Day 17: What They Should Teach In Schools

Catch them young is the new mantra kids (Photo credit)

During research for this post, I ended with really long list of things that are important in life and should be taught to kids. I also realised that some of the skills are more of the parents' responsibility to teach at home. To me, school has always been the great leveller. We wear uniforms, learn from the same books, participate in the same extra curricular and travel by the same school bus. So it is important for the schools to play a bigger role. Move away from pure academics like history dates and reproductive systems of frogs to life skills and practical knowledge that will come in good stead in real life.

We live in a complex world. More than it was when we were kids. There are numerous distractions, indiscriminate use of technology, growing competition - just to name a few challenges our kids have to navigate through their childhood. And hence the skills they should have should also be different from what we learnt in school.

Here are a few things that I have short listed after paring down my list:

1. Reading, writing habits. These comprise 2 of the 3Rs a child should know as basic education. Being able to write a structured and well articulated piece is a skill which needs honing. And I can't even begin talking about why reading is such a life changing skill! Apart from academic work, kids should habitually read and write to hone the two skills. They can be given simple daily challenges on simple topics. (In fact, I made one such weekly challenge for my nieces aged 7 and 10 to coincide with this blogging challenge!) Or asked to write about the book they've been reading.

2. Expressing emotions: A friend of mine has her son go to a school where they regularly have feelings hour. The children are encouraged to talk about things that made them feel good, bad, happy, sad etc and share it with the class. Communicating what you feel is very important. And being able to express different emotions will only make children more emotionally intelligent. If you look up online, EQ has left the much coveted IQ behind as one of the most important skills necessary for success in life.

3. Managing failure: From what I know, the new trend is for proud mommies to post their kids' photos all over Whatsapp and Facebook for just much as getting an A. And I don't blame them since, as a society, we celebrate success. Social media is full of things we did great and no mention of where we failed. I think it is important to inculcate in children a feeling of perseverance rather than making a failure a setback in their lives. "It is okay to fail" - this is a life lesson that your kids will thank you for. Expressing emotions can come in very handy here and save a failed kid from developing an unexpressed complex.

4. Cyber safety: I am saying this is the duty of the school because parents may want to get their children gadgets just because they can afford them. or to keep up with the Joneses. Or perhaps children might borrow them from friends and use them in school, friends' homes or elsewhere. To ensure that our children are safe no matter where they try and get online, it is important to include this in the computer class curriculum. Inform them about safety and security. In fact, even parents should be given an advisory on the making their children responsible netizens if they wish to allow access to kids.

5. A growth mindset: This could be a mindset moment for a child. Simply put a growth mindset is telling a child that he or she can improve with hard work. As opposed to a fixed mindset which says that you are born with what you have and cannot get better. Encouraging children to get better with practice and perseverance is the best way to motivate them to take strides forward in any subject.

6. Boy-girl stuff: This is just the opposite of what happens in schools today. And I don't mean just the sex ed class. Emotions towards the opposite sex are a crucial part of growing up. It's not just about practical guide to safe sex but also the emotional implications of getting involved physically. It is about explaining to growing children how the hormones that are changing in their body will have mental and emotional implications too. Parents aren't too good at "the talk". At least not in our country. But teenage can be quite a confusing time. And knowing that it is okay to feel the highs and lows that kids do at that time can ease their minds a lot.

7. Practical things: From law to personal finance, from time management to first aid and self defence - there is no dearth of things kids will require in real life. Different subjects can be taught in different classes so that as children grow they are armed with relevant knowledge that they might need.

Here is another resource on 20 skills not taught in schools.

Which are the skills that make it to your list? I'd love to hear any that you'd like to add to this list.

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 16: Top 3 Most Viewed Posts This Year

Top 3 posts of the year! (Photo credit)

So, we have crossed the half way mark in this challenge! Kudos to everyone who's stuck around writing every single day. I have some amazing post ideas and need time to plan them for the next two weeks. Meanwhile, I thought I could do a blog round up for all you wonderful readers who've been dropping by to read and comment. Thank you so much!!

1. The most viewed post this year - more than 500 views - has been the one I wrote when the CBSE results came out this year. Obviously, I have argued that school results don't determine the course of one's lives and students shouldn't be pressured so much. I guess that touched a chord with people. The post was also picked up for the Spicy Saturday picks edition by BlogAdda. Here it is for your reading pleasure:

Are CBSE Results The Turning Point Of Your Life?

2. The next one is my account of surviving endometriosis, a condition in women that is believed to have no cure. It is a very painful condition during periods that a lot of women suffer from. I am happy that my post here and on some other sites generated awareness and I had people get in touch with me to know more about it. Please read it and spread the word. You could save someone's life from intense pain.

Endometriosis: How I survived it

3. All of us have struggled with keeping up with a fitness routine. Even I've never been big on the regular exercise thing. Except when I worked out quite regularly for 2 years and it did make a difference to my life. Here are a few lessons working out regularly taught me:

5 Life Lessons I Learnt From Working Out Regularly

Which one of these posts did you like the best? I'd love to hear your feedback on the posts. 

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 15: Why Are Men Missing From Menstruation?

Photo credit

The average woman endures some 456 total periods over 38 years, or roughly 2,280 days with her period -- 6.25 years of her life. And if roughly half the world is female, this is quite an important piece of information. Yet, tell a man you are on your period and see him squirm in his seat. Let's face it! Men aren't comfortable when it comes to this topic. I don't blame them. It must be hard to fully comprehend something they never go through, that women guard like a nuclear code and don't talk about themselves! But it's 2016 and women are opening up. And men - if they pay attention - you will find enough online and off it to stop making excuses and learn a thing or two about it.

Now, if you are wondering why am I dragging you out of your comfort zone and you probably know enough to get by, watch this video and you'll know how little men know about practical things involving periods. In fact, women also should watch this one even if it is for the laughs at men's funny answers about periods.

Dear men, let me start with the good news! You don't have to know EVERYTHING about periods! It's okay if you don't know how is a maxi pad different from a regular one. Or keep a calendar to keep track of your woman's cycle. But rolling your eyes at a woman and assuming it must be that time of the month for her is no longer acceptable. Here are a few things that might help you get a headstart:

Stop being uncomfortable. I'm sure it's hard to talk about something that happens to women's lady parts and I completely accept the blame on behalf of women for your discomfiture. But you can stop feeling uncomfortable now. Because even we aren't anymore. You need to do the next point to help you overcome this faster.

Read up. It isn't as hard anymore to find information. You don't have to rely on women in the family or probe your girl friends for basic information. Go online and there's tons of it. And given your interest, I am sure the women in your life will be happy to help you with their own insights too!

Every reaction isn't PMS. Every outburst of emotion isn't due to hormones. Have you ever considered that you may be THAT annoying and we might be genuinely frustrated? We are just people like you but with wombs.

Don't be so helpless. Cramps are a part of the process and just be there for the women in your life. Learn a few things that might help. And you should definitely know what works for your woman - yes, even if she is your sister!

Buying pads is like buying condoms. Except that, I agree, there can be different choices and preferences of women. Make an effort to understand what your woman prefers. The last thing she wants in an emergency is a clueless, embarrassed you who has has no idea what to do! You aren't illiterate to carry a piece of paper on which she writes exactly what she wants.

If this seemed like a lecture from a podium above, here is an awesome post for men by a man addressing common notions men typically have about periods. I recommend that you be patient and read it till the end. If it interests you, roam around the blog. You'll come back a lot wiser! :)

(I recommend that you - men or women - who read this post watch the videos I have shared! They are quite interesting!)

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 14: What Every Child Should Know

I meant this post to be for my nieces ages 7 and 10. Mid way through it, I began wondering if it was too early to tell them this and if any of it would make sense to them. Then again, all these points are relevant to any kid. (Except a couple which are more relevant to girls) Let's call them nuggets of wisdom from my life that I wish someone had told me when I was growing up. 

Don't lose the child in you. Always indulge in child like pleasure through out life.

Don't let people tell you what you can or cannot do. If people tell you that you can't, do it anyways to prove them wrong!

Speak up! You have the right to express your feelings and opinions. Whether you like something or not, say it. If you are right, fight for it.

Respect yourself. Or no one else will either!

What is it that gives you joy even if it keeps you up all night? Find that passion and pursue it!

Be tolerant! Your way of life maybe right. That doesn't make others' wrong

Count your blessings. Always! We always have more than we think we do!

Always be curious. Read. Travel. See the world. Always ask, "why not?"

The last one is specifically for my nieces both of whom are such darlings!

Friends will come and go but sisters are forever. Stay together and stick out for each other!

This is just a short list of points that came to my mind! Drop in more in the comments and lets add to the legacy we want to leave for our kids!

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 13: 3 Great Resources On Beating Writer's Block

For times when you are stuck! (Photo credit)

How can we have a daily challenge and not talk about writer's block! While we do have prompts to write on on weekdays, we may not want to use some of them. And weekends anyways need to be survived without prompts. Although, I feel, depending on the topic of your blog, there can be no dearth of topics...ever! If you read enough, you will know.

Anyways, since we do get stuck at times, here are a few brilliant resources to keep you going.

1. The first one is my own post that I wrote during the blogging challenge last year. I follow most of these tips and they have worked quite well for me:

6 ways to beat writer's block

2. The second one is from Wordpress. It has a few more tips to beat the block:

4.5 steps to busting bloggers' block

3. While you start on that list of topics/ideas, here are a few prompts to flex your creative muscles and get the creative juices flowing:

Five posts to write right now

While this is a short post, it has enough food for thought to last a while! All the best for the rest of the challenge! Let the words flow...

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 12: What's Up With Your Weekend?

How's your weekend going? 

So, there is no prompt for the weekend and I have been wondering what to write since yesterday. I thought maybe I could do some freewheel writing today. Just talk about stuff happening in my life. The weekend is here and all of us are relaxed, probably, or planning to finish some errands. If you aren't sure what to do, you can find 96 ideas on what to do on a weekend in the post I wrote yesterday.

I am planning to have a relaxed weekend. I've pretty much been on a slow motion for most of the week due to health reasons. Mumbai did not have smog as bad as Delhi but there are health issues around this time of the year. The weather changing and the additional pollution that people produce through crackers despite all the social activism against it. I haven't had health issues like this since my Delhi days - where it was typical to have cold, cough and ear infection because of prolonged cold as the weather changed to winters. But since I have been living in Mumbai, my ear was spared and I reckon went back to being as good as new. But it's back to bulging ear drums and heavy antibiotics and trying to function at 50% hearing capacity! And trust me, it ain't a great feeling at all!

The worse consequence of all this has been a long break from my fitness class. I have been pretty much regular all year and had reached quite a good level with my workout routine. I was hoping to make much more progress by the end of the year than I will now. It'll take me pretty much the rest of the year to bounce back from this break. And I am not happy about it! Well! looking at it differently, what's life without a challenge! I hope to resume on Monday and give it everything I have got.

On a more positive note, I ran into this list of books I read in the last couple of years. I read 15 books in 2014 (seems like I forgot to add some books). 25 books in 2015 and this year I have already finished 40 books. This is a huge thing since I have been struggling for months to fit in decent time to read books. But I guess between all the reading on Kindle and stealing time late night for physical books, it did count for something!

So, I am going to get back to my weekend - relax a bit and run some errands! How's your blogging challenge going? In case you are stuck, watch out for my post tomorrow to help you keep up!

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.

Day 11: 96 Fun Things To Do On A Weekend

Extra tip: You can play frisbee on the beach! (Photo credit)

As if there isn't enough pressure on the weekend - we want to finish errands AND laze around all weekend! But we can't fill the entire time with either. So I have tried to put together a list of thing you can do with your weekend. You could pick and choose so that you balance out the work and fun bit through your weekends: 

1. Sleep it off
2. Read all day
3. Re-read your comfort reads
4. Spend all day in bed. Order in food
5. Set up laundry on the washing machine. Go to sleep
6. Put clothes to dry. Go back to sleep
7. Run errands on Saturday. Sleep on Sunday
8. Plan a movie marathon by yourself 
9. Read a favourite book
10. Tweet all day
11. Catch up with friends
12. Have a night out with friends
13. Catch up with a local art exhibition by yourself 
14. Watch movies in the day. Get drunk at night
15. Finish some dusting/cleaning of your room
16. Write blog posts
17. Plan posts for the week/month
18. Laze during the day. Go out for dinner
19. Volunteer to teach street kids for a few hours
20. Play video games
21. Finish 2 pages of  your colouring book
22. Finish 2 puzzles in the Sudoku/word puzzle book
23. Get out on your own for some 'me' time
24. Watch a live play in a theatre
25. Watch a new movie in a theatre
26. Invite friends home
27. Get yourself invited
28. Go see a monument in your city you haven't in a while
29. If you are in Mumbai, enjoy the breeze on Marine Drive
30. Listen to all your favourite singers
31. Tidy a cupboard in the kitchen
32. Organise your photos albums - yeah, now they are digital on your phone
33. Look through old physical albums with your spouse or family. Re-live those memories
34. Organise a charity drive
35. Attend a local event - book readings, lit fests, flea fairs
36. Go to a concert with friends
37. Set a day to spend with parents
38. Do craft work with your kids
39. Watch your kid(s)' favourite movies together
40. Watch all your favourite movies with your spouse. Alternate with his/hers next weekend
41. Take a weekend course
42. Attend a free seminar
43. Enrol in a hobby class for cooking/sketching/music/anything that interests you
44. Invite his friends over. Swap with hers next weekend
45. Disconnect. Switch off all digital devices for a day. Enjoy the results
46. Catch up on online reading - saved bookmarks, Twitter favourites
47. Catch up with your neighbours
48. Clean out a shelf in your wardrobe
49. Meet up with besties for a gossip session
50. Clean the kids' room with your child
51. Plan a trekking trip with your family
52. Leave your devices at home and take a picnic in the park
53. Watch the sunset if possible
54. Try a new restaurant
55. Try a new recipe at home. Involve your spouse/child
56. Get out the old fashioned board games and make it a family activity
57. Try a new cuisine
58. Organise a pot luck dinner with neighbours/friends
59. Take your kids to a library nearby
60. Go out for a meal by yourself
61. Watch movies you haven't watched before on Netflix
62. Set time out to plan for the week ahead
63. Write a gratitude list - things you are thankful for this weekend
64. Finish a self-improvement book over the weekend
65. Focus on personal/family time
66. Make time for your hobby
67. Take a walk in the nearby park and introduce yourself to two people
68. Recharge. Do one activity that helps you de-stress and acquire balance
69. Take a road trip on your own
70. Write hand written notes for your friends - even if it is to hand it to them the next day
71. Learn a new skill
72. Play videos on Youtube that teach you something new
73. Organise a picnic for all the kids in your building/block
74. Respond to personal messages on Facebook, comment on friends' posts
75. Take a road trip with your family
76. Discover and listen to free podcasts
77. Organise your books/CDs
78. Start a blog
79. Make time for intimacy
80. Call a friend you haven't called in a while
81. Call a family member you haven't called in a while
82. Take naps twice a day
83. Put away cellphones and talk to your spouse. About anything
84. Try something new you haven't tried before
85. Wake up early and go for a walk
86. Write a weekly journal
87. Look up places to vacation next year
88. Read the newspaper from front to back
89. Make a trip to the mall but not shop
90. Declare it a "no chores" weekend
91. Clear clutter on your personal laptop
92. Plan a girls' night out. Swap it for your spouse next week
93. Lie in bed and just stare at the ceiling
94. Go wine tasting
95. Go grocery shopping with your kid and make it a game
96. Ignore this list and do what you like! 

I am sure you will find a lot of ideas here useful. Go ahead and explore them. It's important to unwind during the weekend but it also the time to try new things, bond with our family and make time for ourselves. Can you help me add to this list? Suggestions welcome in the comments! :)

This post is a part of #NaBloPoMo which stands for National Blog Posting Month hosted by BlogHer.