My Republica

Usha Pokharel

Usha Pokharel is an educationist and author of several children’s books.
usha@pokharel.net

Teaching babies to sleep

Published On: August 3, 2019 01:30 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

We have been making the babies sleep in our own way but babies gradually need to learn to fall asleep by themselves. Sleep training helps them

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For whom the bell tolls

Published On: July 20, 2019 01:30 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

The sound of the bell breaks the train of thoughts of a person and helps to focus the mind and make it more receptive

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Sari: A thing of beauty

Published On: July 6, 2019 02:00 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Regardless of whether you are slim or tall, sari suits everyone and brings the feminine side of women. You just need to know how to wear it

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Why teachers are important

Published On: June 22, 2019 01:05 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

A teacher’s importance is very well represented by the above doha.  If both God and teacher were standing together, who would you respect first? It asks. Giving due respect to the teacher Kabir says, ‘I would respect the teacher first, who would then show me the way to reach God’. It is a very simple thought, but a very heavy one at that. You might be thinking ‘who are you to tell us about a teacher?’  I agree with you.  It is beyond me to explain the complexities of a guru/ teacher, still this week I felt like writing about the importance of being a teacher.  Now that I have decided to write, I better tell you why teachers are important in our life.

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My pedicure session

Published On: June 8, 2019 01:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

I am not a fan of surprises, but sometimes these surprises are fun. One such surprise happened to me few weeks back.  The surprise was one session of pedicure.  I have to accept that it was an opportunity to experience the pleasures of modern pedicure for the first time in my life.  When I was asked if I wanted to participate in this experience, at first, I was not sure and was almost tempted to deny, but at the end I accepted it.

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Longing for the past

Published On: May 25, 2019 12:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

The other day I read a Facebook post which said “I saw a guy at Starbucks.  He had no smartphone, tablet or laptop. He just sat there drinking his coffee like a psychopath.”  This really threw me back. Actually, I was troubled and shocked at the thought of someone who did not know the reality of the situation.  It made me think twice what this world had come to.  Not more than 30 years ago and even now in some parts of our country that’s exactly what people do in a coffee shop—sit and enjoy a cup of coffee without the distraction of modern-day gadgets.

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Given them public libraries

Published On: May 11, 2019 01:05 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

The other day while walking down Connecticut Avenue, my son said to me, ‘Look this is the same library that you used to bring us to’.  I looked around.  The place seemed familiar with the return book box still standing in the same place.  Apart from that the whole area had changed in the past 29 years.  We went inside and nothing was the same.  It had become two storied and there were lot more books than before. Now the library had really grown big.

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Video games are good

Published On: April 27, 2019 12:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Just reading the title parents may be thinking: ‘You must be crazy.  How can video games be good?’ It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.  Actually, several studies support my statement.  I know after so many years of cautioning your children not to spend time playing ‘good for nothing’ video games it may be hard for you to accept it as being good.

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Benefits of coloring

Published On: April 13, 2019 12:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Reading the title you must be wondering, ‘coloring is for children, how come you associate it with adults?’ Well coloring is no longer something only for children.  Surprised? Don’t be, I was also shocked to find adult coloring books in the bookstore.  My reaction was similar.  I too considered coloring as children’s pastime, until I found out the popularity of adult coloring books.  So much so that most bookstores around Washington DC had whole section dedicated to adult coloring books.  Turns out, coloring pages are no longer just for children, adults are also using it.  Now the question is why?

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Limit their screen time

Published On: March 30, 2019 12:05 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

The other day while waiting to board Qatar airlines I noticed a family rushing in to meet the boarding time with a toddler in tow. They were sitting just a few seats away from me. I was not paying much attention to them, but something caught my ears.  The toddler was repeatedly saying something that to me sounded like iPad.

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Talk to your children

Published On: March 16, 2019 01:59 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Parents should regularly involve their children in family conversation at home because that helps in children’s brain development

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Setting right expectation

Published On: March 2, 2019 03:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Keep in mind children don’t listen to their parents, but will imitate them without a second thought.

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Season of love

Published On: February 16, 2019 03:51 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Popular belief in France and England was that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season.

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Those Saraswati pujas

Published On: February 10, 2019 02:42 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

The past five years have been, collectively, the hottest on record, with 2018 the fourth-warmest since modern records began.

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The color dilemma

Published On: February 2, 2019 12:10 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Hair coloring is not a big thing now. You will find people with colored hair everywhere. Even middle-aged conservative women sport blond streaks on their head. Yes, I too color my hair. My hair started greying very early, in my twenties.  I was not intent on coloring my hair, nor did I know of things used to color one’s hair.  Upon a friend’s suggestion I decided to give it a try. I was happy when my hair looked normal.

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Memories of Jatra

Published On: January 19, 2019 12:15 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Every Jatra had an allegorical figure called Bibek who commented on actions of actors and their consequences

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Give them love and respect

Published On: January 5, 2019 12:15 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Old age is a fascinating subject.There are so many facades to it. I call it moving in reverse gear.  We are indeed moving forward with each day, but so far as our body is concerned, it is moving in the reverse after a certain age.  There is an age when we start acting like a toddler and have to be cared for.  That includes being fed, washed and everything else that goes with it. Now, this whole thing is very frustrating for the person.

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Dreaming big

Published On: December 22, 2018 12:15 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Do not push your children to fulfill your unfulfilled dreams.  Let them dream for themselves

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Being a grandparent

Published On: December 8, 2018 01:30 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

Children with grandparents around are the luckiest people. Grandchildren look up to them as role models

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Respect matters for all

Published On: November 24, 2018 12:25 AM NPT By: Usha Pokharel

I can almost read you reaction to the title. “What is it with this word ‘respect’?” Let me put it this way, for no reason at all, today I remembered a 1967 hit song by Aretha Franklin, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”, and some where along the song the singer says, “Find out what it means to me” and that’s what got me started.

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