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Being a working mom comes with its share of perks but its also a bumpy ride. While I enjoy the adult conversations and love what I do, its sometimes challenging as a parent. I do focus on spending quality time with my 3 year old.

Should a working mom be overridden by guilt? There is a lot thats spoken on this topic and its never enough. There is no easy answer but prioritising and making the most of the limited time one has with their child is whats essential. And believe me, it works wonders.

I have always given a lot of importance in developing a good skill set in my daughter – apart from the core values, what’s important is etiquette and good communication skills.

My mother who has a rich and varied work experience in dealing with kids for several years has been guiding me in my journey. 

Some of the methods we used to develop good communication skills in her as a toddler were:

1. We talk to her constantly, we always did that when she was in my womb and also when she was an infant. She would roll her eyes and listen attentively at times and sometimes she was just not interested. But constant communication with the child is essential. Bonding with parents is crucial to baby brain development. Did you know the red flags which a parent must closely observe and seek help at the appropriate time?
2. We love reading books together. My daughter is absolutely fascinated with books. Her favourites include Spot- The Dog adventures, Peppa Pig, The Hungry Caterpillar and the The Very Busy Spider. These are illustrative books with a few words but they are wonderful stories which help boost the child’s imagination on one hand and improve his/her communication ability. Though my daughter still loves listening to stories, she also likes narrating them. Its a daily ritual. During the ages of 3-5, a child’s thinking and imagination  undergoes tremendous change. Books play a big role in cognitive development. Its one of the ways in which a mom can feed IQ to her child. 
3. As I am a working mom, I get limited time with her on weekdays. However I make it a point to have this 5 minute conversation about her day and tell her a bit about mine. She has recently started going to school and I am eager to ask her about what she did at school. At times she isn’t interested in answering me but at other times she is all pepped up and its a joy hearing her anecdotes. These precious 5 minutes goes a long way in bonding. Don’t we all want that one person whom we can pour our heart out too?
4. While most people say its better to keep your child away from TV and the I pad, I have seen some benefits of watching cartoon shows, though I would caution that the time limits have to be monitored. My daughter absolutely adores Peppa Pig series and though I was worried if this is a sign of addiction, I noticed she is learning new things like her vocabulary is improving, so is her memory power as she comes running to me and tells me about a new character she met today in the series and she is often able to co relate things Peppa does with what she has done like playing in the snow when we visited Zurich. Screen time in moderation does have its set of benefits. 
5. Its also important that the child gets the right nutrition which in turn helps in the the brain development. This is essential apart from the external stimuli methods employed. There are several ways in which a mother feeds IQ to her baby. Baby food as well as a mother taking care of her own diet requirements play an important role in infant cognition. I am often in a rush and its a challenge managing my own nutrition. But hey, as a mom you got to do it all. For unless you take care of your own diet and nutrition, how can you ensure your baby is getting all that he/she needs for their growth?

 Apart from food, it is the overall environment which a child grows in which plays a significant role in moulding them. Parents and caregivers have a big role to play here.

One of my happiest moments was when my 3 year old narrated a story, her eyes gleaming and her hands all in action as we watched with delight. Its memories like these which make this journey of motherhood such a special one.

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