POWER OF BOREDOM

In today's fast-paced world filled with screens, activities, and constant stimulation, boredom might seem like an unwelcome guest. However, upon closer examination, boredom emerges not as a foe but as a valuable ally in a child's development. This article delves into the significance of boredom in children's lives, its benefits, and practical ways to leverage it for their growth and creativity.

The Nature of Boredom:

Boredom is often misunderstood as mere idleness or lack of stimulation. In reality, it's a complex emotional state characterized by a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from a lack of interest or challenge in one's surroundings. While it may seem like a negative experience, boredom serves a crucial purpose in cognitive and emotional development.

Benefits of Boredom:

1. Stimulates Creativity: When children are bored, their minds are free to wander and explore new ideas. Without external distractions, they're more likely to tap into their imagination and come up with innovative solutions to entertain themselves.

2. Fosters Self-Reflection: Boredom provides an opportunity for introspection. Children can reflect on their interests, goals, and emotions, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.

3. Encourages Independence: In the absence of structured activities, children learn to rely on themselves for entertainment. This fosters independence and self-reliance, valuable skills that will serve them well throughout life.

4. Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: When faced with boredom, children are motivated to find ways to alleviate it. Whether it's building a fort with household items or inventing a new game, they exercise their problem-solving abilities and resourcefulness.

5. Promotes Resilience: Dealing with boredom teaches children that not every moment needs to be filled with excitement or entertainment. They learn to tolerate discomfort and boredom, building resilience in the face of challenges.

Harnessing the Power of Boredom:

1. Create Unstructured Time: Allow children to have periods of unstructured time where they're free to explore and play without specific instructions or agendas.

2. Provide Open-Ended Toys and Materials: Offer toys and materials that encourage open-ended play and creativity, such as blocks, art supplies, or outdoor exploration tools.

3. Limit Screen Time: Excessive screen time can diminish a child's tolerance for boredom and hinder their ability to engage in imaginative play. Set reasonable limits on screen time to encourage other forms of entertainment.

4. Encourage Outdoor Play: Nature provides endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Encourage children to spend time outdoors, where they can engage their senses and connect with the world around them.

5. Be a Boredom Role Model: Children often mimic the behavior of adults. Show them that it's okay to embrace boredom by modeling healthy ways to cope with it, such as reading, pursuing hobbies, or simply enjoying quiet moments of reflection.

Boredom is not something to be feared or avoided but embraced as a natural part of childhood. By understanding its benefits and providing opportunities for unstructured play and exploration, parents and caregivers can help children harness the power of boredom to foster creativity, independence, and resilience, laying the foundation for a lifetime of learning and growth.

BEGINNERS GUIDE FOR HOME SCHOOLING

Schools might reopen in september or october, many parents are in confusion whether to send their preschoolers to school or not. Parents who are comfortable with online classes may not prefer this article, but if are looking for home schooling options, then you are on right site. 

I started home schooling my kindergarten kid this year. When I started, I had lots of questions and practical problems, because I was not confident about my teaching skills at that time. Overcoming the problems one by one I got some hope that I can teach my child. Let me share my experiences with you, it might help some of you with an idea of home schooling.

• Start where you are:

When I searched for home schooling options, and its requirements, I got suggestions to buy a printer, coloured charts, and many other pre requisites. But during the initial lockdown, for me it was practically impossible to buy even coloured charts.  So, I used crayons and color pencils which I already had, and some of the un used cardboards for teaching my kid. I used live vegetables and fruits instead of charts. I used sky and clouds for explaining weather. So dont be scared of starting your home school, you can start with what you have. 

• Take help:

If you don't have any idea of their curriculum, take help from the internet or their school teachers. Mostly for preschoolers, writing skills and identifying are important aspects to throw light on. So I found it easy.

• Go with the pace of your kid:

One of the best thing about home schooling is the teacher can go in student pace. You can personally check and teach them according to their interest and ability to learn. I designed a time table, according to her interest I start schooling.

• Timely evaluation:

Generally in the schools, the evaluation will be done quarterly, monthly, or yearly. But when you are schooling at home you can get clear idea where your child lags or where they can excel.

• It's okay to break!!:

If you are not from teaching background, kindergarten teaching is not as easy as you think. You may have mood swings or your kids might not be interested, be prepared. In that time its okay to take a break. Take a break and start slowly.

• Create routine:

For kids, creating routine may take time, when they are habituated they can follow it more than you. Create a routine for home school and let them understand that you will be the teacher for them. Initially try to make them sit for 15 minutes in hime school, and gradually increase the time. Now my daughter will be in home school for 1.30 hours. Generally I let her choose what she wants to do in the school. 

• Believe in your kid and have faith

Preschool kids take time to adapt to this new method, so have faith in your kids. They might get bored, as they will be only kid on the class. Say them after the pandemic they can join their friends. 

• Design your own syllubus:

Along with their curriculum, add extra curricular activities according to their intrest. Like I have added yoga, and music in her syllubus.

• Go creative:

Preschool kids love singing rhymes than sitting and writing. So create some games so that they can learn while playing.

I created a game of clapping alternate hands and saying numbers. 

The only things you need for home schooling are patience and creativity. Don't forget to appriciate your kid's efforts to cope up in this pandamic situation, give them a STAR. Let your little one stay safe at home and also learn at same time. 

GRANNY'S TALES- SUN (PART-3)

Click here for Part-1

Click here for Part-2

Welcome back to Granny's tales.

This month I am going to tell you how my Granny is associated with Sun. 

My grandmother used to call the Sun as "Pratyaksha Narayanudu" which means "Visible God".

She designed her chores according to Sun's movement. 

Her every action is useful for today's situation. Especially when this Covid-19 is extending its hands all over world. 

In her total life she never woke up after sun rise. Many of your grand mothers and grand fathers used to say "Never sleep after sunrise" remember?? 

The modern science got to know our ancestral rituals are way for healthy life. My granny used to say "When you brush your teeth after sunrise your teeth will be broken."
"How come sun can break my tooth? if I am aged, then naturally I will lose my teeth, why to worry to wake up early? This was my argument.
Till her day of death, she never fell ill. She always said "Sun is energy. Pray to him".

 Her idea was to make me spend more time with morning sun. But I used to spend it on bed. 

When I came to know the positivity and freshness in the morning sun, daily I am remembering my granny.
Everyday she woke up before sunrise, mostly at 5 AM, finishes her bathing, and cleaning of house, and started cooking for all of us. Her positive nature reflected in food too. Not a single day her food was tasteless.
One more thing she always insisted was, cleaning the house before sunrise.

My granny termed cleaning house after sunrise as"Daridram", which she probably meant Negetivity in house.

Whem she was in her late 60's, she was unable to sleep during night, however her wake up time didn't changed. 

Every day she used to study "Aditya hridayam" and made me learn that. She always said "Aditya hridayam brings you health and happiness. Whenever your mind is disturbed read this one, you will be relieved from stress. Believe in God, if you cannot believe what you see infront of your eye, how can you believe power within you? Sun is creating food for you, with his power, pray him"

Her home made sun-dried chips were the best chips.

Even she used sun for getting rid of aroma in jars, melt her solidified ghee. 

She insisted her grandson who was born with jaundice to expose to morning sunlight for few days right after he was born.

Vitamin D is best medicine for children who were born with jaundice. She knows it as simple act,just by spending some time under Sun.

My granny is a middle class house wife from an orthodox family. Her educational background is also not strong. But she knows how to make her family healthy through natural resources. 

What did your Granny say about Sun?

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INDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2-5 YEARS AGE GROUP KIDS

I would like to gather all indoor activities that can be useful for kids in 2-5 years of age.Some are my own ideas, some are taken from internet, and some are my daughters school activities. I thought it is useful for mothers during this lockdown. 

1. Coloring: The easiest way to attract the toddlers
2. Memory game: Place 3-4 items/toys in a tray. Make your toddler remember what they are, place a cloth on the items and carefully remove one of the item, without their knowledge. Let them guess which item was removed.
3. Frozen dance: Play some energitic music, let your kid dance to that music, you also dance if required,and freeze your movements, when the music stops suddenly. 
4. Mis match: Take 4 pairs of items,/toys, place it in two rows with mismatch sequence.  Ask this toddler to match them accordingly. 
   
5. Round alphabets: Arite alphabets on small pieces of paper,and arrange them in a circular shape. Let the music start and your kid run around. When the music stops, kid should stop, then the kid need to identify the letter and ask them to say the related word to that alphabet.
6. Find the color: Make sure you placed the colours visible to your kid. Ask them to bring specific colored item to you. Kids will run around to search that.
7. Hopscotch: This activity is simply favorite thing for many kids.  You just need to draw lines for jumping. You can make them more interesting with your creativity.
8. Treasure hunt: For this you don't need garden or open places. Draw the outline of your house/room, hide some of their toys or daily things in the room and ask them to find out. You can even list out the things you were hidden. For reference see the picture below. 
   
9. Puppet show: All you need for a puppet show is plastic/wooden spoons, wool and all fix gum. You can create whatever charecters you want.
   
10. Hide and seek: My favourite game for gaining some time for moms.
11. Word/alphabet search: Write random alphabets and ask kids to find purticular alphabet or word. Yes you can create your own word search for your kids.
    
12. Follow the lines: Make your kids take a round all over your home. Draw arrow lines directing to their favourite toy, with some obstacles like chairs or tables. They surely enjoy the process.
13. Basket and ball: Take any available basket or vessel so that your kid can throw some paper balls or small toys. Score them and encourage.
14. Crafting: You team up with little scientists, they can make you do miracles!!!
    
15. Play imaginary roles: Kids are more influenced by cartoon charecters, play with them. Our favourite game is Dora and explorer, myself Boots in that play, Dora role played by my daughter.
16. Make play doughs: Use wheat flour or all purpose flour to make the doughs, and if food color is available, you use it too.
17. Try music: Try what kind of sound comes from an empty glass and glass full of water. Try to create music from that. Who knows, you may become an expert in Jaltarang, after this lock down!!!
18. Bubble bath: Stay at home is not alone safe, you need to disinfect the home. Take help of your kids and wash their toys in bubble bath. Sure they enjoy the bubbles.
19. Board games: Board games are ever green games. Do you think they cannot understand board rules. Let go of rules for some time and play with them. You get a heatful of laughter!!!
20. My Kitchen rules: When is the last time you truly enjoyed cooking?? Dont worry about the rotis/dosas shape, enjoy cooking with your kid's help. 

These are only suggestions, you can design more games with your creativity!!

10 APARICHIT MOMENTS WITH MOTHERS

Children and Mothers love for each other cannot be measurable. Mother love leads them to talk them in two types. 

They want us to do certain things for limited period of time. After certain age,  their multiple personality will come out and parents doesnot want us to do the same thing. I am not criticizing them,  but their unconditional love for us, force them to do so. These are some situations,  where mother's duality come out.

1. When you are a kid, your mother hated when you eat your meals slowly.. "You need to have your meals quickly. No one would wait you for hours". This is a common point where moms lose their temper. When you are in teens or after 20's, you will have your meals in a hurry(really quick). Then also you cannot satisfy your mother. "Have your breakfast in peace." Is this not Aparichitudu moments??

2. "Dont roam around all the time. You are may bump into someone or trip over" Did you hear this dialouge many times especially during summer holidays. When you grow up and have some stability in your body(Parents often misunderstand this as laziness) "Can you move your ass dear? You are sitting in that couch from past 5 hours..I said UP!!"

3. "Let me help you in brushing/while taking a bath" mothers say this all the time to kids, when kids are eager to explore how to brush/ how to take a bath. After some years same mother would shout "WEEKENDS DOESN'T MEAN IT IS HOLIDAY FOR TAKING BATH OR BRUSH, GO RIGHT NOW!! " This time your are not interested in brushing our bathing. But your mother will be completely opposite to our feelings.

4. "When are going to help your mother while you are a kid,she used to say "No need dear, go and play/study" she will say it affectionatly. After 20 years " Dont know how to prepare even tea, what will you do after your marriage?? Come help me in the kitchen".

5. Mothers will be upset when you are going 1st time to school, but she herself wanted you to go there. Two completely opposite thoughts filled in their mind.

6. When kids are not interested to eat the meals, mother say "I am not going to feed to at any cost..Eat by yourself". While you are leaving to office in hurry she comes to you and says " I can see you are in hurry, let me feed you some breakfast". Complete opposite talks!!!

7. When you are in school, homework is the worst thing happens every evening. Your mothers may bribe you for doing it. "We can go to circus/cinema this weekend if you complete this homework". The same weekend senario changes while you are going to office. " Lets go to a theatre atleast this weekend, not netflix again." 

8. "You are making mess everytime." Every mother complains this. After when you leave for work or study, she will again say "No one to make mess dear, clothes are in wardrobe, everything is organized.I am missing your mess". See, she misses our mess too. 

9. "You can do whatever you can after you get a job/after marriage". You know the next phase also, "You are not listening to me"

10. Iconic one: Mothers will be like "Don't talk to stranger". Also mothers "Marry this stranger". 

What are the aparichit moments with your mother?? List them in comments section.

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20 IDEAS HELP YOU SURVIVE WHEN YOU ARE AT HOME

Corona out broke!! The minimum precaution is to stay at home and wash your hands. Children and working people are at home. It is different phase of life when everyone are at home in this busy life, that too for a long period. 

Here are some ideas that will help you to overcome this time. 

1. Make the meals simple ones:

Every weekend's meals would be special, but now try not to visit restaurants or crowdy places. Also do not get worried about preparing the meals. Keep it simple. Simple is new different. 

2. Take naps

No hurry for office or schools or colleges. Take more 30 min to get up. Or take an afternoon nap.

3. Play the fictional games

Are you bored of working from home?? Play fictional games like catching zombies or if you have kids you can play "Dora the explorer" or "Peppa pig" fictional plays. Or you can play many board games. These things are not childish,  these ladies makes you really work one another without mobiles or television. 

4. Get rid of cobwebs:

It is your home, so take care of your home a little. Get rid of cobwebs. We also can do that.

5. Declutter:

This period will be right chance to declutter your room, wardrobe or mobile.

6. Try to generate new ideas for your interior decoration

You have plenty of time, you can think many possible ways to think about how interior decoration. 

7. Organize your room/wardrobe/total home

Stop the idea of postponing the organizing of your home. This time will not come again.

8. There are so many movies or shows you wanted to watch..watch now

9. Workout at home/do simple yoga:

There are so many YouTube tutorials on how to do workout/yoga at home. Try one of these. Else you can walk around your house/cellar.

10. Print:

We take lots of pics now a days. Move some printable into one folder. Likewise you can declutter your hard drives and print your memories too. Looking at our loved ones in photo frame is different from seeing them as our mobile wallpaper. 

11. Grow a garden

Take a plastic bottle and make some holes under it. Fill it with soil and some methi/dhaniya(fenugreek/coriander) seeds. Even this is enough for one meal. Eating what you grow, can give you pleasure

12. Try different hair styles 

There is no one who will judge you for doing this.  Neither colleagues no friends will know what you are doing. Take this as a chance to change your hairstyle. 

13. Read

You can read peacefully, with no tension for tomorrow.  

14. Clean your vehicle

Skip car wash/bike wash for this month. Clean your vehicle with your hands. If necessary involve your family too.

15. Write an email to your future self through futureme.org

I once used this for my birthday. After that I forgot, suddenly one day a mail has popped up from me which I was written years ago. So write an email to your future self today itself.

16. Call your friends

When did the last time you called your friends and spoke about your happy memories? Is it on their last birthday??It is time to ditch the whats app messages and speak to them.

17. Meditate

Get time for meditation too. 

18. Plenty of time.so you can take self care.

Why to go to parlor when you can do the saloon services at home. We have time, so it can save money also. Try manicure or pedicure at home.

19. Try not to get attached to digital devices more. It can build you stress at home. Everyone looking at mobiles even when they are near, cannot help you in this holidays. If some one is watching TV go straight in front of TV and block that, so that they might talk to you in person.

20. Spend more time with kids. You can teach them songs, decluttering, life lessons, creative ways to talk,and you learn more from them, what not!!  So use this time efficiently!! 

Stay away from corona, stay close to loved ones.

Here are some more ideas to do with kids!! 

Here is my another blog for ideas without internet!!

Stay safe...

Take care...

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x

GRANNY'S TALES- WATER (PART-2)

 [For Granny's tales part-1 here ]

Grandmothers loses their coolness when it comes to WATER.
In traditional Indian families water is treated almost equal to God. From the moment they wake up they were closely associated with the five elements of nature, mostly with water. Granny considered water as most wonderful, powerful, sterilizing element of one life.
1. Bath: 
She used to say that always have a bath before sunrise. My granny hated when I roam here and there with out having bath in the morning. She used to nag behind me saying that "Go and bathe".  Whenever she heard a bad news or when she is having a bad day she goes straight to the bathroom and does her bathing. She used to say bathing makes her body and mood, clean.
2. Drinking water:
She used to treat water as her elixir of life. She used to wash her copper water utensil, with little extra care every time. She never drank water hurriedly. She used to say "After drinking water, you should sit relaxed for few minutes, then only the water will sink in. More than half of your body is water, respect it"
3.Cooking:
She always used water only she brought. None of the family or maids brought water, is not preferred for her cooking. She used to clean the water vessel after bathing, with her own hands and after that she used to bring water in that, and we are not allowed to touch it at any cost. she called it "Madi neellu",which means "water that should not be touched". The complete process seemed to be illogical and meaningless during my childhood. After I got to know their water has memory, and it reacts to our touch and voice, I got to know 'the' water will effect your health. 

My granny never used the water from taps. She always stored the water in a vessel and after a night she used it for cooking or drinking.

4. News:

Whether it is a birth news or a death news she immediately took a bath.  She used to say some philosophy, both birth and death are part of life, try to treat like same.

5. Others:

My granny always used to say"wash your legs from behind..don't ignore after visiting rest room". May be it was concern about every corner of the body. 

Granny used to use a word after drinking water "this is amrutham", which means elixir. 

In most of the traditional houses, before meals they will do kriya called "parisham" with water as an indication of holy food "prasadam" for the fire(God) inside us. 

Also after completing the food, they again use water for completing the kriya. So she never ignored the water. 

All this will be done by men in the house. This topic is really a vast subject, here I'm not going to discuss. I shall make it as other topic.  

So,  finally my granny's relation with water is a strong one. She even predicted the financial status by usage of water!!!  

Awesome women!! 

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5 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR KIDS FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

“The best thing you can give to your child is, financial knowledge” – Robert Kiyosaki

Teaching our kids about saving money is the greatest gift that we can give as parents. However, the lessons should be more than that; because the financial knowledge opens up the gates to their freedom and independence.  Here are a few methods to raise financially responsible children.

1. Teach the value of money:

Depending on their age start teaching the value of money, how it will be useful for their living. In the journey of raising them, do not miss an opportunity to teach the value of money. For example today almost every teenager is using a credit card. But they don’t know how the interest multiplied. When they come to college, the credit amount becomes lump sum. When you give a credit card, teach them how the payable amount multiplies. So that they can know how money works.  

2. Give financial knowledge:

Giving financial knowledge is not transferring adult stress to them. It is giving an outline of your budgets like your expenses, savings, and interest rate. It helps to learn about money and in the long run, they find interest in financial operations. Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling book, “The Rich Dad and Poor Dad”, is more specific of giving children the knowledge of finance. He says that he learned money importance from his Rich Dad, which bought him success today. He learnt how money works for rich, and how other people work for money.

3. Involve them in budgeting:

Having an open talk with your kid about how you save, how you pay bills on credit cards. Rich dad of Robert Kiyosaki explained the cash flow of liabilities and assets. He explained with the help of blocks diagrams and arrow marks instead of massive charts and accounts. At the age of 10, Robert understood the cash flow. Children understanding ability is more when you speak in their language.

4. Let them experience:

Provide some real money to manage your expenses. For example, take them to grocery shopping and ask them to handle the holiday shopping, let them spend the money. Provide them with your support but let them make choices. Patrick Payne, a professor at Carolina University says that the kids must understand there will be compromises involved. Kids must understand how much we (adults) give up forgetting something else. And there is a cost for everything.

5. Encourage:

As a parent, you need to give encouragement and support while nurturing the child. Even though when they fail in some of their financial actions, encourage and guide them the right way. Teach them to the power of tracking their money. Encourage to pay their bills at the learning age. Educate them to “earn while you learn”. This method not only encourages them to manage their earnings but also handle new challenges.

            The best presentation for a child on their birthday is “Piggybank”. Teach them the importance of savings; encourage them to get interested in financial matters. No matter what you teach the kids, they remember what you DO! So respect the money first by yourself and show that to your kids. Robert Kiyosaki says “Right from the small age my rich dad encouraged me to involve in money doing. That made me realise why money is important.”

Do you think it is important to induce financial responsibility? How will you raise kids financially strong?
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CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN MY COOKIE

Recently I met one of my old friends after so many years. After a small regular talk, we jumped into our life talk. She is married and working. After knowing my routine, she asked me only one question, "What is your motivation for a day?" 

Then I decided to write about my motivation.

Time 4.10 AM

My alarm rings!!

I open my eyes, but lazily I close it for few more minutes.

Recently I met one of my old friends after so many years. After a small regular talk, we jumped into our life talk. She is married and working. After knowing my routine, she asked me only one question, "What is your motivation for a day?" 

Then I decided to write about my motivation.

Time 4.10 AM

My alarm rings!!

I open my eyes, but lazily I close it for few more minutes.

4.15 AM

"Enough of laziness!! Get up!! “inner me shouts

My motivation for getting up early is the uninterrupted bathroom visit. 

4.40 AM

I will fresh up and complete bathing too, and I will be on the yoga mat soon. After some meditation and basic stretches, I roll up my mat. 

The thing which pushes me for yoga is my mental health.

5.00 AM

I start making rotis and curry for husband's lunch. Some dal for our lunch, and prepare chutney or curry for dinner.

My daughter’s breakfast will be mostly like idly the solid breakfast. Sometimes I will have idly too, but most of the times I make other breakfast. And I prepare coffee for us.

Energy giver is My family's hunger. 

6.30 AM

I light diyas in my prayer room (I must say it is prayer shelf because we don't have Mandir) 

Early morning sunrise with the smell of agarbattis and haratis will boost my mood. 

The boost for doing this is for my positive energy. 

6.45 AM

I enjoy my warm ginger tea, with the soothing wind in my balcony, or at times with my daughter's morning orchestra. 

Here is my pill for an energetic morning: ginger tea.

7.00 AM

I pack lunch for my husband and he leaves for the office. I will make my kid brush her teeth, drink milk, bathe, braids her & my hair, make sure she finishes her breakfast and pack her snacks for her school. Then I finish my breakfast. I will drop her to school and come back at 9.30 AM.

The calming mantra here is my daughter's school time.

9.30 AM-12.30 PM

I do some dishes which I left in a hurry, cleans my daughters and my husband's mess. After that dusting the living room, making the bed, doing laundry, searching the damp towels which they both left, doing work on the laptop,  picking up the toys and books, watering plants, cleaning the kitchen, will be my daily routine. Generally, I wouldn't miss the routine. 

Here anti-fatigue motivation is slight OCD and love for plants.

12.30 PM- 5.00 PM

Bringing my kid from the school, feeding her and helping her to complete her homework and then I go back to my work. My kid will be playing, or reading or watching tv while I complete my work. 

Here my driving force is quality time with my daughter. 

5.15 PM

Taking my daughter to the nearest park is my daily duty. I love watching sunset and kids playing there. I do some walking there. 

I don't miss this opportunity for watching the sunset.

6.30 PM

We will come back from the park and my husband comes back from the office. I offer my evening prayers and I feed my Daughter dinner and also we finish our dinner before 7.30 PM

Here my no-routine-breaking motivation comes from the phrase early dinner for health. 

While I finish kitchen cleaning, my husband spends time with my daughter. She cleans up all the mess she made while playing with me in the living room. 

9.00 PM

We put her to bed at 9 PM. She likes to hear bedtime stories, with lots of yawing and questions in between she goes to sleep. 

Here my secret of sleeping early is I need to get up early.

Like this, many chocolate chips motivates me to have a regular cookie, from a smell of camphor to watching the sunset. Yes, I get bored at times. Then is the time I change my path without changing my daughter's routine. At the end of the day what wipes away my tiredness is my daughter's hug, which is her way of saying "thanks for a beautiful day". 

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