Toys are a child's best friend.

Toys are a child's best friend.

I developed something that has shaped me as a person, and that's imagination. It taught me how to imagine myself in a better position, in a different place, at a different time, with different people, or even in the shoes of those who weren't as fortunate as I was. Putting these toys back in their place (something I admit I was notorious for forgetting to do) also develops one's discipline and sense of responsibility and care. They taught me silent lessons: how to share, how to work or play with others, and how great it felt much later, to hand them over to someone who would love them just as much as I did.
November 14, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Dad Two Little Girls

Sugar, spice, chalk and cheese - a father of two little girls speaks.

Every child is different. Acknowledging this makes the parenting journey that much more fun. Vinay, a father of two little girls, each very different from the other,  speaks about the relationship between them. Today he is happy to go with the flow and explore the world around through his daughters and that makes every day  'father's day'. "Parenting is way beyond expectations when you let your little ones lead you where they will", says Vinay who juggles a demanding career with being an engaged father to two tween girls.

June 15, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Father Relation With Kids

Being a connected father! A father's wish for everyday.

Dads sometimes struggle with work life balance as well, and want to stay connected with their young ones. Shivanshu, a father of two young,  growing, energetic boys talks of how he has discovered the energy to keep up with them despite his own hectic work schedule. Says he  "Something we all want to be but every day pressures and sometimes not knowing “how to” leave us wanting.   And then there is the feeling of guilt of not being connected!"
June 08, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Good preschool for my daughter

School daze- What makes a good preschool for my daughter?

Bringing a new life home is just the beginning. What happens when a devoted father has to let the apple of his eye explore the real world so she can discover herself and grow to find her space in it? He draws up a long list of requirements and even mulls over alternatives like home-schooling (and in wild moments - opening his own school). This week we bring you a glimpse of young father's search for the perfect school for his little munchkin. How he drew from his daughter's personality and needs to find what was just the right fit for her - a school that lets her explore at her own pace, one she cannot wait to go back to!

June 01, 2017 — Awant Bhagat
Father Playing With His Kid

Bringing up father! My first steps into being a dad.

Fatherhood is a lot more invisible than motherhood. There may be a lot less advice on how to care for the child and fathers are often left to discover fatherhood for themselves. It can have  a profound effect on every man and the way he views the world. So how do men feel about being fathers? We start this series on discovering fatherhood by asking Chirag Baljekar, a young dad, to share his innermost feelings about becoming a father.   Read on about how he describes fatherhood as  - "an amalgamation of, unbridled joy, a form of anxiety I’d never felt before and of course uncertainty!"
May 24, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Our life on the spectrum!

Our life on the spectrum!

It is fine to be different yet no less than others. This is a lesson from my son Aadvik. This month we feature a blog post from Deepika, who talks about her son Aadvik and how play can be tailored to every child's need. And how Autism need not prevent any child from having fun.

April 27, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Motherhood - Start Ups, Books and Hindi!

Motherhood - Start Ups, Books and Hindi!

Motherhood has been quite a journey for me so far. I went from being a full time scientific officer at a university in Sydney to being a full time mom in Bangalore. One of my expectations from the move from Australia to India was the exposure my child would have to our culture and more importantly to our language, Hindi.

April 11, 2017 — Shumee Toys
Start them young! How to build a reading habit! Mommy shares

Start them young! How to build a reading habit! Mommy shares

The one thing that worked with my children and what I think worked for me as a child has been the fact that we were all introduced to books early on in life. I do believe that is the key to having any chance of raising a reader. How early is early? A few months old, if that.
April 06, 2017 — Shumee Toys