Make Giving Part of my Children Birthday Every Year

Ever since we relocated to India, we have been teaching our kids more about empathy and how giving and helping the poor children mean the world to these children.  In school, they have also been given the opportunity to visit village schools and interact with the local poor children.  Additionally, during this season of getting gifts, the school has also been reinforcing the idea about giving too. 
   
I don’t want my kids to simply give because mom and dad told them to, I want them to feel empathy and give because they want to help another person .  To start the ball rolling of giving and sharing, Kyla and Lezane had donated a couple of their personal belongings as part of the charity christmas sharing to the poor. 

Also, this year, we took the opportunity of her birthday party to do her part for charity.  We tried very hard to convince Kyla not to recieve any presents from her friends.  Instead, we encouraged her to get her friends to donate money to her Santarina box, where the money will go to a local village school in need of funds.  Of course, in return for her kind 'sacrifice', she gets a big present from mummy and daddy.  Although we know she still doesn't really understand the impact of how her little kind act can help these poor children, we are very proud of the fact that she is willing to give her up presents for donations from her friends.  Well done Kyla!.. From the party, we collected 4700 rupees, which is way out of our expectations.  A very big thank you to all her friends and parents who generously donated.  It felt really good to be able to do something small and yet help the poor through a small children's party.  I will endeavour to make giving and sharing part of their birthdays every year.

Kyla with her Santarina Box

Give Me the Strength

We are coming to the fourth week of our Delhi stay and second week of school.  Things are still not very settled especially on settling the kids at school.

Kyla is still very much resistant towards school. Every morning, I am 'greeted' with screams and tears when I had to drag her out of bed to get ready for school.  Many times, she would hide in her bubble (comforter) and refusing to come out of it.  Now, even Weikai had to wake up to pacify her.  She would not stop crying even at school.  Her teacher practically dragged her out from my arms and pull her in with her kicks and screams along the corridor.  This is not the Kyla I know.  She is never like that.  I know something must have happened at school for her to react so negatively.  But no one is giving me the answer to it.  Her teacher doesn't know what is going on. On the other hand, Kyla just kept reiterating that she is scared and very scared to enter school - so much so that I am beginning to think if she had seen 'dirty stuff'. 

Friends had suggested homeschool but that is not the solution of our family. I just hope this is a passing phase and Kyla would grow to be a stronger person after this episode.  I really hope to see some light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Another headache that I am facing is with my driver.  He is constantly not coming to work, upsetting my schedules.  As a result, i have to force myself to drive independently, which is very much to my dismay.  Traffic here is very chaotic.  I must have an owl head to look at all directions. Gosh... why are all the problems happpening at one go.  I really need POWER to survive here. 

Incredible India= Incredible Patience and Endurance

We have just arrived at our third country, Incredible India.  To many, it sounds like a very exciting adventure.  But to me, it is a daunting adventure.  The past week has been house hunting and we settled with a very new place but a much smaller and cosy place compared to the current one.  Somehow, I am regretting my decision coz my kids will not have much place to run about in the house.

Next week, the kids would be starting their school and hope they would enjoy it as much as in CPH.  This school has more rules to follow and is pretty inflexible with certain administrative issues. In this aspect, Kyla and Lezane are missing their CPH friends very much.  And of course missing the beautiful CPH weather.  I am more worried for Lezane as he has a track record of adapting issues.  I hope this school will be as patient as CIS.  For eg, the school pants are zip pants and I forsee him having problems with it, although i am trying to teach him by this week.

Although things are much easier going in the beginning as compared to CPH, I just feel very uncomfortable in an environment that is polluted, daily traffics jams, floods, many inconveniences here and there, etc.  Additionally, weikai's long unhealthy working hours are not helping much either.  I do not have much of an opportunity to have a proper conversation with him.  At least for me, I am beginning to feel that  this stint is beginning to strain our family relationship to some extent.  (Maybe is a call for us to go back home).  Sometimes, money is not everything.  Money cannot make up for lost time.

I am trying my level best to endure this posting.  Must learn to be more patient and complain less.  Afterall, I am fortunate compared to those who doesn't even have a shelter over their heads.  Gambate to myself!....