Why you should tell stories to your kids everyday

Remember the stories which your mum and grandmother told you?

The stories that were full of magic and surprises, the stories which were full of awe and inspiration, the stories that provoked your thoughts and stories that pulled you into a world of imagination.
Do we tell stories to our kids?
If your answer is yes, then thumbs up to you.
If not,then why don't you begin today?

Here's why?

You can kindle creativity and curiosity in you kids

Television presents everything in an 'as is' form. There's no room for imagination.When your child sees a flower on television, he sees its colour and form as it is captured.
But when you tell a story you describe a flower like this 'The rose flower that the princess adored on her locks was a beautiful red rose.It has tiny petals in the middle and a bud in its centre,The outer petals had bloomed and were much bigger.
The rose flower was soft and smelled great.It has a green stem and nice big green leaves.The princess liked it a lot'

Imagine, this could take you the kid to a visual tour. He imagines how the rose looks like.The image of the rose he creates is a product of her brain's capacity to imagine and create things rather than presenting a ready-made picture of the rose.

You can cut screen time

Whenever you child is bored and asks the regular question 'What next?', instead of switching on the TV for them, try telling them a story.
This way you can both benefit from a wonderful bonding time together.
Eventually, there's a greater chance you kid loses interest in Tv/gadgets and would like to listen to stories instead.

You can give value education to you kids

Remember moral stories from Pancha-tantra,Jataka tales and Vikram aur Bethaal or any other regional stories you might have listened to as kids?
They are all infused with basic morals that are building blocks of our children's character.
Giving value education through moral stories is the best way to get your child's attention to good values in life.

Spiritual time for Kids

If you are a person who is religiously inclined, then you may wish to tell  them stories from  scriptures  that could cultivate spiritual thoughts on your kids

You can have a special time together

If you are a working parent and are on a constant guilt that you are not spending enough time with your kid, then this is a fun and easy way to bond with you  child.A beautiful story at bedtime can make up for the entire day you have missed with your child

It can benefit you too

It's hard to sanctify a child's growing curiosity and you make have to come up with new stories or even cook up you own story.This will positively benefit your mood and may help you become more creative and relaxed.

Let's begin storytelling today!

How to tie a Jhoola for your baby

The Indian cradle/Jhoola/thooli in Tamil is one of the ancient ways to put the baby to sleep.Indian mothers and grandmas swear by it and are still widely used as the only means of a cradle for the baby.

What is a Jhoola cradle?
It's a piece of cloth tied in a particular fashion and hung mostly from the ceiling to put the baby to rest or to sleep.
What equipment do I need for the Jhoola?

• A hook in the ceiling
• A nice piece of cotton cloth of about 5 to 6 foot in length 
• A Spring
• A nylon rope
• A rod made of wood or steel with a hole on either ends that allows the rope to pass through

In the above list, 1 and 2 are absolutely necessary and 3,4,5 are optional but useful There are two methods of making the Jhoola with all 5 things and another method with just a cloth and the hook. 

Method one:

Fix the spring onto the ceiling hook
Put the rope onto the bottom end of the hook
Thread the rod through one end of the rope and do the same with the other end of the rod and make a knot below the rod so that the rod does not move.
Gather one end of the cloth and tie it to one loose end of the rope
Gather the other  end of the cloth and tie it to the other end of the rope.
Meanwhile, adjust the length of rope and cloth so that the whole setup is not too high.
If your baby tends to get down from the Jhoola, then tying it lower so that it's not far from the floor is the safest option.
Your Jhoola for the baby is ready.

 Method two:
This is a simpler method which just needs a long piece of cloth like a saree and no other special  equipment.
This can be very useful in case you are travelling or in someone else's  home.
Gather one end of the cloth and insert the same through the ceiling hook.
This can be done standing on a tall stool or with the help of a stick.
Pull down the cloth and gather the other end.
Tie them both together.
Pull up the knot so that you make a nice cradle for your baby.
Things to remember
The Jhoola tends to drop further lower with the weight of the baby.Adjust the length keeping this in mind.

Make sure the Jhoola is closer to the floor.This is in case your baby is old enough to get down from it.

Why do we need a Jhoola while there are cribs, cots, and bassinets and why not Co-sleeping  with the baby? Read more on Jhoola

What's so special about the Indian Cradle

Why is Jhoola the best for your baby?

Cribs, cots, bassinets  and what more.There are plenty of options available to put the baby to sleep. But why do we need the less glamorous Jhoola? Read on.

What are the advantages of Jhoola for the baby?

• A Jhoola needs no big investment.
• A Jhoola is hung from the ceiling, that means no pests or insects can touch the baby.The baby is safe and away from the floor.
• A Jhoola is the cleanest bed for your baby to sleep since it's a cloth and can be washed very frequently.
• A Jhoola is very suitable for hot and arid temperatures since it allows a free flow of air on all sides including the bottom.
• A Jhoola can be rocked, which is loved by a baby and calms him instantly.
• Reduced risk of SIDS since baby's bed has air flow on all sides. It's not dangerous, even if your baby has a habit of sleeping face down.
• Even a novice can rock a baby to sleep.That will be of great help to the mum.

Do I need to buy one?

No. All you need to make a Jhoola is a hook on the ceiling of your room.
It's not necessary that the hook must be fixed while the house is built.
If you don't have one, you can always get it fixed wherever you want.

Can I Use a mosquito net with the Jhoola?

Yes, you can tie a mosquito net that specially available to fix in Jhoolas.

Now, are you all set to give a peaceful sleep to your baby?