Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks: The Magic Wands!!

“Mamma, look at this colorful fish I made. Isn’t it so pretty!”. Exclaimed my 8 year old as she admired her creation drawn on a chalkboard, before announcing in the same breath, “Am hungry..”. I took out the healthiest yet fulfilling snack I could think of. An apple! As she reached out to take the apple from my hand, I noticed her chalk-smeared hands & instantly realized the futility of washing the fruit so thoroughly before handing it out. It was not only to restore the goodness of the fruit but also to protect my daughter’s tiny body from the germs that stuck to it. But here she was, defeating the purpose by touching it with her powdery hands. All my pleas to wash her hands with soap fell on deaf ears. It wasn’t the first time we had battled over the topic. Now my daughter really cherishes her chalkboard & loves giving shape to her imagination on it. It is inevitable that she lays her hands on the chalks, the colorful wands that give wings to her creativity. Though I loved what SHE did with them, what I certainly did not like was what THEY did to her! Leave powdery, harmful residue on her hands that is. What I resented even more were her half-hearted efforts of washing them after much pleading; keeping them under the tap for a couple of seconds & getting over with it. No wonder she was complaining of stomach-aches ever so often. I suspected the chalky residue to be the reason. I wished there was a way out of the situation & often wondered how vulnerable those children who use slates & chalks in school, must be? I mean, here was my daughter who, despite having a parent goading her to wash her hands, was still reluctant to do so, then imagine those kids, who are not supervised or guided by parents? How seriously their hygiene must be getting compromised, since kids tend to be careless in these matters. How often they must be falling sick & missing school!  As I voiced my concerns at a get-together, a friend, working with a primary school, mentioned about “Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks” & how it was changing the way school children across the country were looking at hygiene. The residue from these chalks, upon coming in contact with water, turned soapy. It was nothing short of magic for the kids & they were now flocking to the taps to see the “magic” unfold. Instead of making hand-wash a chore, these guys had made it fun! I admired the great initiative by the company. A step that I feel, is bound to have long-term benefits, as good hygiene is the first step towards good health. Lesser instances of infections means improved attendance across schools. And regular attendance in school translates into better learning. A simple idea that is about to change many lives in the most positive way! The initiative has really got me hopeful about the future of these kids & in turn, towards the future of the country. Amen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVWUlWEfJ1k

I survived demonetization!

The last few days have got the world talking about India, courtesy, the Demonetization; the  discontinuation of Rs.500 & Rs.1000 currency notes. While the move has polarized the world majorly into two groups; those welcoming it & the ones criticizing it, there are some like me who prefer to take the wait & watch route. Although I admit to enjoying the privilege of a credit card & online wallet, there still are certain tasks that require a cash transaction. Paying the presswalla (or the "Ironman" as my kids call him), the sabziwala or the small stationary shop that is yet to wizen up to a swipe machine. That is when one who is used to plastic money, misses cash & then dips into the kids' piggybanks, at interest rates perhaps 5 times than the banks.. :-D But there's one thing that demonetization has made me realize that I otherwise wouldn't have noticed; that we live with far more un-necessary stuff than we actually need. Now with cash hard to come by, thanks to never-ending queues at the banks & ATMs, one is forced to be frugal with the little cash one has or cut down on expenses in the absence of it. Like it so happened in my case. Having discovered & becoming almost addicted to online shopping since past 5 years, the frequent arrival of packets from online retailers had become a bone of contention between my husband & I. Impulse buying followed by guilt had become a way of life for me. I needed a shock treatment & demonetization gave me just that! It jolted me out of my cushioned existence & made me recall my growing up years when money being scarce, one was used to making do with just the basics. A no-frills existence! I was suddenly taken back to those days.. And how liberating it feels to buy less! Earlier I was buying without thinking.. The extra kilo of apples or that exotic looking red bell pepper which nobody was really going to eat..But with the cash suddenly drying up, am stopping to ask myself; "do I really need this?" & the answer, for most times, is a "No!". The 10 rupee note that had completely lost its value, has now been restored its honor. For the first week, the non-buying was happening without a choice but now, as the cash flow in the market eases, I have promised myself to make frugality a way of life. And I hope to stick to my vow. From now on, its back to only the basics for me.