Disciplining your kids is a private family matter.  There are a lot of theories, “experts” and self-help books out there, but I was wondering:  is there a consensus on the Hindu way of discipline?

So I poked around and found this fascinating article in Hinduism Today.  It addresses the issue of corporal punishment and how it is at odds with Hindu principles of ahimsa.

I don’t like to pass judgment on what other parents do in this department, but I have never believed in it and we don’t do it in our family.  We don’t even (knowingly) step on ants so I can’t imagine laying anything but a kiss on the 2 most precious things in my life.

But we do make the kids do pushups and these Indian squats (gunjeelu in Telugu).

image via here

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Gorgeous piggy banks for kids rooms and beyond – beautiful reminders of the importance of saving!

Above:  lovely Ganesha-esque with handpainted mehendi designs by Stephanie Rombough Ceramics.
Below:  adorable terracotta turtle bank from Poi Doi Handicrafts, Juhu Road, Mumbai.

Embossed leather elephant from East India via Craft Montaz:

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Do you remember the day(s) your little one(s) was born?

May all the moms out there be surrounded by love and laughter this weekend.

Above:  iconic painting by Raja Ravi Varma

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Last week, we hinted at some BIG news – so here we go:  Gnaana will be launching a new clothing line just for kids!  We’ve been plugging away for months and don’t have pictures to reveal yet, but the brand will make it’s debut to retail buyers in London with a Spring/Summer 2013 Collection at the Bubble Trade Show on June 17-18.

Click HERE to read today’s press release.

What’s the concept?  It’ll be modular mix-and-match separates for boys and girls blending Indian silhouettes with Western styling – so kids can wear them separately as every-day wear or combine pieces to function as traditional salwar suits and lehenga cholis.  And for the first time, we’ll be bringing historic Indian fabrics such as Benarasi silk, Chanderi silk and cotton Khadi to the Western market.

“Rayil’s collection will let kids blend their Western and Indian worlds, in beautiful fabrics that connect them with their heritage.  It’s a reflection of their identity and of how kids live their lives today – a true mix of the East and the West.”  –Aruna Hatti

Check out the site marker on the Rayil Website.  For updates, join the Rayil Facebook Page and sign-up for the Rayil Newsletter.

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For Tagore fans, as we celebrate his birthday this week – here is an old recording of a song sung by Gurudev himself.  With our deepest respects:

If you don’t know, this is sung in the Bengali language.  And of course, we feature a fully transliterated and translated CD of Rabindrasangeet in our Shop (perhaps the first time this has been done).

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Busy, busy today – gearing up for a big announcement – so stay tuned and watch this space next week!

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With all the physicians (and aspiring physicians) in our Indian community, I’m surprised I don’t see more of these in my friends’ homes.  I didn’t know this, but for the price of a restaurant meal, you could buy your very own full child-size Model Skeleton.  I guess I never thought to look.  An epiphanous moment indeed.

With both of my kids declaring they want to be “surgery doctors” (I had NOTHING to do with this – I swear.  I refuse to do what was done to me…), this will most certainly be our next gift purchase.  If anything, it will help field their incessant questions about the human body.

I just won’t put it any closet (eeeek!).  Playroom maybe.  But not a closet.

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It is said that an Indian woman’s wardrobe is not complete without a Sabysachi Saree.  Sabysachi Mukherjee has designed for stars the world over (ncluding Oprah), but his styles are accessible and wearable heirloom treasures – that value traditional Indian textiles.  And word has it that for time ever there’s a Chota Sabya line for kids.

Want one of these sarees? Available in the US at Pia Ka Ghar.

image via The Hindu

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I’ve been looking for one of these sets for ages – I used to play with a similar set in my grandmother’s village.  The set I had was plain laquer wood (no colours) and had a manual “blender” (basically a huge rock with a hole in it and another pineapple-shaped mallot – used to grind idli batter (called a rubbu-rolu in Telugu) and also a manual spice grinder (the one where two people use long poles – I guess no one uses these anymore…).

This kitchen set is made with the Etikoppaka craft (named after a village near Visakhapatnam).  Available here.

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Many schools feature “artists of the month” or at least teach about certain artists.  My kids learn about Picasso and Monet and this month it’s Van Gogh (you can only image the onslaught of questions about the ear thing…).  But no, never any “ethnic” artists – schools mainly seem to focus on the West when it comes to art education.

So, as with all matters of “cultural education,” I’m forced to homeschool if I want my kids exposed to Indian art.  I’m starting with Jamini Roy - one of my absolute favourites - I think because he blends traditional Bengali folk art with contemporary strokes.

My plan is to poke around the web and compile images and backgound information about Roy and staple together a little DIY mini-book for the kids.

Jamini Roy is an amazing artist.  You can learn more about him (and see a slideshow of his art) on India’s National Gallery of Modern Art’s website.  See also here (for more interesting personal acedotes) and here
(for a book on Roy).

images via Google images

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