Unity in diversity: How do we teach kids to appreciate differences around them?

Unity in diversity: How do we teach kids to appreciate differences around them?

Books, toys, travel, and celebrations— everything counts!
August 12, 2022 — Shumee Toys
Teach big emotions through a little activity: DIY Paper Puppets

Teach big emotions through a little activity: DIY Paper Puppets

A fun way to learn all about different emotions!
November 23, 2021 — Soumya John
7 ways you can inspire your child to be empathetic

7 ways you can inspire your child to be empathetic

Children as young as 18 months can display empathy. So just a little guidance in the right direction can go a long way in raising your child to be sensitive to those around them. 

September 30, 2020 — Soumya John
How I am answering questions from my child on the Corona Virus!

How I am answering questions from my child on the Corona Virus!

With the Corona virus epidemic gripping the entire world, these are confusing and scary times for all of us. As many of us are overwhelmed and anxious, homes are rife with conversations about the pandemic and its far-reaching effects – social, psychological, financial and political and out little sponges are absorbing it all in. Psychologists and children’s organisations have warned that children could be vulnerable to feelings of stress, anxiety and sadness and respond in different ways such as - being more clingy, anxious, withdrawn and aloof, angry, agitated, with a recurrence/ increased instances of bedwetting etc.
March 31, 2020 — Suchismita Pai
Me do it! When toddlers want to do everything themselves.

Me do it! When toddlers want to do everything themselves.

The ‘Me do it’ stage appears between 18-36 months and it’s actually a good thing. The baby is getting more independent and more prepared for the world. Embrace it, encourage it and facilitate this. Assuming responsibility for oneself is a slow process and it’s wonderful to see. Enjoy this time and look back on it later to see how far children come. Happy parenting!
February 17, 2020 — Suchismita Pai
How to deal with a stubborn toddler and avert a tantrum

How to deal with a stubborn toddler and avert a tantrum

Parenting is often about doing what suits the moment. Often what works with one child may not work with another sibling of theirs. However the challenges are universal and it helps to talk, discuss and take action. Use all the resources at hand including uncles, aunts, and grandparents to simplify life.  Happy parenting!
January 27, 2020 — Suchismita Pai
Encouraging kids to read. How we can raise kids who read.

Encouraging kids to read. How we can raise kids who read.

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of reading in a child’s intellectual, social, emotional, mental development. They drink in all that you can read when they are young, and it also encourages them to read by themselves — the patterns, routines, and attentive habits that are set when young lasts a lifetime. If you truly wish to help children grow into readers and gain all they can from books and reading, you have to start young and ensure that you persist. All kids are not alike, and some will learn to read quicker than others, some will be late bloomers while yet others will grow in spurts. Keep reading and encourage them to read as well so that the world of words is theirs to explore.
January 20, 2020 — Suchismita Pai
How to impart multilingual skills to your child!

How to impart multilingual skills to your child!

Why is it good to know more than one language? 

Apart from the obvious reason of being able to converse in more than one language, communicate in them, being multi lingual has many other advantages.

It improves brain function - The way our brains process information changes when we know more than one language. Learning languages actually stimulates our brain cells and connections, making the brain more robust and strong. 

Adults can learn langauges to keep their brain function better and stave off issues like Alzheimer's disease. 

It makes travelling more fun and exciting - Yes, knowing a local language is a great advantage when travelling. 

It opens up the world for work and leisure. - Imagine all the books you can read, the jobs that you can apply for in different countries or just commmunicate with more people - when you know more languages. 

November 25, 2019 — Shumee Toys
Why a family meal is important for kids and families.

Why a family meal is important for kids and families.

What do family meals mean to the family?

They help build relationships. When you eat together you see one another over a comforting plate of food and bond with one another day after day. You talk, laugh or even argue, get to know one another and observe how the other behaves, building a relationship as you go. 

Inculcate better manners and politeness. When you eat together, you learn how to behave at the table. You listen politely, eat properly, answer questions and learn by observation. 

November 11, 2019 — Shumee Toys
How to deal with kids tantrums, emotional outbursts and more – with love.

How to deal with kids tantrums, emotional outbursts and more – with love.

Toddlers, terrible twos, terrible threes, and tantrums – there is more there than just alliteration! While young children are learning to communicate they often do not have the right words or get overwhelmed with complex emotions and cannot do so in an appropriate way. How then can you decipher what they want / what they mean and what you could do to make life less filled with stressful moments?
Fun parenting! How to be silly and have fun with your child!

Fun parenting! How to be silly and have fun with your child!

Playing the fool or acting silly with your kids is not just fun parenting, it’s also good for you and your little one. To start with it’s a great way to engage with your child in a lighter way without seeming to make it a teaching moment. We all do that with babies, but as they grow older, we tend to look for teaching moments in all we do. Being silly is a fun parent and child activity that helps you bond with your child on a different plain.
April 01, 2019 — Shumee Toys
Play with colours! How to use colours for growth and development of your child.

Play with colours! How to use colours for growth and development of your child.

Colour Psychology is an ancient idea and has a place in all ancient cultures. People would surround themselves with different colours that soothed them, made them sleep better or feel better. In fact, they had colours associated with ceremonies and traditions.

While Holi colours are fun (and you can read about safe colours on our blog here) they are not permanent. They come around once a year. How do we keep colours in our lives all year round? Especially when they can influence us, make us feel better, help us focus and elicit the desired behavior?

March 18, 2019 — Shumee Toys