Are you future ready for your children?

Gone are the days when parents decided for their kids and their career.. With so much exposure available today.. kids are well aware of the innumerable career options they can choose from... As a kid all I knew was doctor, engineer or a teacher...

There is a wide range of ambitions available and kids are smart enough to choose what they want to become when they grow up..

To be honest I wasn't sure even until my graduation .. Today, we get an instant answer even from a toddler as we ask what they want to become when they grow up.

With times and varied options, another thing that has immensely changed is the cost of living and education. Years back we hardly had as many choices as we have today and in a way it was easy to choose from fewer options or just go by what parents chose for us. Dreaming big wasn't a choice for everyone as it involved big money.

Whereas, the scenario is different today.. Schools don't restrict themselves only to studies but provide an overall exposure to kids from different activities & hobbies apart from sports. Even parents leave no stone unturned when it comes to providing the best to their kids and fulfill their desires..

With so much focus on kids today... It becomes a necessity for every parent to do the homework in advance and plan the future well in time to be able to fulfill their children's aspirations.

My priority has always been my child and will always be...  Today I am investing in his childhood by being emotionally available to him and hoping to raise an independent and responsible adult as he grows up but is that enough for his future ?

Today I am preparing him to dream big and giving him wings to fly ... However, the bigger question is "Am I prepared to help him achieve his dream" or Am I gonna disappoint my child with my lack of preparation ??

Well, this was the question Axis Mutual Fund kept in front of all the parents .. during an exercise they conducted as a part of their brilliant campaign to generate awareness among parents on the need to plan for their children's future.

They initiated a research experiment to understand parents perspective of their child's future and how they plan to fulfill their aspirations. 

The experiment #DoYourHomework that was set out to check if the parents are on the same page with kids about their future aspirations brought about some interesting findings about today's generation..

I was glad to be invited for the campaign #DoYourHomework along with other parents and bloggers..

As I entered along with my 6yrs old... We were thrilled to see the arrangements that were made to surprise the parent child duo with some fun activity along the way..

 

As the event started, parents and children were made to stand opposite each other and handedover a big kit of colours ranging from sketch pens, water colours to crayons and the canvas was ready for us to sketch ...

 Children were asked to draw a picture of what would they like to become when they grow up.. While parents were asked to paint what they would like their children to  become in future.

Thats how we got started...

Well I thought, I knew my child inside out and what he desires to be as an adult.. but to my surprise it turned out to be a complete contrast. The experiment left me startled to see he has a different choice from what I thought about his future goal.

The results are here for you all to see for yourself....

I wanted him to become a cricketer where as he was so focused and drew an army soldier with the tank fighting for his country.

Well, it did come as a big surprise but made me proud too .. and I instantly decided it's not just a fun activity but an eye opener for me as well for many other parents who need to think beyond the conventional goals and be prepared for it.

Check out this  #DoYourHomeWork experiment that brought about intersting stories and ideas for parents to rethink about their children's goals.

With the kind of lifestyle... It's not easy to have enough savings for funding the professional courses. With the rising prices apart from the daily expenses... One tends to spend the savings too...

With so many plans and schemes available in the market, it's more than a confusion for the parents to choose the right plan and invest correctly.

In order to solve this dilemma of parents Axis Mutual Funds did a complete study involving 1000 parents from 10 different cities with kids in the age group of 4 to 12 years to understand how parents plan to be future ready to fulfill their child s dreams..

Here are the key findings -

# 83% felt education related expenses are the biggest apprehensions amongst parents.

# 75% parents mentioned they will support child's dream of career choice but would prefer them to pursue conventional career choices.

# 38% parents plan to sent their children abroad for higher education.

# More than 3/4th parents did not have an exact view of what would it cost few years down the line, looking at the significant rise in education cost every year.

# More than 50% parents agree that investment for child's education should start before primary schooling.

Looking at the facts above , it's very clear that savings alone are not enough to fulfill the career goals of children today and there is a need for parents to be calculatedly aggressive when it comes to Investment for the child's future.

Hence, An Investor education initiative from Axis Mutual Fund that inspires parents to start early in order to ensure the investment has good returns by the time child reaches the age of 18 and is ready to take up his/ her goal.

Here are the key elements of the Campaign-

1. The campaign has created  #DoYourHomework platform for parents reference to help them with the what, the how and the why along with an online test for every parent and child.

2. Chasing dreams - short story books for your children to know of different professions in order to relate their interests and find their future in them.

3. Colouring books " Spill the magic of colours in your world " for children to colour their dreams while they explore different career choices.

4. To add to the fun ,you get to #DoYourHomework at crossword bookstores across 7 cities and Kidzania, Mumbai as an initiative started during children's day till the end of this month.While kids get to explore their career options, parents get to do the planning and calculations for their dream goals.

It was a great event with lots of fun and insight straight from the panelists from Axis Mutual Fund who took us through a great presentation focusing on why parents need to plan for their kids future and convincingly answered all our queries related to An Investor Education Initiative 

Mr. Chandresh Kumar Nigam, MD & CEO Axis Mutual Fund said " it's a huge responsibility to create awareness about the fact that people need to 'Invest' and not just 'save' to address children's various goals".

 Follow in the steps to Do Your Homework -

1. visit www.homework.axismf.com or download the "Homework" mobile application to find out the future cost of education.

2. Plan systematically to make the most of your earnings and investments to ensure the first step towards helping your children fulfill their aspirations.

and be prepared both emotionally and financially to support your children's decisions.

Share a Hug - It expresses more than words can!

The word "friendship" has lost its charm today. There are very few who understands the meaning of real friendship in true sense. It's a bond that you share with someone who stays by you even when no one else does. 

In the world of technology, when every one is going digital.... Relations have lost its essence and the mutual understanding & commitment we had in relationships earlier has been effected immensely.

In a fast paced life, people have no time to nurture any relationship... Be it a family or a yaari/dosti. With the arrival of Phones, which once appeared to bring people closer are the biggest cause of rift and distance between people today. The comfort of being able to reach out to anyone at anytime is the sole reason people are drifting apart from each other eventually staying away from their loved ones in the hope to connect through phones.

Let's be honest and ask ourselves... When was the last time.. Did we Share a Hug with our friend/ friends?

Merely tying a friendship band cannot uplift your yaari/dosti but sharing a hug definitely can. It's important to celebrate responsibly the bond that you share not just the day.

Earlier where people looked forward to visiting their families and meeting up with friends, Today it's least expected and the bonding is done over a chat or a phone call. The need of physical presence is not felt among relations anymore. Which indeed is a big reason behind the growing distances among family and friends.

In today's times, one might have a huge contact list but to call someone a friend takes more than just exchanging phone numbers.We tend to call every acquaintance a friend, which indeed is not true.

The real definition of friendship has changed over the period of time, however it will never lose its importance and it's worth.

"One loyal friend is worth a thousand relatives"is a well written quote by Euripides. It's not surprising to see some friendships last forever and prove to be stronger than the blood relations too. Friend is a family that we get to choose. Friend is the one who brings out the best in us. They are the ones who stay along and show their support and trust us even when the rest of the world walks away. They can be the pillars of strength and stand by us in the hours of need.

It's the most transparent relationships of all.. Where you can openly express your heart, show your weaknesses without being judged. True friends might not be there to celebrate your happiness but will definitely be there in your moments of grief. 

Well, it's a blessing to have a friend and a friendship that lasts forever. As we move on in life we make friends at different stages and lose connect with them as we move on.. But there are some who remain close to our hearts inspite of not being in touch always. In our hearts we know who our true friends are and these are the once we can count on no matter what.

Most people focus on having friends but it's equally important To Be A FRIEND. Expectations at times can ruin a relationship, However like any other relationship .. Friendship takes its due time to grow fonder and stronger. It goes through the testing times and the ones which survive the testing waters ... Stays forever.

Friends are the ones we take granted for easily, but not to forget these are the people in our lives we must respect, cherish and stand for in the times when they need us. Just to have someone on your side can be a great support and encouragement when everyone else's gives up on you.

I feel it's a blessing to have someone we can call a friend. And if you are the lucky one to have someone stand by you.... It becomes our moral duty to take out time from our busy lives and celebrate responsibly to let them know for who they are.

Share a Hug with your friends and let them know, you are there for them and will always be ... A bare hug can do what no technology ever can.

So let's celebrate responsibly and set an example of real yaari/dosti for others to rejoice the most affordable relationship in the world.

Image credit : "Liveinstyle.com"

Disclaimer: This blog is meant for audience above the age of 25 years.

Grand Finale "i-genius Young Singing Stars Season II"

Music is one thing that we introduce to our kids even before they are born. Be it in the form of

prayers, lullabuies, nursery rhymes or just a plain music it works wonders in soothing and calming our minds and soul. Inspite of its divine powers music is not something everyone can pursue. There are some who are born with this talent and others who can learn this art of music with great discipline and training. In a country like ours where song and music is inherent in our blood and culture .. It's not difficult to stay away from its influence and charm.

Talent has no boundaries and our kids are the powerhouse of talent ... This is what I discovered at an event I attended recently where I got a chance to meet the next generation of superstars at i-genius Young Singing Star Season II - An initiative by Max Life Insurance, one of the leading life insurers in India and leading music label Universal Music India to boost the young singing talent in the country and recognise the voice that deserves to be the voice of our future Music Industry.

We have seen many such shows on TV, but when we talk of a live stage performance, it's a different ball game altogether. There is no second chance or an edit button to undo if something goes wrong. It takes courage, talent and months of rigourous training before one can come and perform in front of a huge audience and be its best in that moment of judgement.

i- genius gave a huge platform to kids of different age groups to showcase their talent and get trained directly by the masters of the music industry that promises a life changing opportunity thereafter.

After a great success of i-genius Young Singing Stars in 2014,  Max Life Insurance along with the leading music Label Universal Music India, launched 'i-genius Young Singing Stars Season II'.

The Grand finale took place on December 10, 2015 at Vivanta by Taj presidency, The luxury 5 star hotel in Mumbai. The top 10 finalists chosen from over one lakh entries recieved all across the country performed live in front of the honourable judges, prestigious audience and media.

The brand embassador, Jury and the famous music composer of Indian film Industry Salim Merchant along with the YouTube sensation Shraddha Sharma put their hearts and souls in training and mentoring these Top 10 finalists for the Garnd Finale.


Among the audience and the presenters were the big names like Mr. Rajesh Sud, CEO and Managing Director, Max Life Insurance who said, It's a privilege for us to be able to nurture the future talent of the country by giving them a platform to showcase their talent.

Mr. Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director- Universal Music Group and EMI South Asia who was completely enthralled by the young talent said, "The amazing response to the Max Life i-genius Young Singing Stars Season 2 has surpassed the quality of talent from season 1 by miles and I am very proud of the way this program is shaping up." He said, " I can't wait to start working in the studio with these stars of new generation."

The i- genius programme was conducted into four phases, which included the online registration at www.igenius.org followed by a one minute audio submission on IVR number 92500 32222 and then the digital auditions that were held in different cities through video conferencing and finally the mentoring from the brand ambassadors to the selected kids, who performed in the grand finale.

Salim Merchant, Jury and the Brand Ambassador said, "Given the level of talent that I witnessed, in all honesty, I had a hard time choosing them from the initial pool itself."

The Grand finale began with the juniors entry, whose over the stage confidence, and talent left us mesmerised. The little wonders one after the other left the audience awestruck with their tremendous energy and singing ability.

Finalist from Junior Category 

These kids were no less than any professionals. It felt great to hear these future talents of our country talk about Lata Mangeshkarji and Arijit Singh and many great singers as their inspirations.

For me, everyone stood as a winner. It was unbelievable to see kids at such young age perform like winners and each one of them deserved a standing ovation. The amount of hard work, dedication and learning that must have gone into it was vey much visible and obvious through their performances.

Mithili Thakur - Winner Senior category

After the juniors power packed performance, Seniors completely rocked the stage and left the audience swinging and dancing to their songs. From classical, to romantic, to a fast paced and high pitched songs... It was a complete mix of traditional plus the today's kind of music. Listening to those pure souls and their enchanting voices literally gave me goose bumps.

The finalists were neck and neck in the competition, even the judges were having hard time choosing the winners. Finally after a lot of brainstorming they reached the final decision and announced the names.

The Winners Tannishtha Puri & Mithili Thakur

The two winners of "i-genius Young Singing Stars Season II"  Tannishtha Puri & Mithili Thakur from the junior and senior categories won an opportunity to record their own album, whereas 5 top winners from the Primary category will feature in a special music video, and the 4 finalists each from Junior & Senior Group win a contract to record a single.

The show ended with the thrilling performances by Sharddha Sharma who left the audience spell bound with her soft magical voice and guitar strings. Also Salim Merchant who is mix of glamour and inspiration for young talent captivated our senses with Bollywood hits like " Ishq wala love" ..and more..

An awesome event got over after the winners were handed over the trophies along with their parents on stage. The proud parents stood happy and smiling as their blessings, dedication and hard work paid off.

While everyone else was busy getting clicked with the stars of today 'Salim Merchant and Shraddha Sharma'  I took a great pride in getting few clicks with our superstars of tomorrow:)

"I am blogging to share my experience of the #YSS2 i-genius Young Singing Stars Season II in association with BlogAdda"

Double up Diwali fun - Let kids discover the cultural adventures of the festival

The most awaited festival of the year is finally over but it surely leaves us in high spirits. It's a blessing to be born in a country like India which offers us a rich culture and festivities to celebrate.

Festivals bring in love & harmony, strengthens the bond that we share with our friends and family, but most importantly it gives us a great opportunity to educate our children about Indian culture and instill values by sharing historic events and the significance behind these celebrations.

Diwali has always been my favourite festivals. Streets bustling with lights, colourful diyas, candles, rangoli, flowers, crackers and delicious sumptuous treats ..... It's a chaotic yet a delightful sight during Diwali. 

The festivity around lights up the mood and makes surroundings so jubilant and gleeful that no one can stay away from the charm of Diwali.. 

The most beautiful thing about Diwali festival is it brings every one together .. Families travel distances to be with each other and share the happiness and joy on this auspicious day..and that's one reason we look forward to uniting with our parents and celebrate the occasion together every year.. that makes it more special too:))

As a kid I have always rejoiced this Festival of Lights and today it doubles my excitement as a Parent to see my little one thrilled and amused at every detail and wanting to know more... It fills him with great joy to hear the religious and divine reasons behind the decorations and beautifying every corner of the house... He participates with equal eager and happiness in every task and feels the importance as he reveals small little details of Diwali ..

It was more than fun to watch him enjoy every little aspect of the festival and wanting to try his hands at every thing .... Well it definitely added on to my work but didn't want to interfere in his excitement.

Until last year... Things were different.. He would run away even at the sight of firework ..and hardly knew when Diwali arrived and got over...

Where as this year... It was a different experience to see him thrilled about the festival due in advance.. and to my surprise .. It wasn't about the crackers that most kids of his age would be..

Instead he refused to buy crackers as it causes pollution and its harmful. Another thing that 
bothers him about crackers is ...it scares and disturbs his pet dog he has at granny's house.

He also suggested not to buy those electric lights rather buy clay diyas because if we don't buy them... the poor will not be able to celebrate Diwali.

Well, I wasn't convinced with the idea of no crackers .. cause that's what I enjoyed the most as a kid but felt proud to hear him talk like a sensible and a responsible adult. Kids do teach us a lesson or two at times .. 

Usually, where I would avoid taking him to the crowded places during this time, this year I preferred him come along and witness the beautiful streets decked-up during Diwali ..

Here's taking you through the streets of Mumbai ...which was all lit up with sparkling and colourful lights and was a sight not to be missed...

We happily walked through and he looked fascinated at the sight of glowing streets and corners full of household artifacts and fancy looking decorative pieces.

Rangoli decoration is an important aspect of Diwali ... as every house looks forward to welcome Goddess Lakshmi with beautifully made bright rangoli's at the entrance and enhance the main door with flowers, torans and lights...

He watched through as the women crafted a beautiful rangoli spreading colours through those pre designed nets... He went wow! as she lifted the net to reveal the full design and expressed his desire
to make one when we reach back home.

No! he didn't forget by the time we reached home ..and designed this piece of artwork right here for you all to see lol!!

                       As we moved ahead ... The glittering and flashy lamps caught our attention ..

The beautiful diyas, hanging-lamps and gorgeous Lanterns were seen all across the streets in various colours, shapes and sizes..illuminating the shops and surroundings..

My son very enthusiastically pointed the one in shiny golden colour as we decided to go by his choice..

Exchanging gifts is another important aspect of Diwali.. and when i shared this aspect with him ...he had a list of all his buddies ready :)) Earlier where the gifts were only restricted to sweets and dry fruit packs has now been replaced with cookies, chocolates, candles, glassware, and so much more..

and trust me with so many choices and attractive looking stuff out there ...you just wanna pick everything home .. Just that it's too heavy on the pockets.. 

Every corner looked beautiful and lively...  with people dressed in new clothes adding to the beauty of streets as they step out either for shopping, fun or just an outing to have a view of the glimmering lights all around...

And finally the day arrived, when everyone is busy decorating their houses, cooking Indian traditional delicacies, preparing for evening Lakshmi puja...

As we finished puja .. He very happily guided me and helped me place diyas all across the house and rushed to bring the two, he had painted during his class and made sure I light them too...

Now, it was time to step out and have some fun with fireworks..

As I went by his advise and hardly bought any Diwali crackers (just a few fuljhadi, anar and Chakri)...  But it was fun to watch others do the fireworks and lit up the skies with crackling sounds and flashing lights.

Some people left candles in the sky that simply looked awesome as it gradually went up and disappeared in the skies ... 

Beautifully dressed men, women and kids in traditional clothes and jewelries added to the shine and glamour of Diwali.

Not to forget when the stage is set it's time for the lovely selfies and pics with the family and friends... This is one thing that stays with all of us until next Diwali and makes for the beautiful Memories for the lifetime..

                                                         HAPPY DIWALI 

Take a pledge #HelpAChildReach5

Three years ago, Kajol took a pledge to impact millions of lives along with Hindustan Unilever health soap Lifebuoy through this campaign  #Helpachildreach5

Kajol said "people asked us why don't we address big issues like floods, earthquake, Sunami, AIDS rather than taking up a petty issue like hand washing"

Well, here are some startling facts that will change the way we look at handwashing. Lifebuoy is here to bring the difference by promoting healthy hygiene habits...

More than 6 million children die every year even before they reach the age of 5 due to Preventable infections like diahrrea and pneumonia.

40% of deaths amongst children under the age of five occur in the first 28 days of life - the
neonatal period when children are most vulnerable.

Handwashing with soap can prevent diseases like Diahhrea, Acute respiratory infections (ARI) and pneumonia by 45% and help reduce the child mortality rate.

Well the facts are truly astonishing and give us a whole new perspective of hand washing....

Dr. Balsekar very well put it  :  "When millions die its a statistic, when one dies it's a tragedy" at the press conference held on 29th Oct 2015 to promote the initiative started years back by Lifebouy.

Its amazing to hear that the campaign that started from a small village of MadhyaPradesh known as Thesgaon, where a man named Gondappa walks miles away to a temple on his hands to thank God on his sons 5th birthday .. has made remarkable difference in improving child health and save life.


The video received millions of views within no time due to its strong message and emotional quotient
...

This campaign has already touched the lives of 200 millions across the world and their next mission is to reach out to billions of people by 2020..

Help a child reach 5 unveils the year 2015 as the Neonatal and its programme focuses on the Neonatal care that is the first 28days of the new born child.. which is considered to be the most crucial period of a new born's life.

Under this programme .. Lifebuoy health soap has initiated a more rigorous practice of handwashing and basic hygiene in order to generate awareness among the people and promises to bring a human behavioural change with respect to handwashing and cleanliness in the interiors of Bihar.


Not just that .. #Helpachildreach5 has also launched a film on Neonatal and great handwashing initiative to change the face of rural India. The short film with a lifesaving message is produced in order to generate awareness among pregnant women and mothers to help save their child by inculcating basic habits of handwashing with soap to save life of their unborn and newly born babies.

It was a pleasure to be invited to the preview of  a beautiful film Chamki that indeed touched my heart and soul when a future child thanks her mother for raising her and protecting her from all the dangers and infections that would have taken her life even before she would have turned five.

CHAMKI is a  film for every parent and especially mothers and pregnant women who are completely
involved in the nurturing of  the child during the initial days of childbirth.


Here's the link for you all to take a look at "CHAMKI "that is already doing rounds in the MAMI film festival in Mumbai and stealing hearts..

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnP_6kdtDY

The event was attended by the beautiful Kajol who is also the handwashing ambassador for HACR5 and Samir Singh, Executive Director, Unilever, the renowned pediatrician Dr. Mahesh  balsekar, Anagha Khot, Manager Children's investment Funds Foundation, Anupama Chopra the famous film critic.... And not to forget the most adorable Chamki herself added to the excitement and made the event more memorable.

The dignitaries at the event presented some shocking facts to the audience of 100 pregnant women, mothers and brought back our memories of childhood when we were repeatedly told by our mothers  to wash hands before we eat .

Dr. Balsekar said " There are worlds within worlds" In one world we are able to fight with the biggest of deseases and abnormalities to save lives and the other world is where the kids fail to survive even for 28 days due to the unawareness and lack of basic hygiene."


Kajol said " Its no rocket science, we are talking of handwashing with the soap that has nothing to do with education, illiteracy or poverty. We all know how to do it and we can adapt this habit and save lives."

Anupama Chopra the most respected and trusted film critic shared her views on the film and said its more than just a film, it's a mission and we must help it reach wider audience..

Handwashing as it sounds and appears to be the most negligent and smallest thing is surprisingly the single most Cost effective way to prevent many deadly deseases and ensure healthy living.

Lifebuoy has made handwashing a global mission... Let's do our bit and help save a life ..

1. Generate awareness about handwashing and share this programme with as many as possible so that it reaches out to every single household that can celebrate life.

2. Come join this cause, Take a pledge and spread the word ...

3. Share the link below Gift someone a life ... and help them reach 5

Website Link: http://www.lifebuoy.com/socialmission/help-childreach5

        " LIFEBUOY HAI JAHAN TANDARUSTI HAI WAHAN" - Stay Clean Stay Healthy