Children at temples

[StarryNightshade]

After 10 months of school, I finally had a chance to go visit my home temple. There was this little boy, no older than 2 or 3 years old, whom the priest asked to recite a sloka to Ganesha (I couldn't for the life of me tell you which one it was exactly). He does to the best of his ability and afterwards the priest told him to cover his eyes. Swami had a chocolate bar and gave it to the little boy after he opened eyes.

The happiness that kid had when he said "Thank you Ganesha!" was one of the most adorable thing ever.

 

[Vinayaka]

We have saskatoons (a wild berry of Canada and western US) growing in the ravine by the temple, and I often bring kids over there to taste them. Sometimes they go for it, and other times are quite hesitant. Two guys about 5 and 6 were of the hesitant variety today. Their father tried some, liked the taste, and did some coaxing, but no way. They weren't biting. Kids can be so peculiar.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Kids do not try. For most of my life I did not eat Jack fruit, egg plant or okra. I tasted them in my older years - fried. I did not dislike them.
Sometimes parents should try various ways of preparing things.

 

[Vinayaka]

Kids do not try. For most of my life I did not eat Jack fruit, egg plant or okra. I tasted them in my older years - fried. I did not dislike them.
Sometimes parents should try various ways of preparing things.

Not true. I've met kids that will enthusiastically try anything. I believe it's partly as a result of parenting though. Some 'nature' too though. A much larger variety in the house of many foods from many cultures will help a kid explore the world more. But how far you can go 'outside' your comfort box varies. I have some friends who won't eat brown rice. My own father never tried pizza until he was about 60. Perhaps food variety is a metaphor for the diversity of life, and of religion.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, my elder grandson, who would not eat any kind of non-vegetarian curries.

 

[Vinayaka]

Yeah, my elder grandson, who would not eat any kind of non-vegetarian curries.

Smart kid.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

There were lots of foods I hated as a child that I love now. I believe there are scientific studies to suggest that as we age our taste preferences evolves because our taste bud density in certain areas of the mouth changes over time. So for example, I hated spinach as a child. Now Saag and Palak paneer are some of my favorite foods. There's also things like "Acquired taste". I think that's how I got to liking the taste of coffee and some beer. I never liked it before a few years ago, but gradually grew to like it more and more with time.

But like V mentioned I think a child's willingness to try new things has a lot to do with "nature" or temperament. I have 4 biological siblings. We were all raised by the same parents but out basic natures are so vastly different. It's pretty interesting.

 

[Vinayaka]

There were lots of foods I hated as a child that I love now. I believe there are scientific studies to suggest that as we age our taste preferences evolves because our taste bud density in certain areas of the mouth changes over time. So for example, I hated spinach as a child. Now Saag and Palak paneer are some of my favorite foods. There's also things like "Acquired taste". I think that's how I got to liking the taste of coffee and some beer. I never liked it before a few years ago, but gradually grew to like it more and more with time.

But like V mentioned I think a child's willingness to try new things has a lot to do with "nature" or temperament. I have 4 biological siblings. We were all raised by the same parents but out basic natures are so vastly different. It's pretty interesting.

Our 5 kids varied a lot too, on food. As for the nature effect, when I taught, I'd get parents of a very well behaved child who'd warn me about their next one. It helped too, because they knew best about their own kids.

Food? I disliked broad beans, and still do. I hated both varieties of snap beans, and would lie that I liked the yellow ones when Mom cooked the green ones, and vice versa when she cooked the yellow ones. So one day, without telling me, she cooked both. Can't mess with mothers.

 

[Vinayaka]

This morning I sat and visited with a clear-eyed lad, who was with either Mom or Grandmom. I quickly learned his family was from Nepal, and that he liked this temple. He was in Nepal at age 4 and is going back next summer. When I asked, he told me he did really like Ganesha, and that's why they came. His English was better than Moms. Although our temple backs on to a ravine, and is right within the city, it's also easily accessible by public transport. A lot of people come by bus, which is nice, making it available to those who can't drive. Many North American temples aren't so lucky.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I have 4 biological siblings. We were all raised by the same parents but out basic natures are so vastly different. It's pretty interesting.

God's encryption.

DNA

 

[Vinayaka]

So we have a couple of rows of those large (2 to 3 inches) white landscape rocks on either side of a couple of stretches of sidewalk. Who do 2 year olds find great entertainment in moving them from one side to the other, throwing them, putting them in buckets, dropping them on mother's toes. etc.?

 

[Vinayaka]

Right now we have a thavil player on site. Little boys in particular, the natural noise-makers they are, go right up and watch the stick beat the drum, and the fingers move with utmost fascination. Mothers cringe watching sonny's wee ears endure the volume. The thavil guy, I'm sure he's used to it.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

This morning I visited yet another area temple. (There are many within an hour's drive of me) This one a Shiv-Durga temple.

There was a little girl about three who was feeling a bit crabby so her mom gave her some grapes. This seemed to placate her a bit. Then once the kirtan started, one of the musicians was playing the hand cymbals and I looked over at the little girl and she was "clanging" the two grapes together to play along.=)

 

[Vinayaka]

This morning I visited yet another area temple. (There are many within an hour's drive of me) This one a Shiv-Durga temple.

There was a little girl about three who was feeling a bit crabby so her mom gave her some grapes. This seemed to placate her a bit. Then once the kirtan started, one of the musicians was playing the hand cymbals and I looked over at the little girl and she was "clanging" the two grapes together to play along.=)

I could visualise this one, FS. Too cute. What kids can do with things that aren't their purpose! The thavil player, while on a break, would hand his hitting the drum stick to the priest's little toddler. Then he'd go about whacking anyone near with it. Kids are naturally so musical and dancy.

 

[Jainarayan]

Last night there was the cutest little chipmunk of a kid, maybe four years old, with his father. I was at the Sri Satyanarayana sanctum for the abhishekam, near the Sri Hanuman sanctum. The little boy had a dollar in his hand to put on the tray in front of Lord Hanuman, then put his hand near the lamp like adults do. The only thing is that his father couldn't get him to use his right hand. The boy kept using his left hand. The father had a look like "oh well, we'll try another day". Well, maybe because the little boy was holding an apple in his right hand that was almost as big as he was. He just wouldn't part with that apple.

 

[Vinayaka]

So the priest's 2 year old figures he's a cricket player already. His older brother has a couple of bats, and the little guy wants them all the time, despite his practical inability to lift it, let alone swing it. My friend bought the older son one as a gift, and he went about making sure all his friends knew that "That man buys kids cricket bats." much to my friend's dismay.

So guess who gets to build a toy cricket bat? I hope he likes it.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Write (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni or Virat (Kohli) on it, or affix a picture of the two. They are great around here.

 

[Vinayaka]

Canadian Thanksgiving this AM, so the national holiday combined with Vijaya Dasami made it so that maybe a dozen kids were getting their first learning samskaras. Pretty active place for a Monday morning. One group even brought lunch to serve after.

 

[Vinayaka]

So guess who gets to build a toy cricket bat? I hope he likes it.

Word is he plays with it a ton, but it's like a weapon on his Amma's shins.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, it happens, when the younger one picks up the elder one's bat and flourishes it around, or sometimes even the elder one. Today, the elder one comes back from Chandigarh where he had gone for a school cricket match. But cricket is not his game. I think he is better suited for wrestling or weight-lifting. He has a strong frame.