Parenting is never an easy job. Its a roller coaster ride! There are good days and bad days. Every parent has to face challenges which may be similar to or different from other parents.
For us, some of the key challenges related to our elder daughter were her
I am suffering from wheezing since when I was just 2 years old. It has only worsened over the time. After seeing many sleepless nights, I started using the inhaler at the age of 16, initially only when the breathing problem was unbearable. Now at 34, I use it daily. I was shattered when my daughter was given the inhaler at the age of 4.
As parents, we always wish to see our kids healthy and happy. I never thought, my next generation would get such a gift from me through genes. How can I see her an inhaler addict just like me? So we thought of joining her for yoga, but we were told, the right age to start yoga is 8 years. When she came to grade 1, her school had yoga as a part of curriculum.
With a lot of enthusiasm, she started learning it. Yogic breathing involves abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing. It is used to maximise inhalation and exhalation. Its purpose is to gain control of the breath, correct the poor breathing habits and increase the oxygen intake. All these ensure results which are beneficial for lungs and keep them healthy.
It's been 1 and half years since she started doing yoga, and from regular inhaler usage, it reduced to occasional usage and now she has almost stopped using it. She has not yet learnt "Pranayama". Once she learns, it further improves her breathing system. She still gets seasonal cold, cough and congestion and I use the Indian Borage as a home remedy for it. Please checkout my previous article Indian Borage and Its Health Benefits for more information. We are hopeful that if she continues practising yoga, her immunity increases and in future she leads a better and healthy life.
I was about to consult the doctor for the same, when two of our neighbors decided to teach all the kids of our road, Sanskrit shlokas, Devotional songs and the Bhagavad-Gita. All the parents readily agreed, even the kids liked learning something new along with their friends. I cannot thank enough the two ladies who selflessly took this initiative to imbibe our Indian culture and values in the kids. We never knew, this would impact our daughter's behavior positively.
The kids were taught to do meditation, chanting the 'OM' mantra before starting the shlokas and songs. Initially, she was doing meditation only in the class which was twice a week. Gradually, she liked it so much that she started doing it regularly. Many parents would like to be able to calm down their kids, teach them how to manage themselves and see them grow into happy, healthy and fulfilled individuals. While there are many challenges in this process, meditation can definitely be a powerful tool to make this happen. It is a known fact that meditation reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, and increases peace, perception, self-concept, and well-being.
Chanting the OM mantra purifies the environment around you and creates positive vibrations. It is believed that OM not only benefits the person chanting it but also to the people who are around these positive vibrations. It is scientifically proved that chanting OM can improve your concentration and helps you focus. Also, it can put you in a state where you can experience deep relaxation. This powerful OM mantra can help to bring peace and calm to the body, mind and soul.
It's been six months since she started doing meditation and we are already noticing the results. She has become much calmer. We are not experiencing her temper tantrums. Reciting the shlokas and singing the devotional songs has also helped her. Of course, her crying sessions are seen sometimes, but it has reduced to a large extent. We can see a positive change in her attitude. I feel she has become more sensible and understanding now.
This was one of the biggest mistake I did and later I had to regret as she became addicted to it. Eating time became her TV /Smartphone /Laptop time. She would watch it ever after having food. Her screentime kept increasing. Many times, she would cry saying she is hungry and we would later realize, it was only to watch the rhymes/cartoons.
Finally one day even this addiction came to an end because of the Bhagavad-Gita and I still can't believe it actually happened.
She started learning Bhagavad-Gita along with the devotional songs and shlokas. She liked it very much and started practising it whenever she felt like. I had told her many stories of Mahabharata before she had joined the classes. She was amused to learn something related to that. Krishna being her favorite God, learning Bhagavad-Gita made her feel more connected to it.
The Bhagavad Gita is considered to be a doctrine of universal truth, it has long been influencing people not only of India but also overseas. The teachings in the Gita are considered to be ultimate. It encompasses each and every aspect of life. One surely can lead a peaceful life if it is actually followed. The kids in the class are taught the shlokas of the Bhagavad-Gita, explained meaning and related moral stories are also narrated. They are told about the difference between good and bad. She herself tries to connect it with many real-life incidents and sometimes we do it for her. The best thing is, one day she came to me and said, "Amma, I will not watch TV or use the phone from today! It's not good for kids". She herself has stopped it completely. Now while having food, she doesn't spill much, doesn't waste and tell the stories of what happened in the entire day instead of sticking to the gadgets. It is nothing less than a miracle. Earlier, while traveling also she needed the phone. Now she sits and enjoys the view outside, or plays games with me or recalls the songs she has learnt. Even we have stopped watching TV when she is at home and avoid using the phone as much as possible when she is around.
Final Thoughts
Yoga is a gift to humanity, and should be started early in life, so the practitioner can reap the lifelong benefits of this ancient practice.
Meditation helps train the young brains to focus on one thought, sound, or breath at a time, teaching them how to stay in the moment, keeping them calm and relaxed.
The Bhagavad Gita has something to offer to every generation, every age group and every mindset. Children between the ages of 6–12 years, with their fresh mindset, have the ability to absorb much more than even adults. In fact research has also discovered that exposing infants and toddlers to the chants of Gita, help their mental, physical and spiritual growth.
For us, some of the key challenges related to our elder daughter were her
- Health Problems
- Tears and Tantrums
- Smartphone and TV addiction
- Yoga
I am suffering from wheezing since when I was just 2 years old. It has only worsened over the time. After seeing many sleepless nights, I started using the inhaler at the age of 16, initially only when the breathing problem was unbearable. Now at 34, I use it daily. I was shattered when my daughter was given the inhaler at the age of 4.
As parents, we always wish to see our kids healthy and happy. I never thought, my next generation would get such a gift from me through genes. How can I see her an inhaler addict just like me? So we thought of joining her for yoga, but we were told, the right age to start yoga is 8 years. When she came to grade 1, her school had yoga as a part of curriculum.
With a lot of enthusiasm, she started learning it. Yogic breathing involves abdominal, thoracic and clavicular breathing. It is used to maximise inhalation and exhalation. Its purpose is to gain control of the breath, correct the poor breathing habits and increase the oxygen intake. All these ensure results which are beneficial for lungs and keep them healthy.
- Meditation
I was about to consult the doctor for the same, when two of our neighbors decided to teach all the kids of our road, Sanskrit shlokas, Devotional songs and the Bhagavad-Gita. All the parents readily agreed, even the kids liked learning something new along with their friends. I cannot thank enough the two ladies who selflessly took this initiative to imbibe our Indian culture and values in the kids. We never knew, this would impact our daughter's behavior positively.
The kids were taught to do meditation, chanting the 'OM' mantra before starting the shlokas and songs. Initially, she was doing meditation only in the class which was twice a week. Gradually, she liked it so much that she started doing it regularly. Many parents would like to be able to calm down their kids, teach them how to manage themselves and see them grow into happy, healthy and fulfilled individuals. While there are many challenges in this process, meditation can definitely be a powerful tool to make this happen. It is a known fact that meditation reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, and increases peace, perception, self-concept, and well-being.
It's been six months since she started doing meditation and we are already noticing the results. She has become much calmer. We are not experiencing her temper tantrums. Reciting the shlokas and singing the devotional songs has also helped her. Of course, her crying sessions are seen sometimes, but it has reduced to a large extent. We can see a positive change in her attitude. I feel she has become more sensible and understanding now.
- Bhagavad-Gita
This was one of the biggest mistake I did and later I had to regret as she became addicted to it. Eating time became her TV /Smartphone /Laptop time. She would watch it ever after having food. Her screentime kept increasing. Many times, she would cry saying she is hungry and we would later realize, it was only to watch the rhymes/cartoons.
Finally one day even this addiction came to an end because of the Bhagavad-Gita and I still can't believe it actually happened.
She started learning Bhagavad-Gita along with the devotional songs and shlokas. She liked it very much and started practising it whenever she felt like. I had told her many stories of Mahabharata before she had joined the classes. She was amused to learn something related to that. Krishna being her favorite God, learning Bhagavad-Gita made her feel more connected to it.
Final Thoughts
Yoga is a gift to humanity, and should be started early in life, so the practitioner can reap the lifelong benefits of this ancient practice.
Meditation helps train the young brains to focus on one thought, sound, or breath at a time, teaching them how to stay in the moment, keeping them calm and relaxed.
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