"Amma, I'm bored!"

It's that sentence all mums dread. "I'm bored!" Here are a few of my usual reactions to combat those two deadly words -
'Find something to do then'
'Don't keep saying that'
*grinding my teeth in frustration*
*hiding in the toilet*
Quite possibly in that order!

Well actually, I'm not a bad mum you know! I do muster all the patience and energy I possibly can and do come up with fun things to do with my kids, every once in a while. And one such activity is what we like to call 'the catalogue game'. It's easy, it's fun, it's educational and it's free!

So, the supermarket catalogues stay a bit longer than other recyclables at our home (much to hubby darling's annoyance). They're great for a quick and fun interactive activity with my kids, who are now 7 & 5. My 5-year old still enjoys it, my older one might just have grown out of it. Anyway, so what we do is simply flip through the catalogue, looking at all the pictures of the products. And as we do so, I point out to things and ask them to identify/attempt to read them. This facilitates simple learning, in a fun and interactive manner. Here are some things we talk about -

1.'What is this?' - They identify the product. This creates awareness of common, everyday items and they visually memorise the colours, packaging, etc. This helps connect them to the memory of having seen them on the shelves at the supermarket or at home while we're putting stuff away from the shopping bags. Here, we also talk about something new that they spot, that they haven't seen or noticed before. For example, my younger one pointed at a can of deodorant and asked me what it was. We spent some time talking about it, nothing too complicated, just a lighthearted conversation about how sometimes grownups need a quick spray of it on hot, sweaty days.

2. 'Have you eaten this before?' - While looking at pictures of veggies, fruits or other snacks, they try and recollect if they've eaten them before. If yes, when or what was the dish? If not, then why haven't they tried it before? Is it because it isn't very healthy? Does it fall under the 'sometimes only' food category? There's a whole lot of potential here to engage them in an educational conversation and teaching them the importance of healthy, fresh, wholesome produce.

3. 'Remember when...?' - My son finds it very amusing to talk about the time when he was a toddler and used to have nappies on. He almost always giggles sheepishly as he points out to the pack of diapers and then it leads to some recollection, memories from when they were little and such.

4. 'Can we get this?' - They show interest in a particular product they see. This also helps trigger memory as they remember  a friend who brought it for lunch at school, perhaps, or if they had seen it in an advertisement on TV. We then proceed to discussing if we should buy it or not. When we could buy it, for example, for a special occasion, as a treat, or for dinner tonight, etc.

5. Testing quick response and reflexes - As a bonus fun element, which is what gets them excited in the first place, I ask them to shout out 'chocolate!' in a funny voice whenever they spot something with chocolate in it. I know, I know...kids are kids! The silliest of things make them laugh and they enjoy every minute of it with all their heart! We probably need to take a few notes from our kids sometimes! And when they laugh and squeal in delight, it's so easy to laugh out loud with them!

This whole activity generally lasts about 20-30 minutes. But hey, we did something together and no one was fighting, whining or screaming (or pulling their hair out!). And in the process, we all spent some time together having a meaningful conversation with each other. That's a big win for this mumma!

Try it with your kids! I'd say this activity would suit kids in the age range of about 2-6 years. Just a glossy, colourful catalogue and heaps of questions and answers. I guarantee 20 minutes (at least) of giggles, laughter, learning and a big warm feeling deep within your heart :)

The Language of Love

I speak four languages. Hubby does too (maybe even more!). The kids speak English. I say that now, a little less guiltily.

I have accepted that they might never be as fluent as we are in our native languages, that they might never chat incessantly with their grandparents in Tamil or Kannada. No, we haven't tried teaching them Tamil or Kannada either. Nor do we send them to a language school, no! But hey, maybe that's okay!

Being multilingual sure is awesome, but it's not the end of the world, really. Between making sure they're growing up to be good kids, they're learning to wipe their bottoms after a poo, they're sleeping in their own rooms, they're practising good manners and a whole bunch of other things that matter, we never found the time and energy to try hard NOT to speak to them in English. We spoke. They understood. They spoke. We understood. We moved on.

They speak to their grandparents about school, about what they ate at dinner, about how they made a painting, about their new toy and they do so with no barrier of language. Because the only language they both understand and speak so well, is the language of love!

I'm not here to start a debate. I understand the argument about how there's an advantage to being multilingual. But I'm also happy and satisfied that my children speak English. For now, as long as they're uttering kind words, saying whatever it is that they are with confidence, and rattling away with happiness in their voices, I'm a happy and proud mumma!