The Game of Change

Geeta Ramakrishnan

Geeta

Mommy Summit at KidZania Mumbai

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Some online articles on the ‘Mommy Summit’ at KidZania, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, Mumbai, which took place in May 2019.

Nat24: https://bit.ly/2E4LPoq (Date: 11 May 2019)

Mumbai News Network : https://bit.ly/30hBBIC    (Date 10th May 2019)

Indian Education Diary.com :  https://bit.ly/2JAcpch (Date 11th May 2019)

 

Wonder-woman and Super-mans, mothers are no less than all our superheroes, combined. With the percentage of working women on the rise, there is hardly any difference in the number of hardships these women have to face. Having a career after becoming a mom is indeed tough, having to balance your family life, your professional life, while battling the constant guilt and taunts that are in addition to your work stresses, cannot be an easy job.

With five phenomenal women on the panel, KidZania along with Mompreneur circle decided to host a discussion, about the hardships of being a mompreneur. The truth of the not-so-rosy side of it, and how in spite of all of that, these women have beautifully managed to balance their work life and their motherhood. The esteemed panelist include Trupti OakNatekar (Co-founder, PATHFINDERS A Parenting Journey), Ms. Geeta Ramakrishna (Author of #1 Amazon Best Seller book ‘The Game of Change’), Shunila Joy Chauhan (Principal of Thakur International School – Cambridge), Dr. Bhavi Mody (Health Evangelist and Homeopathic Specialist), Gayatri Sundaram (Head of Content, KidZania India), and Ms Poonam Wadera was the moderator (MahaVastu Expert. Astro-Numerology & Dowsing Expert)

“I was absolutely delighted to be the part of this esteemed panel discussion which we had today with KidZania and mompreneur circle. It was a very exalting experience because my fellow panelist was super and amazing in terms of sheer experience and diversity in career. We got to learn so much because there was a principal, an author, doctor and holistic person. The audience was so open it is very interesting to see that because the mother usually doesn’t ask for help or come out to share her experience,” said Trupti OakNatekar, Co-founder, PATHFINDERS A Parenting Journey.

Gayatri Sundaram, Content Head, KidZania opines, “We had a healthy mix of moms across 3 decades of parenting. But the crux still remains that as a mother you should be guiltless, have some “me” time, ask for help, and be sure to distinguish between professional and personal requirements. Be patient and persistent to achieve both professionally and personally. Of course, there will be trade-offs and you need to be welcoming the same rather than fighting to have it all.  Learn from your child how to be happy at all times. Nothing is permanent and if you are a mom who feels the guilt, just remember this too shall pass. Just speak it out, and let go of the negative associations. In the end, you have a beautiful family that you are nurturing. And yes, as a mother you are doing a fabulous job, always! Give yourself some credit! You deserve it.”

Ms. Geeta Ramakrishnan, ontological coach, and Author of #1 Amazon Best Seller book ‘The Game of Change comments, “It was my honor to be a part of KidZania’s panel discussion centered on mom power to celebrate Mother’s day. The panel members were from different stages of motherhood right from mom with married kids (that is me) to mom with an 18-month toddler made an enriching discussion.  We spoke about time management, prioritizing ‘Me Time’, learning to say NO, asking for help and about having an open conversation and developing trust in our children. All power to KidZania and Mompreneurs for organizing such empowering event.”

Poonam Wadera, MahaVastu Expert. Astro-Numerology & Dowsing Expert adds “Balancing Entrepreneurship & Motherhood was an absolutely fabulous event.  The key take away for Mompreneurs is that while you strive to be perfect, do accept that sometimes things will go wrong and that is totally ok.  Additionally, at every step be it professionally or personally, lay the boundary limits of what one can do, cannot do & always reach out for help. Our community at Mompreneur circle encourages women to share their challenges as well as guide and support each other.”

Ms. Shunila Joy Chauhan Principal Thakur International School – Cambridge says, “It was great learning that helped me to appreciate the balance between the two roles: motherhood and career. Prioritizing, time management and self-care through ”me’ time are the greatest gifts to all mothers juggling between the two worlds.”

 

 

Rediff : How can women fight stress, solve problems

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My article on Rediff.com

How can women fight stress, solve problems

Dated: 22 April 2019

All it takes is physically taking a step back, inhaling a deep breath and exhaling it out slowly, says Geeta Ramakrishnan.
Take time out for coffee-breaks with friends, a movie, perhaps.
Learn to let go, to forgive.

It may be debatable, but I believe women have to work twice as hard as men in several aspects of life ranging from personal to professional to sustain in a world full of competition and stress.

Women wear multiple hats and have acquired the skill to juggle them successfully.

We are daughters, mothers, professionals, managers, homemakers, dreamers, achievers.

We want to be seen as strong and confident in all that we do and that comes at a cost — our self-esteem.

Soon, resentment and stress become a part of life.

We need to learn to step back, pause and introspect.

While navigating through multiple roles in life, our confidence takes a beating because of the stress we are subjected to.

Therefore we need to give ourselves time and validation to sustain our confidence level.

So how do we identify a problem when it has become a habit?

Certain facets of our life may not feel right. But we have accepted them as a way of life.

We have been conditioned over generations about how a woman should come across as.

When we were young, our mothers unconsciously led us to believe that we must maintain a demure image and not argue, fight or talk too loud.

We grow up accepting a lot of ‘inequalities’ or have to work hard and fight against such ‘norms’.

Although men have different qualities than women, both important and useful, we bring our own unique attributes to this world, our society, and our family.

We can be fantastic nurturers, we are emotionally stronger, we are likely to have better focus, we turn out to be excellent managers and have an edge when it comes to offering greater attention to details.

It helps us to be aware, accept as well as focus on our uniqueness and derive our strength from it rather than complaining about or resenting it.

What will help us in our quest to be the ‘ideal’ women and be seen as achievers and allow us to dream big?

Does multitasking overwhelm us instead of boosting effectiveness?

Perhaps, it may be harder for us to climb the corporate ladder.

Can we change the male-dominated trend in this world be being aggressive or by complaining?

Maybe we are devoting more time to our family and our children which is undoubtedly a lot more than our spouses.

Are we giving any time or value for ourselves?

Are we putting ourselves in constant stress?

As a woman, a wife, a mother and a professional, we constantly struggle to give our best to the different roles we play in life.

We often think we can handle the children better and allow the strain of child-rearing to rest longer on our shoulders.

We often do not expect, let alone ask for help in household responsibilities.

To be seen as equally efficient in office we take up more work and work for longer hours.

If there is physical or emotional abuse, we may end up tolerating it due to the lack of a better option.

If we choose to fight we could be termed aggressive.

Where is the balance? How do we cope with all this stress?

While smoking and drinking socially may not be harmful, as an escape from stress, it could result in addictions.

We cope with stress by procrastinating, denial or ignoring the problem at hand and end up playing blame games.

My maid is often late and irresponsible; my office staff never gives the report on time, why can’t my children be more responsible?

The list is endless.

Our body needs rest when certain symptoms arise.

These could be aches and pains for which the doctors have no remedy.

It might be genetic or it could be just a niggling headache.

How many times are we in denial when there is physical or emotional abuse?

We might want to ignore and wish the problem away as we have neither time nor energy to deal with them now.

Yes, it takes courage. It takes courage to say ‘No’.

Yes, there is fear. But everything we want is often on the other side of fear.

How to change

Now that we recognise the problems and pitfalls, we want to change. But most of us do not know how to change.

Often, all it takes is physically taking a step back, inhaling a deep breath and exhaling it out slowly.

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Yet it is potent.

These few seconds are enough to allow our brain to move from its default 24/7 ‘stress’ mode to a ‘creative’ window.

All the solutions are within us, right there in the creative side of our brain. This method of stepping back and observing ourselves is an effective first step.

What the other tools are to helps us access our creative side, other than a few slow breaths?

If we, as women want to give our best in all the multiple roles, we first need to give ourselves ‘Me Time and Me Space’.

If we don’t pace ourselves, take a pause, validate ourselves, how can we add value to others, be it in our personal or professional life?

Take time out for coffee-breaks with friends, a movie, perhaps.

It is a good platform to share, even bitch a little and laugh our heads off.

Learn to let go, to forgive. Forgiveness is only complete when we forgive and forget.

It lets the big burden off our shoulder.

Empathy helps one look at issues from another perspective, while not necessarily agreeing with it.

Try to understand a colleague’s issues, sometimes beyond work.

It will lead to healthy conversations, even if it is a difficult one.

Looking for and focusing on even the smallest positive aspect in our spouse, our children, and appreciating them is a great step forward to building that solid trust.

All these steps help us to define our boundary better and making it easier to say ‘No’ and be assertive and confident. It boosts our self-esteem, your image, and self-worth.

The more we exercise these mindful practices, the more we will access our creative brain and find that perfect balance.

It helps us be in choice, from resentment and stress to happiness and excitement, seeking opportunities in challenges.

It allows us to blossom into strong, confident women with abundant energy, sharing that happiness while nurturing others, while we also unleash success in whatever we want to do.

Geeta Ramakrishnan is author of the bestselling book The Game of Change.

*Photograph used for representational purposes only.

Geeta Ramakrishnan

Tags: Geeta Ramakrishnan, Creative Commons, Drew

Interactive talk with students and parents on ‘Winning THE game of Change’

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Some articles on my interactive talk with the 9th and 10th graders and their parents in Thakur International School, Kandivali, Mumbai.

  1. Online: Mumbai News Network.

Dated: 17th April 2019

And In

2. Web News Wire:

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3. News Patrolling:

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4. HB.COM portal

Viewership : 67,900
By :Hitesh Brahmbhatt    an ex-DNA newspaper writer, now publishing on his own website.
Thakur International School initiates ‘Winning the game of change’ workshop with Bestselling Author Geeta Ramakrishnan

 15th April 2019, Mumbai – Thakur International School has always been committed to the welfare of students.  This is evident from their stance on consistently making an effort to organize workshops for students as well as for parents. The sole purpose behind these workshops is to make the students capable and knowledgeable to raise an opinion in society. These sessions are conducted by renowned and credible professionals who understand the critical parent-child dynamics.

One such workshop was held by the bestselling author Geeta Ramakrishnan. It was called ‘Winning the game of change’. It was held for the students who had given the tenth standard board examinations as well as the students who were about to enter the tenth standard and their parents. The session was an interactive one. It focused on helping students, parents, and teachers cope with the changes that would occur once the students pass out of school and enter college.

The need for such a workshop has been felt by students and parents all over the city. This has been primarily due to the absence of a formal mechanism which smoothens the transition from school to college life for the students. As these students are at an impressionable age, they find it difficult to cope up with several changes related to lifestyle, expectations, studies and social interactions once they enter college. Parents too aren’t sure about what to expect unless they have an older child who has been through the rigor. Yet, every child is different and therefore would require mentoring. Students are often unable to handle the stress related to academics or social life in college and end up taking inappropriate steps to deal with pressure. Geeta Ramakrishnan’s workshop highlighted the need for open interaction between parents and their wards as a solution to deal with such challenges.

Ms. Shunila Joy Chauhan, Principal of Thakur International School – Cambridge, says – “The workshop was an interactive and insightful experience for our parents, students, and teachers. The session was all about motivating and encouraging students to shed their inhibitions and speak their mind. The interesting part was the innovative and practical examples given by the author on handling change skilfully and constructively. Being proponents of ‘dialogue and discussion’ as an integral life skill, we believe that such value-adding workshops go a long way in preparing our students for the future.”

  “It’s always fun engaging with kids and identifying what interests them. It is important to understand their problems because they are hesitant about sharing their thoughts and opinions with people, especially adults. The best part of this workshop was that these children were very interactive and open about their peer pressure. They expressed keenness on achieving their goals and focusing on managing their time. I personally believe that as parents, we have to be enablers and not intruders for our children. It is better to share our thoughts with them, ask their opinion and have a conversation with them rather than telling them what to do”, mentions Ms. Ramakrishnan

“We are extremely happy that this workshop was conducted; it was the need of the hour. Ms. Ramakrishnan was warm, interactive and engaging throughout the workshop. The session added tremendous value to the relationship that I share with my child. I learned new parenting techniques such as preparing my child for teenage years and shaping her attitude to deal with peer pressure. We are keen to be a part of similar such workshops in the future- they’re real eye openers”, says the parent of a Grade 9 student.

Posted by Bharat Jesrani at 11:37

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Labels: Thakur International School

Indian Express : Manage your energy as a parent

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My article on Parenting
As published in Indian Express
Dated: 4th March 2019

 

Manage your energy as a parent and be fully present

Geeta Ramakrishnan

By attending office calls during family time, you are sending the message that they are less important. The best part of childhood is the time you spend together.

The decision to be a parent entails huge responsibilities.

Being a perfect parent is a myth, yet it remains a constant endeavour. To begin with, the decision to be a parent entails huge responsibilities. As prospective parents, you need to give a serious thought to the time, financial, physical and emotional commitment. Yet, sometimes, too much thought, ifs and buts, wondering whether one is capable, if one can afford something, does not work either. The joy of parenthood is something that cannot be explained but needs to be experienced. You can never be prepared enough when your bundle of joy arrives and turns your world upside down. I believe children are a gift from God, as Khalil Gibran penned in these beautiful words:

Your children are not your children

They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

 

As parents and especially with young children, you need to be high energy super-parents. You have to multitask, and be there for them and somehow magically manage your work, find time for yourself, your relationship and your social life. Young children depend on you for their physical needs and emotional support. It is worth investing to get a perfect time management routine in place, with both parents chipping in.

In spite of this juggling, often parents need some help and support. Enrolling grandparentsand friends or outsourcing help is often a win-win formula. It can give you some free time for each other, to gather your sometimes chaotic and fast-paced life. This allows you to be fully available as parents, where you are more fun to be with rather than feeling stressed and angry.

 

When you are with your children, give them your 100 per cent attention. By attending office calls during family time, you are unconsciously sending the message that they are less important to you, while ironically working for your family. The best parts of your childhood are not those expensive gifts your parents gave you, but the time you spent together, the times you laughed and played together. Wouldn’t you want to give the same to your children?

If your life is more organised and disciplined, your children learn by example. Co-create the rules and boundaries together, enrolling the children in the process. Define the consequences of breaking the rules. It need not be severe. Missing weekends out or having to wash the dishes perhaps. And follow through with it. Playing board games or doing a barbeque together are great family bonding exercises.

Your children learn from you. Empower them with good values like mutual respect and empathy. Teach them through example by living it yourself. Engage them in social discussions and increasing their awareness. Allow them to make their mistakes and learn from it, nurturing them into mature young adults ready to transform a better tomorrow, a better world.

(The writer is author of The Game of Change.)