Being a parenting blogger, how can I not touch the kid’s aspect? Quite often, we say the line – Kids teach us many things.  Today kid’s understanding of various topics has grown so much that if I think about myself being at their age, then I feel how less I knew. Indian kids over here are trying as hard as their parents to maintain the Indian culture in them. Mostly, parents get a pat on their back for instilling Indian values in their kids. But kids have an equal share in this appreciation. For us, it is easy to say to our kids that you should do this or do that, but, for them, it is not very easy. Kids who are born here, and are spending maximum part of their day in a non-desi environment, they come home and transform themselves into your desi kid. Do you think it is easy? It is equally challenging for them as it is for their parents to create a mini India in the USA. So, hats off to them. I mean the kids. And also, let me extend my word of appreciation to all the immigrant parents reading this post. So, let’s begin today’s post- Grab Every Chance to Grow with Your Kids.

 

As parents, we often think that we know it all. But the truth is these kids are the reason for our understanding. They give us opportunities to grow as a parent with them.

 

 

My friends and relatives back home often say that I think differently on several occasions when it comes to parenting. I never did this intentionally, but maybe, because of the cross-culture, my parenting style might have undergone these changes. I cannot hold on to the traditional way of parenting in this modern era. First of all, my kids will not be able to visualize if I tell them how I grew up. So, expecting this from them will be unrealistic, and applying the same techniques will not work. Second, always keep on stressing over everything Indian when these kids are growing in a different culture, is I think, not right. So, what is the solution? – Finding a balance in both cultures. As an immigrant mom, that’s what I am doing. With them, I am also learning many new aspects of not just millennium parenting but also immigrant parenting. I am also getting chances to grow with them. 

 

Alike parents back home, here also, we expect our kids to learn shlokas, some Indian art form, read, and write their language. But how can we do it? We cannot apply the old method of teaching them Hindi. If you want to know how I taught my daughter Hindi, then check out http://mothersgurukul.com/learning-to-write-hindi/ . For teaching them shlokas, we have to make it a habit of making them sit with us while we lite evening Diya. As they don’t get many occasions to witness such ceremonies on regular basis. Some families also do meditation with their kids, which includes our family as well. We also go to Chinmay Mission, where kids learn about the Hindu religion and India in general. They organize Gita Chanting competition, and that experience is just so very mesmerizing. These kids who are born on American soil and who have never heard about these scriptures before. They are chanting verses from Gita. Just imagine the ambiance and the emotional state of their parents. I am also among those proud moms who have witnessed one such occasion. Believe me; I could not record it. I started, but then I got so carried away with it that I couldn’t. I didn’t know many shlokas from our scriptures. In many Maharashtraian households, we chant Ramaraksha or Shubham Karoti. I have been chanting these since childhood but there are many more beautiful compositions that I wasn’t aware of.  For example- Shri Vishnu Sahastranamam. But as I try to grab any chance where I can grow with my kids, I am also learning with them.

 

As parents, we often think that we know it all. But the truth is these kids are the reason for our understanding. They give us opportunities to grow as a parent with them.

 

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme is “Dollar nation-are you ready to experience the west through my eyes?”

 

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