Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Moving to a new city with a kid who might find the move difficult or stressful? Here are 7 handy tips for you to mull over and act upon.
My husband and I had settled in Gurgaon after marriage, enjoying the comfortable lifestyle and fast paced life of the millennium city. But the only thing constant in this world is change. My husband’s work made us relocate to Chennai.
We settled fast into the new city. My son (3.5 years old at that time) had all through been excited about the move. He knew he was to move to a new house, new play school and make new friends. He was excited about being close to the beach (though I am not sure he understood what a beach was). Children’s innocence probably makes them appreciate the smaller things in life much more.
Our son is very adaptive and open to change. However, to make this transition a positive experience we kept in mind a few points. These may help any parent moving within the major cities in India (perhaps overseas as well) –
Explore and fix up a school before the move so that your child can start a routine soon after the relocation. Kids like to stay engaged especially at this age when they have abundant energy. While finalising a school ensure it has a mixed crowd. While you may be keen to provide your child with exposure to the local culture, please bear in mind that it should complement well with the atmosphere at home.
Discuss the move with your child and provide all relevant information and honest explanations. Don’t let your apprehension, if any, transfer to your child. Be positive about the change and reinforce the good aspects. Avoid introducing other big changes during the move like toilet training or making him sleep by himself.
Try and pick a neighbourhood where there are couples with kids so that your child gets company. While that may not be easy in every city, the other alternative is to take him out to various parks, play areas in malls or after school programs to be around kids his age.
This initiative has to be by you, to make friends with mommies of kids of similar age and arrange play dates. A good start is to connect with a few mothers from his new school and invite them home. Alternatively, you can take clues from your child on the new friends he has made and try to connect with their parents. Also, enrolling them in clubs, activities or hobby classes gives them something to look forward to.
Try and keep the home set-up similar after the move. For example, if your child had a room to himself, select a new house where you can provide the same. Also, if you have a house maid, request her to move with you. The familiarity in home environment will enable a smoother transition.
Connect with known family and friends in the new city. Your child will benefit greatly from interactions with extended groups and you will get your dose of adult conversations as well. Don’t worry about having lost touch, just pick up the phone and re-connect with your old friends and start from where you had left off.
Try to blend in by being a part of the festivals and culture in the new city. I know we do it often when we move abroad (FaceBook is flooded with my friends celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving and the likes). So, it should be that much easier to do it within our country.
We recently completed a year in Chennai and it has been a good journey. My son is going to a wonderful school and is fortunate to have teachers who have a passion for teaching. He has already picked up a few words of the local language, much faster than me. The exposure to a different social and cultural environment than North India promises to make this experience highly enriching for him.
Published here earlier.
Image source: pixabay
Prerna Wahi worked in the corporate world for 7 years. In the past few years, she has been a stay-at-home mom. She has been enjoying the new role ever since and likes to read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address