Pampers - 'It Takes 2' focuses on Inclusive Parenting

Pampers has been caring for the world's babies for more than half a century and in turn has grown to become one of the biggest brands of P&G's. Pampers take great care in developing products that benefit babies all over the world. Their commitment and dedication towards bringing up happy and healthier baby has inspired them to launch its latest campaign "IT TAKES 2" highlighting the importance of inclusive parenting and the role it plays in a baby's holistic development.

The whole idea behind this campaign "IT TAKES 2" again lies in the interest of babies at the core. The thought that 'involvement of both the mother and the father in baby chores is essential for the cognitive, social as well as emotional development of the baby' is primarily the purpose of the campaign.

The survey held with 432 parents during the campaign "It Takes 2" brought out some startling facts on parental behaviour.

97% moms believe that IT TAKES 2 to raise a happy, healthy child.

97% doctors believe involvement of both the parents is a must for baby's development.

90% moms want their husbands to be more involved in Baby Care.

88% moms agree that their husbands hesitate to change diapers.

The most shocking facts of all that says "88% dads believe that baby chores primarily need only the moms involvement" needed an instant action to break away the social stigma attached with men taking up baby care duties.

In order to bring in the change in our society and break the stereotype, Pampers held a bloggers meet along with the panel of experts that lead to an insightful discussion on the significance of inclusive Parenting, scientific facts and their personal experiences of baby care.

Miss Banu Ismail, Psychologist, Child Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst emphasised 'the role of a father helps to separate the symbiotically bonded mother infant pair and provide emotional support to the mother who can in turn emotionally support the baby'. She also said there are evidences that suggests that fathers are biologically no less sensitive to infant signals than mothers.

Research suggests that on an average "the presence of an active, nurturing father is likely to be beneficial to many aspects of a child's development".

Dr. Avinash De Sousa, Consultant Psychiatrist and psychotherapist said, "Both parents play a vital role in the growth and development of a child. It is their 'presence' which is far more important than their 'presents'. The touch and warmth of both the parents develops a strong bond between parents and toddler in early years of growing up and stays forever".

He also emphasised, In this era of globalisation and digital lifestyle, TIME is an important investment that parents need to make for an over all development of a child.

Pampers also demonstrated its Pampers Premium Care Pants
that are so soft & dry that your baby will hardly notice them. These pants come with an all around soft waist band and great dryness feature that absorbs wetness and leaves the pants dry for 12 hours. Infused with baby lotion it protects the baby skin from irritation, redness & nappy rashes and has a unique feature called wetness indicator that turns yellow to blue indicating parents that it's time to change.

These unique pair of Premium Care Pants makes it easy to change the baby's diaper even for fathers who hesitate to do so. Also 86% moms feel changing a diaper can help fathers bond with their babies in a great way.

The prime focus of the event was to change the perception among men and women in our society when it comes to parenting. It takes 2 to make a baby and therefore it takes 2 to raise a baby. It was a great interactive meet where mommy bloggers came up with different perspectives and shared their personal experiences and how their husbands involvement made life so much easier and took the pressure off them.

We have come a long way when it comes to fathers involvement in parenting. More and more fathers are coming forward and willing to share the baby chores. Though it comes naturally to mothers, fathers need to go an extra mile to learn to do few things that they hesitate to do out of fear for the baby.

Moreover it's the Indian society that needs to change the way we bring up babies. Many a times it's looked down upon men who want to help their wives in baby chores. The social stigma that our society carries about men doing the dirty job of cleaning up the mess and being engaged in child care duties need a new perspective.

The mindset has to change and the owners lies on all the moms who are raising boys to ensure they are taught to do anything and everything that a girl child can do. When it comes to taking responsibility they shouldn't step back rather take it up with pride.

I am sure this great campaign rather a movement #ItTakes2 by Pampers in association with mycity4kids will bring a very positive change in our society and the way men look at parenting.

So, here I suggest " A Happy, Healthy Baby Needs Both Ma &Pa"

*The article is previously published at mycity4kids 

Review of "The Crazy Scientist Box" from PodSquad

Summer vacations are the time to break free from the monotonous everyday routine and indulge in some fun and adventure. Holidays are totally fun for kids as they get a big break not only from schools but because they look forward to so much more they get to do while at home or away from home. Though vacations are usually exciting for kids... It can be equally taxing for parents to manage kids along with the rest of the household chores and work.

 So what have you planned for your child this summer ....??

How about making the most of their holidays by letting them free to explore some crazy little activities designed for them to challenge their curious minds?

Here I would introduce you to the brand new fun activity product that's not been launched in the market yet and my review of the product "The crazy Scientist Box" from the brand "PodSquad".

PodSquad "The Crazy Scientist Box"

What is PodSquad?

It's a brainchild of Ms. Abha Shah, the founder of PodSquad. Behind PodSquad is a passionate team of educationists, children's writers, designers and teachers who have contributed through decades of experience behind them.

PodSquad is based on a -"Theory of Multiple Intelligence" proposed by Howard Gardner. The theory suggests every child is unique and is born with 9 intelligence's (also known as the 9 SMARTS) some more pronounced and some less. It's important for parents to identify the child's aptitude early on by exposing them to various opportunities to explore. PodSquad is designed keeping in mind the above aspect of a child development and their uniqueness.


PodSquad box is a fun filled learning activities delivered monthly to your doorstep to keep your highly enthusiastic and energetic child occupied while catering to all his needs of fun, play & learning and promises a peaceful time for parents too! Ah! a sigh of relief!

My first ever PodSquad box arrived yesterday. The look of the box is kept simple yet attractive with the picture of pods to introduce your child to all possible kinds of pods he/she can think of as a playing companion.

The box clearly mentions... all the important information one would seek about the product including a brief description of activities that comes with the box, the learning approach and the subscription details.

Sliding PodSquad box & 3 activity kits

I liked the packing of the box .. It's hassle-free and different from other packings that usually requires a pair of scissors and turns out to be a struggle for kids to tare open it. A box has a small flap attached that slide opens the box which can later be used as a drawer for kids to keep their stuff.

Highlights:

The sliding box makes it way simpler for kids to open and take a peek into the activity box and that's
a big plus as my son smilingly opened the box and needed no assistance which he usually does.

Each activity is further divided and packed separately in reusable string-bags to ensure there is no mix of activities happen even while you leave it all by your kid. 

Each activity bag comes with well explained instruction's chart that's simple to understand for any kid within the given age group.

All the material required is provided along with the measure that's needed for the activity and labeled for easy understanding and use.

The step-wise procedure makes it easy to comprehend and follow avoiding any confusions at all.

The explanation through images along with the instructions helps the child relate better while he is on the go.

The activities ensure child works on his own without making it difficult at any stage for them to understand.

Lastly, PodSquad box contains a list of activities and the skills utilized by your child while performing, this gives a great insight for parents to understand their child's ability.

PodSquad's "The Crazy Scientist" comes with a pack of three different activities that keeps the child engaged for hours and hours promising loads of fun.

Activity 1 : Complete Slime Kit

This activity was super fun for my child as he had never done something like this ever before. It got real interesting when he kept following the instructions without anticipating how it's gonna turn out. His enthusiasm was pretty much visible when he held his own slimy in his hands. His very own slimy kept him occupied for quite long and he proudly called it his first invention. 

Activity 2 : Science Charade Card Game

The activity comes with a pack of 30 cards with some interesting facts on one side designed to work on the child's vocabulary and to enhance the art of enacting the words. 

Its a pretty interesting mix of game and education that can be enjoyed either with other kids or can just be played single handedly too.

The most eye catching object in the kit was the sand timer that took my sons attention and he immediately figured out that all activities needed to be completed within a time frame. I liked the way his eyes were on the sand timer while doing his activities but the sand slid little too fast... hahha!

While we indulged in this science of charades game ... He didn't forget to point out..Time is running out mom with his sand timer in hand. 

Activity 3: Magnet Maze Puzzles

Geeky Pod's Magnet Maze : A game of navigating magnets through mazes to experience magnetism first- hand. The activity kit contains 4 board maze games with magnets. 

My son literally looked stunned at the magnetism experience he had with the magnet maze, playing maze with the magnet was a different experience altogether. The magnets kept him busy for quite long and I saw him experimenting different ways of pulling and moving the magnets by each other's magnetism.

Above all there is a free Geeky pod collectible and a pod story book comes along with the kit. 

 I honestly felt the activity kit kept my son busy for good 2 hours especially when his first ever experiment turned into a slimy and he couldn't resist but shared with all his friends and boosted of his experiment. He very well organised his own schedule and rearranged his box to secure the rest of the activities for next two days.

In my review it's really been an exciting experience with Podsquad. I would recommend parents to subscribe to this wonder kit which promises to be lot of fun for the child along with a great learning experience. 

The learning through fun and play stimulates child brain to think smart and helps them retain for longer. 

Most importantly PodSquad comes with a certificate of achievement that can be given to your children after a successful completion of the activity and it definitely works as a big boost for the child's confidence and a reward for your deserving kid.

Here's rewarding my Geeky Pod for his efforts, learning and fun!

Product Details:

Brand Name : PodSquad
Product Name : The Crazy Scientist Box
Product type : Educational Toy
Age Group : 4 -7 yrs

Website : www.podsquad.in

Do visit their website to subscribe online and further product related queries.

A National Hero In the Making

Every child is born with a dream in their eyes.. It's for us to read their minds and watch their actions to help them realize their dreams... When I gave birth to a baby boy .. I knew my house is gonna be filled with cars, bikes, superheroes and so on..

When he was around two, we walked in to a toy store to buy someone a birthday gift.. That's when my little one pointed towards a gun and insisted that he wants one .. I was little apprehensive thinking should I or should I not ? am I introducing my toddler to killings and violence.. Many such thoughts ran through my mind.. But eventually I gave in to his demand but what kept my satisfaction was the fact that .. He didn't know its called a gun...

Next thing he asks me is to stop by on the road out of a sudden.. And to my surprise he wanted to say hi to the cops standing by the road side .. He called out loudly hi police and waved his hands.. Was lucky enough to get a respond as they smilingly waved him back... He was on the top of the world .. Jumping and laughing as if he has met his hero ... Anyways ..

This time it was a fancy dress in school when he was in group1, I gave him as many choices as I could but he was damn sure he wanted to become a police, which wasn't there on my list and insisted he wants the full police set. I was lucky enough to get one in his size after hopping from one shop to another. He was so thrilled to have one and just wanted to get back home as soon as he could .. Well I dressed him into it without any delay... He looked adorable and cute little police man ..

As I was ready to click some pictures, he said wait wait ran to the other room.. returned in a minute with his gun tucked in his pants... and his rescue operation was on the go.. Momma call me if you are in trouble .. Will put the bad guy in the locker and so on... It was a task getting him out of the dress until it started hurting him and finally agreed to take off just before bed time ...

Soon after I visited my parents and he happened to see my dads uniform..from the time he had served in Indian Army. Last time when we visited them he had seen Nanu's pictures in uniform but was too small to understand much.. But this time he was so fascinated by the look of his uniform, the cap, the boots that he wanted to wear it all.. Nanu happily entertained all his demands and questions ... and shared his stories how they fought with the enemies to save their land ... and encouraged his dreams by saying he can also become one .. if he eats well, stays fit and healthy..

That day and today.. Nothing has changed .. He lives his dreams through his games, by sharing his made up stories with his friends, through his toys he collected later of an army soldier, an army tank, chopper and much more.. He looks so consumed in his thoughts when he watches an army soldier either in a movie, a photo in a magazine, newspapers.. Merely a mention of the word Army catches his attention instantly and one can see the glitter in his eyes, how his energy levels go up and he is ready to step into their shoes.

Independence Day was just not a holiday for him... he was so thrilled to go for a flag hosting with his army cap on which he brought from his Nanu's house.. as he had to save his country from bad people who can attack us... His straight body posture with an excellent salute didn't go unnoticed .... As he stood throughtout in the respect of the national anthem... Just as a real officer would do.

Today I realise that we have a Military Man in the making, who left me startled when I handed over a gun to him.. Least I knew it's gonna act like a saviour for my baby's dreams.. He feels so strong and fearless with a gun in his hands and keeps the courage to defeat the bad and the evil. Today's kids know good from bad and will never choose a path until guided inappropriately. 

I am a proud daughter of an Army officer.. and I wish my little baby live his dream one day and make the whole country proud of his deeds. Here's a true early starter trying to turn his aspirations into a reality and come out as a National Hero to make his mum and the world proud one day.

Reviving the art of appreciation

Kids become not what we want them to but what we are to them. It won't be wrong to say that kids in most cases are just the mirror image of their parents. From the time they are born till the age of six, they have a great sense of observation and their ability to imitate helps them learn and adapt to the world.

Kids are best at learning new things because of their curious nature and ability to get accustomed. Inspite of being blessed with such miraculous inner strength and will..

Why do some kids lag behind when it comes to their confidence and self esteem ??

One thing that can cause hinderance in their learning can be a fear of failure and Parents lack of
patience and support.

We all need a boost irrespective of our age or task we are trying to achieve. To get the best in a child or an adult is to show confidence in whatever milestones they are trying to reach..and that needs lots
of boost of morale through the words of appreciation and encouraging behaviour.


                                         



Many a times we as parents fail to understand their way of doing things differently  ...we end up forgetting they are at this tender age that's far from perfection... Infact the beauty of this age is they never give up...and their curious minds help them learn from mistakes over and over again...

Appreciation is the key word in parenting. We must not forget to appreciate the efforts put by our
little ones....whatsoever may be the end result. The kids who are appreciated time and again and see a
positive response from their parents inspite of failures... end up becoming the most confident children
and keep the courage to try different challenges in life.

Few words of appreciation can do wonders not only for your kids but also helps build a bond  between a child and the parent.


After years of togetherness ... We even forget to appreciate our partners and their achievements or
may be little things about them ...which once brought them closer... Infact those little things that go unnoticed now are the biggest reasons of  distance and monotony between the partners.

I simply feel we all yearn for appreciation in any form ...be it work, looks, personality or just a thought... a word of appreciation or a simple complement can make you feel so much worth it. It makes you feel that your efforts have been noticed and the thought gives a boost to ones mood and

brings joy and pride.

We want to be appreciated in all spheres of life in different roles we play ....Be it at work, at home, as a mother, father or more....

What restricts us from appreciating not just others but ourselves too??

We become so consumed by our own fixed thoughts, ideas, reactions, behaviours that we stop bothering about others feelings, emotions and needs ...so does others. In order to like and appreciate others one must be sensitive to others needs n open-hearted...many people envy when it comes to seeing others in a better place than them..

Infact this unhealthy competitive spirit is neither going to be appreciated by others nor its gonna do any good to us.

We must learn and practice this art of appriciation in our daily lives ...be it with our kids, family
friends or even enemies...Hahahah (might turn them into friends)

I revived this long forgotten art when I became a mother..and felt the need of being appreciated for my own efforts... I gradually realised that appreciating my chid for the simplest of things he tried doing made a huge difference in his approach towards learning...and added to the fun.


Why is it so easy to appreciate a child but not an adult??

A child's innocence makes us spill our heart out and we can't keep ourselves from showing our love in abundance... as we get more in return, regardless of any ego and expectancy... However our expectations vary when it comes to an adult and we choose to ignore the fact that there is a room for appreciation.

Appreciation is an art that needs to be practiced with our friends, family and ourselves too as it doesn't come easy.. Our kids will pick this art by watching us do it everyday and will remain grateful life long for giving that extra sense of realisation and expression through gratitude.

The most beautiful thing about Appreciation is it works both ways ...We can.. not only bring a smile to others but to ourselves too ...as it feels equally gud to compliment others as it feels to be complimented.

So let's get addicted to this life changing tool and uplift someone's mood and make their day... People will treasure fond memories forever.Simple things like love,  kindness, grace and gratitude can go a long way in making this world a beautiful place to be ...

Spread positivity among young ones through praise and recognition.. It's the only way to bring out the best in kids. A positive enforcement of ideas along with little words of appreciation not only teaches them to value what they are today but also gives them an extra sense of confidence and trust that they can take over the world tommorow.

Are you raising a helpless or an independent child?

Times have changed and so are the ways of Parenting. Thanks to the fast paced life especially in metros...where youngsters look for all the reasons to escape from Marriage. Even when they are finally tied into this relationship with the pressures from friends and family ....they run away from the responsibility of becoming parents and avoid it as long as they can until they again fall prey to the pressures of family and society.

Due to the changing lifestyle, Most of the couples choose to become parents at a later stage and at times with difficulty too... That's one reason they become so protective and sensitive that they don't even realize when they start shielding their kids. They become so habitual of restricting their kids and impose their ways of doing things that they do more harm than good by not allowing child to function independently.



Parents unknowingly get into the way of anything and everything that leads to a child's growth...be it social skills, his creativity or his self confidence.

Is that what we call overprotective or hypersensitive parents ?
Well, we all love and care about our kids...and panic too when the situation calls for but there are many parents who want to protect their kids even when there is no harm around... What I am trying to say is for instance if a kid is playing in a ground ...they are repeatedly instructed not to play in the sand, not to get dirty, not to get hurt and so on.... Enforcing too many No's & Don't's lead to overprotection and hampers childs confidence to be able to do anything by himself. Such parents constantly shadow their kids and direct their behaviour so much so that they end up deciding their friends too.

Isn't falling n getting little bruises a part of growing up ?...

Where are the days when our parents let us free in the fields and brought us up rough & tough.



It's not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings. Ann Landers 
Over concerned parents diminish the child's growth mentally, which in turn effects their thinking and decision Making abilities.

Then what's the right way to do it ?

The best way to see your kids learn and grow is to let them free... More than anything else they want a go-ahead to try different challenges in day today life... Nothing is more thrilling for them to be able to do things they see others do with ease.. Our mere presence for them is the assurance as well a protection that they need from parents.

World is a scary place to be and how can we let these little kids be on their own?
The best way to deal with all your worries as a parent is to make your kid aware of the little realities of life...and educate them of what can help them in situations that are not so safe as home.



I made my four years old remember my mobile number by letting him dial through the landline and spoke to him for fun. But I had never imagined this fun would one day turn out to be the biggest learning for him ...

It was a sunday evening, I decided to take my son to a near by mall... While returning as we stepped out, he lost my sight watching other kids play and was in complete distress as he couldn't place me anywhere ...I also walked ahead thinking he is right behind me. Just after few steps I turned to hold his hands as I was nearing the main road ...I was taken aback when I didn't see him around... I ran back in a flash looking out for him, when I get a call on my phone... Usually I don't pick unknown numbers ... N especially in a rush I didn't want to but something clicked and I answered the call....to my surprise a man called saying are you ronnie's mother?...he is with me.

Totally baffled I rushed back in haste and spotted my son wailing out of anxiety ...I immediately held him n broke down in tears ... Though I quickly regained my composer to calm him down and took a sigh of relief.

This unanticipated episode not just left me perplexed but was also an awakening call for me. The thought what if he didn't know my number kept reminding me how I needed to make conscious effort of making my child independent. I couldn't have been more proud of my little baby's presence of mind and brave act.. He not only remembered my number but also had the courage to walk up to someone and ask for help in a situation of distress ...

This was the day when I realised kids are smarter than we think... Many times we make a mistake of treating them like kids and don't pay attention to their thoughts and ideas but not to forget they are young minds of 21st century who can give a run for money to many people with their sharp brains.




We must share all important information to make them aware of what can happen and how can they safe guard themselves.

We can't be with and around them 24/7 ..its always advisable to share with them what if something unexpected happens ... How can they deal with it or seek someone's help. Make them aware of the surroundings, the names of the places, your address, the route back home from near by places ect. Kids remeber what they are told, the general talks we share while travelling or at home can lead them to learn many facts of life.



Age is no bar for knowledge and learning. In fact kids learn faster than adults and moreover some of the greatest learnings have not been taught in school but were the mistakes made by few. The most important thing that we as parents can give our kids would be the freedom to think, act and speak.

This leads to kids being more responsible and confident in situations as they know they are not helpless...

Are parents pushing their kids for good ???

Life is a series of challenges filled with surprises.. And that's what makes life interesting. One of the biggest challenges could also be bringing up our children who are closest to our hearts and means the world to us... It can be an out of the world experience for many whereas many would have their world upside down with lack of patience n perseverance ....

Parenting is not a piece of cake, it's definitely a challenge that one has to accept once you are blessed with a child. Once a baby is born we long for the days when the challenge gets little lesser... Maybe once the baby turns 2 or another year or once they start schooling and so on....

And then comes the time when just schooling is not enough and we start engaging them into different  hobby classes, sports, activities and so on ...

How many of you think its in the best interest of the child? 

Are we trying to brighten their future by indulging them in these classes or are we pushing them to make space for ourselves??

I agree, many a times even parents don't have a choice but to keep the kid engaged in order to keep them away from
the other threats they might have in their absence.

However the question is how much is too much .....??

The school holidays turn out to be the craziest days to deal with ...when parents run out of ideas to keep the kids busy.

Thanks to these workshops during holidays....though many find it a waste of money .. A large number would crave for it to start.. ..To be honest all it takes is money but at  least it can take away the stress of dealing with the kid whole day long....that's too much to handle for many parents.

Well I am not trying to make parents feel guilty of the fact above .....but the truth is whether you agree or you don't ....you are taking away the best days of your kids life and of course yours too.           

I sometimes wonder, as kids grow they will have no choice but to join the rat race of handling responsibilities, proving their grades, finding jobs and so on...

This is the time when we have a choice to give them the freedom of going with their own pace, encourage playful learning, allow them to make mistakes and discipline them by being a role model. The days sans worries, tensions, far from day today rush with just love and affection surrounding them.

Isn't that how childhood supposed to be ??

It's not surprising to see kids lacking bond with their parents and grandparents ....

Are we to blame them for this lack of attachment ?

I wouldn't ...I personally feel its us who are making them feel distant by not being emotionally available to them when they need us the most..

Two great things you can give your children: One is roots, the other is wings. 

Childhood needs to be nurtured with love, care and devotion. Parents it is a sacrifice worth making!

                                       *To a child love is spelled as T I M E*