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Baby Names in India

Oct 03
Posted by admin in Motherhood

In India, a name is at times a tradition, at times symbolic, at times a way to remember God, at times an affectionate name, and most of the times a meaningful name. Therefore the process of naming a baby is a joyous and emotional one, as is the name selection. Often the family starts deciding the names on the first hint of pregnancy, deciding separate names for girls and boys.

 

Because of the undeniable factor being the meaning of name, it is often about picking baby names which are good and meaningful.  There are certain factors that are often associated with naming of the baby:-

 

•           In some beliefs, father’s name or grandfather’s name is used as the first name and the given name is used subsequently.

•           In most beliefs, there is a different name according to the horoscope starting from a particular sound, and is kept hidden, while a different one is used for calling.

•           Many people believe baby names on some God’s name is auspicious because it’ll make everyone chant God’s name very often. Also, it doesn’t hamper the meaning of name because the name is itself an enchantment of God’s name.

 

Babies are named on the Namkaran Ceremony – the traditional naming ceremony. It is a joyous occasion to the families and celebrated with great enthusiasm. Usually, father whispers the name in the ears of the baby. It usually happens when the baby is 2-3 weeks old. The whispering isn’t direct; the common tools used are some grasses or flowers etc. The regulations of the ceremony change from tradition to tradition, in minor or major forms. Family and friends and other guests are invited. The baby is gifted by many, including jewelry, cash, and other gifts.

 

India has different religions. Each religion has different ways of naming. While Namkaran Sanskar is a largely Hindu tradition, there are Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians who have their distinctive naming tradition.

 

Christian names often are taken directly from the Bible. Sometimes, the father’s, grandfather’s or someone’s name from the family is taken for boy, and mother’s or someone’s for girl is taken and junior is added. In some cases, a roman numeral is added if the number exceeds 2, which in many cases does.

 

In most parts of India, there is a great significance of naming, and also the meaning of name chosen. It is the next big occasion after the birth of child itself.

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Well Mannered Child

Feb 05
Posted by Mritunjay in Discipline, Motherhood

Manners are perhaps one of the most important constituent of a child’s personality. But teaching right set of manners and etiquettes can be a challenging task for parents. Going by the way new generation is emerging; some of the old school manners seem to be vanishing. The rebellious streak has taken a toll on manners. But if you teach your kid manners from a very early age, he will be most likely to have those even in his youth. Manners form a valuable part of social skills and they will serve as a useful help for the rest of the child’s life.

Parents should lead by example. Just conveying message to your kid will not suffice. A child needs to see you practicing what you preach. So if you are teaching your kid about the best method of approaching a stranger or a sales person in a store, you need to show it first by saying it yourself. Children are quick learner and they get the drift while watching from close quarters. Manners are learned naturally and if the kid finds you inconsistent with your behaviour he might embarrass you by mentioning it.

If your child is not showing enough mannerism you need to take things in control and tell them properly how best to do what they are doing. Though, peer interaction can also affect how a child behaves. But these things are always easy to correct when kid is younger. As he grows older he will make a habit of undesirable manners and then it becomes tough to handle. So the best time to start teaching manners to child is now only.

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Learning to share

Jan 20
Posted by pankti in Advice, Family, Motherhood

I recently attended a family get-together where I met my three year old cousin. She came with her doll. I asked her if she will give her doll to me and instantly she shouted “No.”Not just that, when another cousin of mine (4 year old) tried taking the doll from her, she cried and cried and created a big scene. This shows that children usually find it difficult to share their things with other people. Child selfishness is no new. I am sure many parents must have faced similar situations doubting whether their child will ever grow out of such behavior. One thing that parents must realize children are not born with a mindset that encourages sharing. It is slowly and gradually that they are taught to share and care.

The sharing instinct comes when your child starts maturing. Every child matures at his or her own speed. All that parents can do is bringing them up in an environment that encourages and influences such behavior. You need to showcase desirable actions to your children so that they can learn to live in harmony.

Many parents start calling their little one selfish in front of others. They pretend to not talk with their child until they share their things. Don’t force the child with such desperate measures. Parents need to accept the fact that there are some things that your children may not be willing to share. Give them their time. They may even start sharing when they see other children doing the same. However, if your child falls under the category where she is possessive about her things but will want and easily take away other kids’ things, then you need to make your child respect other kids’ possessions too. You need to show your child that you can share too. Also praise your child every time he shares his things.

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Increasing suicidal tendencies in teenagers

Jan 15
Posted by pankti in Advice, Motherhood, Stress, Teenagers

It is shocking to read in the papers almost every day the rate at which students in India are committing suicides. Teenage suicide has become a growing concern among our Indian society. So what is it that triggers these young brains to take such a big step? Fast life? Stress? Depression? Loneliness? Peer pressure? Exam and study related anxiety? Issues with parents? Inability to cope with life? Or all of this? Most students today agree to the fact that they have had suicidal thoughts at least once in their life. Isn’t this scary? Well, it is high time parents and teachers need to get together and address this issue more strongly. (more…)

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Child’s Speaking Skills

Dec 28
Posted by Mritunjay in Motherhood, New Baby

While baby starts growing up, lots of developments start taking place simultaneously. How did you feel when your baby first said Ma or Pa? That must be mighty pleasing to you. We eagerly wait for times when baby starts talking or even muttering innocent words. Parents must focus on how to build speaking skills of the baby. There are several ideas which will help in improving the speaking skills of the baby. The obvious ones are talking to your child, read to him, or even encouraging him to read something aloud to you. Reading children’s book to your child is one of the most basic steps that you should take. Experts recommend this step on a regular basis. In the modern era, most of the parents are working couple and they do not have free time. But parents can always manage some time in a day when they can read as much as they can. Parents should read to the child as often as possible. It is up to the parents how they can make this process interesting. They can read during dinner time or in form of a story. Reading him in night will be really nice. While reading, follow the words with your fingers and try holding the book in a way that both you and kid can look at it properly. Child will learn to read sooner or later but you should just focus on making this process interesting. The idea is to make him familiar with the magical world of words.

Parents should also encourage kid to read aloud. This will increase his ability to read from the text. Finally, try spending a lot of time talking to your kid. Don’t go by child’s understanding level. He will just pick up the words. Try happy talks and it will have long term nice effects.

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Exercises for mothers

Dec 26
Posted by pankti in Activities, Motherhood

Most mothers tend to neglect their health as there is so much multitasking that an Indian mother seems to do these days. She works, takes care of her baby, cooks and fulfills all the social obligations that she has to. And in doing all that, she often neglects her health. End result – they constantly put on and are overweight.

You may have read this a million times but it is surely a million dollar advice anyone can give you as far as weight loss is concerned. Jogging, running and brisk walking are considered to be the best form of exercise for weight loss. Walking or running not only helps to burn stored fat but also burns a large amount of calories. You need to find 30 minutes for yourself under any cost. After all, most mothers forget that there is something called as personal time that you just can’t part with!

For those who seem to get motivated, finally join a gym. In a typical gym, you are doing weight training and cardio exercises which help you with an overall weight loss. These activities prove to be effective ways to lose weight.  Besides, Yoga is also a great form of exercise which helps you to lose weight effectively

Now for those who absolutely don’t have the time to go to a gym or do Yoga, this is something you should definitely try: A couple of simple exercises that can be tried at home (no excuses allowed). Climb up and down your staircase (200 steps) at least 5 – 7 times in a day. Try squats. After enough practice, you can do two to three sets of 20 squats each. Do 2 or 3 sets of 20 pushups. This will build your arm strength and also help you to lose weight especially around your arms. Also try stomach crunches, breathing techniques and other exercises that will help you lose weight and be in shape. Trust me, when you see the results, you will love yourself!

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The Learning Baby

Dec 22
Posted by Mritunjay in Motherhood, New Baby

Parents often think of new ideas that could come handy for babies to learn in a faster and effective way. The thing to remember here is a baby is learning all the time. In fact, a baby learns much faster than an adult. Using a simple metaphor, a baby’s mind is like a sponge which is always soaking information and knowledge. A baby uses all her five senses, smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. For a baby, everything is new and exciting so she tries to soak up everything. A human being keeps learning all his life but the rate at which baby learns things is truly phenomenal. During his/her initial days after the birth, a baby grows up in everything right from size, width, emotions and intellect.

It is very important for parents to stimulate baby for better and quick learning. Even your innocent loving gestures can do wonder to baby’s learning process. Parents should focus on establishing strong bond with the baby. In the initial stage it can be done by using your facial expressions. Remember, a baby starts identifying you by your face, voice and touch. You can bring your face closer to the baby and act animated. You can smile, talk, read colourful books and even hold one way communication with your baby.

It is imperative for parents not to have any preconceived notions about baby’s learning. A baby keeps learning new things, growing new ideas and skills. It is the job of parents to find out new ideas that will help baby in quick learning. Keep experimenting with new games, new ways and you will come across several wonderful ideas.

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How to motivate your kids

Dec 20
Posted by pankti in Advice, Motherhood

Motivation can drive you to do the impossible. Every person needs a certain amount of push to accomplish their task and so is the case with kids as well. They need a little motivation to finish their homework, to get up on time, to go to school, to perform better, to achieve preset goals etc. While internal motivation comes from one’s own self while external motivation comes from the environment and in most cases, children do require some form of external motivation. Motivational forces can be negative and/or positive. Sometimes forces such as fear and anger can also drive you to a certain behavior. Positive thinking is generally an action which includes enjoyment and optimism about the tasks that one is doing. Negative motivation on the other hand pushes one to do a task because one fears failure or facing an angry boss if work not completed on time etc. For example, a student studying hard for the exams is intrinsically motivated towards accomplishment of his goal to perform well. On the other hand when a student is motivated by his teacher to study hard for the exams, he is externally motivated. Getting motivated and feeling motivated is important to move and tread on the path of success. In the journey of a student, one experiences all kinds of motivation including loss of motivation at times. It is important to know that negative motivation is equally effective and important as positive motivation.

There are many ways in which parents can bond with children. It is said that the company of inspiring people around your children can be a great source of motivation. Also, reading motivating articles, motivational quotes or listening to motivational talks can pep you and also your children up in a great way.

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Name Game

Dec 16
Posted by Mritunjay in Motherhood

Parents focus a lot on keeping wonderful names for kids. In fact, the trend has taken a definite change last some time. During earlier eras, parents were not that conscious about naming child. It could be anything that comes easily to the tongue or based after some movie stars or mythological characters. Now a day, parents are more conscious about according different and beautiful names to their kids. Names must be different and unique and that’s what parents focus on these days. Parents cannot do much about appearances of the kid but they definitely have the power of assigning wonderful names to the kids.

The problem also arises when siblings have different looks. One might be very beautiful whereas other may be just normal. That may often lead to complexity factor or in fact, one child has high chances of developing inferiority complex. Family members or even neighbours often indulge in comparing siblings based on different parameters. That is not a healthy sign and yet it is hard to stop others.

Getting compliments on name is a common sight. This is one aspect where parents can be more conscious. They can’t do much in regards to looks or comments made by others but they can definitely focus on assigning names that can give the child high self-esteem. It has been observed that good names often lead to better sense of self in the kid. Agreed, it is not the only factor. There can be other factors as well like looks, academics, intelligence, extra-curricular but yes, name is also one of them. While choosing the name of the child, be careful and put adequate efforts. People have the tendencies of asking meaning of the name and in the long run it matters a lot. Your child will also feel proud of his name. Make sure you as well as your kid knows the meaning of the name.

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Tackling thumb-sucking

Dec 13
Posted by Mritunjay in Motherhood, New Baby

Thumb sucking is a common action performed by majority of babies. One thing about thumb sucking is that, it subsides on its own with the passage of time. As baby grows older, this habit tends to subsidises. Normally it has been found that a child quits this habit of thumb sucking between the age of thee and six. Most of the babies stop this habit before the appearance of the second teeth. A child resorts to thumb sucking because he/she seeks additional comfort or support. But parents need not worry about this habit as it will go anyhow. But parents should not force child to leave this habit through coercive measures.

Parents should watch the frequency of thumb sucking. If the child does it occasionally, it is not a concern then but if child does it frequently then it might be a cause of concern. As frequent thumb sucking indicates lack of love or even maladjustment. There could be several other reasons like if child is seeking companionship or [parents are giving him enough time or could be anything else. It is the job of the parents to identify what is bothering the kid and take corrective measures.

There are certain steps that parents could think of. One of them is stop nagging the child. It won’t do any good to the kid. There is also no point in making the kid feel conscious about it. Parents should stop worrying unduly about the habit of thumb sucking. Your worry is not going to help the situation. You can think of using different methods to distract her. For example, you can use toy for distraction or offer some candies to the kid if he does not suck the thumb. Finally, don’t use any harsh treatment and rather focus on friendly methods.

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