Parenting, Not a child’s play!

Vidhi Mehra, Founder, Candy Cane Club

“If you ever thought that parenting is a child’s play, then the answer is a big No. In today’s digital age & plethora of options & choices thrown open to us, it is always better to make an informed decision rather than experimenting. Candy Cane Club addresses this unique area through a unique approach”, says Vidhi Mehra, the founder of Candy Cane Club ((www.candycaneclub.com)

Having spent several hours of volunteer work at various preschools, Vidhi was extremely confident to start the journey of motherhood. Few months down the line, she realized that the usual baby talk with them was just not good enough to explore the full potential of the children. While Vidhi searched toys and books got stacked up in the corner of the house, Vidhi planned her son’s first trip to the local zoo, which wasn’t too exciting for her son to enjoy and understand animals. This realisation of what to do with the child, at what level & age, led to the birth of Candy Cane Cub.

At Candy Cane Club, the parent is at the centre and equipped with the tools to help them keep the child occupied in a constructive manner. So, if a parent is heading to the science centre in the city or toy store and is wondering about the things that his three year old will love, the answer is a click away. Their service is curated and personalised to suit the child based on child’s level, interest and on the parent’s routine.

Candy Cane Club is thus changing the way young parents spend time with their child, by helping them rediscover the fun with them.

High point in career

“Candy Cane Club has not only become a popular name among leading corporates and schools, but has also won the Kidsstopress Readers Choice Award 2014, as the best subscription service for children in India. Currently, we are constantly getting invited by schools and companies to conduct sessions for parents to help them connect with their children. The last three sessions that we held at Tech Mahindra, helped parents rediscover the fun that they can have with their children. This recognition of Candy Cane Club has been the high point in my career.”

Most challenging assignment so far

“The biggest challenge that we faced at Candy Cane Club was to connect little children around the world without having them glued to a screen. I feel a great sense of accomplishment to have achieved the art of connecting children between the ages of 2 and 6 years around the world to play together from the comforts of their homes. Little children have now been connected through Candy Cane Club’s innovative game play called the “Discovery Race” which is conducted every month.”

Greatest inspiration

“My children have always been my greatest inspiration. They have inspired me to think out of the box for making play interesting and challenging. I continue to innovate Gameplay which has changed the way young parents spend time with their children. Gameplay is constructed at Candy Cane Club, by continuously analysing the child’s level, interests and the time available with their parents.

Although I made Gameplay a lot of fun for my children, my biggest regret is not being able to capture the moments that mattered to me the most. Even the few that I did capture are strewn across the cloud on different platforms, making accessibility to them difficult. Through the Candy Cane Club app which is now available on the google play store, I have managed to address this issue with total proficiency. We help arrange the pictures in an organised manner and also keep reminding parents to take pictures at the right time.”

Most important milestone in life

“Being the “Trusted Partner” to parents is surely the biggest milestone in my career so far. Parents that belong to Candy Cane Club have turned into one large family and share their children’s personal moments with us. The fact that they include us in their daily moments of joy has become a huge accomplishment for us. It is very fulfilling to see parents share special pictures of their children with us on a daily basis. Every time a parent shares their precious memories with us is a high point for us.”

Women are the better halves. What does it mean?

“At Candy Cane Club, we believe in women power and are proud to be an ‘all women’s team’. We believe in the strength of women but that does not make us into better halves. We believe that men and women are equal. It’s just that we just enjoy being an all-women’s team and are happy to be tagged as ‘women in blue’.”