Parent of a super active kid? Check out YOCee!!

For many of you, www.Yocee.in may not be something new. If you are a parent of a super active kid(s) who keeps you busy all the time and if you are frantically searching for a way to engage him or her with some useful activities, classes etc., this is the right time to know about this website.  Started by Miss. Revathi, a post graduate in Journalism and Mass communications, this website (www.Yocee.in) has whole lot of informative stuff for Chennai kids. Recently I was searching for a good art and craft classes for my 3 year old daughter and bumped into this website. Wow! The website is loaded with details you cannot just ignore.  Rightly titled as Yocee- The hub for young chennai’ , I’m sure this website will impress you and your kids too.

Yocee! – is for you, Chennai kids!

News about Chennai city and its suburbs, workshops, summer camps, contests and other programmes for kids of all age groups are exclusively reported by none other than a handful of students themselves. Yes, Yocee management hires and trains these talented kids on journalism under their “Young reporter’s programme”. Sounds cool, isn’t it? So what’s on the job for these trained reporters? The young reporters collect and present hot and happening news in the Chennai schools and about various useful events for children.

Kiddos! Steal the limelight
The website duly captures and presents a note about the events, contests in any corner of the city to benefit the budding young participants with incredible energy level. Also, Yocee team chronicles the interviews of ‘gifted’ children in their website featuring their achievements and awards. What’s more, if you have a talented kid doodling dozens of designs, drawings or arts and crafts work, you can easily bring their works on to the website! Yes, your kid’s work will be featured on ‘Your Page’ section in the website for more exposure. Children, waste not a moment! Shoot up a nice video, snap a cool picture or script an interesting story and send it to the Yocee team to get the limelight.
Every year, Yocee team prints out an exhaustive directory called ‘Chennai kid Directory’ listing all the important phone numbers to enrich your child’s life! Grab a copy now from specific outlets or shops in the city! As a parent of a pre-schooler, I have already bookmarked this website for my reference! Yocee rocks!Truly!

Fun Videos for kids

Is your little one fond of cartoon videos, funny baby videos or rhymes? I know that you have bookmarked Youtube.com to run these videos that your child adores. But, you also know that Youtube is full of agonizing Ads and hyperlinks that may irritate you to the core. So, is there a way one can watch Ad-Free, Clean and safe video content?!  Of course Yes!

Kideos (www.kideos.com) is a wonderful website for your kid. The site has huge collections of music videos for babies and children of all age groups. Do check it out as it will be a total delight for your little one.

Pick the right and safe stuff:

The best part of Kideos.com is that all the videos are grouped according to the kid’s age group.  So, you can easily browse through and pick your child’s favourite one and play for him/ her.  Music videos of cartoon shows, famous title songs, Songs in TV serials, funny baby videos, Fairy tale Titles, informative learning and How-to videos for kids etc.,

Videos on Kideos.com are certified by Video advisory council that screens every video for safety.  So safety of the video content is guaranteed!  

Sign up and get your own account in the website and create your own playlist- your favourite video collection. Your kids will also get to know a lot of fun facts about the famous cartoon characters.

Refer to Technofriends URL to get a more detailed review on www.kideos.com

Mushrooming Playschools

In the Recent years, Playschools have boomed up like mushrooms everywhere. Almost every street in the city ends up with a Playschool or a Franchise of one such school. Starting a Playschool has become a Plaything now. Some say “Hey! It’s a great business now. I too want to start one! “I give the weirdest of my facial expressions to those who say that to me.

What’s your investment for this my dears? I ask

“Some bucks, few teachers & aayah’s, a colourfully painted place, Montessori toys, play gyms, a set curriculum for kids. Ofcourse, a cool name, a catchy slogan and an appealing website for the Playschool”.  That’s all?? !  

????(They start thinking intensely in their minds to bring out few more valid points to start a play school, but nothing actually comes out)

Yes! Love, Passion, affection, patience to nurture the kids hardly appear in their list.

Playschools -  Most of them a pure business today

Startup playschools shower their offers and assert a lovable, educative environment for our kids, but when admissions start pouring in for them, they do forget even the basic and most important promised standards on Hygiene & Safety.

Initially their slogan will be ‘Child friendly..blah blah ‘, but over a period of time it would be just ‘Money friendly’ !  Playschools admit kids of age groups from 1.5 yrs till 5 yrs. When most of the older kids find something to learn n play, the worst affected ones are the toddlers who are below 2/ 2.5 yrs of age.  

Some Playschools have a ‘Structured curriculum’ for kids who are below 2/2.5 yrs! Wouldn’t a two year old baby want to run, explore & play all the time? They are to be set free, under careful supervision. But there are Playschools where the kids are safely confined to a place just to avoid accidents.

Indifferent Teachers in Playschools

Teachers of most of the Playschools (especially the so called ‘popular ‘ones) lack care and true affection to the kids. If there’s a long absentee child/ toddler due to sickness, how many teachers call up the parents and ask about the well being of their student kid??

Recently one of my close friend’s 2 yr old daughter was very unwell and couldn’t go to the playschool for many days.  The kid’s teacher one fine day rang her up and asked “Is you kid coming to school today, because there’s a Annual Day rehearsal today and there’s a class photo session ?!! My friend was truly expecting a “How’s your kid?” type of question first from the teacher! (To remember: At the time of admission their slogan was “We are the parents of your kids in the school”)
End of the day, parents do regret the decision of putting their dear little ones in such schools. Playschools claim to prepare the kids for the regular schools. But how many sincerely follow that is a big question today.

One genuine advice to working moms/ moms of ‘super’ active toddlers. Please don’t fall prey just to the Big name, flashy ads, or websites of the playschools or the testimonial which appear in their sites. Also, please beware of some Playschools with International tags, as they develop unhealthy eating habits in kids, by offering them pizzas, chocolates, processed foods and drinks.

Amar Chitra Katha Tales for children

If you are a parent who is shocked or surprised to know that your child knows more about Greek, Chinese or Roman mythology rather than our very own Indian Mythology, then this is the right time to get your child interested in our Indian folklore and fables. Our Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have numerous stories that teach priceless values to your child.  Are you wondering how to get started?  It’s going to be rather simple! ‘Amar Chitra Katha’ comic series have wonderful stuff that your children would love to read on.

Amar Chitra Katha – Indian Tales unlimited!

Well, some of you parents might feel the nostalgia steeping in, because you might have read a lot of Amar Chitra Katha comic books in your childhood days. Shouldn’t your children too have all the fun you had while reading the kathas on Indian mythology?

Browse to www.amarchitrakatha.com and check out a whole lot of comics, books, videos etc., on various topics. Whichever part of the world you may be in, you can order online and get the books shipped to your location in just few clicks.  Check out the site from time-to –time to know the discounts and free offers. If you do not wish to go through the hassles of buying it online, you can buy on phone too. Just dial 09223331947 and place the order.  If you wish to have a touch and feel of the book or read a couple of lines from the stories, or to simply linger your eyes on the illustrative pictures in the book, check out your nearest book store to have your pick.

Tinkle, Karadi Tales, Picture Books and Much more
During my school days, Tinkle is one of my favourite comics. I used to enjoy reading not just once – but many times. Well, yes, the current versions of Tinkle comics have undergone a drastic change of layouts and stories to suit today’s children’s taste and readability. Karadi Rhymes book is also one of my favourites as it teaches kids about Indian Livelihood. The best part of Karadi Rhymes is that its sung by Usha Uthup, the vibrant singer who will capture your child’s heart with her voice, rhythm, intonation and the pronunciation! Surf to www.karaditales.com to buy the brilliant collection of Karadi Rhymes, Books and CDs.

Latest Buzz

Amar Chitra Katha fans, you have a news to rejoice! Yes, ACK-Media, the Amar Chitra Katha  publisher is soon going to release a collection of stories about Indian Temples. It is said that this new series on Temple tales will be a simple and fun read for the children with both traditional and modern touch in its illustrations. Great news, Isn’t it?! Order and buy online at www.amarchitrakatha.com  now ! to get the introductory offer of 25% discount.

 Introduce your kids to the world of values and fun! Introduce Amar Chitra Katha Books to them! I’m sure your children will get hooked on to the collections as you did.

Why your child should learn Music?

'Music' - The sweetest word in the English dictionary! It is the word that enthuses and energizes the world. With the World Music day just got over a couple of days back, I thought it would be apt to write about it.

Albert Einstein said it right “While calculus would have survived without either Newton or Leibniz, the world would not have been the same had Beethoven never lived". How True!

Though I do not have much exposure to Beethoven’s music on a regular basis, being a south indian, I adore the Sruti, Swara, Tala , Raga and the kirthi systems in the Carnatic music. Hang on! Neither I’m a music buff nor have I learnt the nuances in Music ever. However, I truly and whole heartedly enjoy the finest music in any form. Not just me, anyone will love to devour that fine art and feel the inner harmony and the magic it could create on oneself.

Music and Intelligence:
Yes. They are directly proportional! Studies prove that the more you listen to and enjoy fine music, the more you will be a brainy. Musical learning or highest exposure to it exponentially increases one's emotional, logical, visual-spatial intelligence.

Let your kids learn Music.

Why children should learn music?Very few parents and teachers realize the importance of music in the early childhood. Many do not understand that Music can bring a holistic development in a child resulting in high performance in academics and other activities too. Music will make children more intelligent, emotionally strong and confident. ‘Attention to harmonic concepts in Music improves memory and conceptual reasoning while rhythm improves motor skills and limbic coordination’ says a music expert.

Harvard Psychologist Howard Gardner puts Musical Intelligence just equivalent to other types of intelligence like, logical, mathematical, spatial, kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. In fact, systematic learning of Music will boost your child’s performance in multiple facets and contribute to the growth of other intelligences as well.

Will my child be capable of learning or mastering Music? If you have this question in your mind, it is time to nip that doubt off from your mind!Just like every child is born with a natural talent to speak, write, read and understand their native language, they will have a potential to learn and master their culture’s music too!

It is not enough if we celebrate World Music day year after year, we must also understand the impact and importance of music in our lives. Get your child musically inclined from very young, get them trained in Music and see the difference! They are sure to excel not just in Music but also in their academics. So, onus in on you dear parents and teachers, to bring out a better doctor, engineer, IT professional, a lawyer or just a wonderful human being in your child!