Of the versatility of words

Criminalizing marital rape would send the clear message that: We as a nation do not condone marital rape.

Who doesn't like chocolate cake? This is an easy to read rhyming recipe for chocolate cake perfect for early readers.

Bigotry is on the rise in some parts of the world. Be it in the form of racism, sexism, religious intolerance or something else. People are becoming more comfortable with publicly expressing harsh hostile opinions directed against certain groups. So what can we do about it?

My husband (referred to as Papa in my blogs, because that is what I often call him, since our daughter christened him Papa in spite of all our efforts to get her to call him daddy) and I met in degree college, whilst doing our B.Sc in physics. I had hoped to join IIT's Physics department, but I did not get through the second round of JEE (IIT's prestigious Joint Entrance Exam). Having spent 2 years working tirelessly on getting through the JEE, I had hardly considered what I would do if I did not get in.

We have come to recognise that patriarchy hurts women in so many ways, from depriving them of education, fulfilment of dreams and their full potential, to more drastic problems like domestic abuse and rape.

Papa (my husband) and I like to spend a few hours a week discussing our lives, or our relationship or Physics or some esoteric subject. This weekend we were talking about something and somehow we ended up on the subject of competition. We are both fiercely competitive people. But somehow we realised that we don't really compete against each other. So we thought about it. How did that come to be, we wondered.

Most large societies evolved to be patriarchal. Many of us today are fighting against patriarchy and struggling to rectify the situation, but a question does come to mind. How or why did most large societies evolve to be patriarchal? What is the evolutionary biology explanation for this?

Babies can be very frustrating, but they can be very funny too. And since they are not trying to be funny, their shenanigans are so heart warming, they'll make you forget all your distractions and genuinely laugh for a few minutes. I thought I'd share some anecdotes that made me laugh.

“I do it myself” she repeats over and over again as copious tears flow down her soft round cheeks. Her vision is blurred, but she is relentless. She will not give up. This is the fourth time it has happened this morning.

This is an easy to read, 500 word, short story, about Kim's day at school. It is suitable for kids, who can read simple sentences and are ready to start reading short stories on their own.

Having lived in the US for 8 years this is one of their traditions that I found most enjoyable. Halloween is a little unusual for a festival. Its not even a holiday. Its just a fun way to spend the evening.

This is an easy to read poem about two kids and their dog named Bob. The poem has mainly 3 and 4 letter words and a few 5 letter words. The pictures provide context to help the child figure out the words. The rhyme and rhythm make it an entertaining read. You are welcome to print this out for personal use.

Papa, and I have been a couple since I was 18. We met in degree college, and 2 years later we were graduate students in different universities in the US. Now we have been together for 15 years and married for 8 years and here are some heart warming memories.

Last night the Nobel prize in literature was awarded to Bob Dylan. Here is a little about him and his views on parenting.

I am not talking about child labour or taking away from their childhood. I am talking about involving them in house hold jobs they have fun doing, and making them feel valued.

I was reading the very popular facebook post by Tannishtha Chatterjee about her humiliation on some comedy channel about the colour of her skin. “How is it funny to call someone dark? I don’t get it..” she says and she is right of course. But that got me thinking about jokes in general. There is a whole category of jokes that stereotype people and make fun of them as a group. Any of these sound familiar?

Often in the fight for equality and rights for women, the virtues of women are highlighted. Their endurance and emotional strength is emphasized. But what I don't understand is this. Do women need to be strong or successful or productive to deserve basic rights and equality?

My older one has always loved story time and Dr. Seuss in a great favourite. It was for me too. My favourite was Wacky Wednesday. My mother still complains that I made her read that book way too many times. I loved counting all the wacky things on each page. Some of those things were outrageous.

I moved to the US at the age of 20 for grad school. I lived alone and was financially independent. Neither earning a living, nor living alone, nor doing research made me feel as much a grown up as something else did.

As a kid, I read a lot of Enid Blyton. So my world of children's stories was full of British boarding schools, or kids tackling exciting mysteries and having amazing adventures. Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys were along similar lines too. There were books of magic and goblins and witches and wizards as well. But I must say, I never read a book that revolved around the everyday problems of regular teens.

This is a light hearted post about how the terrible two's can also be terribly cute, and remembering that may help us get through it with at least some of our sanity.

Feminism is about having all the choices.

Today we were stuck in traffic for a while. Our driver was bored waiting for some movement in traffic and turned his attention to my 2 year old. He held out his fist and asked her if she wanted a sweet. He occasionally gives sweets to my kids, so that is okay. But today, I was trying to frantically signal to him that he should not offer one today as she had eaten a few in the morning already. His response baffled me. He laughed and said, “Don't worry I don't have any. Look my hand is empty.” He said opening the fist.

Sex education must go way beyond the mechanics of sex. And we must remove any shame associated with sex, to impart effective sex education.