Green Fork
The toddler sulked and the pancake lay uneaten. I had looked everywhere for the green fork. In the kitchen cabinet, the laundry basket, the garage, the coat closet, and socks drawer. It was nowhere.
Parenting
First!
Lately, my 5-year-old has been a bit obsessed with ‘coming first’. He has to be the first one to brush his teeth, finish breakfast, press down on the sprinkler heads in the lawn, climb into his car seat and so on.
A Special Day
Years ago when I was a child, maybe 7 years old or so, we went to a nearby park with my parents and sisters. We played in the grass, sat on the see-saw, held on tight to the merry-go-round as it furiously went round and round. After an evening of play, we nibbled on cold, sweet golas (shaved ice). It was a wonderful day – something I will always treasure. Without knowing, my parents had created a special memory for me. A refreshing spring that I could go to on any day; wet my… Read More »A Special Day
What’s in a Toy?
We were running some errands one weekend when I walked into a Toy store for an urgent purchase with my 4-year-old. I knew it was a mistake – going there with him – as soon as we walked in. As he reveled in his Toy heaven, I thought of “What’s in a Toy? What is it that holds the rapture for a child?”
Coming back home
I love talking to my 4-year-old. He seems to have such great questions. “What is a country? Can a diesel train go faster than a race car? Can a zebra run faster than a horse? Can you tell me about the dinosaurs and the big rock? What is ‘relative to’?” And then there are the observations. Deep, wise ones. Or just obvious, pertinent ones. Sometimes a pesky “Mamma, I need to tell you something” is a precursor to a surprisingly lucid and succinct statement. There is a wisdom that comes from simplicity and innocence. It… Read More »Coming back home
A Thanksgiving Thought
For Thanksgiving, we are planning to take a train ride on Amtrak. The kids are excited. Preparations had to be made, the shopping list was long. Chores done, I drove back from the freeway to the busy main road towards home. Suddenly a strange sense of dwelling took over me. I looked from my Minivan at the many traffic light embedded road. There were auto showrooms on either side every few blocks. Small businesses seemed busy that afternoon. The beauty salon had customers who sat and sipped on water. The Thai restaurant door swung open… Read More »A Thanksgiving Thought
The treasure in my bag
This morning as I was walking back from dropping my kids to daycare/school, I clutched at my bag. I could feel my wallet inside – it carried a few spare notes and some cards that were easily replaceable. But the treasure was not in the wallet. It was in a little ziploc next to it. Neatly packed in it were six little pebbles, a lavender flower, a small twig, a round sweetgum fruit and some dried wild berries. Every morning I now walk my kids to school and this ziploc is the repository of… Read More »The treasure in my bag
Naming rights – KQED
Perspectives Naming Rights Sandhya Acharya Feb 10, 2016 06:43 AM By Sandhya AcharyaFEBRUARY 10, 2016 SHARE It was evaluation day at preschool. I shifted uncomfortably in the little toddler seat feeling like Goliath at Lilliput’s table. My 3.5-year old’s sincere teacher spread out a sheaf of papers of work and grades. “This is your son writing his name,” she announced. She showed me incoherent scribbling. Interesting shapes, but no semblance of an alphabet. I grimaced at the 9-lettered challenge facing my son. S I D D H A R T H. It is a beautiful name… Read More »Naming rights – KQED