The Learning Cafe

As someone who has been judged an entire student life for bad handwriting, I sometimes wonder what the whole hooha was about.
All I do is type!
As a child who has constantly seen the comment on her books, improve your handwriting ,I really never knew how to. if I reduced the speed of writing and wrote beautifully, it slowed the speed of my thoughts and my hands ached. I decided that I would let the mind fly!
I understand while I grew up as a student, parents and educators didn't have any other options. Typing was a skill to be learnt if one wanted to be a typist at an office. It was a career choice.
As an educator I understand the connections between development of handwriting as a psycho motor skill and the development of the faculties of the brain.
But with technology converting voice to speech, the demands of the industry being typing out stuff, why do we still insist on beautiful handwriting?

And why is this news?
Clothes are not meant for just one time wear. Just for the sake of photos, we have started making our wardrobes huge and expensive.
On one side we talk about recycling and reusing. On the other we pretend to be shocked when people do such things.
I am glad Alia reused her wedding saree and actually got her wardrobe designed in a way she could do it.
I see so many brides wearing huge ghagras which they cannot even carry by themselves. These can obviously then never be reused!

What's your take on this?

Life lessons from the Chandrayan.

While the nation celebrates the landing certain things struck me.
The landing phase was divided into four phases.
Rough Braking phase
Attitude hold phase
Fine braking phase
Terminal descent phase

While the scientific meaning of these phases may be different, I could not but draw parallels to parenting, just as I had done the last time!

The Rough Braking phase- As a young parent, one learns on the job. It's not the easiest of roles. Scientifically the rough Braking phase is when the speed of the lander was reduced systematically to ensure the right landing. And this is exactly what every young parent needs to know. One needs to slow down to reach the speed of the child. Time and again we want our children to match up to speed with us. Slow down, hold your child and support her to navigate the world. Being fast and first in everything need not be the goal!
The attitude hold phase- This term really kicked the parent in me. While for the Chandrayaan it meant a recaliberation of the position, for me the word held up the meaning of life. The attitude of a parent can make or break a child. And this phase in the lander may have been temporary, but for a parent it is lifelong. Reorienting oneself at every stage of parenting and constantly calibrating ones mindsets to what the child's best interests are is the most challenging part of being a parent.

The fine braking phase- It was at this phase that Chandrayaan 2 lost communication. Why does this remind me of the parenting tribulations of being one to a teenager? And the words, fine braking phase? Parenting a tween or a teen is balancing a tight rope. Communication and dignity along with respect to the individuality of the child is the need here.
The terminal descent phase-
And this of course is the final phase when one sees one's child landing into the orbit of life on her own. She is now on a journey of her own, where the parent is a mere spectator. You will get data from her. You may want to analyse it and your over protective mind may want to give her unsolicited advice too. But the reality is that once the child has reached the descent level, the child is an adult.Treat her as one. Let go.