The real curriculum: Micro-moments, values & tools for global Nepali families
The 5 A’s: My parenting compass
Over the years, I’ve found myself guided by the five principles of positive parenting - Acceptance, Attention, Appreciation, Autonomy, and Affection.
These aren’t grand acts. They show up in ten-minute moments from reading a storybook, building something together like legos, or puzzles or crafts and, laughing mid-mess. Neuroscience shows that these micro-connections literally rewire a child’s brain for safety and bonding.
That’s also why I created the bilingual books and puzzles at Kirmiray Studios to make those moments easier for global Nepali families like ours. Simple, tactile tools that help slow down time and spark language, play, and connection.
Because it’s not the toys or lessons that matter most; it’s the energy we bring into those shared moments.
Connection is the real curriculum
The real test of healthy parenting is whether your child’s emotions trigger your inner child or teach you patience, empathy, and humility.
In that sense, our children are our greatest teachers.
When we pause, breathe, and connect even for ten mindful minutes, we gift them something far more lasting than language or culture. We give them security: the feeling of being seen, safe, and loved.
That connection, more than any tradition or textbook, becomes the foundation for a happy, resilient life. The bridge that keeps your globally growing child grounded between worlds that neither fully define nor confine them, ensuring that no matter how far they wander, they always know how to find their way back to you.
Connection keeps that bridge open, not just culturally, but emotionally; so no matter how far they wander, they always know how to find their way back to you.
The Evolution
As I reflect on this journey from a girl watching planes over Kathmandu to a mother raising her daughter in Melbourne, I see a clear pattern; life keeps inviting us to evolve.
Every generation gets the chance to be a little freer, a little kinder, a little more awake than the one before. That, to me, is the true beauty of living as global Nepali families, not the distance from home, but the depth of awareness it gives us. We may have left Nepal physically, but spiritually, we remain connected through language, love, and the quiet revolution of conscious parenting.
Maybe that’s what “home” really means now: not a place, but a way of raising our children built on empathy and lifted by awareness.
Until next time, happy connecting!
Sarika
Founder, Kirmiray Studios