Debmita Dutta's Blog, page 108

Move with your kids - without feeling shaken - here's how

It is 5 am – and I am awake before my alarm.

I feel jittery and my hands are freezing.

Why do I feel like this? I wonder.

And then as the haze of sleep begins to clear – it hits me. It is my daughter’s first day of school!

I wish I could say – oh – everyone has jitters when they first send their kids to school.

A statement like that would be really convincing if my daughter was a toddler or a pre-schooler – just entering school. My daughter however is eight years old and is beginning class four.

After six years of sending my little one to school – I am still just as anxious as I was six years ago – because once more – she is going to a new school.

Thanks to having a Dad in the Armed Forces – in the eight years of her life – my daughter is now going to her fifth school.

I have always been enthusiastic about my husband’s moves.

Change – I firmly believe – always brings in something better .    

But changing schools is something I still dread.

As I watch my little baby (she will always be a little baby to me) – determinedly square her shoulders, obstinately tilt her head, wave a smart smiling goodbye and get swallowed up in a crowd of strangers – my heart really and truly aches.

How I wish I knew some kids in her class.

If this was preschool – I would have made the effort to pick up and drop her to school for a month just so that – as I waited outside the gate I could make friends with some fellow moms with kids in the same class. With that I would be able to push my daughter into a circle more easily and have a network of parents to fall back on when my daughter missed school or when I wanted some information.

But as kids grow older most parents don’t accompany them – so an effort like that would be futile in my case.

Oh what oh what do I do?

I look down at my phone –my extended self and my chief confidant. If only there was a magical solution to this problem I think…………………                                 


Are you a parent who moves a lot?

You must be. Everyone moves nowadays – who doesn’t? The world beckons to you with new opportunities and experiences – all out there – waiting for you – and you have only one life to do all that your heart desires. How can you not move?

But do moves shake you up? They certainly do.

It is certainly easier to move now than it ever was in the past. Almost all material possessions and amenities are now available everywhere – all you need to do is go online.

Don’t you wish that was true of human connections?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just go online and find friends?

Well you can. You can get on to professional networks – that is quite easy. You can join networks based on shared interests. Actually you can form a network of just any kind over just about anything.

So is there a way to network with the parents of the children in your child’s class.

Phone in hand – I set out to find out.

And I discovered Talkative Parents – a fabulous new app. Check out their Facebook Page and Twitter account

The app can be downloaded free. All you need is an android ios or windows smart phone.

The app allows you to connect with parents of other children in your class.

Unlike other group apps which require you to have the contact details of other parents to enable you to join a chat group – here you can join just by entering the school, class and section of your child.

This is a real boon for new parents like me for whom it may take a while to actually get the contact details of other parents and join closed groups.

I don’t need to tell you how useful connecting with other parents can be – but let me still tell you how I think I will benefit. As I chat on the group – I am sure to find people I want to personally connect with – and that will help me make friends faster. Once I know people I can find my way into carpools, hobby classes and most importantly – BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

If you are a parent – I am sure you will know how important it is for kids nowadays to be invited to birthday parties and to have friends to invite to their birthday parties.  It may sound frivolous to you and me – but I have discovered that being invited to birthday parties is really vital for survival.

Also – I would be able to get schoolwork when my daughter misses school and get inputs on projects, submissions, tests etc. - things that end up causing me a lot of stress sometimes.

So – I am going to get the app.

Maybe you would like to get it too.

The Happiness Mantra - How to bring up a Happy Child

Does your child’s smile light up your life?

Yes of course it does.

Do want to see your child smiling and laughing all the time?

Of course you do.

Every parent longs to have a happy child. It is heart breaking to see children sad and annoying to see them sulking. But as much as parents hate it – those are the expressions they most frequently encounter.

So what is the recipe for childhood happiness? Why does your child not look happy even though you are doing ‘everything’?

What should you do?


1.       Be happy yourself

Yes you want smiles to greet you whenever you turn to look. But how often do you smile?

Moods are contagious!

If annoyance, irritability and worry – are all that your face displays all the time, that is what you will find reflected in your child’s face.

Remind yourself to smile. Laugh whenever you have a chance. And remember that nothing ever got better by worrying about it.


2.       Encourage children to build relationships

“Don’t cry – I’ll get you one – just for you”

Have you heard yourself saying that every time you’ve found your child in conflict with another child or even yourself for something?

It may not really be the right thing to do.

Affluence is isolating. The more ‘things’ one has – the less one needs ‘people’. When there are more things – there are fewer conflicts – but that means fewer interactions as well. And therefore fewer relationships.

‘Relationships’ are what truly bring happiness. It is important to learn how to build and maintain relationships.

Teach children qualities like kindness, sharing and empathy that will help them in this.


3.       Allow children to express their emotions

In the adult world emotions need to be kept safely wrapped up in attractive if fake smiles. But the kiddie world is different.

The rules and decorum of the adult world cannot and should not be applied to children.

Children are emotional creatures and need to express their negative emotions as openly and immediately as their positive emotions. It is wrong to expect children to internalize and put a lid on their negative emotions in order to exhibit ‘perfect’ behaviour.

It is difficult for children to stifle their free flowing emotions and it causes them stress that they cannot handle.


4.       Do not overschedule your child’s life

Inventing, creating and day dreaming is what childhood is all about.

When you find - “Hurry up – don’t waste time” becoming the key phrase in your conversations with your child – you can be sure that things are on their way to going horribly wrong.

Hurrying children, herding them from one class to another – and compelling them to live within the rigid structure of what needs to be accomplished on a particular day causes damaging childhood stress and intense unhappiness.


5.       Do not pressurize children to perform

 Constantly harping on performance and focusing on end results builds anxiety. When you teach your child that happiness hinges on success – he / she is constantly hounded by the fear of failure.

It is very important to emphasize the importance of effort and not performance.

Children need to be taught that real happiness comes from ‘doing’ – from ‘being able to do’.

 They need to realize that success is a by-product of unrelenting effort. And that each step of the effortful journey that paves the way for success - should be celebrated – not just the arrival at the destination.  

Your child will a child only once.

Be yourself – let your children be themselves – keep childhood unfettered – bask in the sunshine of kiddie smiles.

What you must know about food poisoning

Quiz time

 Do you know that bugs can be present even in food that is not visibly spoilt?

 Do you know that many of these invisible bugs can cause food poisoning?

 And do you know that just following a few ground rules while cooking and eating can ensure that you never suffer from food poisoning?

If you don’t – it is time to find out.

Food Poisoning is ugly

Bugs can contaminate any food that is not properly cleaned, cooked and stored. You can get food poisoning when you eat or drink something with these harmful bugs in it. Stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhoea and less frequently fever headache and body ache follow which can lead to dehydration and exhaustion.

Looks are deceptive

Food that is contaminated by food poisoning bugs will not necessarily look or smelled spoiled. Food spoiling bugs cause decay which is visible. These bugs are different from the bugs that cause food borne diseases. The bugs causing food poisoning can be present in food that smells and tastes good and so it is vital not to abandon the golden rules.

Kitchen rules you should follow

Whether you cook yourself or employ someone to cook for you, ensure that the “Clean, Cook, Chill and Separate” mantra is diligently followed.

 Clean

Wash everything thoroughly. Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, using the toilet, changing a diaper or touching a pet animal. Also clean all raw food and chopping boards thoroughly.

Cook

Cook everything for long periods to ensure that no area remains raw. When reheating and cooking ready to eat food, heat until the food is steaming hot. Inadequately micro waved food breeds food poisoning bugs. 

Chill

Chill everything that is perishable (including eggs) in a refrigerator that is functioning well. Food left on counter tops for long periods is dangerous as are perishables stored beyond 4 days. When defrosting, defrost in a refrigerator or in cold water – never at Room Temperature. If you are using the microwave, cook the defrosted food immediately.

Separate

Never mix raw and cooked food as bugs can easily move from raw to cooked food. Also use separate chopping boards and knives for vegetables and meat.

When shopping, use plastic bags to separate the raw meat, poultry and seafood from other groceries in your shopping cart. Their juices must not come into contact with other food.

Stay healthy – stay safe.

Eat Safe When You Are Eating For Two

Food is in the spotlight when you are pregnant. Every time you eat – you remind yourself that you are eating for two. But do you know that if you focus only on eating healthy – you and your baby – may not be safe! There may be bugs in your food that are conveniently hidden in the shadows. Bugs that are not baby friendly. Watch out for them!

Food Poisoning is ugly

Bugs can contaminate any food that is not properly cleaned, cooked and stored. You can get food poisoning when you eat or drink something with these harmful bugs in it. Stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhoea and less frequently fever headache and body ache follow which can lead to dehydration and exhaustion. Pregnant women who have lowered immunity to accommodate their babies usually suffer more severe consequences. There is the possibility of miscarriage, severe health problems in the baby, premature labour and in extreme cases, even death. Alarmingly, food poisoning can sometimes exist without symptoms in the mother and the bugs can move in and quietly infect the baby.

Keep the bugs away

The thought of bugs affecting your unborn baby is scary, but don’t panic. There is good news. These bugs run miles away when certain food safety rules are followed and certain foods avoided.

Stay away from the risky stuff

1.     Throughout pregnancy it is a good idea to avoid eating undercooked meat and seafood. Watch out for kababs – they are sometimes - only partially cooked on the inside.

2.     It is best not to eat raw fruits and vegetables in salads if there is a chance of their being unwashed.

3.     Soft cheeses are likely to be made with unpasteurized milk and are unsafe. Cheeses like Feta, Brie and Camembert should not be eaten during pregnancy unless they specifically say “made with pasteurized milk”. Watch out for locally available non packaged paneer and cream as well – these are not safe either.

4.     Raw undercooked eggs by themselves or in mousses, custards, salad dressings and sauces should be skipped.

5.     Always prefer fried eggs to sunny side up.

6.     Unpasteurized milk is a strict no-no. Even if the milk is boiled, it is not uncommon to find that the boiling has been inadequate. UHT milk is the best to consume. And since UHT milk is packaged in Tetra Pak cartons – it does not require boiling either. It thus tastes better, retains all its nutrients and is more convenient to consume. Just cut – pour and drink.

7.      Juices that are not sold packaged in Tetra Pak cartons must also be avoided as they are not pasteurized and may contain bugs.

The bugs causing food poisoning can be present in food that smells and tastes good and so it is vital not to abandon these golden rules when you are eating for two.

Packaging to Protect and Preserve - protecting health while preserving the environment

I want to leave my child a safe, nontoxic world. I want her to have air that is clean and pure to inhale. And I want her to have open spaces to walk through – spaces that are not lined with garbage piled high.

And in my corner of the world – with my tiny little efforts – I endeavour to make the world the place that I dream of leaving my little one.

I am not saying I am perfect. I am far from it.

I do drive several times when I can easily take a bus. I do forget my cloth bag on several occasions and am compelled to ask for a plastic bag. And when I am moving between rooms in the house – multitasking at a crazy pace - I do tend to leave lights on in rooms where they are no longer needed. But all I can say in my defence is - that I try .

I try and ensure that the words - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle flash in my mind all the time.

Every time I put something into the dustbin – I ask myself – did I slip up?

Was there an opportunity to reduce that I missed out on?

Could I have reused what I am putting into the dustbin?

Will it be possible to recycle what I am discarding after use?

 One of the things that gave me pangs of guilt on an everyday basis when they hit the dustbin – were the Tetra Pak cartons that made their way into my dustbin.

I am a firm believer in the goodness of UHT sterilized Tetra Pak packaged milk. I am convinced that this is the milk that is safest and best for my family. And of course I leave no stone unturned to offer my family health and happiness on a platter – and so I always use milk packaged in Tetra Pak.

But every time I threw the carton that housed the milk before it was used – into the dustbin – I was compelled to ask myself this question.

Is what is good for my family – just as good for the environment?

What will happen to this carton? Can it be recycled? Will it be recycled? What can one make out of these cartons?

All my questions were answered when I visited the Tetra Pak factory in April this year.

Tetra Pak has found a way to recycle the six layered packaging that it uses to “protect what is good” and keep the food we eat – safe.

Everyone who works for Tetra Pak has visiting cards made of paper created from recycling these cartons.

The cartons are also turned into furniture – chairs, tables and desks. I saw some of this furniture in use at the Tetra Pak factory – but what they really do with the furniture that they manufacture is create desks and benches that they donate to schools for the underprivileged.

Isn’t that amazing? Not only are the cartons we discard – recycled. They also go towards helping educate the children and creating a better tomorrow!

Also saving the environment is not just about recycling – so I find that I pollute the environment much less when I use milk packaged in Tetra Pak.

I buy a month’s supply of milk from the supermarket in one go. I can do that because the milk has a shelf life of 6 months. Something I certainly cannot do with regular milk. I thus save transport fuel.

Because the milk is UHT sterilised – I don’t need to boil it repeatedly unlike regular milk. This saves kitchen fuel.

Also the milk that makes its way to my house does not need to be refrigerated as it is transported because of its unique packaging – markedly reducing its carbon footprint on the world.

And because of the way the packages are shaped – maximum number of packages can be transported in minimum space and this ensures fewer trips to transport the milk – another way in which transport fuel is saved.

So by using milk packaged in Tetra Pak – in my own way – I am saving the environment.

I am a happy Mom now. I am doing everything right for my little one.

Packaging Flavours - Protecting Lives

Even to my 5 year old eyes – the stalls looked dirty.

But even in the flickering light of the single hurricane that lit up the grubby stalls – the joy on the faces of the people eating at the stall was unmistakable.

But was I allowed near that fountain of joy? No. And that was a very emphatic – no – from my parents.

The rules about golgappa stalls were non-negotiable in my house.

To my parents – these stalls and the golgappas they served – were nothing more than hotbeds of disease causing germs and as the caretakers of our health and well-being they were not going to be swayed by aromas, flavours or their children’s pleading faces.

So I was a rebellious teenager – when I finally tasted the forbidden golgappas.And were they yummy?  They were exquisite – mouth-watering – just simply amazing.

But as my mouth watered – my heart beat faster too. I knew I was playing with fire. With every bite – I was swallowing large doses of disease causing organisms.

Even with rebellion raging in my head - I was scared - and with good reason.

It was dangerous to eat at those unhygienic stalls - and the danger of falling sick – ensured that my rebellion was short lived.

The memory of the flavours however lingered.

Eight years ago – with the arrival of my daughter – I plunged into parenthood.

Golgappa stalls?  I wouldn’t even let my daughter look at them – I was that paranoid.

But I felt guilty too. I was depriving her – I had to admit. Depriving her of a taste that she was sure to love.

I tried to recreate the same flavour at home. But my attempts at recreating the authentic golgappa flavours in the kitchen - unfortunately– were far short of perfect.

Then one day packaged golgappa pani  caught my eye as I walked into a departmental store. I blinked and then blinked again.

“Yooohooo” – was what I wanted to scream.

Yesssss!!! the forbidden food – had been stamped with a seal of safety. Now I could indulge my family with the flavours I so wanted them to experience – without worrying about them falling sick.

I bought the small packs at first - but seeing how much my family loved the taste - I soon switched to the 1 litre pack - packaged by Tetra Pak

When I took on the mantle of Safe Food Ambassador for Tetra Pak this year – I had a chance to visit their factory in Chakan near Pune.

I hadn’t expected it – but found that they have a whole wing dedicated to product innovation – where they are constantly working towards packaging more and more such things in their marvelous packaging material – so that they can take worry off the minds of Moms like me. It is their everyday endeavor that we worry a little less about our kids falling sick - even as we allow them to experience the wonderful taste of things that are typically Indian.

Now I am looking forward to having packaged sugarcane juice. It is something I haven’t tasted for years now – because I am terrified of Typhoid and Hepatitis.

I am sure their team will have it on the shelves soon.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Tetra Pak!!!

Wash Hands - Keep Food Safe

“Wash your hands!!”

If you are a parent - I am certain you find yourself saying this several times a day

And if you do – you need to pat yourself on the back.

Infections of the stomach and intestines can be prevented to a large extent by washing hands the right way. So can several other infections.

Hand washing is the easiest way to remain healthy. And it is the one thing that we must do to contribute towards a healthier world.

There are several wonderful things about hand washing – and these are –

·         All you need is 20 seconds! Can you believe that? Compare that to the time you would need to spend waiting in the queue to consult a doctor when you are sick

·         All you need is – water, soap and towel/air. Fortunately for most of us – these are always there.

·         Even really young children can be taught to wash hands correctly – it is just that easy!

·         It has been proved over and over again that it is the most effective way to prevent infections from spreading. And don’t we all know it? Prevention is so much better than cure

But are you washing your hands right?

This is the way to do it – make sure you are doing it right -

1.      Wet your hands under clean running water

2.      Apply soap

3.      Rub your hands together to make lather.

4.      Scrub your hands well. Scrub the palms, the back of the hands, between your fingers and under your nails

5.      Continue rubbing hands for at least 20 seconds. Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice – that’s how long 20 seconds is.

6.      Rinse your hands well under running water

7.      Dry your hands on a clean towel or allow to air dry

If you want to be healthy - remember to wash your hands

1.      Wash your hands frequently when you are putting together meals. It is important to wash hands before starting to cook. And to wash them frequently as they get dirty while you cook the meal.

2.      Wash up before you eat – even if you are eating with a fork or spoon

3.      Clean hands after you use the toilet. Disease causing organisms from the stool can re-infect you by entering your mouth if you don’t.

4.      Wash up after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet for the same reasons

5.      Wash your hands thoroughly before and after taking care of a sick person. Before – to avoid making the sick – even sicker. And after to ensure that you do not get sick yourself or spread the disease to others

6.      Wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing – if not you will spread the infection by smearing the germs on to every surface you touch

7.      Wash your hands after touching any animal – even a pet. Animals carry a lot of germs that we don’t know about and can’t see.

8.      Clean hands thoroughly after touching a dustbin or taking out the garbage. Garbage breeds lots of flies and other germs

9.      Wash your hands whenever they look visibly dirty. If they look dirty – they need to be cleaned

10.  Make sure you clean your hands after coming back from public places like stations, schools, hospitals etc. Surfaces that are touched by several people are sure to be infested with germs

You can wash away infections and diseases and keep your family safe – it is just so easy!

You are already doing it.

 Do it right! Do it frequently!

Wash hands! Stay safe! Keep your family healthy!

Yes !!! You can keep your family healthy and happy

If you are a Mom – I am certain you are like me.

My prayer for my little one is that she should always be healthy and happy.

Is that what you pray for?

 I’ll take a guess – I am sure you do.

I want my prayers answered - and I know that “God helps those – who help themselves”.

And so - I reinforce my prayers for health and happiness with my efforts to give my family nutritious food that is safe to consume .

I am a doctor – a Parenting and Wellness consultant. I conduct workshops for parents to educate them on how to parent better and live healthier.

 But is that why I know – my family needs nutritious food that will make them strong and healthy and safe food that will keep them from falling sick?

No – of course not!

I know this because like every other Mom in the world - Nature has programmed me - to instinctively know that I am responsible for my family’s health and happiness.

Instincts however - I have discovered - are far from sufficient when you want to do things just right. And just like prayers – they need a lot of backing too.

 Instincts must be backed by knowledge.

Long years of information assimilation have led me to this knowledge. I now know what is nutritious and how to eat safe.

I am now a soldier who is equipped to successfully battle disease causing microbes in my kitchen without compromising on nutrition.

I am committed to ensuring that man wins the battle against microbes.

But will I win this Man Vs Microbe battle alone?

No! An emphatic NO!!

I need every Mom to join me – “TO KEEP WHAT IS GOOD – SAFE”.

There are a lot of people who are committed to doing just that – I know. And these people work for a company called Tetra Pak. A company that is committed to “PROTECT – WHAT’S GOOD”

With their help I have recently discovered a lot about food safety and packaging that I didn’t know. I learnt a lot from their online Nutrition Quotient (NQ) course.

You could do the course too. Here is the link http://nutrition-quotient.com/

I have now joined forces with them to spread the message of food safety.

I am a proud SAFE FOOD AMBASSADOR!

As Safe Food Ambassador – I am going to write a series of articles – and take you through the basic tenets of Food Safety.

Follow my articles – to discover what you should do to ensure Health and Happiness for your family.  

Before the First Breath - The Memoirs of A Newborn

From the very first moment that I held my newborn daughter - I was convinced that she had something to say.

I was excited!

Wow! This was a first!

A newborn who wanted to talk - she must be brilliant - I thought.

And, why not?

She was my daughter after all.

OK - I am not brilliant. But I do talk a lot.

With pride in my voice I conveyed the news to my husband.

He was pensively calculating how he was going to get his sleep that night between changing diapers and following my nonstop instructions - and as I made this announcement - the look of intense concentration on his face morphed into one of dread.

The look he gave me said it all. It said - “Oh dear! Now a mad wife - to add to the chaos.”

“Go to sleep. You must be really tired - go to sleep” was all he finally managed to say.

The implied message however was loud and clear.

I looked at my baby - I was certain she looked indignant too.

“Yes Mamma” she seemed to be saying “of course I have something to say”

Not one to give up easily on conversations -especially when they smelt promising - I mulled over what this hour old creature could possibly have - to say.

“Hmmmmmmmmmm…………. there was no way I was giving up on this one”

Through sleepless days and nights of exhaustedly and yet proudly feeding and changing my new possession - I mulled and mulled over this mystery.

And one fine day when I was sufficiently sleep deprived - it hit me.

This baby that I thought was just a few days old - was in fact just as old as me.

She was that one cell who had made it from the ovary to my arms when so many others hadn’t and as a cell she had been born as soon as I was born.

What adventures she must have had! No wonder she looked like she had so much to share!

It must have been so tough for her - a little cell in an obscure corner of my body - with such a big dream!

I was certain hers was a story worth chronicling and I determined that I would do it.

But how would I know what she had to say?

Hmmmmmm……… it would have to be my Embryology and Obstetrics textbooks to the rescue.

It was such an important story - I could not possibly be technically inaccurate.

Between being Mom, doctor, wife and myself (where my procrastinating self has certainly been at the forefront) - this book has taken me a while to write - but at last it is done.

It tells the story of a cell in the left ovary who suffers with fortitude through her boring uneventful childhood - survives the trials and tribulations of her Moms teen years - and hopes and prays to meet her Prince charming - and one day finally does.

Marital bliss with her Prince charming morphs into an exercise in cell resource management and meeting of deadlines - as she hurtles towards her dream of being born a little baby and making it to her Mom’s arms.

After several - “Will I make it?” and “How will I make that happen?” she finally realizes her dream.

Read about it in my book.

"Before the First Breath - The Memoirs of A Newborn"

Find out all that happens before you finally get to hold your little one.

My Tryst with Tetra Pak

It is really strange how one’s priorities change in life.

Ten years ago - if I was to contemplate falling in love - the object of my love would certainly not have been an OBJECT.

But being a Mom changes so much.

You fall in love with things - things that keep your family healthy and make your life easier - in general make you a better Mom without your doing too much.

And today I am writing one such love story.

Being - Mom, Parenting and Wellness Consultant and Infectious Diseases specialist all rolled into one is not easy. And I am all three.

As Mom - I want the best for my daughter………..

As Parenting and Wellness Consultant - I know what the best is…….

And as Infectious Diseases specialist - I know when the best things are really not good enough to give her!

And because I am all three - for the longest time - a daily battle raged between the three of me. Especially when I thought of MILK

As Mom I was insistent upon serving my daughter a glass of milk every day. The Parenting and Wellness Consultant in me agreed that it was a good idea because milk is a complete food. But the Infectious Diseases specialist in me was always sceptical.

“Milk that is likely to be unsafe because it has germs in it or has been adulterated -is best not consumed. Drinking such milk does more harm than good” - is what she had to say every time we served up a glass full.

So Milk usually had the three of me frequently disagreeing.

When my daughter was about a year old - all three of me reluctantly agreed to serve up milk that was sold in sealed plastic packets. And though debates still raged in my mind between boiling for long enough times to destroy the germs and short enough times to keep the nutrients intact - I still managed to live in an uneasy calm.

Until one day - by virtue of being the wife of an officer of the Indian Air Force - I had the privilege of setting up home in Jorhat (Assam) - 300 Km from the China Border.

The milk available there was just terrible.

I had never trusted milk supplied by milkmen. So, there once more - I turned to milk in plastic pouches.

In Jorhat however the milk in plastic pouches travelled such long distances to get to me that by the time the packet reached me - it looked battered and dirty itself.

Unlike in the cities and towns where it arrived with clockwork accuracy in time for me to start my day -here- depending on the prevailing road conditions - it arrived at any odd time of the day. Sometimes even past noon.

By the time it reached me it had usually been in transit for so long that it was beginning to spoil. And even when it wasn’t spoilt - it looked dirty and smelt funny.

It was milk that I was compelled to ban from my house.

It was depressing. And for the first time ever since I became part of the Air Force family - I began to regret moving with my husband to the back of beyond.

Fortunately - my regret did not last for long.

Browsing the stores one day for supplies - I chanced upon Tetra Pak.

The brick shaped carton looked sturdy - it said it was tamper evident - the milk in it looked and smelt fresh - it was preservative free and it didn’t need boiling.

I couldn’t have asked for more - I fell in love - in love with Tetra Pak.

I have been a big Tetra Pak fan ever since.

In the years since - even while living in the Metros I have been unable to let go of the goodness of milk packed in Tetra Pak cartons.

However, I discovered a lot more about the company that makes the product I love so much and its commitment to providing safe food and making it available everywhere - at the seminar they organized on Food safety - last Friday in Bangalore.

It was for Moms like me.

They told us how they pack all the nutritious food we want to give our families - in 6 layers of packing!

And because they are so careful while packing what they pack - the food they pack does not get spoilt even though they don’t put in preservatives. All you need to do with food packed in Tetra Pak cartons is - cut (open the carton), Pour (it out) and Drink.

 It is my dream come true.

If you are a Mom - I am sure health and happiness are what you dream of for your family.

Get both - just open Tetra Pak and pour them out.