Shilpa Roy Kota
Parenting Stories (and more) from the desk of an imperfect parent
Category: Toyna
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When Yog was small and didn’t know any of his sign language, it was often a challenge to make out what he was trying to communicate. Over time, experience taught me that there were only a limited number of things that could make an infant cry. These include – milk, when they are hungry; sleep,…
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After a long gap, yesterday, I was down with fever again. Around 5 in the evening, I could no longer continue to work, so decided to pack my bags and head home. Immediately upon reaching the home, I went to my room to catch some rest. This bothered Yog, as he is used to me…
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We have been working with a tough client for more than two years now. We have been abused, penalized and battered by this client for a long time. In spite of all the trauma, the team stuck on, determined to make it work. Today, as we went in for one of the few…
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I might be the biological mother for Yog, but honestly, better than me, he has two more mothers in our house. One, without doubt, is his grandmother whom he spends a lot of his waking time with. The other, quite unexpectedly is 9 year old Toyna. When Yog was born, I hadn’t expected Toyna to…
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Most first time parents have this fairy tale vision about parenting. They have seen enough spoilt brats in their circle of friends and family to create their own rule book of what not to do with their own children. I, of course, was no different. When I was expecting my first child, I vowed to…
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Dear Toyna, I write this letter to you today, as a reminder to you (and to all those who might ever stand in your path) of the extraordinary courage and will power you possess. I don’t say this because you are my daughter and I am blinded by my love for you. I say this…
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Whenever I meet a stranger, I usually introduce myself with my name , “Hi, I am Shilpa. Nice to meet you here…… “ On the contrary, I am always pleasantly surprised at how Toyna meets strangers her age. She never starts the conversation with telling her name or asking their name. The conversation is always…
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Toyna has been pestering us for a pet dog since eternity. I love dogs myself, but at the same time, am fully aware of the fact that we don’t have the time or the physical space in our house to do justice to one. Whenever we try to explain the same to Toyna, she quickly…
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As soon as I got home from office yesterday, Toyna ran to me, hugged me and said “Advance Happy Teachers Day!” I was surprised to hear this. Sensing my hesitancy to accept the title of a “Teacher”, she quickly exclaimed, “You taught me how to walk, how to say my first words. You still teach me…
Shilpa Roy Kota 