Experiential Parenting

When raising Sabi, we often faced a common question: “How does Sabi juggle so many tasks at 7?” Our method? Think about how you organize your days as young adults, and we did something similar for her.

We have mass-printed weekly planners for Sabi. On the left side, we outlined essential tasks—like brushing teeth or practicing math. Beyond that? She got to fill in the rest, mapping out her week.

Each week, she used two sheets. Every Sunday night, she sketched out her ideal week. Then, as each day passed, she noted what she really did on a second sheet. She’d review her notes every morning, setting the tone for her day.

Notice the phrase “prepare for”? The planner has inculcated the habit to not just show up, but to plan ahead and make the most of from showing up.

Imagine a machine which is nothing more than a row of boxes that extends as far to the left. Let’s call it a “two-one machine” both written and read in a funny backwards way.

And what do you do with this machine? You put in dots. Dots always go into the rightmost box.

• Put in one dot, and, well, nothing happens: it stays there as one dot.
• But put in a second dot – always in the rightmost box – and then something exciting happens. Whenever there are two dots in a box they explode and disappear – Bhoom! – to be replaced by one dot, one box to the left.

We see that two dots placed into the machine yields one dot followed by zero dots.

Putting in a third dot – always the rightmost box – gives the picture one dot followed by one dot.

Let’s make a table and do it for all numbers till 10

Here is a visual way to look at it

Now, instead of playing with a 1 <- 2 machine, we could play with a 1 <- 3 machine (again
written and read backwards, a “three-one “machine). Now whenever there are three dots in a
box, they explode away to be replaced with one dot, one box to the left.

You can try this for different types of machine: 1 <- 4, 1 <- 5 and so on…

What are these machines doing?

Can you figure out what these machines are actually doing? Why is the code for two hundred and seventy-three in a 1 <- 10 machine, “273”? Are all the codes for numbers in a 1 <- 10 sure to be identical to how we normally write numbers. If you can answer that question, can you then also make sense of all the codes for a 1 <- 2 machine? What does the code 1101 for the number thirteen mean?

Both the above approaches, teaches the concept of binary (1 <-2) , tertiary (1 <- 3) and decimal (1 <- 10) number systems.

Puzzle: Consider you have squares of different sizes 1cm, 2cm, 3cm, 4cm and 5cm. How many minimum number of squares can be used to cover 7 x 7 matrix?

The most common answer that you will end up easily by trying different combinations of squares is 10. However, there are less than 10 squares that can fit it. Here’s the solution for it:

There are patterns even in daily objects arounds us. A book’s or any grocery product barcode may look like a bunch of random digits, but there is a secret mathematical code hidden in the barcode.

What pattern do you see in the Barcode below?

• There are alternate black and white vertical stripes
• Some stripes are thick and some stripes are thin
• It starts and ends with black color stripe.

Puzzle: Consider a 10cm barcode. How many different patterns can you create using combinations 1 cm or 2 cm (black and white stripe)

You can use paper cut outs of 1 cm and 2 cm and then place them in different combinations to find the patterns.

When Sabi was younger, we encouraged her independence. Simple tasks like choosing outfits or tying shoe laces were hers to tackle. One day, Sabi attempted to comb her hair, which is soft and tends to frizz. A mishap led to a tangled rubber band and we had to snip a bit of her hair. We advised her to wait until she turned 10 to tie her hair again. Yet, her curiosity persisted.

Last October, when her aunt inquired about a gift, Sabi’s initial thought was dolls. This took us aback, since dolls never truly caught her interest. A moment later, she wondered aloud if there were dolls with lifelike hair and accompanying combs. Sabi wanted to comb the doll’s hair to learn how to comb her own hair.

What is the difference between the two leaves?

• Gulmohar has Rounded leaves while Jacaranda has Pointed leaves
• …
• Gulmohar leaves are in pair of two, while Jacaranda leaves are in pairs of two with one single leave at the tip of the stem. Hence, Gulmohar leaves are 2n and Jacaranda leaves are 2n+1.

We bought the Noise Champ Smart Watch for Sabi. Here’s how it benefited her:

• Setting Goals During Walks: While walking, Sabi wasn’t sure how much further she should go. The watch’s pedometer let her set and track the 10,000 step goal.
• Time Awareness: With the watch, Sabi started understanding time and planning her day better.
• Learning Responsibility: Besides caring for her plants, Sabi learned to keep her watch charged. It might seem simple, but it’s a big deal for kids.
• Killing Time: When accompanying her mother at meetings, or at restaurants, or on long drives, Sabi kept herself busy with games like TicTacToe on the watch.

In the months following the reopening of schools post-Covid-19, we noticed Sabi interacting more with her peers. Naturally, she began drawing comparisons.

To address this, we purchased five identical Bonsai Trees. Over the next few months, Sabi cared for these plants and made several observations: A tree placed in direct sunlight got burnt and didn’t survive. Another remained sturdy, though it shed most of its leaves. Yet another had fewer leaves. Of the last two, both were lush with leaves, but only one showcased tiny blossoming flowers.

From this experience, Sabi learned that each living being, whether a Bonsai or a child, is unique. Comparing oneself to others is futile. What truly counts is to build on what you’ve got and keep on improving against yourself.

When Sabi was in preschool, she began to adopt habits from her friends. We understood this was natural, but we also wanted to help her recognize if a behavior was truly hers or something she was mirroring from others. So, we introduced the “Smoothie” analogy to her. Think of it like this: if Sabi is an apple and her friend is an apricot, when Sabi adopts a habit from her friend, she changes from an apple smoothie to an apple-apricot smoothie. This simple analogy resonated with her. Even as she grew older and started mirroring characters in books, we referred back to this concept. It’s a straightforward way we found to help her understand influence and individuality.

When your kid started acting younger out of the blue, you weren’t alone in feeling baffled. It happens! Kids sometimes slide back in their behaviors or skills, especially in early development. While we were okay with it, it was important to help Sabi recognize this. Hence, we drew a doodle and explained the concept to her. A year later, she remembered the concept and wrote this note in her journal.

We’ve found that teaching preschoolers math with an abacus has lots of benefits. The abacus lets kids get hands-on with numbers and math, making it easier for them to understand. It also helps them with visual and spatial skills, recognizing patterns, and staying focused. Using the abacus builds their confidence in math and helps them learn addition and subtraction early on, which is great for problem-solving. Plus, it’s good for their fine motor skills. Learning to use an abacus can also teach them about different cultures and traditions, which is pretty cool. Just remember, it’s best to mix abacus learning with other math activities for a well-rounded education. How you use it matters too, so keep that in mind.

Hi Sabi,

Life is a river and you’re on a raft, flowing through its currents. You don’t know where you’re going, but you want to make the most of the journey.

The river isn’t a straight path with a set destination, but a winding journey that requires skill and courage. One minute you’re paddling through a calm stream, and the next you’re in the middle of a wild river.

Every place you pass through — valley and gorge — makes you feel like a different person. You meet a lot of interesting people: friends, family, teachers, and strangers. You laugh and argue, build and destroy, and learn from each other.

You like some of them, and not others, but each one changes you in some way. You develop new perspectives and gain valuable insights.

As you grow up and go on to do different things, your raft will move further downstream the river.

People and places will pass, but your family will remain with you. So, respect, value, and love your family.

Don’t become too attached to people and places. They will pass. Don’t be too happy or too sad when they make you feel those emotions. Have multiple avenues of friends and social connections so that if you struggle in any one of them, you have others to rely on.

Regards,

Dhara and Ritvvij

At two and a half years, we felt it was time to delve into lessons about self-care and responsibility. Simple acts like brushing or exercise became focal points.

Wanting an engaging, hands-on experience, we turned to planting micro-greens in our balcony. The task for Sabi? Water them daily. Some days she’d miss out, and the wilting plants showed it. This wasn’t just about plants. It was about understanding that today’s efforts lead to future results. After weeks of care, she finally got to harvest. The outcome? A fresh salad and a lesson in patience.

Things to purchase: Mini Garden Toolset, Cocopeat, Microgreen Seeds, Potting Soil.

A couple of years later, Sabi wrote this note for herself in the journal.