like to have it just at the right warmth :) Appa has also started playing peekaboo with me which I absolutely love and enjoy. Amma says she tried skyping appa from office to see if I recognize him on the computer and apparently I completely glossed over his image. Not there yet. But I am starting to follow Amma very closely, I am very attentive to her voice everytime she speaks (even if it is softly - yes, I know my mom is trying hard to talk softly) and watch what she is doing, where she is going. If I know my mom is around, I can be on my own or be with someone else for only so much time, after which I need some cuddle time with her and then I am back to playing. Amma ofcourse hopes that this phase will pass by quickly so that she does not have me watching and monitoring her all the time :-)
Ah well, I am off to have my night's milk and sleep. More updates later. Here are some new pictures.
What else, my daily walks are a lot of fun, so many people of different ages to met, watch, and listen to. Amma says I have a multi age fan club ranging from 6 years to 60 years. I am also learning that I have a voice like everyone else and I am using it to the fullest, shouting with all my strength till I start coughing. Amma says that I am most gleeful when Appa comes back in the evening...what a welcome he gets. She wishes she would also get such glee looks instead of the longing looks that I give her once in a while when she is not spending time with me :-). Ofcourse I give glee looks as well, but the longing looks are what stand out in her mind. Although to my credit, amma does say that I play on my own quite a bit and it is fascinating for her when I play with my hands and fingers especially. I am also becoming more picky about the temperature of my milk and food. I like to have it just at the right warmth :) Appa has also started playing peekaboo with me which I absolutely love and enjoy. Amma says she tried skyping appa from office to see if I recognize him on the computer and apparently I completely glossed over his image. Not there yet. But I am starting to follow Amma very closely, I am very attentive to her voice everytime she speaks (even if it is softly - yes, I know my mom is trying hard to talk softly) and watch what she is doing, where she is going. If I know my mom is around, I can be on my own or be with someone else for only so much time, after which I need some cuddle time with her and then I am back to playing. Amma ofcourse hopes that this phase will pass by quickly so that she does not have me watching and monitoring her all the time :-)
Ah well, I am off to have my night's milk and sleep. More updates later. Here are some new pictures.
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