Maryam's Writing Hub

Sitting with my three-year-old on the bench of Class 3B of the only satisfactory school in our small town, I was quickly refreshing his ABCs, counting, and colours. Call me crazy to be taking the admission of a preschooler so seriously, but half the bunch of mothers in the room were no different. I’ve heard it’s a shared feeling among new parents. Once you start raising your third and fourth, everything seems doable and manageable, since you’re only living it all over again. So anyways, 2nd March was the day my son gave his oral admission test for Pre-nursery. Almost a hundred families turned up for the test, and this was only for the Pre-nursery admissions scheduled for that day. No masks, no gloves, and no sanitizers - and you know how kids this age can be once they get someone their age to play with! I remember hearing it in the news that quite a few people abroad were being affected by an epidemic, but it seemed miles away. One or two cases had appeared in my country too, so I can

With the horror of Coronavirus engulfing the entire world, stepping out of the house isn’t anything short of a peril. Most of us only leave the house when it’s absolutely necessary, to get the minimum provisions that would take us through this horrendous time. A seemingly trivial side-effect of lockdown: unhealthy eating habits If you handle the household budget and daily menu, you would know how quickly the pantry will drain out now that everyone is sitting idle in the house. It’s understandable. Life is slow, and when there’s nothing to do and nowhere to go. There’s one slogan that will be heard in different forms throughout the day: “What’s for dinner, MOM”, “Is the food ready, MOM?’, “MAMA, I’m hungry”. Keep the family healthy and save the pantry Don’t be overwhelmed by the changing eating habits and don’t let your kids or even your husband transform into a couch-potato - you’ll regret it later if you do not take action NOW. Not only do you need to harmonize the family’s growi

With the global death toll over 21,000 already, since the outbreak of Coronavirus somewhere in December, this is a distressing time for everyone. Yet, while staying home in self-isolation, we cannot let the monster of a pandemic engulf us. Support each other, bond with your family and keep your hopes up; believe that we will live through it and emerge healthy from the other side. Meanwhile, we need to live through this lockdown. No school, no parties, no walks, even a trip to the grocery store needs to be calculated… long story short: it’s as boring as it gets! So I thought I would have a look around (online, of course) and find out how others were passing the days to give you some ideas on how you could find some element of fun in this depressing time. As for me, I’m doing what I enjoy most: write. Over the years, writing has developed in me like an addiction, so I’m using this time to sit with a cup of tea and put my thoughts down into typed words. Here are some of the intere

While the entire world is fighting against the present Coronavirus situation, there are issues that may go overlooked. These are the issues that may not seem too pressing presently, like the shutdown of schools, colleges, and universities. Had this been a matter of weeks, we would not be much worried. However, the pandemic that has even overwhelmed the greatest scientist and doctors of the decade does not really give us an end date to this lockdown. While many governments have currently locked down schools and businesses for a fortnight, there’s no guarantee that the situation will stabilize after that. It’s best that we continue schooling our kids at home so that once they’re back to school, hopefully soon, they have everything fresh in their minds. Homeschooling can be challenging Homeschooling isn’t as straightforward as it may seem, especially if you haven’t tried it before. Most kids are accustomed to their regular routine of being taught in a traditional classroom setting, w

The continuous evolution of technology brings newer options to learn remotely. From Skype to Zoom , you’ll find countless software and platforms where you can connect and learn from your teachers and fellow colleagues while sitting at home. While it has its advantages and there are situations when online schooling is the only resort, traditional schooling is still the preferred option among the two. After all, millions of kids who wake up early morning, get dressed and head to school must have a good reason to do so, or at least their parents will. If you think the parents all simply following the convention without giving it much thought, that’s not entirely the case. Online high schools pose several disadvantages when compared with traditional schooling; here is a list of some: Limited social development Social development is one of the most important parts of learning that’s lacking in online high schools. When the students physically spend a good number of hours in