I am mother of a 6 years old and trust me I am not really one of those who thinks my kid should get everything on a platter and every game in the shop but she still lands up with way more than she needs thanks to loving extended family of aunts uncles friends and on and on. And I know I am not alone when I say that our kids are blessed to have so much.
During the lockdown someone in my condo started an unintentional drive and since then it's almost become a custom and one that I totally think is a winner. We have a small club where we keep preloved books / toys out of our unit for others to take and use till they are ready to pass it on to the next family. It was such a basic but brilliant idea during lockdown when we all needed more and more books / toys to keep the kids busy but now we all think its just practical. Trust me this is the singe most useful thing that has come our of the condo WhatsApp group.
Since then I have extended this practice with my friends circle too, where we just exchange some books every time we meet for lunch or coffee or when we drop off our kids for playdates. It's just multiplication of resources. Yes, at time it can feel too much to keep a track of which book belongs to which kid etc etc but its benefits are totally worth it. Other than the fact that you are maximising on the resources and reducing your carbon footprint on the planet (to some extend), you create an environment for your kids to appreciate and learn a big big skill of sharing, specially single kids. My daughter is always mindful of keeping her books properly as she knows it belongs to a friend or it will be passed on to a friend. A few months into this I don’t really have to keep a track of the books, she knows which one belongs to which friend and helps me return them for her once she’s done reading.
Do let us know if you have other community practices around you. All ideas are welcome.
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Life Experiences and Learning | Women
Community | Women In Business
Tulika Garg
( Singapore )