Hello friends, today’s post is my son’s favourite. He’d been sitting with me the whole time while I was working on it. I am sure you can easily guess why he was so interested in this particular blog post. Yes, because it’s all about fun shows for kids. And, which kid would say no to some free entertainment. So, today I am sharing 5 fun and educational shows for kids.

There are so many shows & movies available online for children that sometimes it gets so confusing to decide which one would be appropriate for our child. It was not that difficult when my son was a toddler, it was pretty easy to choose the channel for him since he preferred and enjoyed watching rhymes mostly.

But now it’s different, he has diverse interests and he gets bored easily. Moreover, he rarely likes the shows that we choose for him. So, what we do is we give the control in his hands and let him decide what he wants to watch. But he gets to watch that only after it gets our final approval.

And, now he pretty much knows what kind of shows get our approval. So, you see involving kids in decision-making teaches them responsibility as well. It was a win-win for us.

You will be surprised to know that the fun and educational shows for kids which I am going to share in this post today are discovered by our son and are his ultimate picks.

Well, these are my favourites too because they are not just fun and entertaining but educational as well. Here’s a list of our top 5 fun and educational shows for kids.

Top 5 Fun and Educational Shows for Kids

1 – Alphablocks

The Alphablocks are 26 living letters who discover that whenever they hold hands and make a word, something magical happens. With adventures, songs and silliness, it’s tons of fun with words – all built on a firm foundation of key phonics skills.

If your kids have just started learning letters and their sounds the phonic way, or they are at the next level, learning how to spell or make words, or even at a higher level, learning how to read or make sentences, then I would strongly recommend you to introduce Alphablocks to them.

The videos proved quite helpful in our case.

2 – Numberblocks

Just like Alphablocks teach the kids all about alphabets, sounds, and words, Numberblocks help them learn how to count, add, subtract, multiply, and much more in a fun and educational way.

If your kids are afraid of Maths, do show them Numberblocks, trust me, they will soon become best friends with these numbers.

3 – It’s AumSum Time

This is not the name of the channel but this is what my son calls it because all the videos start with the same tagline – It’s AumSum Time. The channel name is Smart Learning for All and it’s all about science.

If your kids are full of curiosity and love to question everything around then this channel is for them. All the videos have a question starting with ‘How’, ‘Why’ and ‘What if’ and then goes on answering them in a fun and creative manner.

4 – The Dr. Binocs Show

Another favourite of my son is The Dr. Binocs Shows. Their videos are based on the same theme as AumSum Time. The channel name is Peekaboo Kidz and it covers topics ranging from science, geography, evolution, history, and inventions.

Dr. Binocs zooms in and out of the complicated concepts and makes them easy to understand for kids. The videos are quite informative as well as entertaining.

5 – Blippi

While all the above shows are animated, Blippi is a real character. He’s fun and energetic and knows how to grab the attention of kids with his quirky persona. His videos are interactive, educational, and entertaining, not just for kids but adults too.

The best part of Blippi’s videos is that he takes you to many fun places like museums, zoos, water parks, and even indoor and outdoor playgrounds where he teaches something new in an easy and interactive manner. The kids don’t even realize that Blippi is teaching them and they get to learn so many good things in a fun way.

Note – All these shows are available on YouTube Kids as well.

So, parents what do you think about these online shows? Do share your thoughts in the comments below. See you next time!

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Alexa Rank

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

My theme for #MyFriendAlexa is All under one roof called Parenting. And, this is my 7th post under the category Entertainment for Kids #Edutainment.

You may check out my other Alexa posts, here.

If you liked this post, please do share it with your friends and family. Thank you!

The post 5 Fun and Educational Shows for Kids 3 To 6 years old on YouTube appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello friends, as you must have already guessed, today’s post is a recipe. And, I’ll tell you how you can make Veg Momos with Multigrain Atta and give this recipe a healthy twist. I am pretty sure, this is going to be an ultimate hit with kids as well as adults.

Do you love momos?

I can imagine heads nodding. Well, I haven’t met a single person who said they don’t love momos. But I’m sure there are some who have no idea what’s a momo. So, for the uninitiated ones, momo is a type of steamed dumplings stuffed with some filling. Nowadays, there are many varieties of momos. You can have pan-fried momos or deep-fried momos or even grilled momos. You can even have momo soup.

But, for this post, we are going to stick to steamed veg momos with multigrain atta.

Steamed Veg Momos

Before moving on with the post, I want to clearly state that I am not a great cook and every day in the kitchen is a learning for me. I started cooking only when the pandemic hit and we were left with no choice but to cook for ourselves. I feel that I still can’t survive alone in the kitchen hence my husband takes care of half of the things like kneading dough, peeling, cutting and chopping vegetables, doing the dishes, and most importantly taking care of the breakfast.

Now what do you do if you are not a great cook but you are a foodie and also have kids?

You experiment! 

I am a mom and I am not a perfect cook. And, that’s okay!

I would like to mention here that I got this idea of making atta (whole wheat flour) momos from a friend on Instagram but because I am not too good at following recipes to the T, I screwed it up the first time.

And, I didn’t try making it again for almost a year. Then one day, my son saw momos in a cartoon show and he requested me to make some for him. Well, I couldn’t say no because even I was craving for momos. So, let’s straight jump to the recipe now.

PIN IT!

How to Make Veg Momos with Multigrain Atta?

If you don’t want to read the recipe, you may jump directly to the end of this blog where I have attached the recipe video.

I am dividing this recipe into 3 steps.

1. Preparing the dough
2. Preparing the stuffing
3. Filling & Steaming the momos

What you will need to make veg momos with multigrain atta?

1. Multigrain Atta (I have used Aashirwad Atta)

2. Vegetables of your choice

3. Soya chunks (I have used Nutrela soya chunks)

4. Crushed black pepper, Red chili powder, Salt

Step 1 – Preparing the dough

This is the easiest part, no rocket science in this. You have to prepare the dough in the same way you prepare for making roti (chapati). Just don’t keep it too soft.

Also, add a little oil or ghee while kneading the dough.

No need to add baking soda or yeast.

I have used multigrain atta (flour) to make it more nutritious for my son. You may use whole wheat flour as well.

Once the dough is prepared, keep it aside for resting.

 2 – Preparing the stuffing

Now, this step may take around 30-45 mins since this requires cutting and chopping vegetables and cooking them as well.

You will need 3-4 vegetables of your choice. I have taken carrots, red/green/yellow capsicums, onions. (You may also take french beans, cabbage, spring onions, and mushrooms).

I have also used soya chunks for filling to make it protein-rich. (You may also add paneer or tofu).

Now, finely chop all the veggies. If you want to use soya chunks then first soak them in hot water and after 10 mins squeeze the water out and finely chop them too.

The next step is to stir fry all the chopped veggies.

Take some oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add all the chopped veggies, stir fry for 5-10 mins on medium-high flame. Just before turning off the flame, add salt, black pepper, and red chili powder and mix well.

Now, keep it aside to cool down a bit, and alongside start your steamer.

3 – Filling & Steaming the momos

This step is the trickiest of all. Please do check the video for this step.

You have to take a small ball of dough and roll it into a thin sheet. Now, add the filling and fold it to give the shape of a momo.

Be very careful while doing this step. Keep the dough balls small so that your sheet is also small and thin. This way your momos will cook fast.

After filling the momos, it’s time to put them in the steamer. It took me around 30 mins to steam one batch of momos.

Your yummy and healthy veg momos with multigrain atta are ready to be served. My son loved these momos!

I have shared few tips and two of my favourite kitchen essentials in the video along with the full recipe. Check it out below.

Here is the complete video –

That’s all for this blog. See you on Monday. Take care!

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Alexa Rank

• 10th Sep – 529,697 (Global) & 108,856 (India)
• 16th Sep – 528,653 (Global) & 59,941 (India)
• 17th Sep – 512,144 (Global) & 56,364 (India)
• 20th Sep – 500,480 (Global) & 49,326 (India)
• 24th Sep – 411,630 (Global) & 38,513 (India)

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

My theme for #MyFriendAlexa is All under one roof called Parenting. And, this is my 3rd post under the category Food #HealthySnacks.

You may check out my other Alexa posts, here.

If you liked this post, please do share it with your friends and family. Thank you!

The post How to Make Veg Momos with Multigrain Atta? Healthy Snack for Kids appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

It was August, my birthday month and just like the last year, we decided not to travel anywhere for the sake of our safety. But it was too hard to not think about the mountains and the beaches, the travel craving was at its peak. Surprisingly, this time even Nemit was missing the travel too much, he kept asking us when we will go on a vacation. And, we kept ignoring our inner voice until we could no longer control it. And, finally, we decided to keep all our fears aside and planned this family road trip from Delhi to Lansdowne.

However, this time the planning was next level and we had only 3 days to finalise everything.

Hello friends, welcome back to my blog. If you have been following us for quite some time now then you know that our travels are mostly to the less explored, quiet, and peaceful destinations. We try to avoid crowded tourist destinations as much as possible since that is not our style of travelling.

And, this time again we chose the destination which is not too famous among the tourists.

Planning for The Trip

The moment we decided to travel, we had to choose the destination. The beaches or the hills?

Since we felt we were not yet ready to resume air travel, we chose the hills. Next question was, Himachal or Uttarakhand?

Check out – Weekend Getaway from Delhi? Where to go, Himachal or Uttarakhand?

And, because we had only the weekend with us, we wanted to visit a nearby hill station.

By the evening, we zeroed upon two places where we could go, Rishikesh or Lansdowne?

I don’t have much experience of driving in the mountains but both Rishikesh and Lansdowne are known to me. We visited Rishikesh in 2019 and I drove to Lansdowne with my parents in 2013. So, now the final decision had to be made based on the place we like for our stay.

Check out our Rishikesh Road Trip Vlog from 2019, here-

Where to Stay?

We wanted to be very careful while booking the place to stay. Even though the coronavirus cases have drastically reduced in numbers, we still can’t take the risk. So, our best bet was to look for Airbnb properties like cottages with a bedroom, hall, and kitchen.

Check out – Why You Should Book an Airbnb when Traveling with Kids?

We didn’t like the Airbnb properties in Rishikesh, the ones we liked were out of our budget. So we called the resort where we stayed the last time. There the manager told us that weekend is not the right time to visit as it gets a bit crowded. Even that resort was fully booked for the weekend. We took the cue and dropped Rishikesh from our list.

It was Wednesday morning, I was sitting with Nemit for his online class. While he was busy doing his work, I was busy scrolling through the Airbnb app. And, just then I found this beautiful property by the name Blue Pine Orchards, 30 mins from Lansdowne. It looked really good. They had private 2 bedroom studio villas with a front yard. And, from the pictures, it looked perfect, just what we were looking for.

We booked it!

Source – Blue Pine Orchards

One tip – You may avoid booking through the 3rd party websites if you are looking for some discount. You can call the property first, and talk to the senior personnel, there are high chances they will offer you a good discount for booking directly.

Travel Guidelines to Visit Uttarakhand

Most asked question – Is the RT-PCR report mandatory for travel? Yes!

Before traveling to any place, do check the travel guidelines of that state. When we checked it was mandatory to carry a travel e-pass, vaccination certificate, or the RT-PCR negative report along with the hotel booking receipt.

All these documents were checked at the border and our details were registered. It took around 15-20 mins for the whole procedure at the check post.

Source – euttaranchal

The day we booked the hotel, we went for our RT-PCR test, the test was not mandatory for the kid. After that, we were just hoping that we get our negative report by the next day so that we could start our packing.

All our stars were in favour of this trip, we got the report within 12 hrs and we spent our Thursday packing our bags and daydreaming about the mountains & the pine trees.

Preparing for the Road Trip – Delhi to Lansdowne

No matter where you are travelling to, when you have kid/s with you, plan everything very carefully. I want to talk about packing for kids here.

• Always pack warm clothes even if the temperature shows not too cold. Go prepared.
• Always carry an umbrella and raincoat. The weather in the mountains is quite unpredictable.
• Carry a lot of dry snacks for munching on the go.
• During the road trips, we usually pack sandwiches and masala idlis, favourite of our son.
• Don’t forget to pack your child’s favourite toy.
• The car seat is a must for the safety of your child.

Check out – 5 Simple Packing Hacks for Traveling with Kids.

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Delhi to Lansdowne – The Trip Begins

It was Friday morning, surprisingly that day we woke up even before the alarm. Our bags were ready, all our documents in place, the food was packed and we were all set to go on a road trip from Delhi to Lansdowne. We started at 6.30 am from Noida and reached our destination at 2.30 pm. We took 2 long breaks only after crossing Kotdwar. Since it was raining the whole night and some of the road patches were not in good shape, we wanted to cover most of the distance without stopping. Thankfully, our son, Nemit didn’t make any fuss this time, he was totally enjoying the road trip.

This is the route we followed-

Noida – Meerut – Bijnor – Najibabad – Kotdwar – Lansdowne – Chundai (Blue Pine Orchards)

Source – Google Maps

When it comes to hill stations, not many tourists prefer visiting Lansdowne probably because it’s not that commercialised and there are not many things to do here.

But if you prefer quiet, serene, and peaceful surroundings with not many tourists around then Lansdowne is a perfect place for you. It offers an unspoiled beauty to its visitors.

And, if you want to show your children how it feels to be closer to nature, then nothing can beat this place.

Check out our Day 1 Lansdowne Vlog here –

One Request– Avoid going to any hill station during monsoons especially when you are travelling with kids.

Lansdowne is still the safest of all hill stations during the rainy season.

We travelled in the last week of August. Usually, the rains stop by this time. But this year we can clearly see the impact of climate change since we are getting more than normal rainfall in the Northern regions. And the day of our travel we got to know that it will be raining heavily for the next 3 days.

Though there were small landslides at few places around Lansdowne the roads were still accessible. Mainly because this area is maintained by the army.

Luckily, we didn’t face any problem during our trip and there were only light showers which in fact enhanced the beauty of the place and made it more scenic.

Check out – 26 Best Tips for Traveling with Kids.

That’s all for this travel blog – Delhi to Lansdowne Road Trip. See you next time!

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Alexa Rank

• 10th Sep – 529,697 (Global) & 108,856 (India)
• 16th Sep – 528,653 (Global) & 59,941 (India)
• 17th Sep – 512,144 (Global) & 56,364 (India)
• 20th Sep – 500,480 (Global) & 49,326 (India)

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

My theme for #MyFriendAlexa is All under one roof called Parenting. And, this is my second post under the category Travel #TravelingWithKids.

If you liked this post, please do share it with your friends and family. Thank you!

The post Delhi to Lansdowne Weekend Road Trip #TravelingWithKids appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Has anyone ever told you that you are not beautiful?

Guess what?

I was told these words on my face by my own kid, my then 4-year-old boy.

This incident happened last year and it made me wonder how vulnerable our kids are to what they see and hear and how they process that information. Also, how important our role as parents is in molding their thinking to help them grow into kind and accepting human beings.

So, today I want to share this episode with you all I wrote that time but didn’t share it because I wanted to see if my approach worked or not.

The day my son told me, Mumma, you are not beautiful, I knew it was time to talk about Beauty, self-love, and love for others. 

We had just entered Lockdown 2.0 that week. I remember it was a Saturday, my free day and I was preparing for a long relaxing bath. Just before entering the bathroom, I peeped at myself into the mirror, I looked different.

Yes, I had overgrown eyebrows and a mustache, my face looked tanned and dull but I didn’t mind it. The salons were closed and I was happy that I could enjoy pain-free days. I made some funny faces in the mirror & laughed at myself. Just when I turned around I saw my son Nemit standing there, with a confused look ready to pop a question at me.

And, he asked me, ‘Mumma, why do you have hair on your face like papa? You also have hair on your hands and legs.’ Just before I could say something, he blurted out, ‘Mumma, now you are not beautiful.’

I was taken aback by his comment. Clearly, I wasn’t expecting that.

It felt weird & I couldn’t say a word to him so I just gave him a silly smile & went into the bathroom. The only thought I had lingering on my mind that day was when & how did my 4-year-old son learn to make such judgments. I never taught him any specific definition of beauty.

Or, did I? Maybe unknowingly and unintentionally. I don’t know.

It made me ponder, was there anything that we were doing that was sending a wrong message to our kid?

I always knew a day will come when I will talk to my son about self-love because that is the most important thing for a child’s confidence. But, how did I forget that there’s another important thing we need to teach our kids. That is, loving others, accepting them without judging their choices, and looking beyond their outer appearance.

So many thoughts were clouding my mind that day. And on top of that, I started questioning my parenting (if you are a parent, you know what I mean). I had to come out of it. Now, the challenge was how to talk about it with a 4-year-old.

PIN IT!

I had an important conversation on ‘Being Beautiful’ with my son that day.

That evening I sat with him and touched the topic again. And, I started with the basics. The first thing I told him was that every girl and boy gets facial and body hair when they reach a certain age. And, it is not a bad thing. I had to explain it a bit to make him understand the point.

Everyone is beautiful irrespective of their skin colour, body size & even body hair.  We all get body hair and it’s a choice if someone wants to keep it that way or remove it. Similarly, with makeup or no makeup, we can’t judge anyone based on their choices. Some people feel good after putting on makeup, some people don’t. If they are happy the way they are, they are beautiful.

He seemed confused at first so I encouraged him to ask questions. I never thought he could ask so many questions on this topic. I answered them all, giving him examples from real life so that he could understand better. And, then moved on to explain other qualities that we should look at in other people beyond their looks.

That day, I realized how important it is to have such conversations with our kids. They are vulnerable because their minds are still developing, they are taking in a lot of unfiltered information from ‘n’ number of sources. We really can’t filter or block everything they see or hear but we can help them in processing that information in the right manner just by having such heart-to-heart conversations.

It’s been more than a year now since that incident but I can tell that our talk that day made a lasting impact on his mind and changed the way he looks at people now. I see him giving compliments to his teachers and he never shies away on appreciating the good qualities of his friends. For a parent, these are proud moments to cherish.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever had such a conversation with your child? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share them in the comments below. If you don’t feel like leaving a public comment here, please feel free to reach out to me on my social media.

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Alexa Rank

• 10th Sep – 529,697 (Global) & 108,856 (India)
• 16th Sep – 528,653 (Global) & 59,941 (India)
• 17th Sep – 512,144 (Global) & 56,364 (India)

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

My theme for #MyFriendAlexa is All under one roof called Parenting. And, this is my first post under the category parenting #RaisingABoy.

If you liked this post, please do share it with your friends and family. Thank you!

The post You are not beautiful, Mumma! Talking about ‘Beauty’ with my son. appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hey guys, as I told you in my previous post that My Friend Alexa is here to help me out in taking my blog to the next level. And, the game is on! The month-long writing and reading challenge has begun yesterday i.e. 15th September. But, what’s my Theme for #MyFriendAlexa?

Most of the participants prefer to follow a theme for writing during such challenges. It makes the task of choosing the topics a bit easier, gives a smooth flow to the posts, and also defines a clear purpose of writing. Even I wanted to have a theme but then I also want to link my vlogs to my blogs so I had to rethink my options.

I thought a lot about it and finally decided to do something different this time. Last year, I did a Blog Series in Memory of our Fur Baby, our dog Caesar. You may read all the posts under the tag #My_Son_Caesar. This year I am choosing the theme –

The Theme for #MyFriendAlexa is All under one roof called Parenting!

I am not sure if I can call it a theme but I really liked the idea of writing one topic from all the different categories that are connected to parenting.

4 Reasons for choosing this theme

• I will get a variety of content in one month – badly need that since the blog was dormant for a long time.
• My audience will also get to enjoy a variety of content – readers can choose what they want to read.
• I can use the videos from my YouTube – since videos help to retain the audience for a longer time.
• I may get traffic from YouTube as well – linking the posts in videos can direct the traffic to the blog.

Here are the categories/topics that I have chosen for #MyFriendAlexa

1. Parenting – #RaisingABoy
2. Travel – #TravelingWithKids
3. Food – #HealthySnacks
4. DIY – #BestOutofWaste
5. Decor – #KidsRoomMakeover
6. Fun & Learning – #BrainBoostingGames
7. Entertainment – #EduTainment
8. Books – #WhereToStart

I am sharing the hashtags to give an idea of what I will be focussing on in my posts. Also, because I don’t want to give away the details just now. You will have to wait for it!

And, now the posting calendar. I have chosen Mondays and Fridays for my posts. So, the 1st post will go live on 17th Sep 2021, which is tomorrow.

Alexa Rank

• 10th Sep – 529,697 (Global) & 108,856 (India)
• 16th Sep – 528,653 (Global) & 59,941 (India)

I am super excited to get back to writing and looking forward to reading some amazing content from my fellow bloggers. A big shoutout to Blogchatter for hosting this wonderful campaign!

I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.

The post Can I Call it a Theme for #MyFriendAlexa? appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello lovely people, hope you all are doing good. I know you missed our blogs, I missed writing them too. But I want to thank each one of you who supported our YouTube channel during the last 3 months. It’s only because of you that we could touch 1k subscribers, this means a lot to us. The next challenge is to revive the blog and get back to writing. Thankfully, My Friend Alexa is here to help me out!

Who What is My Friend Alexa?

My Friend Alexa is not a person.

Confused?

If you are not a blogger there’s a high possibility that you are not aware of Alexa. It’s okay though. I will help you understand that.

#MyFriendAlexa is a month-long writing and reading challenge that helps boost the blog’s traffic and improves the #AlexaRank.

This challenge is hosted every year by my favourite blogging community, Blogchatter. All the participants are required to write 8 posts and read all the posts from the other participants in one month.

It sounds quite simple but if you are on a break from blogging or going through writer’s block or you are bad at managing time, it can test your limits. I like the adrenaline rush I experience during the challenge, it’s so satisfying. And, the results after a month are enough to keep you motivated for a long time.

Guys, if you have started a new blog or you are thinking of starting one soon, then joining such blogging challenges can give an instant boost to your blog as well as your confidence.

Now, if you are wondering what is Alexa Rank, please read further.

What is Alexa Rank?

Alexa is a traffic analysis tool that estimates and provides web traffic data, traffic source information as well as traffic statistics in one place. And, Alexa Rank is a measure of website popularity. It is a single metric that provides a quick summary of a site’s performance. The lesser the rank, the more popular is the website.

My experience with My Friend Alexa

I came to know about Blogchatter’s Alexa campaign in 2018. At that time, I didn’t have much technical knowledge about blogging, I was still learning about SEO and other things and had no idea about Alexa Rank. But I wanted to learn and experiment so I took the plunge and joined my first #MyFriendAlexa campaign. That one month taught me so much about the importance of writing, reading, and also engaging with fellow bloggers.

I wanted to write more and test my limits so next year in 2019, I joined the A2Z challenge with Blogchatter and wrote 26 posts in one month. Sadly, I had to skip Alexa that year.

Then came the pandemic year, the year 2o2o, the year that changed our lives in a blink of an eye. That year I learned that writing can help you deal with emotional turmoil. I was looking for an emotional outlet and I found one in #MyFriendAlexa.

This year, I have a clear purpose to join this campaign, that is, to revive my dormant blog and get back to reading & writing.

Currently, my blog’s Global Alexa rank is too high and I need to work hard to bring it down to a satisfactory level. And, I am sure I’ll achieve that with the help of My Friend Alexa.

I’ll soon share what I am planning to write, do I have a theme in mind? Stay tuned to know more!

Last day to register. Hurry up!!!

Sign up for Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa campaign here.

The post My Friend Alexa is my True Friend! appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello friends, today’s post is about my babies, Caesar & Nemit, and their special bond. We visited my mom’s house when Nemit was a month old, and that’s when Caesar met him for the first time. But their meeting was more of a disaster. The moment Caesar saw the baby in my hands, he got aggressive and started barking. This was not a good sign.

Though we were already doubtful, we had no idea Caesar would react this way. That meeting failed because we didn’t think it through. We should have known that Caesar would be confused and unhappy to see a baby with his parents, who were meeting him after 2 months. It seemed that seeing his mother holding & protecting a little human was too much for him.

Honestly, I got really scared that day, thinking what if Caesar would never accept Nemit as a part of his pack. I couldn’t let that happen because both my babies were precious to me.

Now it was my responsibility to let Caesar know that I still loved him, and he was still my baby.

You may read the other parts of this Blog Series –

1. In memory of our fur baby, Caesar!
2. How we met our fur baby, Caesar?
3. Caesar’s First Month & Health Issues!
4. Caesar’s First from the First Year!
5. How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog?
6. Traveling with Caesar | Weekend Getaway!
7. My Husband Became a Pet Parent!

When Caesar Met Nemit for the Second Time

We used the next two months to bond with Caesar without bringing the baby into the scene. It helped in calming him down a bit. And now it was time to bring him back home & introduce him to Nemit for the second time.

This was Caesar’s second homecoming in April 2016, and this month he completed 1 year with us.

Caesar’s second homecoming

We let Caesar settle in and take in the new smells. And most of the time, we kept Nemit out of his sight. He could smell and hear him, and that made him curious to know the baby better. Luckily, the waiting time worked wonders for both of them.

Now, Caesar was adjusting to the sound of the baby’s cries & Nemit was also getting used to hearing the barks. These sounds were not startling them anymore, which was a good sign. And the best part, caesar now had his parents by his side all the time, just like the earlier days. That helped in reducing his anxiety.

My Family!

Initially, we had created boundaries at home. The master bedroom where the baby spent most of his time was off-limit to Caesar. He was also kept away from the baby’s cot & rocker. Caesar didn’t mind that as he had the rest of the house, his parents gave him the attention he missed.

Gradually, we lifted some boundaries, now Caesar could enter the room & he was allowed to sniff the baby; licking was a strict no. But we still kept a close watch on his behavior when he was around the baby. Surprisingly, now he was calmer and seemed happy too. It was the happiest moment for us!

PIN IT!

The Special Bond of Love

We had to create the boundaries once again when Nemit started crawling. These boundaries were for both of them; we wanted them to respect each other’s personal space. Nemit had his playroom with a floor bed and barricades at the door. It didn’t take Caesar much time to understand that he should not enter the room.

They both would watch each other from a distance, Nemit would sometimes smile at him, and I am sure Caesar liked that.

After a month or so, we removed the barricade, but now Caesar understood not to cross the invisible boundary. I could sense that he had developed feelings for Nemit by now. He would never leave his side even when Nemit was sleeping.

Always together!

Soon, Nemit was ready to come out of the room and explore the house. I had tears in my eyes when I saw Nemit playing with Caesar sitting near him and Caesar allowing him to touch his face and legs. Where did all the aggression go?

It just took 6 months after Caesar met Nemit for the first time to build a beautiful bond of love. Caesar had accepted Nemit as part of his pack.

I was the happiest to see both my babies bonding together. Those were the best days of my life.

Sharing some of the beautiful moments below

Evening walks are the best!

Meal Time – Sharing is Caring!

Play Time – We are buddies!

Cake is everyone’s favorite!

I miss those days!

Had a perfect Mom life

I am doing a blog series this month in memory of our fur baby, #My_Son_Caesar.

You may read the other parts of the series here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 & Part 7.

Since this is the month of #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter, I will be linking all my posts to their website. Do check out the new reloaded Blogchatter website to discover some amazing blogs, bloggers, and campaigns.

The post Fur Baby Meeting Human Baby | Caesar Met Nemit – Blog Series (Part – 8) appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hello friends, today’s post is dedicated to my amazing husband, Sumit, for being a wonderful pet parent. There was a time when he told me that he doesn’t like dogs and has never had a pet before. But he never stopped me from bringing our fur baby home. And then one day, I saw him cuddling and playing with him. Well, I knew he would get there but never thought he would develop fatherly feelings for Caesar this soon. I still remember that day when he said, “He’s not just your son; I am his father too.”

That day my husband became a pet parent from being a pet owner. I know he will not like to hear thanks for being a father, but I really want to tell him that he did great. He was there when Caesar needed a parent!

You may read the other parts of this Blog Series –

1. In memory of our fur baby, Caesar!
2. How we met our fur baby, Caesar?
3. Caesar’s First Month & Health Issues!
4. Caesar’s First from the First Year!
5. How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog?
6. Traveling with Caesar | Weekend Getaway!

Being a Pet Parent

In my whole life, I have never met a person who doesn’t like dogs. They may be afraid of them but definitely have a soft corner for these furry beings. So, when I realized that my husband doesn’t feel anything about dogs, I was perplexed. His feelings were neutral.

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Well, I believe since he had never experienced that before, he was unaware of his feelings for fur babies. I didn’t force him to love Caesar. But over time, I could see his heart-melting. He loved watching Caesar jumping around & doing silly stunts. Somehow I sensed that Sumit is going to be a wonderful father. And, it was not just for Caesar!

Cutest Father-Son Duo – Pet Owner to being a Pet Parent

It was getting too exhausting for me to tend to Caesar’s needs during my last trimester. Sumit tried to take care of everything, from getting up early morning and taking Caesar for his walk. Then coming back from the office (which was just 15 mins away) during lunchtime to take him for his afternoon walk. And, then again, making sure to reach home on time in the evening to take him to the park because Caesar enjoyed playing with his doggy buddies.

Caesar with his buddies

Caesar loved sitting in Sumit’s lap during car rides. Whenever we tried putting him in the backseat, he would jump on his shoulders & irritate him so that he would take him in his lap. That was so cute!

Caesar’s way of doing things!

But the most adorable moments were the ones where Sumit tried to teach tricks to Caesar. But Caesar just won’t listen to him. I always felt Caesar did that on purpose to tease Sumit. Oh God, I miss all of that.

Dogs have this amazing power of taking away all your stress and filling your life with happiness. That’s what Caesar was doing to us.

It was December 2015, my 8th month of pregnancy, when we had to send Caesar to my mom’s house for a few months.

Sumit’s parenting got tested when Nemit joined the scene, and we brought Caesar back home in April 2016. We missed Caesar a lot during the last 4 months. But we were too busy with a newborn that we could never express that to him or each other.

Daddy with Kids

Nothing much changed in the routine, but now Sumit had a human baby joining him and Caesar for their walks. And that was my Me Time during the day.

It was a treat to eyes watching them together having fun. Sumit, who had no feelings for dogs, was now raising one as his own son!

I am doing a blog series this month in memory of our fur baby, #My_Son_Caesar.

You may read the other parts of the series here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 & Part 6.

Since this is the month of #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter, I will be linking all my posts to their website. Do check out the new reloaded Blogchatter website to discover some amazing blogs, bloggers, and campaigns.

Click on the below link to read the next part

Fur Baby Meeting Human Baby! – Blog Series (Last Part – 8)

The post My Husband Became a Pet Parent! – Blog Series (Part – 7) appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Weekend Getaway – Noida to Jaipur

Hello friends, I hope you all are doing good. Today, I will write about Caesar’s first road trip with us, a weekend getaway from Noida to Jaipur. Though it was his first travel experience, we didn’t expect him to go wild & us going mad. We had our moments of panic, doubt, shock & embarrassment. Simply because we were not prepared for the unexpected, you can easily avoid all of that just by preparing well in advance. We had no idea what traveling with caesar would feel like.

I admit it was not a perfect trip, but it is still our most memorable trip with Caesar.

You may read the other parts of this Blog Series –

1. In memory of our fur baby, Caesar!
2. How we met our fur baby, Caesar?
3. Caesar’s First Month & Health Issues!
4. Caesar’s First from the First Year!
5. How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog?

Traveling with Caesar – Road Trip

October 2015 – We had all the reasons to celebrate. It was my hubby’s birthday month. Caesar had completed 6 months with us. And I was in my second trimester, which was going well.

And, for me, a perfect celebration is the one which involves travel and family.

So, we planned a weekend getaway to Jaipur. I wanted this trip to be memorable for all of us, including Caesar. I was thinking all I have to take care of was booking the right cab and perfect accommodation. Well, I was wrong!

I didn’t consider the other potential issues Caesar might face during the long-distance travel by car.

Book the right cab. Make sure your pet gets a comfortable seat at the back but not the boot space.

Caesar was quite used to traveling by car. But he preferred the front seat & we didn’t mind that. No, not the driver’s seat, though.

This image belongs to www.growingwithnemit.com, and reuse is strictly not permitted.

However, this became an issue when we had to make Caesar sit in the back seat.

He was uncomfortable & unhappy!

The safe place for a dog in the car is at the back seat. Better to crate train your pet.

We somehow managed to keep him cool for the first couple of hours on the road. But soon, he started showing signs of anxiety. And we were not sure if he was just feeling anxious sitting at the back, or was he feeling unwell.

We took several breaks; we gave him his favorite treats, we kept talking to him; basically, we tried everything to calm him down. This worked but only for a while.

Don’t get irritated with your dog’s behavior. Try to understand what’s bothering him.

By the time we had covered the half distance, I was already thinking of going back home. And then, Sumit came up with an idea. He decided to sit at the back with Caesar. Surprisingly, it worked!

This image belongs to www.growingwithnemit.com, and reuse is strictly not permitted.

Make the seat cozy & comfortable by putting sheets & blankets. Keep your pet’s favorite toy near him. And, if nothing works, try sitting with him. 

I have shared some tips to prepare for the first road trip with a dog!

Traveling with Caesar – Pet-friendly Resort

We had booked Lohagarh Fort Resort & Spa, which is located near the Jaipur-Delhi highway. The best thing about this resort was the spacious rooms and big open lawns. That’s what we needed for our weekend stay.

Book a dog-friendly hotel/resort, confirm that they allow the pet inside the room.

This image belongs to www.growingwithnemit.com, and reuse is strictly not permitted.

Some hotels and resorts mention ‘pet-friendly’ on their websites, but if you go through their policy or rules & regulations page, you may notice several restrictions on having a pet.

It is always better to research a bit before finalizing the hotel. You would not like to stay away from your fur baby while on vacation!

Caesar at Lohagarh Fort Resort

It was a big relief for us when we reached the resort after a challenging time on the road. The moment we entered the resort, we were greeted by some smiling faces who were quite happy to see Caesar. I loved the way they were giving attention to him.

This image belongs to www.growingwithnemit.com, and reuse is strictly not permitted.

After a quick check-in, we took a look around the resort. Their property is impressive with big beautiful green gardens and beach style pool area. Caesar’s continuously wagging tail was proof that he approved it.

Our cottage with a private garden & outdoor tub was splendid!

Pet-proof the room to be sure there is nothing that can hurt your pet.

As soon as we entered the room, Caesar started running from one corner to the other to express his joy. Our first task was to pet-proof the area, so we checked the room for anything that could be dangerous for Caesar.

Our Cottage at Lohagarh Farm Resort

Now, it was time to relax!

We went to the resort pool area, ordered some food, and spent the afternoon chilling around. Caesar took a long nap under the tree.

Fast forward to that embarrassing yet funny moment. It was time for Caesar’s evening walk, and he needed a bathroom break. But we forgot to ask the hotel staff about that part. Now, Caesar was getting desperate & could not wait any longer. And, he relieved himself right in the middle of the lawn.

Not just that, now his body movements were tensed; he needed to poop.

First thing, ask the hotel management where to take your dog to pee & poo.

Some hotels need you to take your dog outside the property & others just want you to clean up the mess. But you should know!

Clearly, we forgot to ask, and it was already too late to do anything. Well, what could we do?

We were quite skilled at scooping the poop!!!

I have shared some tips for booking a pet-friendly resort!

That moment of shock – Traveling with Caesar.

It was the DJ night, and the music was loud, so we thought of leaving Caesar in the room with his favorite chew toy. But we got the shock of our life when Sumit got a call from the resort staff on his phone.

“Sir, your dog is unattended & roaming on the lawn outside your cottage.”

We were confused because Caesar was inside the room. How could he be there?

Well, we had left the back door open for him to walk in the garden. But there was no way he could come outside.

Don’t leave your dog unattended inside the room. It’s good to crate train your dog before the trip.

A team of 3 staff members checked every part of the room & garden to figure out how a dog could make his way out.

“Ma’am, this has never happened before. We are really sorry about this.” I have no idea why they were apologizing to us.

After a while, they all left still clueless.

“What if there’s a secret passage that Caesar might have found?” All kinds of thought were running in my mind.

There was only one way to find out what happened. We again left Caesar inside the room and waited outside.

After a few minutes, we saw him jumping out from the sidewall of the garden.

Well, he was being Caesar!

We are not leaving you, Caesar!

The next morning was beautiful. We thought Caesar would enjoy some time outside the room soaking up the sun. So, we tied him to the chair and went to call my Mil & Bil from their room. But then we decided to go for breakfast first, so Sumit went back to bring Caesar along.

This image belongs to www.growingwithnemit.com, and reuse is strictly not permitted.

And then he got another shock when he saw a guard pulling his gun towards Caesar while Caesar was barking & trying to jump on a lady standing nearby.

Invest time in training your pet. This will go a long way.

Well, he was not attacking her. This was his wild way of making friends. But I know this was wrong.

And, it was my fault that I could not train him well. He had no idea how to behave around other humans in the absence of his family members.

Sumit shouted from behind at the guard to put his gun down. And, Caesar came running to him.

That lady was terrified by this incidence. Sumit apologized to her, but she was threatening to call the police. Soon, the resort management joined the scenario and calmed the lady.

If your pet is not well trained & gets hyperactive, it’s sensible to keep him on a leash when in public.

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They didn’t say anything to us, just requested us to keep Caesar on a leash.

Well, he was on a leash, but this time he managed to remove his collar & break free. More than anyone else, it was me who was feeling terrible & shameful for what Caesar did.

I am his mother, and he was my responsibility!

This realization struck me only later that it was not Caesar’s fault, nor was he misbehaving. He was afraid that we might leave him once again.

I am doing a blog series this month in memory of our fur baby, #My_Son_Caesar.

You may read the other parts of the series here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 & Part 5.

Since this is the month of #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter, I will be linking all my posts to their website. Do check out the new reloaded Blogchatter website to discover some amazing blogs, bloggers, and campaigns.

Click on the below link to read the next part

My Husband Became a Pet Parent! – Blog Series (Part – 7)

The post Traveling with Caesar | Weekend Getaway – Blog Series (Part-6) appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

#TravelingWithCaesar

Hello friends, today I will share some tips on preparing for a road trip with your dog. I will also share some pointers to keep in mind while booking a pet-friendly stay option. We traveled to Jaipur from Noida by car with Caesar when he was 6 months old.

I wish someone had shared these tips with us before our trip. Anyways, you will get to read about our experience of traveling with Caesar in the next part. So, stay tuned!

You may read Part 1 of the series here – In memory of our fur baby, Caesar!

Part 2 of the series here – How we met our fur baby, Caesar?

Part 3 here – Caesar’s First Month & Health Issues!

And, Part 4 here – Caesar’s First from the First Year!

How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog?

Now, coming back to the question of how to prepare for a road trip with your dog. Well, there are two main aspects that you need to take care of, travel & stay. Here, I am going to write about traveling by car. Also, I want to state that these tips are based on our learnings & experience.

As I mentioned earlier, we traveled with Caesar, 6 months old untrained labrador. We were a total of four adults, excluding our cab driver. And, we had booked an 8 seater Toyota Innova Car.

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10 Things to keep in mind when traveling by car

1 – First and foremost, make an appointment with the vet & get a general check-up done for your fur baby. Ask for a list of emergency medicines for your dog.

2 – Pack your dog’s essentials, including his favorite toy, bed & blanket. Treats are a must.

3 – Make sure your dog wears a collar with a name tag. Don’t forget to put your phone number on that.

4 – Your pet should get a comfortable seat; make it cozy by putting his favorite sheet or blanket on it. Leave the boot space for luggage.

5 – Feed your dog a light meal 2-3 hours before taking the trip. Avoid feeding your dog in the moving car.

6 – Make several stops ( better if timed) for your pet. Keep him hydrated.

7 – From time to time, roll down the windows a little to let in some fresh air. Dogs don’t feel comfortable in a closed car, even if the AC is ON.

8 – When taking your dog out of the car, keep him on the leash even if he’s highly trained. Just don’t take any risks on the highway.

9 – Don’t leave your dog alone in a locked car in any weather. It is not safe at all.

10 – Don’t get irritated by your dog’s behavior. Try to understand what’s bothering him. And, if nothing works, try comforting him by sitting with him.

Road trip with your dog

Now that the traveling part is taken care of, next comes the accommodation. You need to find the right place to make the stay comfortable for your fur baby.

Some hotels and resorts mention ‘pet-friendly’ on their websites, but if you go through their policy or rules & regulations page, you may notice several restrictions on having a pet.

Some may not allow the pet to enter the rooms or the lawn. They may insist that you keep your pet leashed and tied at the hotel gate. Some may ask you to change rooms if the other guests are not comfortable.

So, it is always better to research a bit before finalizing the hotel. You would not like to stay away from your fur baby while on vacation. Right?

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10 Things to keep in mind while booking the accommodation 

1 – Choose a resort over a hotel, as resorts are big & have lots of open space.

2- If you decide to stay at a hotel, book a room on the ground floor, preferably garden facing.

3 – The hotel/resort should have a pet-friendly environment. Do check their policy for keeping pets.

4 – It’s better if the room is spacious, best if it comes with a private garden or a balcony. Your dog can roam around freely & he will be more comfortable.

5 – The open lawn area in the hotel/resort is a must where you can play with your pet. Do check if they allow pets to enter the lawn.

6 – Check for any restrictions, rules & regulations for pets.

7 – It is always better to clear all your doubts over a call before making the final booking.

8 – Always carry a copy of your pet’s vaccination card & other medical documents.

9 – Never leave your fur baby unattended at any time, not even inside the locked room.

10 – I would advise keeping your pet on a leash if there are kids or other dogs in the resort.

That’s all for now. I hope you find these pointers helpful while planning a road trip with your fur baby.

I am doing a blog series this month in memory of our fur baby, #My_Son_Caesar.

You may read the other parts of the series here, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

Since this is the month of #MyFriendAlexa by Blogchatter, I will be linking all my posts to their website. Do check out the new reloaded Blogchatter website to discover some amazing blogs, bloggers, and campaigns.

Click on the below link to read the next part

Traveling with Caesar | Weekend Getaway – Blog Series (Part-6)

The post How to Prepare for a Road Trip with your Dog? – Blog Series (Part-5) appeared first on Growing With Nemit.