Day out with dad!

Father's Day is meant not only to thank our own fathers but also to acknowledge the role of the fathers of our little ones! Though I have always been more than fair in giving dads their due on Onestoryaday, its not until now that I realised what it means for your children to have a "hands on" dad as opposed to mainly a "911" dad!      Right from changing diapers to understanding every nuance of their kids' actions and behaviour, today's dads are hand in hand with moms in every aspect of raising kids! While hands on daddies are a blessing for the mommies ... they are a joy for the kids! There's nothing like having both your parents wholly involved in your life... Be it homework, school, play, career and life choices or taking care of your kids....Just like I have my dad to thank for putting my little one to sleep as I write this blog:-) 

Ever since the birth of my second child, I have hardly had any time for Abhay, my older one and as he was in wanting of some serious pampering... What better occasion than this to have father and son spend time together! So Abhay and his daddy participated in a science workshop organised by Abhay's school as a "Father's Day " special program followed by a "boys only" outing all day long! So while it was the Father's Day weekend... It was the son getting pampered! So no wonder today's book is "My Dad, my Hero" by Ethan Long. A hilarious take on how a young boy feels about his dad. While conceding that his dad is not a super hero as he is seen stumbling over his building blocks, clumsily falling off while painting the walls, or fumbling with his razor and hurting himself and many such not-so-admirable things ...  in short a complete anti-thesis to a super hero figure. But there's one thing that he loves about his dad and that is the fact that he spends a lot of time with his son and ultimately according to the little boy .. that's what makes him his hero!! Rightly put, we may want to do all sorts of things  for our kids, but all they want us to do is to spend time with them. A nice little picture book with laugh out loud illustrations that makes an apt Father's Day read! Happy Father's Day to all the daddies! 

Meet Abhay's sister!

Our second bundle of joy arrived a couple of weeks ago and our little family now seems complete with the arrival of a baby girl!   In a way .. all babies look alike... and for now Abhay's sister looks exactly like a miniature Abhay when he was just born!  Though the whole experience felt like "dejavu" .....the initial few days post delivery are just as perplexing as they were the first time around. More so.... when everyone including yourself expects to understand why something is happening ... as if having had a baby before makes you an expert on babies! Invariably you can't help comparing and complaining that "this was not the case the first time.... or "this didn't happen with my first born"!  Abhay too seems to be curious to know if he was doing the same things as his sister seem to be doing... and any reported difference is taken as a compliment! :-) Anyway, despite the initial disappointment at his unfulfilled wish for a brother, Abhay now can't keep his hands off his baby sister.... wanting to hold her, hug her... and kiss her in what he terms as an affectionate  way... the prospect of which can be annoying at times! Abhay is comfortable being addressed as the big brother and is in a way relieved to find out that his baby sister is hardly a threat he'd reckon she'll be.... as all she does is ( in his words) "crying...nursing...sleeping...":-)

On the occasion of arrival of his baby sister, we had Abhay read "Neha, my sister" a NBT publication by Madhu B Joshi and illustration by Partha Sengupta. Preethy wakes up to learn that her mother is in hospital and it is her father who helps her get ready for school. In school, she worries about her mother's health when her teacher, Suman Ma'am assures her that her mother is alright and is in the hospital as she is due to deliver a baby. In fact her friend Salil joins in and confirms that his mother too came home from the hospital with a baby brother at which Minu complained that the same thing did not happen when her granny was admitted in the hospital! As she is picked up by her father from school... she is overjoyed to know that her mother has given birth to a baby girl and she can't wait to see her baby sister. As they visit the hospital in the evening, Pretty is smitten by her baby sister's small pink face, tiny black face and her toothless smile! So do her friends when they meet her a week later as Preethy's mom and sister are brought home. As days pass, Preethy beautifully takes over the role of a 'didi' (elder sister) and helps out her mother in taking care of her baby sister Neha. As her didi swings her in her cradle, accompanied with a soft lullabye....baby Neha is seen slowly falling asleep with a serene smile on her face! Though a little basic in terms of text and illustrations, this book makes an ideal read for welcoming a new baby in the household. Of course... I only wish that in reality... things are as hunky-dory as they appear in the book!:-)