BT stories

He got on at Halfenbach strasse tram stop. Dressed in a light black summer jacket, in spite of the cold winter rain outside, he immediately caught her eye.

As her eye ran slowly up and down appraising his light jeans, partly pushed up on one leg to expose his ankle, and the grey with speckled ankle socks which looked like they were stuffed with some material to prevent water or cold air from entering his worn out black and red Nike shoes, she began to feel sorry for him. 

"Poor guy, I wonder if he is getting off at the same station I am at." 

"Perhaps I should offer to buy him new shoes. But how does one approach a complete stranger and offer to buy them new shoes?"

Then she stopped in her mental tracks, struck by the prejudice- the pre-judgement that she had undertaken. 

There could be many reasons after all, and perfectly legitimate reasons too why he was dressed as shabbily. 

"Maybe he is off to the football pitch"she thought, "people sometimes dress down to play football." 

"Or maybe he is painting his new apartment this evening and of course has dressed down to avoid damaging good clothes. Hmmmm, but he doesn't have any baggage that looks like painting supplies. Just a cloth gym bag. 

Perhaps he is a drug addict and spends all of his money chasing that next high. That would explain it, and well I would be willing to buy him new shoes but definitely not give him some money.

As the different thoughts went through her mind, each new thought more ludicrous than the previous one, the tram rolled slowly to a stop. 

" This station is Zurich Central" please be careful when leaving the train" announced the driver as the tram drew slowly to a stop. The doors opened and the young man left the train leaving her with many unanswered questions. 

But she didn't have too much time to brood because the next station was hers and she hurriedly scampered out and promptly forgot about him. 

My skincare regimen.

 Top tips for caring for my oily combination skin. 

I have always had oily acne prone skin. At least since I became a teenager. Since I had my kids, my skin has changed such that it's not only oil and acne I have to battle, but now dry patches of skin as well. Sigh. 

So I've been doing a bit of research on how to improve my skin condition. One of my aims for this year was to go for a facial every 6 weeks or so. Alas with a busy work schedule and trying to spend every spare moment with the kids, I just don't have time to go for facials. So the last time I had a facial was in April or so. 

So here are the basic things I've learnt

1) Never sleep in make up. Unfortunately, I've had to break this rule more than once due to sheer exhaustion. However, it's immediate obvious whenever I have slept in make up. Pimples start to pop up all over. Keep a pack of facial wipes for when you are too exhausted. 

2) have had very good experience using an oil balm to first dissolve the make up before washing it off. I highly recommend Clinique "take the day off" balm. 

You can also make your own cleansing balm, there are many tutorials on YouTube. 

3) Do not use a soapy/foamy face wash even if you have oily skin. These dry the skin excessively and don't really help the acne problem. Instead, use creamy cleansers. Thoroughly massage your cleanser on slightly pre wetted face and then take of with a face towel that had been soaked in warm to hot water. You will find that your pores open more to get the impurities out. 

I have used creamy cleaners from the body shop, Dawn Lorraine (in the cover photo of this post), Mary Kay etc. I used all may left over foaming or soapy facial washes for my body. 

4) Use a toner after cleansing your skin. In fact, use two toners: a moisturizing and an exfoliating toner. You can also alternate with the moisturizing toner in the morning and exfoliating toner  at night or vice versa. The "lotion P50" from Biologique Recherché is one I can recommend. Clarins Duox exfoliant is also a good one, albeit slightly irritating for my skin. 

5) Use facial masks at least once or twice a week. In addition to clay masks, I recently discovered yeast masks. 

Masque Vivant from Biologique Recherché seems to be a cult favorite. I have tried it twice this week as recommended for acne prone skin: mixed with a bit of water and baking soda. I am surprised at how open my pores are. 

6) At least once a week, use a moisturizing mask, or start using night creams designed to infuse moisture into your skin, especially as you approach your forties. 

7) Cleanse your makeup tools regularly, especially your foundation brush, otherwise you are only incubating bacteria to recolonize your skin. 

8) Let your skin breathe every opportunity you get. For me, that means staying make up free when I'm at home. As I work half a week from home office, that helps a lot. 

9) Last but not least, sleep well and at least 7 hours daily. Sleep is the best facial. Still working on this last tip myself ;)

I hope these skin care tips were useful. Comment below and share your own tips.

Copyright: Tolu Lush

How to pack for business travels

I have been a regular business traveller for 3 years now. While traveling for work was something I thought was exciting when I didn't have much business travel, I must admit the excitement wears off pretty quickly. Nights in hotel beds is overrated and it's rare to get the opportunity to actually see much of whatever city I'm visiting. 

Anyway, this post is not about the pros and cons of business travel, but about some tips for packing for business travel. 

1) Being a mum of fairly young kids, I want to get fairly in and out, which means that for short trips, I almost always stick to hand luggage.

 Waiting for luggage can cost you precious time, especially if you have a connecting train. 

2) if you are going on a long trip and need to check in your luggage, make sure you carry some essentials in your hand luggage. A couple of years ago, some female colleagues had to attend a Monday morning meeting in their trainers and comfy clothes ( which were not even close to business casual :) because the airline lost their luggage between London and Amsterdam. It took so long to get their luggage that they had to do some clothes shopping. 

3)most hotel chains have good basic toiletries, so most times you only need to take the barest minimum with you. My facial care products, deodorant, toothpaste and brush and make up. I also carry a dense cream or Shea butter in a small repurposed Vaseline tin because I have dry skin and most hotel creams are light. 

4) even if you will be wearing heels for the office, always pack a pair of flats. You never know if you might have to walk a lot. If possible, travel in flats because God  forbid, if there is an emergency, your heels might hinder you. 

5) You can either hand wash your tops or use the hotel laundry service, so you don't need to pack too many items of clothing. 

6) invest in a small card holder for the minimum number of cards you will need on your trip. Always have some cash on hand, you never know where you will need an out of pocket expense. 

6) even if it's an easy going trip, always have a blazer or jacket with you. You can dress it up or down, but it will help you look polished. 

7)always carry a tampon or sanitary towel in your luggage. I am so busy I often don't realize it's that time of the month. I have had cases when Aunt Flo decided to visit when I was away from home. Get some diaper disposal bags for used sanitary products. They usually smell so nice. 

  

8) always have some hairpins handy. You never know when you might have a bad hair day. For the same reason, also have a small tub of hair gel. 

9) I always take some teabags with me. I love to drink tea. 

10) a silk scarf can be used for many things. I always pack my favorite blue silk scarf when traveling. 

11) fold a cloth or plastic bag and keep it in your luggage. You might need those for dirty clothes. 

12) rather than carry books, you should download an e-reader and buy Ebooks. That will help you save space in your luggage. 

13)if possible, get your boarding passes and any tickets via mobile apps. This saves you lugging papers around or losing your ticket. Some apps I use are passbook, DB navigator, my taxi etc. 

14)since you will be using your mobile a lot, get yourself a power bank. Or at least make sure your phone is fully charged before setting off. 

15) also on the issue of electronics, get yourself a travel charger for your laptop. They are slimmer, can be dismantled for easier packing and the one I have also has a usb connection so I can charge my phone and other devices on it. 

16) where possible, book your trips via your company authorized travel agencies. If, God forbid, something happens on your trip, it would make it easier to trace you. Also, it helps establish who you are. I recently forgot my wallet with my IDs and credit cards in my car at the airport in another city, but I had no problem checking into my hotel, because I had done the booking properly and I could even check out without my card as the number was given in manually and I signed off. 

I will be updating this post regularly should other tips occur to me. Cheers. 

Obamas welcome Pope Francis and.....

....what instantly struck me about the first set of pictures is that I love the skirt the younger Obama daughter, Sasha was wearing ( I'm not usually this shallow, but I love great clothes ;))

Image credit: Tony Gentile/Reuters

I have since found via Google that the skirt she is wearing is the Kate Spade Colour block skirt. 

Off to search for a warm dupe.....

SWM and how to go from idea to actually doing stuff

I started this blog with the idea to have content for mothers juggling career and family. I have had this idea in my head for the longest time, but didn't think I had enough time or willpower to push it through by muself, so I asked a friend to do it with me. She didn't share my dream, so after one post 3 or so years ago, she kind of faded off the scene of this blog. I have tried to keep the blog going, not as successfully as I could be arguably as I really do have a busy life and multiple interests.

So I was delighted and impressed when I stumbled on the Super Working Mum Facebook page over a year ago. From what I can see, she had a similar idea to me, but she actually pushed it through! I was amazed at how large the group became ( over 2500 members and counting, before she moved to the new Empowering Christian Mums group which is also rapidly growing). She had published a Super Working Mum book ( amazing book, check it out on Amazon HERE ), has a paid inner circle of ladies she moderates, holds regular retreats, takes on clients for one on one coaching, does tech and design work and is currently working on a journal, while juggling her family life with two kids! Talk about a Super Working Mum!

I have learnt a few things from why SWM succeeded, which I think might be helpful to anyone embarking on a project irrespective of what type of project it is. 

1) Invest in a mentor/ coach: I had several months of coaching this year and it was really helpful. Coaching and mentoring is something which is done very often in the corporate world and I wonder why many of us do not consider it in our private businesses and day to day lives. It helps you learn from someone who has gone on a similar path before and has good insight. No need to reinvent the wheel from scratch if you can just get a plan to start off from someone else and build up on it. Way more efficient. 

2) Outsource everything you can: if you are reading this blog, you are likely a mother who is also busy either in your career or business. Learn to outsource where you can and focus your energy on areas where you can bring true value. This relates both to business and daily life. There are many e-companies that you can outsource various elements of your projects to. I will do a post on that soon. You should also get help around the house if you can afford to so that you can focus your energy in your family and be able to spend quality time with them. I wasted valuable time designing a banner and logo for this blog. Next time I update, I will be outsourcing the tech bit. Someone else who does this on a daily basis will be able to finish this quicker and faster that I ever could, while also doing a better job. 

3) Define who your target audience is - where many people make mistakes is in trying to be all things to all people. In lean sigma projects you have to define strictly what is in your project scope and what is not. You also have to define what area this will be applied to. If you have a product that can do anything for anyone, it's not likely to do very well. Try to get a picture of your ideal customer and keep them in mind when designing your product. An example could be "Christian mothers that homeschool" or "mid 30s guys who likes to cook" etc. 

4) Pray - sometimes we have desires and it's important to make sure that they are aligned with the perfect will and purpose of God for our lives. Not a ideas need to be given life and we should seek divine insight and guidance in our decision making. 

5) Stop thinking, just do it: this is the area in which I struggle the most. It might have something to do with me being a perfectionist engineer. I always try to remind myself that "Done is better than perfect". There are many project that I have still birthed because of this. 

On the other hand, proceed cautiously and don't birth projects prematurely and without thinking them through. 

6) Do not be afraid to kill some projects: if you are like me and have many interests, you will generate lots of ideas. Some ideas are good and some are bad. Some ideas should never have seen the light of day. You can also finish a project by admitting that it will never happen and closing the page on it. Like that language you have wanted to learn for 20 years, or the quilt you started making 5 years ago or the dead end volunteering you are doing which is not bringing any joy or value to you.  Killing off dead-end projects is like decluttering, it helps you free space for more important things and also helps you breath better.  

Make a list of the dead end projects in your life and start killing them one by one. In fact we should do a "Kill a project today" challenge. Write in the comment box about a project you will be killing today. 

7) Do not be afraid of competition:  As Aloted wrote in the SWM book, the only person you are in competition with is yourself. Have the self confidence to be yourself and "Do You"!

Can you think of any further tips? If you are reading this and you can, please share!  

Ladies weekend getaway to Faro 1

I was away with some girlfriends for an extended weekend away in Algarve Portugal. My friend F turned 40 and she invited us all to join her on the trip there. 

Even though I travel a lot for business, this was my first non work trip without my  kids or husband since my daughter was born, so I was quite nervous. 

As we had finished boarding and were waiting to start taxiing, I suddenly saw that I had had a missed call from my kids kindergarten which never happens. I called them back only to be told me son had thrown up so needed to be picked up. My nanny had picked him up, but I had a panic attack as that had never happened. To make matters worse, the air steward was sitting right behind me and sternly told me to switch off my phone. So I had to. I spent the over 3 hour duration of the flight praying for the best and immediately we landed, first thing I did was call home. Thank God he was okay and hadn't thrown up again. 

Everyone else flew in from London and I arrived at the airport about 4 hours ahead of them. After a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows from Costa, I decided to go out and explore Faro. I found the local bus, purchase a ticket to the city centre, which was about 5km away for 2.22 euros, dragged my luggage and off I went!!!

I really loved the architecture in Portugal. The old houses have tiling on the outside walls and they just look really nice. 

As I walked down the street taking pictures, I walked into a street full of old houses, many of which were boarded up. 

1878 Hostel is located right in the middle of that street of old houses.

The hostel door was open and as I peered through the doorway to look at the interesting architecture, a young man came out of the office and asked if I wanted a tour of the hostel. Of course I said yes and after dragging my luggage to safety, I followed him inside. 

The house is over 200 years old and was renovated and turned into a hostel a year ago. 

It's definitely something to keep in mind if you are looking for cheap accommodation in faro. It looked well planned and quite delightful. I took many pictures and will let you judge for your selves. 

After I said my goodbyes, I walked to the delightful harbor. 

There was lots of information on renting boats, boat trips and nature trips. 

I picked up loads of info material and then I headed back to the airport, with a few minutes to spare. 

The other ladies arrived soon afterwards. After we had done the introductions, we found our shuttle driver, loaded our luggage and drove off to Albufeira about 30km from Faro, where our villa was located.

Guidance on reproducing my posts

I am writing this post because I recently that 4 of my posts from this blog had been lifted verbatim and posted on a website.
I will say that I had gotten an email from the editor of the site last year asking whether they could republish those posts. I replied sometime in December, specifically asking to be informed about if and when, since due to the fact that I was replying their email a few months too late I was unsure if they still wanted to use my posts.
I never received a reply or a notification. I only realized they had published my posts when I went through my blog statistics a few weeks ago and saw that I had been having blog visitors redirected from that site. I decided to go check and I saw my posts. They did attribute the posts to me, but perhaps unwittingly, gave the misleading impression that the posts had been specially written for their site. That unfortunately turned something that I had found exciting into something that left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. So because of that, I have decided to do a post with some guidelines on reproducing or using my posts
Reposting etiquette.
No 1. Ask for permission. My contact email address is themommyjuggle@gmail.com. Send me an email and I will respond. Please expect a bit of a delay, after all, the fact that I am juggling a lot of responsibilities is the point of this blog.
No 2. Do not copy and paste the whole post if you don't have permission to. If you want a whole post, request me to write a guest post on your blog, I'd be happy to if I can accommodate your request within my schedule.
You can say something like "Themummyjuggle posted on her blog........." And then copy part of the post. You can then add a link for them to read the remaining part of the post. Even Lindaikeji.blogspot.com is now doing that after mrAyedee showed her pepper.
No 3. Make sure you include in the post that " this post was originally posted at www.themummyjuggle@gmail.com"
No 4. Do not add or subtract from my post. You can embellish in your preamble or quote part of my post and discuss, but don't copy paste my whole post and then add your own jara.
My dear silent readers, if you have any other tips or suggestions concerning blog/ article reposting etiquette, please do share.

Be present when present 3: finding balance

I will focus this final post on the topic of being present on finding balance. How can parents ensure a balance between spending quality time and ensuring private space to their children? The "private space" is necessary for your kids so that they can grow and be independent young people.

Even though children need attention and time from parents, they do not need it every minute and second of their life. Parents should be able to understand when to spend time or interfere in their children’s life and when to leave them on their own. Here is how you can do the same:

Give your child enough space: Even as a toddler, it is important to let your child play by him/herself and also do things for him/ herself. As your child grows he will need more autonomy and privacy from you. Don’t panic or go overboard with rules at this time. Instead, ensure that you give your child enough privacy to explore and learn about the world by his own. However, always keep your communication open with your child and take an active interest in his hobbies and friends. Always ask open-ended questions to your child especially if in teens to get an idea about what is going on in his life. If you had been a doting parent, you would be able to recognise half-hearted replies and lies. Make your home welcoming so that your child and their friends will like to hang around your home.

Make special talk-time for your child: Whether you are a stay at home mum or a working mother, make sure you spend some time of the day with your child on a regular basis. Even if it is just a 15-minute stroll after dinner. ‘To ensure more quality time makes sure that you go on a vacation with your child at least once a year. Consider spending more time during the weekends and taking up an activity together. You can refer to my previous post on ideas of activities and if you start early, you can turn this into a family tradition.

Be judgmental with time: Remember even though children need your time, don’t go overboard or limit your time spent with them. Too much togetherness can make a child excessively attached to you which could in turn make one unable to work or think independently. ‘Rather than making the bond strong it would make him/her yearn for an escape. On the other hand, if you spend too little time it can make a kid anxious, sad, lonely, insecure and clingy. In my experience you will need to spend varying amounts of time with your child as they grow. My kids tend to need more attention when going through a growth spurt or when a big change is happening. Parents need to have their antennas finely tuned to the unvoiced needs of their children.

What really matters

April has been a hard month. I lost my uncle this month and a dear friend is currently in hospital battling for her life.
As you can imagine, much of my mind has been taken up with pondering on what really matters in this life. More and more people now live till a hundred years and beyond. In fact my husband's first Cousin once removed turned 100 at the end of March and we were there to celebrate with her. However, this doesn't negate the fact that some people still die young and in their prime and that no one knows when the owner of life will call that life back (thats a literal translatio from Yoruba by the way).
This means that we need to live each day as purposefully as we can and always remember that there is no guarantee that we will have a tomorrow. It is a miracle that we get up each day, a miracle that should be celebrated and a miracle that we take for granted all too often.
We make medium and long term plans, and forget that no one knows tomorrow or even if there will be a tomorrow. We plan for what we will do after retirement, we leave what we should do today until tomorrow, we clutter our lives with material substances.
I had the sad priviledge of helping sort through a deceased persons properties and also last weekend of cleaning my sick friend's apartment. Believe me it is not a good feeling and I know that I would hate a third party to go through my belongings. Yet that will happen to us all one day. Many are lucky that it will be a loved one doing those duties, like I with my mother's things. Some will not be so lucky.

The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)

 16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

It might be macabre, but never forget that life is fleeting. Let us alway remember what matters and make it central. It might mean we need to turn our lives around or make drastic changes, but I believe living purposefully gives joy and peace beyond Imagination so that whenever the end comes we can go without regrets. For me as a Christian, I believe that Christ died for me and because He lives I will have everlasting life. Nevertheless, I will strive to better use my Talent for the purpose for which He has given it to me for as long as I am able to.

Stay blessed and safe and never forget what really matters.
 

Be present when present 2: How to improve the quality of time spent with your kids

As discussed in the previous post, children are good at showing signs that they are craving more Quality time with Mummy or Daddy. Click here hereto read the previous post if you have not read it yet before continuing with this post.

Of course it is best that you spend quality time with your kids as a matter of fact, however, even if your kids are already showing some of the signs that they need more time with you including those signs mentioned in the previous post or other signs, it is never too late to retrace your steps and make deliberate efforts to improve the quality of the precious time you spend with your kids.

Children grow so fast and now is the time to build those great memories and create a warm enduring bond with your child or children so that the grow up wholesome and psychologically balanced. This is also the time when the foundations of your future relationships with your adult children will be laid.

Even if you are a very busy mum, you can find ways of incorporating your children in your daily activities or having special mummy and me time with them. Below are some ideas of how to get the kids involved in daily activities in a qualitative way.

tastytouring / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

Cooking with your kids

I let my kids help me when I am cooking - in fact I say we are cooking together. There is nothing kids love more than helping chop up vegetables or storing the pot. I remember a couple of years ago when my then almost 2 year old and my almost 5 year old helped make ratatouille. They were so proud and had loads of fun. It might take you much longer to cook if the kids are helping, but it's rewarding. It's also a way to develop their motor skills.

Reading to and with your kids.

We read to our kids everyday. It's typically at bedtime but we read for about at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday. Reading helps develop your kids vocabulary and expands their imagination. And if they get to cuddle up to mummy and daddy while reading, even better! My husband and I are avid readers and we are really pleased our kids love to read. And we are so proud that our daughter who will be starting class 1 in September can read now, so that is an added perk!

Bathtime

Although I just want to get bath time over and done with sometimes after a full day's work, it makes the kids day when mummy or daddy joins them in the bath tub for bath time. They especially love to wash papa's hair. I don't let anyone near my hair for fear of tangles lol.

Bicycle tours

One of my daughters greatest wishes is for the family to do a bicycle tour together. It can be a nature hike or a maze or an obstacle course but a family that sweats together stays together.

Our Sunday walks.

Last summer, we took a walk every Sunday around the neighborhood, got some ice cream from our local ice cream parlour and walked back home. The kids loved this and looked forward to it.

Spend time with each kid

Our kids are 3 years apart and sometimes the older child has to play along with what her little brother wants and vice versa. We have had a couple of mummy and me time and daddy and me times which the kids loved. On one occasion I went into the city to shop with my daughter while daddy and little brother slept. Another time, we went to a cafe where I had a hot chocolate and she some warm whipped milk. The boys went food shopping to metro and the little man loved it. Just this last weekend, my husband and my daughter went swimming and I took my son to the local natural history museum to look at some dinosaur bones and a chameleon. He loved it. It is good for kids to have one on one time with each parent sometimes.

Play board games, do puzzles etc

My daughter has a few games she loves to play and it's more interesting for her to play with the adults than her little brother who never plays by the rules. She kicks our butts at memory, it's amazing how I can't remember where the cards are and she's picked everything. I also play ayo with her. Chose the right learning games and its a win win situation

The list of activities is exhaustive, we have picked nuts before, had picnics, visited the zoo, sewn together, baked together, painted and drawn together etc.

A lot of these activities do not require much time and in fact most times all you need to do is involve your kids in your daily chores. That way you will get to know your kids better and they will feel loved. So what if it takes a little bit more time? Invest the time now and you will begin to see changes. Even the kids will start asking you to play with them more.

One of the blogs I follow and find a valuable resource is DIY Corporate Mom she has loads of ideas for play activities and I love her idea of "leave behind play". Like me she is a busy mum and has ingenious ideas to help her keep the bond to her kid alive.

Also check out this article on the Globe and Mail which talks about having fun times with your kids

What are the activities you do with your kids to ensure that you spend quality times with them? Please leave a comment below and share.

Be present when present 1: Sígns that you need to improve the quality of time spent and interations with your children

There are a lot of debates on whether working mums or stay at home mums or work at home mums are doing the best for their children. My take on this issue is that what is best will differ from family to family and from sitution to situation. It is also important to remember that what is best will sometimes also have to be balanced by what is expedient. Many families are dependent on two incomes to stay afloat. Apart from that, many mothers, myself included need the challenge of work outside the home and that has nothing to do with whether or not they are good mothers.

I believe that the important thing is to be present when you are present, meaning prioritise your time with your kids so that your mind is also with them and it is quality and fun. I have seen many mothers (stay at home mums as well as working mums) who spend every free time on the phone or on the internet, keeping their kids in front of the tv or saying 'go to your room', 'don't disturb me', 'can't you see I'm on the phone?' anything just to be able to be by themselves unbothered by their kids and that is sad. Of course, there are cases where every mum will need to be undisturbed and have time to themselves, but when it is a constant occurrence, it is sad.

Someone once told me of a case of a 4 year old child who could not speak or understand her mother's native language because she spent most of the day at the child-minder's  - who spoke a different language from the parents -  and when she was home, the mother spent all her time on the phone and never really spoke to her child except to give her 'commands'. Unsurprisingly, the child never wanted to leave the child-minder's house and it was a daily struggle to take her home.

It happens once in a while for kids that are cared for outside the home to not want to go hóme, but if it is a daily occurence, some self-reflection on the part of the parents/mum is probably due.
So, what are the signs that you are not spending enough time with your kids or are not present enough when you are spending time with your kids?

Health issues - there are many health issues that you can only catch at home, no matter how vigilant your childcare provider is. Also, for older kids, schools are there to provide education and not to look after your children. That is your job. My kids kindergarten is located behind a school and sometimes when walking through, I see kids playing outside in the cold without their jackets, because the teachers are teachers and not child care providers and don't check that kids are properly dressed for the weather.

Irittability and agressivness - If your otherwise playful and friendly or toddler starts to get unexplainable aggressive and irritable, it could be that they require more attention from you. There will be phases where your children require more or less attention from you and you need to be attune to their non-verbal and many times subconcious for them means of communication.
 
Clinginess - clinginess is normal from time to time, but during those phases, your child probably needs extra attention from you. Sometimes, clinginess might be related to a developmental milestone.

Decreased appetite and uneasy sleep: These might not always be caused by physiological issues but can stem from a psychological need.


For older children and young adults, the signs can differ slightly from signs shown by  younger children and can include:

• Failing health and school grades
• Lack of sleep
• Loss of friends
• Depression
• Lack of interest in activities
• Doing drugs or picking up vices
• Showing unexpected behaviour

These signs listed above are just some signs that might indicate that your child needs some more time and attention from you. ‘Parents should understand that a child’s need extends beyond the basic food, clothes, comfort and sleep. They have psychological needs too, which can only be compensated by spending enough time with them,’ explains Dr Sonar.


In the next post, we will look at ways to ensure that you spend enough quality time with your children while ensuring enough private space for both yourself and the children.
In the meantime, please post any symptoms that might also indicate that your children need more Quality interactions from you.

Copyright @themummyjuggle.com. 2015