Parenting Indian Children

Children's Temper Tantrums

2011-01-30T23:18:00.001-08:00

Children’s temper tantrums can be a dreaded thought for any parent. Being responsible parents you must find ways to reduce these temper tantrums as they can happen anywhere or at anytime without warning. The best way to handle this kind of situation is to be prepared. You need to be prepared with knowledge of how to cope and handle your child, and go a long way in dealing with their temper tantrums. The reason for that being you can easily predict when your child might lose his/her temper and throw a tantrum.

The first tip would be to understand the behavioral nature of your child. Some children are adjustable, while many are non cooperative and whine at the drop of a hat. The second tip would be to ensure that your child has had ample sleep.

In case your child is feeling sleepy and is throwing a tantrum inside the house or outside, it is better to put him to sleep. The next step seems funny but works. When your child is throwing a tantrum, do not react. Just take deep breaths and wait for your child to calm down. Once your child calms down explain to him/her that throwing a tantrum is wrong. Remember not to hit your child or scold them when they are throwing a tantrum. You can handle the situation pretty well the next time with these simple tips.

Is Your Child Computer Savvy?

2010-09-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Computers have started to play a very important role in our lives. They are wonderful educational tools. Parents should try to familiarize their children with the computer. Enrolling your kid to computer classes is one option but there are other options also that you can try at home. For instance, teaching use of word processor can be quite easy. Everyone needs to have a basic knowledge of word processor. Parents should show kids how to open and save files and delete words, and let them figure out the rest. Child can be encouraged to keep a personal diary on the computer. Give him a reason to experiment with MS Word.

Parents should encourage child to keep in touch with friends and relatives by email. We all know how important and preferred mode of communication email has become. A child will need to learn emailing sooner than later. Teach him how to send birthday cards or write a letter through email. He will also enjoy the process.

To make computer learning more interesting, introduce your child to different games. However, keep an eye on time limits. Outdoor sports are far healthier but you can introduce your kids to play mind games like Chess and Scrabble, or general games of skill like Packman. Help him to find general knowledge sites which will prove very beneficial in his studies. Bookmark few sites that offer interesting mind games and contests. Encourage him to participate in interesting games. Keep an eye on violent sports and adult sites. You can block such sites with the help of different software.

Child Safety

2010-08-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Parents need to ensure that their children are safe especially when they play out. Safety tips for parents when children play outside are: Do not let your child go out of the building compound without your permission. Warn your child not to play alone in isolated areas. Empty houses and construction areas should be avoided when playing.

Your child should memorize the address and the telephone number. Many children feel ashamed to say no to strangers. Make your child learn to say ‘no’. Also tell your child not to accept any kind of sweet or food material from any stranger. Teach your child traffic rules and symbols. Maintaining personal Safety at home is also an important factor. Do not talk to strangers on the phone. It is better not to encourage salesmen especially with children around. All the plugs should be beyond your child’s reach or should be kept covered. Do not allow your child to go anywhere close to the bathroom. Balcony doors should be kept shut. In case there are table fans at your house ensure that they are out of your child’s reach.

Maintaining safety is an important element in taking your child’s care. If as a parent you cannot devote extra attention to your child, then it is better to hire a caretaker. But again you have to make sure that the caretaker is genuine and credible enough. If possible hire a recommended caretaker. These are some of the safety tips that should be taken care of while upbringing your child.

How to Identify Child Learning Disability

2010-07-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Learning disability has been a growing problem in children, not because there is a higher incidence, but because of earlier and much more elaborate diagnosis. Earlier diagnosis and interventions can help child obtain the level of education tailored to its needs and capabilities.

Learning disability cannot be equated to mental retardation. It means that despite the child having an average IQ, he or she is unable to learn at the expected rate, compared to the children of his/her age.

Learning disability can be of various categories such as writing, reading, listening skills, mathematics, or spelling etc. Any one of these or more can be affected and they will all be termed as learning disabilities and not mental retardation. Due to the learning component involved, usually they should not be diagnosed until school age, and even then the first couple of grades are not enough to diagnose a child having a disability issue.

Usually teachers recommend the children to repeat the grade if they find them slow in math or reading, and sometimes that’s all the child needs, as he/she may need time in maturing. If the child doesn’t improve in a specific time period, the teacher may recommend a professional child psychologist. Only he is licensed to officially diagnose the child.

There are several signs that may indicate a learning disability. Child may have a problem with attention span. He may get frustrated easily. He may stare in the space with no specific reason or have problems learning new words. These symptoms may point to a learning issue, but it cannot be diagnosed by a teacher or a parent.

Based on the diagnosis, it can be decided whether the child needs to be in a mainstream school or a special education school program. Special education schools help in aiding the child to work on his learning disability and acquire education at a comfortable pace. If possible, the child may join back the mainstream schools if he/she is able to cope up with the learning disability.

Lying Problem in Children

2010-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

Lying is a common problem found in children. Many kids are afflicted with this problem and parents find it difficult to accept or to deal with such issues. Lying and stealing are sensitive issues and parents should be very careful while handling these matters. Quite often, the case of lying is merely a work of child’s overactive imagination. This can not be considered as lying because most often than not, child is not able to differentiate between his imagination or a realistic dream and what has actually taken place. So what might seem like a lie can just be a case of perception and anxiety.

Parents should make sure not to brand their children as liars. It stunts their emotional development. If parents keep calling child a liar, soon he will lose his self-confidence and that will create lots of problems in his future growth. Child being a child will sometime exaggerate things but that does not mean that parents should misunderstand him. Parents should be careful in putting their child down in public or in asking kid’s friends or siblings to verify his statements. Such conditions should be totally avoided.

The fact is no child is a born liar. Child often turns liar because of high expectation or pressure from the parents. He tries to please his parents and once the first attempt goes successfully, lying becomes his second habit. Parents should not be strict or rigid in handling lying issues. That will further aggravate the problem. Talk it out with the kid, make him understand the implications of his actions and provide all the mental and emotional support. Right dosage of love, understanding and compassion will help parents in tackling the problem of lying.

How to Handle Rude Teens

2010-05-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Is your teenager rude and bad-mannered? If the answer is yes, parents need to pay close attention to this problem because it is not a normal behaviour for teens. Teenage is always considered as a difficult stage for both parents and teens but some teens are best friends with their parents. Occasional incidents of fight and trouble are normal but if it is taking place too frequently, parents need to find the cause and nip the problem in the bud. If your teen is rude to you, it is the duty of parents to let him/her know that, this is not an acceptable behaviour. However, parents should also ensure that they are not treating their teenagers in a negative way.

If parents fail to warn teens about their behaviour, teens will take it as granted. They will assume that their behavioural pattern is acceptable. Parents should take concrete actions. No child or parent wants to hurt each other, however, there might have been incidents that would have caused pain and hurt. The idea is to find those reasons and explain them to the child. Parents should not ignore teen’s desires again and again as that will lead to feelings of frustration in child.

It is important to check rudeness and disrespect at every step. Teenagers are quite vulnerable to the influence of peer pressure. Parents should never underestimate the peer influence. Communication is the key here. Parents should talk about all the problems faced by child and make him understand the causes and effects. Keep your cool and calm intact while interacting with your teen.

Making Your Children vegetarian

2010-04-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Turning vegetarians has become a buzz word all across the globe. There are movements taking place to make vegetarian food more acceptable. Growing number of people in different countries are turning vegetarians because of reasons including, environmental, ethical and medical. Meat and other non-vegetarian products are being avoided. Already, there are substantial numbers of people who are vegetarians because of their social, religious and cultural backgrounds.

It is natural for vegetarian parents to want their children to follow suit. But then, everyone has different opinions about nutrition. Parents are more concerned about whether a vegetarian diet can fulfill the dietary requirements of their growing children. There is no doubt regarding the immense health benefits of a vegetarian diet. There is a strong co-relation between vegetarian diets and reduced incidence of many diseases. People who are non-vegetarians are more likely to suffer from hypertension and heart diseases. They will also have higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s important for parents to instill the habit of vegetarian diet in their kids’ right from the very beginning.

If parents are aiming for a non-vegetarian diet for their kids, they should also ensure that children are not having any sort of junk foods such as potato chips and aerated drinks else the overall benefits of vegetarian food will be nullified. Diet should be nutritionally complete. Parents should make children a part of turning vegetarian process instead of forcing the vegetables down their throats. They should explain why vegetables are necessary and how they stand up against non-vegetarian foods. They should be given their favorite vegetarian diet. Parents should lead by example if they want their children to grow on a vegetarian diet.

Children and Computers

2010-03-30T09:47:00.001-07:00

We are living in the age of computers. Wherever you go, whatever function you perform, you will find the use of computers in every sphere of life. There is no space for a computer illiterate person. It has almost become our second brain without which we are hard pressed. Parents, realizing the importance of computers, are making dedicated efforts to educate kids about the benefits of computers. Well, one thing here works in the favor of the parents and that is, children easily get addicted to the computers. The way technology is advancing, kids are also gearing up for all the works related to computers.

Children do get addicted to computers but it is never an easy task to make them learn the basics. Initially, the functions of computers are mysterious to children. However, parents should be patient enough to deal with such problems. The teaching process should start with introduction of the computers. Tell the child how it works and what it can be used for. Then, the next logical step is of showing how to turn the computer on and off. Explain him CPU, monitor and UPS.

Additionally, you should explain the function of printer, keyboard and mouse. Tell him about left and right click buttons. Show him how to hold the mouse and move the cursor. To make the process more interesting, you can introduce the kid to few games. That way he will learn to use the mouse. Also give them a free rein in using different keys on the keyboard. Slowly, you can introduce them to functions of different keys like Shift, Del, Caps, Space Bar etc. Don’t use complicated language while explaining the functions. Soon enough, your child will be able to maneuver on his own.

Encouraging your Child

2010-02-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a great responsibility. All the parents try to provide best of care, love, concern and affection to their kids so that they have the best possible lives. Parents also ensure to prepare children in such a way that they can handle all the challenges thrown by life. Parents need to make sure that the child has enough self-confidence and self-esteem to face obstacles standing in his way. Some of the other important factors are accepting the child they way he is and not trying to mould each and every aspect of his personality as per our desires.

While building up a child’s personality, it is imperative to follow proper discipline techniques. The rules regarding discipline must be consistent and parents should let the children know what are the reasonable expectations from them. One factor hugely affects the way a child grows up. It is the way we are praising or criticizing him. Mind it, there is a very fine line between criticism and being negative.

Parents should try to ensure that child is being nurtured in a positive environment. Negative criticism can adversely affect child’s psychology. Talking it out in a cool and calm manner is much better way than simply making sarcastic comments or criticizing kids in front of other people. Many parents don’t praise child for the good deeds performed by them. Praise is a wonderful form of encouragement. It needs not to be done only if child achieves something big. It could also be for small things like cleaning his room, completing his homework on time or helping mom in the kitchen etc.

There are always some admirable qualities in any kid and parents must recognize these and encourage those positive traits. Qualities could be honesty, organization skills, humor, neatness or social skills etc. Try looking for his positive traits and encourage it by complimenting him every now and then. This will tremendously help child in building his self-esteem.

Co-Parenting Responsibilities

2010-01-26T03:58:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a very responsible job and no one can deny this fact. Parenting decisions are jointly made by both mother and father. Both are equally responsible and accountable about the ways a child should be raised. But not always, parents agree to same aspect of parenting. The basic reason behind this disagreement is that there are many ways to raise a child. Each parent has a different perspective and way of raising a child and he or she tries to do things own way. Combining together the best of parents’ ideas would a nice way to make everyone happy but that’s not always possible.

Co-parenting requires discipline and compromise from both of the parents. Sometimes, disagreements between parents can adversely affect the child because he witnesses everything. For example, there is no point arguing on an issue like discipline in front of the child. It is always better to discuss it separately and not affect the child negatively. A calm discussion will always lead to some mutually acceptable decisions.

Talking it out is another simple way to sort out issues and can even nip in the bud the problems that can potentially damage relationship between the parents. Argument is of no help when it comes to setting rules for the child. Parents should always discuss with each other when they are thinking of making some important decisions for the kid.

Each parent should respect the ideas of other one. Listening to the ideas carefully can provide some great insights. Two people can always come up with a better solution together.

Toddler Discipline

2009-12-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

It is always a proud moment for parents to hold their beautiful baby in their hands. What a joy it gives! Children are no doubt, little wonders of nature. Your child makes you complete. Everything about them is fascinating and touches your heart. Right from that innocent smile, incredulous eyes to cute voice, they surely win us over. We all like to see our kids grow in full might. They must get all the happiness of the world and they be successful. That’s what we wish for the kids. But parents need to create the foundation for the future well fare of the kids. A child must be given right platform to grow on mental, psychological and physical levels. Successes of life require discipline. It is an important parental job to lay the foundation stone of discipline for toddlers.

The most important thing is the art of saying no to the kids. Parents who say yes to kids tend to suffer more when children grow up. This habit will instill discipline in kids and will make them aware about their limitations. It should be done gently and firmly without using any violence. Most of the parents can’t see their kids in any sort of inconvenience and discomfort. That is quite natural. But at the same time, make him aware of his responsibilities. Don’t give into his all his unfair demands. Children often do irritating activities. In such cases, it is best to ignore them. Try to distract them from unwisely actions. Prevention is always better than cure. Start discipline methods from early age and your kid will do just fine. Finally try to be consistent in your behaviour.

Managing A Rebellious Child

2009-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a tough job and you know it very well. Parenting is a lot about responsibilities, challenges and trials. Children on their part are simply children. Some of them are quite obedient and some other well, defiant. Call them children with rebellious streak and they cause lots of problems for the parents. Different parents adopt different measures to handle such problems. Unruly kids are hard to control and manage. These kids are quite aggressive and behave as per their whims and fancies. Rebellious children don’t like to follow orders and give hard time to their parents.

Talking about defiant children, they are not an uncommon sight. Parents need to adopt right methods to handle such children. Resorting to high handedness will not fetch rich dividends. Parents need to be very patient while dealing with such child. They should try to know why kid is behaving in a certain way. What is the reason that’s causing their kid to be aggressive? It could be either because of bad company, fear of punishment or expectations of some favors. There is no point shouting on the child if he is misbehaving or refusing to obey. Children learn a lot from their parents so parents need to be rightful in their behavior as well.

Put down rules and regulations for your child. Also express your decision about how you will be handling his wrong behavior. Do not ignore his behavioral traits. Be very consistent in your behavior. Try to implement discipline factor in the household. Try to know what is going through his mind. Listen to him very carefully.

Activities for Autistic Children

2009-10-26T01:00:00.001-07:00

Autistic children face a lot of problems in social skills activities. Unlike normal children, they face problems in acquiring the natural ability to interact and communicate with others that other children possess. To teach social activity skills, parents need to go for deliberate treatments and interventions. Don’t try to take all the essential steps in one go. Parents should rather focus on dividing these steps into small ones that become much more achievable that way. Patience is the key word here that parents must possess while dealing with autistic children. It is known fact that autistic children don’t respond positively to coercion.

One of the best tools for imparting social skills in autistic children is by telling them stories. By telling stories that relate to a specific kind of instruction, children are better prepared to learn communication abilities. This approach is quite successful as it focuses upon the process of child using his own skills and strengths.

The other set of activities is relational activities that refer to reinforcement of object permanence in autistic kids. This way, autistic child learns to reference other people's faces. Some of the activities that parents can opt for are, reading, modeling, board games, face games, musical instruments etc. these are interactive activities. These activities teach child listening skills, visual stimulation and other different skills.

Autistic children must be brought in touch with other children so that they learn to develop some communication abilities. Just simple childhood games will serve the purpose.

Coping with Exam Stress

2009-09-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

Exam time is a big issue for child as well as for parents. Exam is often accompanied by anxiety and stress. Add to that peer and parental pressure and loads of expectations and the innocent child finds himself surrounded by stress and tension. Parents must take extra care while a child goes through the examination process. It is always hard to prepare so much within a short span of time. Pressure keeps building up and child falls victim to exam fever.

So what are the responsibilities of parents? Parents should make sure child does not get distracted. A kid tends to get easily distracted. Losing focus can be disastrous for his exam preparation and ultimately for his self-confidence. Priorities must be clear and it is the job of parents to help the child in this aspect. They should make sure distractions like TV, guests or tiffs must be avoided or kept minimal.

Child’s sleeping cycle must be proper. Without adequate sleep he will always feel lethargic and won’t be able to give his 100 percent. Taking proper sleep is absolutely necessary and parents should ensure that he follows a definite routine. Proper sleep will also ensure he will be having good retention power. All the hard work will come to a naught if sleep cycle is disturbed.

Provide your child with balanced and nutritious diet. Don’t allow him to skip food. Fresh fruits, juices and pulses etc are must for child during exam time. If he eats well and sleeps well, there won’t be much reason of anxiety and pressure. Finally make him work accordingly. Cheer him up and he is sure to come up with flying colors.

Sponge Bath for Babies

2009-09-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

It must have been the best feeling you ever had; holding your bundle of joy in your hand. After all the troubles of pregnancy and obviously difficult delivery, finally you are blessed with a baby and no feeling can ever beat that. A baby so delicate that mother often feels scared of her vulnerability. In such condition, giving baby a bath poses some questions. But a baby being a baby does not need to be bathed on a regular basis and no better way than giving her a sponge bath. Ideally, a baby must be given sponge bath twice a week. The purpose is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene factor.

Mothers are bound to face problems initially but sooner or later, they will adjust to it and will effectively learn how to give baby a sponge bath. Start with turning off all the fans and air conditioner because a baby with bare body will require heat. Don’t take much time while giving baby the bath. Keep all the required things near to you including baby shampoo, baby towel, sponge, warm water and washcloth. Don’t forget to keep diaper and clothes nearby. The temperature of water should be slightly warm and make sure to check it before you start the bathing action. Don’t expose all the body parts of the baby and keep other parts covered with towel. Don’t take too much time and finish the work as soon as possible. Don’t put pressure on any body part and don’t apply too much soap. Do everything gently and now cuddle up your fresh baby.

Sprouts in Your Child’s Diet

2009-08-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

One of the nutritional food items is sprouts. According to scientists, sprout is one of the perfect foods for any individual. It is not only healthy but nutritional also. Sprouts contain axinon that is extremely beneficial for human body. There are several reasons why one should munch sprouted beans and seeds. The common factor is nutritional value of sprouts. But a less known fact is nutritional value of sprout is many times higher than the nutrition value of the original beans and seeds from which they sprout. Surprisingly, dried peas contain no Vitamin C but when they are sprouted they are known to provide more Vitamin C per ounce than a fresh orange! Isn’t that astonishing? Sprouts have better nutritional and health value than cooked foods and they also help in preventing several ailments.

Sprouts are quite easy to prepare. All you need to do is to soak the beans overnight or for a couple of days and that’s it. You don’t need any other thing for preparing sprouts. They contain anti-carcinogenic properties and are considered extremely potent cancer-fighting properties. Sprouts are available all over the world and there is no big fuss about their availability. One can also cook them with his own set of spices.

Sprouts are quite cost efficient and come very easy on your pockets. They are must for your growing kids as they will have more Vitamin C, Protein and B-complex. Kids must be fed sprouts on a regular basis. It will help in boosting their immunity and their health as well. Parents must ensure to incorporate sprouts in the child’s diet.

Making Teeth-Brushing a Habit

2009-08-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

We all know the importance teeth in our lives. They are a precious part of our body and demand daily attention. One just cannot afford to give teeth a miss and continue with the life. Daily teeth’s cleaning is a must if one wants to live a healthy and happy life. In absence of proper teeth care regimen, one can have problems like cavity, yellaowing teeth and bad breath. On one hand these problems are totally unhygienic and secondly they don’t really add to your personality. Add to that the huge dentist bills and you will know the consequences of not caring for your teeth.

Adults can understand these factors but try explaining these to kids and you are going to have a tough time ahead. Parents must strive to instill teeth brushing routine in the child. They should not be careless about this habit and must stick to their guns. Start with making a certain time routine in morning and evening when the child will have to brush his teeth. Make sure to choose a comfortable time and not when he is tired. Additionally, you can do it together and sing some song. Try making this an enjoyable experience for him and not a cumbersome routine.

Buy your child a nice colorful toothbrush. You can also get a toothbrush holder that comes available with a cartoon character. Try to maintain your composure and just be persistent. Offer him some incentives for brushing teeth properly. Over all, use love and care and feel the difference.

Foster Parenting

2009-07-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Foster parenting is quite tough considering the circumstances surrounding it. It is challenging but noble as well. Foster parenting is a way to face new challenges and find rewards in it. Parenting has always remained a difficult but satisfying task. But compared to biological parents, foster parents face extra pressure and need to be at their best while handling kids. Foster kids are often abandoned or have unpleasant history and that is the reason why they face initial problems in trusting people. These kids are also quite vulnerable. Foster parents need to be very careful. They also have to provide safe anchorage to the child.

One of the basic criteria for foster parents is to spend quality time with the child. The time well spent goes a long way in establishing connectivity and increases closeness. Deeper the bond, easier it becomes for the child to trust and share his feelings. Even small things like completing household chores together or working in the lawn can cultivate closeness. Kids will grow in a better way if there is no unnecessary usage of authority. Don’t force your decision. Let the trust be built initially and if you want them to follow you it should be done in loving tone. Exhibiting excessive authority will result in revolt or even lifelong repulse towards the parents.

Foster parents need to follow child’s development very closely. That will help in understanding his needs and requirements. The best way is to find out the gap and fill the void created by previous parents. Parents should also try to have open discussion with the child. Good conversation helps in bridging the gap and established wonderful relationship.

Effect Of Boarding School On Children

2009-06-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

Many parents prefer to send their kids to boarding schools. Also known as residential schools, these are educational institutions where students live with their fellow students and teachers. Boarding schools have its own advantages and disadvantages. It is the responsibility of the school to provide accommodation facilities and food to the students. There are two different schools of thoughts about importance of boarding schools. Many parents find it essential to develop confidence and attitude in the kids. Whereas some other parents feel, children are being robbed of affectionate touch of their families. On one hand there are few advantages like children to live on their own. Apart from developing sense of discipline, students also learn to follow a schedule. Children start following a routine like sleeping time, eating time and exercising. Responsibility is one another crucial factor here. Children realize they are responsible for their acts and should not depend on others.

There are some downsides as well. One of them is lack of protection shield from family. Children are also likely to feet detached from family ties. They are also prone to bad habits like smoking or drinking or stealing. Weakening ties with family is another strong possibility. Children are also devoided of family values, so important to build a child’s character. Freedom can also be misused by the kids. These are few factors one needs to consider while deciding upon boarding schools. It can work both ways but yes, parents are always able to handle this conundrum.

Parent Teacher Conference

2009-05-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Two set of people that make all the difference in the life of a child is parents and teacher. So it becomes quite natural to have a good relationship between parents and teachers. Healthy development of a child is very much dependent on equation between above mentioned persons. Logically speaking, parents are considered as first tutors of a kid whereas teachers further take the process ahead. Teachers not only contribute academically but also make a major contribution in child’s personality development. From a child’s point of view, the best case scenario is common goals shared by the parents and teachers.

Parent-teacher conference has become a common theme in many schools. This is a wonderful opportunity for both sides to take stock of the development process of the child and discuss the requisite steps. Through sharing of ideas and thoughts, a child can be well equipped with progressive tools. Parents must ask kids before going to the conference about any specific request or question. They should make the child feel comfortable regarding his school problems and situations.

Parents should be very forthcoming while meeting teachers. Every question should be asked openly. After all, it’s a matter of child’s future that is at stake. Accept child’s criticism and teachers’ opinion about the kid whether positive or negative. Emotions must be avoided while participating in such meetings. Parents must express admiration and appreciation to the teachers for the help accorded by them to the kid.

Teenage Activities

2009-04-30T00:46:00.000-07:00

Teenage is often associated with trouble. The restlessness in your teenage child can cause several unpleasant developments. It is believed that teenagers require utmost care and concern in this particular phase. They say, an empty mind is devil’s workshop. Chances of your teenager having an empty mind during summer vacation are quite high. They have this tendency of getting bored quite easily. So what is the way out?

There are lots of things that can be done and arranged for summer vacation so that teenagers don’t get bored and find an enjoyable mode of recreation. Let’s take a list of fun things that can be done during summer holidays. How about joining a part time job and making some bucks? Well, this way teenager will get an idea of real world and how earning money is a hard job.
Parents can arrange a visit to old age home for their teenagers where the new generation can interact with senior citizens and acquire few unknown insights about life. Joining a summer camp is another wonderful idea because that way they can make lot of new friends. Joining a new hobby course like skating, painting or chess etc will add few dimensions to teenager’s personality.

How about going on a picnic with friends? Surely a fun-filled idea. Watching latest movie or planning a pajama party can be another wonderful idea. A teenager can also join a library or make a collage or can start collecting new items. There are several such ideas for teenagers that can be arranged by the parents.

Importance of Education in Your daughter’s Life

2009-04-20T00:43:00.001-07:00

As discussed in previous post, studies are single most important factor in your daughter’s life. Once you have initiated her into studies make sure to encourage her every now and then. Teach her the importance of financial independence. It would be a wonderful idea to discuss different career options with your daughter. Take care of her liking, disliking and academic inclinations. If needed consult a counselor if she is not sure about what she wants to become in life. This must be done when she is around 14 years of age. It is very important to know what she wants to become when she grows up. Having a career is almost like a having a purpose and a source of fulfillment so encourage her to have a career choice.

Often we look upto a certain individual during the times of distress and hopelessness. That individual is called as a role model who can guide us and inspire us. We all have a role model. These role models not only guide you but also act as a tremendous source of inspiration. Talk about Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa or even Oprah Winfrey, they all command awe, inspiration and complete respect. Why I am talking about a role model is because chances of your daughter doing better becomes brighter if she has a role model. The role model could be from any field and from any era but having one will make a lot of difference. It has been said that educating a female equals to teaching the next generation so make sure to provide best of everything to your lovely daughter.

Parents’ Responsibility towards Daughter

2009-04-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

Having a daughter is great blessing as well as a matter of concern for many parents. Daughters are always considered as a great responsibility. Though, the situation has improved a lot in urban parts of India but a lot needs to be done to improve the current situation. Talking about daughters parents have a great role to play in their development. Many households still don’t give that importance to the study of daughters thinking that no matter what they study, once they are married their husband will take care of them. Yes, this might come true and many girls manage to find such husbands who will always cherish the relationship and love her immensely but what if dreams don’t come true.

No matter how much parents feel protective about their daughters, the future holds no promises. Parents can not protect their daughters for the rest of their lives so it’s better to make them strong and courageous. Daughters should be given strength and taught how to overcome all the obstacles in the journey of life. The basic of this lesson should start with education. Providing their daughters with best possible education should be the most important priority of any parents. Never ever assume that the knowledge she has acquired after years of schooling and college will go waste after her marriage. Having a sound knowledge and proper degree always act as a strong back up. So studies should always be given top most priority in your daughter’s life.

Fear of Strangers

2009-03-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Many babies are introvert by nature whereas few others are not really shy of mingling with strangers. That’s one sign of a baby’s temperament. It is said that when a baby reaches age of 4 months, he or she begins to read people’s behavior and faces. Based on that they decide whether a stranger can be trusted or not. Many shy kids feel anxious and awkward when they see a stranger. Knowing this fact, parents should not worry about this process because it shows signs of development. It can also be understood that an anxious baby will be closer to his parents.

Kids have this amazing ability to feel what one is feeling and they are very good at mimicking one’s actions as well. If parents are reacting nicely to a stranger or welcoming him with pleasant smile then the baby is also likely to follow these traits. Parents can do their bit by telling the strangers about the shyness and anxiety of babies so that others could be more understanding of the situation.

Parents can also ask strangers about baby’s nature and ask others to give him more time so that in time, baby will start feeling more comfortable. Strangers like grandparents or other family members who are meeting the baby for the first time can gift the baby his/her favorite toy or play with things that he prefers. That way, baby will start believing in shared self-interests and will be trusting strangers soon enough. With the passage of time, baby will be quite comfortable with others and gain her own personality.

Mother’s recipes for children

2009-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we Indians lure for that special ‘maa ke haath ka khana’? It is because of the love that mothers add to the dish. Mothers’ recipes offer a great variety of tastes and flavors. Indian recipes have an incredible array of fresh vegetable good for children. Indian recipes involve ingredients that are good for your child’s health. However, traditional Indian vegetarian recipes sometimes require too much oil, butter or ghee which can be a cause of obesity in young children.

Indian food is usually full of spices, herbs and flavors. Tasty, easy and nutritious Indian vegetarian recipes can surely offer one lip smacking variety of dishes. Chutneys, pickles, and other snacking item are surely very delicious to ones taste buds. But along with that let children also have important nutritious food like fruits and nuts. South Indian recipes like idlis and dosas are not that spicy but as one moves towards the north, the food tends to get spicier. Children should be made to taste all kinds of cuisines.

Milk and milk products like paneer (cottage cheese), curds and buttermilk are also an integral part in the Indian recipes and this are great for children because it helps them in their growth. Indian dishes surely make children’s mouth watery with its authentic and scrumptious recipes. Truly, there is no better food than eating what mother prepares for her children. It is one of the best joys that you can have as a child.

Harmful toys

2009-03-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

As parents you may be aware there some of the toys that are made of plastic/fur can be harmful for your children and in extreme cases can lead to choking. Always look for toys that have the safety symbol and check the plastic content in it. You may take the help of the sales staff.

There are many toys that have lead in it. It is harmful when children are exposed to lead and it is reported that nearly four million toys had lead content in them! Though there are strong measures that are now being adopted against toy manufactures, as parents try and avoid toys that you feel may have lead content in them.

Teddy bears and dogs are surely cute but the fur that is used in these toys can suffocate you kids. Avoid letting your child play with these toys for long hours. Also be careful about the loose parts that can easily come out of the dolls and the cars and be careful that your children do not put those things in mouth.

Also be careful of toys that have long strings or ropes because these toys pose the risk of the child strangulating himself or his friends. Such toys should be totally avoided especially if your child is a toddler.

In case your child is into reading books or seeing pictures in different books, make sure that the sharp edges of the books do not harm your child.

Also, the new trend is to give mobiles to children so that they can play with it and remain silent for hours. Not only are you risking the baby but the mobile as well!

Developing Reading Habit in Your Child

2009-02-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Those parents with good collection of books should always go for a small library at home. Make a book shelf and arrange it properly. Developing the habit of reading in kids will take a thorough approach on your behalf. Try starting with making this habit as a part of your routine. For that, you can always keep aside some time when you sit down with your child and try to explore stories in the book. If your child loves bedtime stories, then nothing like that. Hand him/her the book and try to teach them about how to turn the page. Also while telling a story, make sure to present all the colorful images from the story given in the book. Make sure to spell out words clearly and correctly. Also, never go too fast. Keep it slow and tell the child, meaning of the words he does not understands. This will keep him interested and will also enhance the vocabulary.

Always try to accompany your child during reading session. Correct his mistakes but be very very patient. One of the best ways to make your kid interested in reading is by bringing home books with fantasies stories. Kids just love fantasy stories. Try reading along with the kid and narrate the story. Always encourage child to develop his own style of narration. Never try to impose your preferred style. You can also use audio books. Along with the book reading session, play the audio version and make sure to help the child in reading in sync with spoken words. Following all these steps will surely make your child a better reader and this habit is going to stay with him for the rest of his life.

The Importance of Reading

2009-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

We all are aware of importance of reading as a hobby as well as habit. Reading is one of the most wonderful habits one can inculcate. It’s beneficial for not only kids but adults as well. Reading has several advantages and one must enjoy reading good books as and when possible. As parents, its our prime responsibility to inculcate this habit in our kids. This habit must be inculcated at a very tender age. Many children don’t enjoy reading because parents did not employ appropriate steps at the right time. But great thing with children is they are quick learner and if they find you interested in the things they are being taught, it becomes quite easy for them to develop same interests. However, reading is one habit that can not be developed overnight. It takes time and efforts from parents to get their kids interested in this habit. At the same time, once developed this great habit stays for a life time and more so children with reading habit are found to have great personality later on. It also increases their focus and concentration power apart from giving them several new things to ponder about.

When children start reading they also get tremendous help in sounds of various words. Children show amazing improvement in word meanings and word sound once they start consistent reading. Before preparing kids for reading habit, parents must create a reading environment at home. This can be done by giving utmost importance to books and reading habit. Always arrange the book neatly and the child will automatically grasp these things. He or she will also understand that these are valued things and they also need to give importance to it.

Babies’ Sleep

2009-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

The birth of a baby changes many things around. For parents, it’s a new journey altogether. Parents’ focus is always on new born baby. Thinking of it, right from the time parents get up in the morning to the time they go to bed, the baby is always in focus. Even during the sleep, parents have to take care of feeding, baby sleep, nappies etc. a newly born baby spends most of the time on sleeping. So parents must be very careful regarding how should a baby sleep and where should he/she sleep? Parents must not ignore this fact. Parents’ should try to make baby sleep on his back. It is always advisable to let the baby sleep on the back instead of stomach or side wise. However, if baby starts rolling on his own then it’s advisable to let him sleep in his preferred condition.

There is a term called SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) which is associated with child’s sleeping pattern. Parents should let the child sleep on the stomach because there are chances of his not getting enough oxygen and feeling suffocated. So let the child sleep on his back. The sleeping place of the babies should be in the same room of the parents. It’s not advisable to make baby sleep in separate room. Also, parents should not let baby sleep on the same bed because there are chances of baby getting suffocated or strangled between the parents. So make the baby sleep on a separate cot in the same room.

Teaching Kids to Swim

2009-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Swimming is one of the best exercises for not only kids but adults as well. It is said to be the best exercise for complete body. Swimming is a sport as well as an exercise which is extreme fun. Usually a person with substantial interest and practice of swimming is found to be fit and energetic compared to others. From a child’s point of view, he or she must be introduced to swimming at an early age. This will go a long way in keeping him fit and raring to go. This is a habit that will stick with him even when he grows up.

Swimming is very beneficial in maintaining the health of kids. It is also a fun which child as well as parents can enjoy. Parents need to use patience, support and guidance to encourage their child while teaching their child to swim. Parents should start the teaching process by making the child comfortable in water. In the initial stage, parents should try to hold kids on the side of swimming pool and then asking him to kick his legs in water. A grown up kid can effectively use kickboard which will be quite fun.

The next step is of teaching him to blow bubbles by keeping his face in water. This will make the kid used to keeping face in water and will also make him aware of how to keep water away from nose. Once blowing bubbles step is learned he can go for breath holding technique. Parents can show it themselves to kid by holding breath in water. Make sure to support your child by holding him properly. After that, its time to teach strokes. Once he is comfortable with strokes, start releasing your support slowly. Sooner than later, your kid will be ready to swim on his own.

Raising Twins

2009-01-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

Parenting is a unique experience for any parents in terms of joy, pain, care, responsibility and many such things. Becoming parents require huge amount of patience and responsibility. It’s a life changing experience. Many parents find it overwhelming to handle one kid but imagine having twins! Double responsibility as well as double joy. It’s a matter of great joy parenting twins. But it can also be hugely demanding. Managing two babies simultaneously is going to be difficult for any parent. Imagine feeding one baby and trying to change diaper of another! Imagine trying to make one baby quiet and second baby starts crying. It can be frustrating and there is every chance that the parents just start finding it impossible to handle both babies together.

But then, pain and pleasure go together. Not many parents can claim to have this privilege of having twins. It makes you special as well as unique. In fact, from the Indian context, family, friends and even strangers look at you with awe when they see you handling both your babies. First few months are definitely going to be trying but after some time its just sheer joy. Parents need to maintain that balance of juggling acts between two babies. Once that balance is made and babies reach age of one or two parents will find it much simpler. As twins grow together life of parents also become easy and enjoyable. Twins are quite comfortable with each other and their togetherness helps them in good stead. They love to talk, share things, and do things together. They are also more flexible in adjusting with different things of society.

TV and Your Child

2009-01-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

The effect of television has long been a contentious issue. There are several opinions regarding advantages and disadvantages of watching TV. One topic which has continued to get attention is effect of television on children. It’s a known fact that, children are most loyal TV viewers. It’s a common sight to see kids coming back from school and immediately switching on TV and watching their favorite cartoons, serials and movies etc. teenagers and adults change their taste with age but children just can’t stop watching idiot box.

Watching too much of television is never a good thing especially for children. The growing phase of kids is better spent avoiding too much of TV viewing. Watching more than appropriate can restrict development of kids’ brain. It can also affect his personality behavior and interactions with siblings. A child addicted to TV is very prone to physical and health hazards. The other possibilities are less playing time, increased shyness and affected homework.

Children who spend more time watching TV are very prone to over-eating and overweight problems. Violence and lewd acts shown on idiot box can also affect mind of child in a negative way. Children are also prone to learn bad habits like smoking, drinking and abusive language from watching more TV. However, few good things can also be learned from watching TV. Like, kids can learn colors, alphabets and numbers. Children will also be well informed of latest happenings around the world. TV is also a wonderful form of entertainment and several channels provide knowledge in all departments from which children can greatly benefit.

Child and Body Awareness

2009-01-04T04:36:00.000-08:00

Parents have several responsibilities. Right from the realization that the mother is pregnant, the roles and responsibilities of both parents increase manifold. Once the kid is born and starts growing up there is this responsibility of making him or her learn. Most often than not, a child learns language relatively easily because it comes naturally to him. But when it comes to learning about body parts, it gets slightly difficult for the child. It is also important for parents to have patience when child is in the learning process. Awareness of body parts can be done in a more fun an entertaining way. This way even the kid won’t find it troublesome and parents will also be relived.

There are several ways to make the kid learn body parts. One of them is using face puzzles. He is surely going to enjoy it and will soon identify all the face parts. Once he is comfortable with face parts, parents can move to complete body parts. While doing this, parents must ensure that the child is naming each and every part properly. Another educative and entertaining way is by making the child stand in front of the mirror. Once he/she is there, parents should name and identify each and every body part and then let him repeat it. That way, he will be able to differentiate between each and every body parts.

Other entertaining but helpful methods can be missing feature and using dolls. Each kids love to dress dolls, parents can help them in dressing dolls by naming each and every body part. Exercising method is also very interesting where child would learn to name each body part for whom he is exercising. Drawing is another nice method.

Stammering Child

2008-12-30T04:09:00.000-08:00

Stammering is not an unusual problem amongst kids. Many of the first born male children are victim of stammering problem. Scientifically speaking, it is a predominantly male problem. Almost 75-80% of the stammers are male and most of them have got this because of some sort of family history of stammering. On an average, it starts before the child reaches the age of five and most often than not, stammering reaches its peak in the age range of 10-18. Having said so, it requires immediate attention and parents should treat this issue with utmost priority.

So what exactly is stammering and does this occur every time a person speaks? Answer is No! when a kid stammers while speaking, he always knows what he wants to say but the speech process is not always a smooth flow of words that’s why many a times, stammers sing perfectly without any hem-haw because they know which word is coming next whereas in conversation they suffer through cessation of speech sound. Stammering affects a child more severely on the psychological level because of accumulated fears. Peer pressure also plays a role in robbing him of his confidence and shyness.

The problem with stammering is the fact that it’s not a disease and therefore no medications for it are available. It becomes a habit. The stammering child just has to unlearn stammering and needs to develop a new way of speech. The new way involves speech fluency building techniques. Many therapeutic techniques are available and parents must seek professional guidance to tackle this problem. Parents must encourage the child to face this problem and never hide it. That way, child will gain confidence even with problem and stammering gets much more improved when the kid is in a relaxed emotional state. Lesser stress means speaking with greater control and authority.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

2008-12-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Pervasive Developmental Disorders is also known as PDD. Commonly found in many kids, this problem requires urgent attention. PDD is known to cause social functioning of child. Its basically a kind of disorder and the term refers to a complete category of disorder problems. It does not signify one particular disease as such. Many parents have spent numerous sleepless nights while wondering why their kids are not active socially. Or why they have problems in communication matters? PDD adversely affects a person’s socializations skills and communication skills. There are several disorders under the category of PDD, like childhood disintegrative disorder, autism, asperger syndrome or rett disorder etc. as many of us know, autism is a serious problem. However, it does not affect longetivity of the affected persons but yes, communication thing is greatly disordered.

Parents must keep a watch on their kids. PDD brings behavioral changes not physical ones. So symptoms could be, when child is found wanting is area of understanding language or his speech is not proper, when child is unable to relate to tasks, objects and even people, when child shows unusual behavior and is not able to adjust with new changes in his surroundings. This problem can be diagnosed in early childhood. But for that parents must not overlook particular symptoms in name of late blooming types of theories.

Unfortunately pervasive developmental disorder remains for the life and there is no completely curable remedy for this. But, there are several specialized therapy and medication available for behavioral effects. These therapies help in developing social skills. Parents must not feel disheartened because helps are available for this problem and child can still live a normal healthy life.

Single parenting

2008-12-17T10:11:00.001-08:00

Parenting is a tough job. It’s a big responsibility for both parents. Now think of responsibility and pressure faced by a single parent. The status of single parent is a Herculean act to follow considering the amount of extra responsibilities and work load. Single parenting is often a result of death of the spouse or separation or divorce. But then, one can not shirk from responsibilities of parenting.

A single parent has to face several issues but al the issues have solutions. Take for example decision making problems. Several aspects concerning the kid need to be decided including his or her education, accommodation, hostel or traveling. A single parent must try to open his/her heart to trusted relatives while taking such decisions. Several worthwhile suggestions will come forth. Talking to separated spouse will also go a long way in solving such issues. A single parent also needs to take decision regarding emotional and physical needs of the kids. The parent must be willing to shoulder this huge responsibility with optimism and courage. Issues can range from school work, peer group, hygiene issues to punctuality and discipline. One way of sharing this responsibility is by talking to close trusted persons including grandparents or even maid servant. Think of the child’s bright future and parent will never find this responsibility cumbersome.

A single parent should also try to present a happy appearance to his/her kids. There should not be any hint of past bitterness or anger or frustration because that’s definite going to affect children adversely. Try to make a friendly relationship with kids. Also prepare yourself for social stigma of single parent status and give special care to your own health.

Kids and Junk Food

2008-12-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

With the changing times, our food habits have also changed. Gone are the days of healthy nutritious food. We have a new favorite and that is junk food. The hustle bustle of life has made us focus on junk foods. Junk food is defined as anything which is tasty, fashionable, quick and convenient. The craze of junk food is common across all the genders and age. Junk food like pizzas, wafers and colas are engulfing our lives in a negative way. Most of the hard core junk food addicts are not realizing negative side of junk foods. Children have also been affected greatly from this craze. It’s common to see kids munching upon colas and wafers. New age kids are so fond of junk foods that even parents are succumbing to their taste buds.

Children must be made aware of healthy food and eating habits. They should also know harmful side effects of junk food. Junk foods are known to cause several diseases like obesity, clogging of arteries by the age of 30 and it also increases the chances of breast and prostrate cancer. Hypertension and osteoporosis are also known to be result of bad eating habits of childhood. Ignoring proper diet and relying more upon junk foods can also cause decaying new teeth, debilitating disease, slow growth and infirmity which can wreck havoc in lives of kids when they grow old. The reason being, these junk foods consist of inedible colors which can cause hyperactivity and learning disabilities.

Junk foods have managed to replace regular diets. It’s upon parents to instill good fooding habits in their kids’ right from the beginning. During the process, children should also be made to understand the importance of Healthy Indian recipes and eating together with balanced mixture of diet.

Parenting : Fundamental Guidelines

2008-12-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

While parenting was never considered as an easy job, but following few fundamental guidelines always help a great deal in handling kids. A child needs to be handled with a mix of care, caution and essentially discipline. Sense of discipline must be instilled in a child right from the beginning. This will go a long way in shaping his future life. Few guidelines are;

Keep a strict check on television watching and recreation time. Children's company must also be thoroughly watched.

Children learn by their mistakes so allow them to grow and learn through the route of mistakes.

Expressing your love is equally important than loving someone. When parents express their love in form of hug and peck, it makes kids feel special.

It always pays to keep alcohol and drugs away from the house,. Children feel curious about these things and parents should either restrain from taking these or must keep them in moderation.

Always, always believe in your children and teach them to believe in themselves as well.

It is said that a child is the father of man. Humor aside, conversating properly with your children can teach a great deal. So, go ahead, have a chit-chat with your little angels.

Nothing is more pleasurable than maintaining a happy and loving home environment. Remember, a smile and love is always infectious.

Children always love to have company of their parents so it is only natural to give them a lot of your time to kids both quality and quantity.

Laughter and more so humor goes together well in strengthening the bond between parents and kids.

Always try to communicate gently. However, your communication should also be firm and clear.

Teach your kids importance of courage and dreams.

Few Rules for Parents

2008-11-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

There are few basic rules every parent must follow if they want to see thir kids grwoig in an ideal way. Those few rules can be summed up in foloowing points-

Kids must be taught basic values like patience, honesty, patience and self-control etc. these values should be ingrained in their mindset with utmost care and in a steady way. The best way to teach is by presenting your own example. Making them realize the importance of words like self-confidence and self-esteem goes a long way in chalking out their personalities. These are the virtues they will carry for the rest of their lives.

Children must be praised openly. Their inapparopriate behaviour also needs to be reprimanded in an appropriate fashion. Parents should also strive to maintain a happy environment at home. Nothing is better than a happy family.

Always, alwzys belive in your kids and also teah them to belive in themselves.

Parents must also have a look at below written passage in ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran.

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward not tarries with yesterday.”

Remembering this passage and the underlying message goes a long way in becoming a good parent.

Kids’ movies

2008-11-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

A kid is quite an entertainer in himself. But then, kids also need fun and enjoyment. Movies are hugely popular amongst kids. Kids love to lose themselves in the imaginary world portrayed in films. No wonder, a great number of kids oriented movies are produced and churned out every year. Hollywood has taken the lead in this aspect and produced great kids’ classics which are worth watching both by kids as well as parents. These movies not only act as stress reliever for kids but also give them a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with parents. Parents on their part fulfill their responsibility and going to movies, Amusments Park, museums act as attachment factor between parents and kids. There are number of great kids’ movies I will recommend.

Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace
Aladdin Babe: Pig in the City
Quest for Camelot
Happy Feet
Back to the Future
Beethoven
Family Movies for Valentine's Day -1 & 2
A Bug's Life,
Shrek- 1 & 2
Ice Age
Harry Porter Series
Bugs
Pans Labyrinth
A Doctor Dolittle
D2: The Mighty Ducks
The Rugrats Movie
The princess Bride
The Goonies,
Hercules
The Wizard of Oz
The Lion King- 1 & 2
The Little Mermaid
Madeline
Mulan
The Parent Trap
Pocahontas
The Prince of Egypt,
The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe,
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,
Bridge to Terabithia

Child Adoption and Few Reasons

2008-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

Many parents go for adoption with the intention of serving world in their own way and that way is intention of curbing population. These unique groups of parents don’t wish to contribute to already exceeding world population so they rather prefer to go for child adoption. This is indeed a righteous gesture. In this fast paced world, most of the urban couples are short of time because of their work schedules. Quite often, couples going through time constraint, find it rather exhausting to go through the process of conception, birth and maternity leave. So, one ideal way out of this situation is child adoption. It has also been seen that, some of the career oriented women run out of their biological clock and in such cases, only way to enjoy the parenthood is adoption.

Child birth and resulting late night grinds is a tough process, every parent go through. Many couples have only one child and in order to complete their family without taking the trouble of pregnancy and child birth, they go for child adoption. A common occurrence these days is, single person adopting a child without getting married. Many people do not want to get married but they also want to enjoy parenthood so for them adopting a child makes for a complete solution.

Few other reasons include, people suffering from some sort of genetic disease which prohibits them from having their own kids. In those cases, adoption is a much safer and simper solution. Few females prefer adoption because of labor pains and fear of losing their well-maintained figures.

Child Adoption Issue

2008-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

Adoption is relatively not so common event in India. It would not amount to exaggeration if we say that, it’s still a taboo subject in India. People often associate the term ‘adoption’ with infertility but that’s far from true. Even we look around us; a child is adopted only when a couple is unable to conceive a child. Most of these luckless couples are advised to go for adoption by contacting an orphanage or a social institution. But, like west, here also the view is slowly changing. Western world has witnessed great number of couples adopting a child even while they were having their own babies. Few of the main reasons guiding them are; self-satisfaction, contribution to society or even willingness to provide some company to their kids.

Few parents go for child adoption simply because they love kids. To a more conventional society like ours, that might seem a bit unrealistic but then; sometimes love for kids’ overrides all other emotions. Realizing the fact that, a child is orphan and we can provide them with needed love and stability, parents go for adoption. Similarly, sometimes, parents with own kids of same sex also go for child adoption. Suppose, if a couple already has two baby girls, they naturally feel desire of having a baby boy in order to give a complete look to their family. This is a major reason behind many parents going for child adoption in many parts of the world.
Adoption in India resource: http://www.adoptionindia.nic.in/

Benefits of Arts for Kids

2008-11-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Art is also a great form of stress buster. It relaxes kids and kind of fun for them after completing their homework. In fact, these days most schools compulsorily include arts as an extra curricular activity. A child’s artistic abilities and his drawings help in other things as well. Psychologists support drawings of child because it helps them in drawing inferences from the child's art and psychoanalyze them. Another benefit of drawing and painting is, it’s a kind of let out for the kids.

Indulgence in art is extremely useful in developing child's creativity, imagination, cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and many other qualities. A study by Americans for the Arts show, children who regularly participate in a comprehensive art programme are four times more likely to be elected to class office. They are also four times more likely to win an award for writing and four times more likely to be in a math or science fair.

A kid’s involvement in sculpting develops his skills in regard to three dimensional problems. It also helps in building self esteem as children feel proud of their achievements in the works of art created by them. Other benefits are improved problem solving skills and heightened sensory awareness as well as their manual deftness.

Parents on their part must encourage their kids and appreciate their achievements. They should also provide children with art books specifically designed for kids. Kids with artistic inclinations should also be enrolled in art activities like summer classes and various art courses.

Art and Child

2008-10-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

A child must be introduced to the magical world of arts. Not that, he or she should be forced to take any particular form of art but depending upon his choice and inclination kids must be encouraged to let their imaginations go wild. It not only helps in increasing self confidence but also improves creativity. Art is often used to get rid of boredom and stress. For example, if a child is sitting idle and getting irritated, the best way is to encourage him to doodle. It’s an effective solution to his boredom. We can expect a miraculous art work from a kid but no one is born genius. Let the kid go wild with his creative imagination. Provide him with sufficient art material and let him draw whatever he or she is willing to. It would be better if parent is sitting alongside the kid and drawing as well. This way, child will get extra motivation and parent will get to spend quality time with kid.

There are several media available for the kids to discover and indulge in his artistic side. Let’s take painting for example. A kid can be encouraged to play with pastels initially. With the passage of time he can switch to water colors. If he is found to be interested in painting, parents can encourage him to go for oil paintings. Also push him for out of the box thinking. Encourage him to indulge in any form of paintings through whatever means. Let him draw whatever he wants to and with any color combination. A kid can also play around pot painting or dough and similar activities.

Vegetable Juices for Child’s Health

2008-10-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

A child’s health is of paramount importance for any parent. Parents should always check whether their kids appear listless or tired and always low on energy. If that is the case, that’s a sign of trouble. It has often been seen that, most of the kids while still in their early age are always active, running all around and having fun. But when the same kids reach adolescence, lethargy sets in and they don’t appear active any more. In fact, they just try to hang around, chatting, or eating or plain sleeping all day. So, what’s the solution? My answer will be lots of vegetable juices. It’s magical the way it builds a child’s health and increases his or her energy level. Vegetables are loaded with anti oxidants and nutrients, are unprocessed, and are great for health. Normally, kids don’t prefer vegetables that much. In those cases, vegetable juices are of great help.

Vegetable juice is quickly perishable, so care must be given to drink it drink it immediately after juicing the vegetables. A child should be given different types of vegetables on an alternate basis. If he is drinking same juice every day, he might get fed up of it and secondly it’s medically recommended to rotate the juice diet. That provides balance in the diet. Another recommendation is mixing pulp with juice. Pulp provides much needed fiber and roughage. Vegetable juices are not known for fat and protein. So the child should also keep getting his protein from other sources besides good indian recipes.

Homework of Children- Solution

2008-10-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

The solution of homework of children should begin with deciding upon a specific time to complete homework every day. Parents on their part should make sure that they are present at that particular time so they could be of any help whenever needed.

Parents must always encourage their children. There is no point discouraging kids on things like homework. They should also not be compared with other kids at any costs. Children need to be praised for their hard work and sincere efforts. They should also try to present examples by relating different aspects of study. Like, if the kid is doing good in exams, they must be remind him or her that its their proper work with homework that has got them good result in the exams. Children’s achievements should always be applauded at every possible moment.

Parents should keep a close eye on tests schedule of the children and plan accordingly. They are also supposed to help their kids in organizing their schedules and homework.

Many children create problems like, tantrums, anger, whining. In those conditions parents shouldn’t try to assert their authority. Try to serene your kids. Or better still leave him alone or indulge in some other light activities. Insisting on homework completion at that very moment should be avoided.

Parents should always keep themselves interested in child’s homework help. At no point, child should get the message that his homework is source of continuous strain for their parents.

Teach your children the virtues of completing homework properly and not cheating. Build his self-esteem through various motivation techniques and methods.

Homework of Children- The Problems

2008-10-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

One of the scariest thought for a kid is doing his or her homework. In fact, it’s a nightmare for both parents and children. In this hugely competitive world, children are saddled with extreme pressure in each and every aspect of life since their early days. They are expected to be super intelligent and equally good at other extra curricular activities at the same time. It’s really tough for them to manage all their work pressure plus the required time for sports. Generally, its not an exciting thought for kids to complete their homework but then they don’t have a choice given the conditions they are living in.

Many parents particularly office going ones, also suffer from homework phobia. Even after a hard day of work, they have to come back and sit with their kids and help them in finishing their home works. The other problem they face is, the problems they are required to face while solving questions have long been forgotten by them so it gets even more irritating and tiresome for them. But they don’t have a choice because children need their parents in solving problems.

Children tend to throw tantrums the moment you mention homework. This dreaded word makes even most obedient and disciplined child run for covers and finding some obscure excuses. It’s a common sight to see kids faking illness, making faces, getting angry and agitated when it comes to doing his homework. The point is workload has definitely increased drastically for those innocent kids. Parental expectations, peer pressure etc are driving them crazy. They are simply unable to cope up with this increasing pressure.

Child and Music

2008-10-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Music does wonders. Science research often tell us about magical effects of music and how fruitful is, using music as a treatment tool. So how about, letting our children learn a few tricks of this divine thing! Most kids are fascinated by musical instruments. Few like to play violin, few others with guitar and few more with piano or Tabla or some other instrument. It’s always advisable to allow your children to learn any musical instrument. So many kids are willing to learn an instrument and the least we can do is to help them with learning. It is also believed that music has been the origin of several traditional Sanskrit and Indian baby names .

One of the known scientific fact is most of the children are born as average and not as geniuses. One definition of genius is, they learn faster than others. Learning is not a difficult thing. Anyone can but speed of learning differs from person to person. Making a child learn some musical instrument helps him in learning fast in other aspects of life as well. Considered as an able tool of increasing child’s intelligence, allowing a child to learn music does wonders for him. It helps in kid’s problem solving ability, thinking pattern and above all his logical reasoning ability.

Learning music or instrument also helps a kid in his or her social skills. It enhances confidence among his peers. A musical performance boosts child’s self esteem as well. It will also keep his busy in a creative pursuit. Lastly, music having a soothing effect, will also help a child in relieving his stress during school days.

Building Self-confidence in child- Conclusion

2008-09-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

- Parents should ensure a certain time limit for watching television and playing computer games. These things tend to diminish social communication and conversation. Excess of these also make child aloof.

- Asking your kids to help in household chores and other works will make him feel wanted and important. He will also feel competent. Apart, a sense of partnership and responsibility also starts developing in child.

- Another crucial step is preparing a list of things your child is good at. Also create a list of the things he or she likes to do. Encourage the kid to create a list on his own. Afterwards, match the two lists and find if the kid has missed anything. If he has, make him aware that he is also good at other missed things as well. In hindsight, if parents have missed anything, they would be more aware in future.

- Whenever a child is starting a new thing, parents must encourage him or her. Support them, assure them of their capabilities, show them your confidence in them and you will be surprised with what they manage to achieve.

- Parents must push kids for extra-curricular activities like team sports, music lessons or art lessons. One of them may find his true calling or at least realize that he has got talent for certain activity. Apart, in the process he will meet new people and new kids and will learn new skill as well.

- At the same time parents should never doubt on their kids’ ability. Interfering in his work according to your way might not be such a good idea. Last but not the least a child should never be compared with other kids.

Building Self-confidence in child- Beginning

2008-09-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Self-confidence! A very essential element in life of any human being. It not only determines our movements in life but also every step taken by us during the course of life. Career, success, inter-personal relationships, value system and thousand other things which are determined by the level of our self-confidence. It all begins in childhood. It’s extremely imperative for parents to instill that small dosage of self-confidence in child. But remember, this is not a one time process. Confidence level of any kid is determined and developed by several solid steps taken by parents.

Sp often we have seen, a child who is all chatterbox and involved in several activities like dancing, mimicking, acting, singing but he does it only at his home in the comfort of his parents. But once, he is in school, he is all quiet and does not participate in any activity. That’s a sign of lacking self-confidence. He performs at home where he does not care about opinion of his parents but when in school he starts doubting his own capabilities and competence and that in turn robs him of his self-confidence.

There are several steps which need to be taken by parents.
- Creating a set routine for child. It develops discipline and child starts enjoying that.

- A very critical step is exposing him to the world. This needs to be done with proper care and in a slow way. Once parents start playing with their kids, they should encourage them to play with their family members, friends and other children. Similarly, he can be asked to act, dance or recite some rhyme in front of others. Once he starts getting appreciation then, his social skills and confidence will automatically develop.

Enhancing child’s IQ- Tools

2008-09-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Other methods of enhancing child’s IQ are;

Cutting salt intake; Experts recommend reduced salt intake for kids in order to them having better recall power. Sodium overdose is not at all recommended for growing kids. All they require is just one teaspoon of salt every day. Parents should always keep a check on how much salt is being taken by their offspring. The fact that, less salt everyday will become a habit for child and tatse for overdose of salt will not be acquired by kids. Later on, while they grow adult, this habit will prove very useful to them.

Revision; parents should ensure that child is revising whatever he or she has learnt at school. Once kids return from school and after their evening play time, they must be habituated to revise their course. This helps immensely in having better recall power compared to last minute study.

Yoga; yoga has become a world wide phenomenon and one of the most fascinating exports from India. Teaching yoga to child will make a terrific difference in the kid. Most recommended yoga exercises are breathing and strengthening exercises. This helps in enhancing child’s mental and physical well being.

Safe Drinking Water; a child must be provided pure drinking water. It always pays to have water filtered and boiled. Aluminum present in water can adversely affect a child’s memory power. Having a tap or filter attached to the tab will help in keeping elements of aluminum away.

Enhancing child’s IQ- Tools

2008-09-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Enhancing child’s intelligence quotient (IQ) should be parents’ top most priority. The competition is getting tough in today’s brutally competitive world and all parents must think of the way a child’s IQ should be focused upon right from the beginning. IQ plays a major role in future prospects of any person. There are several friendly and exciting ways to boost the IQ level of a kid. Few of them are;

Sleep cycle of a child is quite important factor in child’s proper development. It is recommended that a kid must get minimum of eight hours of sleep a day. Proper sleep ensures that child’s day time learning remains integrated in his brain cells. Improper sleep cycle adversely affects a child’s recall power.

Games; experts recommend chess for growing kids. It helps in activating brain cells and different moves and strategies used in the game gives children an idea about how to look at a particular problem from different perspectives. Chess being a strategy based game helps in making brain more flexible and pushes for more thinking using logical reasoning as well. Other benefits include, improved problem solving abilities, and critical reasoning abilities. Other recommended games are, solving puzzles and general knowledge, memory games etc. all these games improve memory of the kid apart from forces him to think quickly and ultimately helps in betterment of mental skills. Strategy games are also considered more suitable for kids because throw sudden moves whereas other normal skill games have a fixed pattern.

Another Step in Parenting: Sex Education

2008-09-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Imagine a child who has no awareness about his/her own development, and finds out one day that he/she has hit puberty. Now that they have no one close to confess their situation, all they are left with, is to dread their natural sexual development. Perhaps this concern may not be an issue in the west, but in eastern countries, where apparently every dad and mom is so uptight about sex and sexual maturity, imagine a child who is forced into sex before he/she got any awareness.

Sex education has turned out to be one of the most important steps in the life of any parent or child. Before your children make decision for themselves, you should keep providing your two cents for their better upbringing. Starting from sexual maturity to love, sex, relationships, to even issues about being gay or lesbian, a parent should always have an open mind for discussion. Always be honest in your opinion, and take it slowly. Every culture, caste and religion may have different values and customs for their children, but these issues need to be communicated in a calm manner for your child to understand them. Invite discussions, and give importance to your child’s point of views. Obviously the right amount of facts and information is very important, but being a parent, you have to convey feelings about this step, and make sure that child takes full responsibility of his/her acts.

Taking care of a child with special needs

2008-08-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

Being a parent has never been less than a challenge for anyone who has experienced this phase, but we, who have perfectly normal children will probably weigh our worries a bit less, if we looked at those who have children with some kind of chronic illness or disability. When a child arrives, with an unexpected deformity or learning disability, it hurts parents, who have dreamt of bright, beautiful and perfect children. In such circumstances, it tends to be a big responsibility for both of the parents to not only handle their emotions, but also give special care to the child, which he/she rightly deserves.

There are several things that a parent of a special child should keep in mind. One should never compare the children. More than just taking care of the child, a parent needs to understand his/her child. One has to curb one’s dreams and adjust to the levels of the child. In these circumstances, independence can play a way of self awareness for the child, but at the same time discipline should not be overlooked. Another priority should be to communicate with the child in his/her own way of conversation, whether its slurred speech or hand gestures etc.

There will be times when the other siblings will feel left out, because parents will have no time left after taking care of the special child. Such cases test our tolerance, and stretch our limits to the fullest. But dealing with these negative energies and moving on is what makes a parent.

Disciplining the child

2008-08-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

It has been said that when a child is born his or her mind is like a blank slate. Thereafter, it becomes the responsibility of parents to fill that slate with best of everything whether it be, education, manners, learning, sanskaras and so many other things. It’s true that, when a kid grows up he or she is destined to create his own destiny but it must not be forgotten that parents create that special foundation for the kids upon which they carve their future. That takes us to the point of laying a strong foundation. One of the brick of this foundation is discipline mantra. A child must be taught the importance of discipline since his childhood. Because this is one of those important things which make a huge difference in what the kid actually becomes and turns out to be as a human and as a professional once he grows up.

Disciplining a child is a tough as well as delicate task. It must be done with proper care and thoughtfulness. There is a fine line between oppression and over indulgence. But in general, most parents make a mistake in while treading the path of discipline. First and foremost parents must be disciplined themselves and probably more than that they must act disciplined in front of their kids. Parents must set an example for their kids by following disciplined life themselves.

Few guidelines for parenting in public

2008-08-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Explaining the rules to kids in advance. So often kids tend to get stubborn for particular things. They must be informed in advance about how many toys or books or things like that, they would be allowed to have. Any further demand and it will be totally rejected.

Children have this uncanny habit of wanting to have attention at all times. One of the tip to tackle this is to make them feel involved in the decision making process. For example, if a family is out on a vacation in a place like esselworld or wonderland, children must be asked about their preference for rides or swimming. It will make them feel special that they are being asked about their choices and those will be followed.

Parents are advised to observe any signs of boredom or restlessness in their kids. Kids normally have a short attention span for any particular thing. So the moment, they are found bored, it is suggested to take them out for a break or for a little bit of chitchat.

Just like every normal person, kids also love to be complimented. It pays to compliment for every small good thing, howsoever small it may be. This is not only good for their self –esteem but also for overall feel good factor in their fragile psyche.

Finally kids must be treated with a mix of care, caution and firmness as and when required. Rules once explained must be followed at cost.

Following these guidelines definitely go long ways in laying the good foundation for good parenting skills.

Parenting Manuals in Public

2008-08-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

Parenting is a serious business. Probably one of the biggest responsibilities of a person in his/her lifetime is raising the kid in most appropriate and effective manner. A kid is said to be like clay and how you handles him/her, results into how he/she turns out to be as a person. It’s about molding the kids using kid gloves, literally! One of the major concerns of parents is how to handle kids in public place in case of their throwing tantrums.

To begin with, it does not take knowledge of rocket science to figure out ones’ kids’ psychology. Parents have more knowledge of their kids than anyone else. Knowing kids’ sleeping pattern, restlessness, his or her being stubborn about certain things, behavior in crowd are few things a parent must be aware of. While going out, parents must be prepared for any such eventuality.

Another method is to have the child entertained by giving him toys, books, colors and such things. This helps in keeping the kids occupied and proves useful in preventing any potential tantrums. Shouting and beating child in a public place is a complete no-no. It also pays to inform the kid in advance about the situations he would be most likely to face in public. Things like, noise, rush, pollution, temperature etc need to be explained to kids in advance. Child should also be explained things with utmost patience and care.

The Importance of Infant's Nutrition

2008-08-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of mothers turning to goat or cow’s milk, or buying off formula milk packs from the market to feed their infants. Is it the right choice? That poses a debate as to the pros and cons of breast feeding versus other types of milk feeding.

A baby once born does not possess the strength in terms of his immune system, to sustain the outside world. He has lived all these months in the protected environment of a mother’s womb, where mother’s immune system was preventing the foetus from all sorts of diseases, and now this individual has to survive alone in the world. That’s where the function of breast feeding comes into play. After birth, for the first three to four days, the mother’s breasts release a yellowish translucent fluid called colostrum. A baby once born does not possess the strength in terms of his immune system, to sustain the outside world. He has lived all these months in the protected environment of a mother’s womb, where mother’s immune system was preventing the foetus from all sorts of diseases, and now this individual has to survive alone in the world. That’s where the function of breast feeding comes into play. After birth, for the first three to four days, the mother’s breasts release a yellowish translucent fluid called colostrum. This fluid contains specific antibodies important for the child. So no formula milk pack or any other animal’s milk can replace it. Similarly, in preterm births, mother’s milk is naturally modified and suited for the preterm baby who is not properly developed.

A mother’s milk contains a full nutrition supplement for the child. Some surveys and studies have shown that children who are not breast fed have higher deaths rates due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than the rest of the infant population. Clearly, science has progressed enough to design formula diets which can mimic breast milk, but they can never entirely replace the importance of breast milk

A sneak peak...

2008-07-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the guarded atmosphere during school times...stepping into an entirely new and unknown world of college...exercising the freedom which is by default given to the child...and so on... this certainly appears to be the journey of any individual living the gift of Almighty,’ Life’.
All through this voyage parents play the role of a’ watchman’, keeping track of every step the child takes. The big question that is posed in front of parents is the line that they need to draw between their concern for their child and the privacy that the child requires.
It is usually observed that the parent very vigilantly observes the moves of the child. This is disliked by kids as their life seems to be interfered constantly. Parents need to strike a balance for the same. At the same time children must realise the importance of the priceless guidance which their experienced parents provide them with.
Time and again parents find it a herculean task to deal with their kids as it has become increasingly difficult to handle the issue of interference in the lives of their children. Both the entities must use the most effective tool of ‘communication’ in order to drive smoothly through the tough and rocky path of life. This would not only make life more effective and productive for the child but also help him to lead his life in the harmony and peace.
It is essential on the part of the parents to make life easier for the child rather than being excessively protective and making it difficult for them. ‘Sneak peaks’ must be in balance from both ends.

Single parent family

2008-06-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

It all begins with the birth of a child into this world with the blessings of God to two blessed individuals. Life seems to be happy and complete. Suddenly a tragedy strikes you and you are completely shattered. You are deprived of your life partner with your child being your only reason to live. This may be due to various reasons. Either your journey was only limited to that particular time or you were forced to take a decision to separate.

In simpler words it could either be due to death or divorce. In both these cases, either the father or mother is responsible for the upbringing of the child.
A single parent family is a difficult and thorny task to be executed. Parenting styles and methods do vary with the gender difference.

The tasks performed by both the parents differ with a difference in the gender. The role of a mother and father definitely varies for the child. The father plays the role of a much tougher and disciplinary role where as the mother is looked upon as the love giver and is the more sensitive and docile parent.

But in unfortunate cases where one of the parents does not perform his role due to unavoidable circumstances, the child is deprived of the love and affection of one of them. The single parent is expected to perform the role of both the father as well as the mother.

This certainly is a Herculean task which needs to be dealt with a lot of patience and maturity. The parent must be cautious of every step in order to ensure a smooth and pleasant journey of the golden period of ‘childhood’ for their child.

Parents as friends in the lives of children.

2008-06-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Roles are always pre-decided by the society. A child is expected to be sister to a brother, a sister to a sister, a friend to a friend and so on. In the similar fashion, a parent is definitely placed as a role model, support system in the life of a child. But have we ever thought how important is it to have our parents as friends in life?

All of us definitely have a large set of friends with whom we share our joys and sorrows. These friends are an integral part of our life, but little do we realize that parents are our best friends. Friends, who give unconditional love, a welcoming shoulder, always there to share our joys and guide us to a approved path leading us to success and happiness. Parents knowingly or unknowingly understand what the child goes through. This makes it very easy for them to help the child in dealing with the situation in the best possible and accurate manner. Experiences that the parents have gathered in the due course of life, when passed on to the child, make the child well aware of life and its proceedings.

Parents are undoubtedly the child’s best friends but little do they realize this fact. We tend to take parents as figures of authority and power, forgetting the fun and friend like side to them.
It is very important for the parents as well to help the child by being a friend and not a ‘parent’ all the time. This not only makes life easy for the child and saves the child from the difficult situations of life. Many a times the child is in turmoil and feels the need of a friend. This is the time when parents must lend their shoulder and advice to their kids and be a ‘FRIEND’ to them.

career selection

2008-06-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

At first the child is burdened with the overloaded school bags, mounting tension of exams and the pressure of securing the rankers position in academics. Then arrives the crucial deciding year of life when the child is expected to decide his future. He is expected to choose his career plans. This is definitely a Herculean task for both the entities.

Parents hold numerous aspirations for their child and tend to force them onto them without actually comprehending the child’s capacity. Every child is gifted with special and specific talents which parents sometimes fail to recognize. This not only makes life miserable for the parent but makes a deep impact on the child’s psyche.
The child’s mind is fresh, ready to seep in knowledge from various sources and then make appropriate decisions for oneself; but when such parental pressures attack his mind, they act as hurdles in the path to accurate decision making.

The parent must gaze the aptitude of their child and then appropriately help the child the select their career plans instead of forcing them into a field which is away from their talent.

It often happens that the parents indulge into stereotyping of career opportunities. This occurs as they are unaware of the diverse career options available. The parents must acquire and absorb the knowledge of different streams and then present the choices available in front of their child.
Instead of pushing the child through the decision, parents must be a part of the process and help the child to make the best choice.

Selection of a career is a crucial task which should be handled with a lot of patience and intelligence. Since it is a make or break decision, both the entities must work in co-ordination throughout the process.

Parent’s role in developing the child’s self concepts

2008-05-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

‘Self concept’ or ‘self identity’ is the manner in which a person thinks about himself. It is the awareness of oneself in terms of perceptions and the way in which he views himself. This idea about oneself primarily develops in the early on years of life. The first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial ones as they determine the future of the child’s identity in front of his own eyes.
In this course of development, the child tends to learn and pick a lot of things from the environment. His environment in the elementary years consists of his parents and intimate family members. Their behavior and attitude towards the child plays a very important role in forming of self concepts by the child.

The child absorbs the opinions and ideas of his family members and tends to formulate and shape his thinking accordingly. Parents are the makers of the child’s thought process about himself.
Self concepts are formed in the early years but do alter and change in the times to follow. Friends and peers make a profound impact on our thinking patterns and beliefs. In this phase of the child, parents play an important role in reiterating the child of values which not only helps the child in building his self concepts but makes them stronger.
The parent must help the child to develop positive self concepts and eliminate the negative ones. This would add the right amount of confidence in the child and help him to survive and bypass the path of life.
The development of the right kind of attitudes for oneself is very essential as they determine the life of an individual. Parents must extend a helping hand to their child at every juncture they surpass and help him enhance and augment his self concepts.

Money management and role of parents

2008-05-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

In today’s world money has become the most crucial part of all of our lives. Without money, life seems to appear like a vacuum, existence in which becomes a Herculean task.
Children, from the time they start learning to walk, comprehend the meaning of money. They begin to associate everything with money. It begins with meager amounts. For e.g. “Mummy can I get 5 Rs. to buy a chocolate?” This is the initial stage, which tends to develop as a habit. Once the child forms a habit at such a small age, it lingers around with him throughout his life.

As the child grows the requirement of money increases by the day. The concept of ‘pocket money’ comes in as the child enters school. With the entrance of the child into college, and peer pressure attacking the child from all sides, the necessity of money increases. The ‘image’ of spending unwisely becomes important in order to be a part of the ‘cream crowd’ of the college. Hanging around at hucca joints, watching movies, buying the trendiest clothes, attending with friends becomes the everyday affair. This therefore amplifies the need for money.

The role of parents in this scenario becomes very critical. Parents need to be observant of their child’s behavior. They must control the usage of money by their children so that they do not turn into avaricious kids in future.
Outflow of surfeit money from the parent’s end, results in the child not realizing the value of money and spending injudiciously.
Parents must make a conscious effort to train the child to use money in wise and controlled manner. The value of earning money and its handling should be taught to the child from a tender age itself.

.The role of parents in ensuring Social Skills in children.

2008-05-19T03:30:00.000-07:00

People constitute a very crucial part of man’s life. Life begins with people around and ends with the same entity. To live in an approving manner with ‘people’ is highly essential.

Social skills are the skills required to be possessed by a person in order to live a cordial and sociable life with the society. They form the most essential part of an individual’s persona. They not only help him to form amiable relations with the people around him but also augment his living. These skills are instilled into us right from the time of birth. Parents our first teachers, are responsible for imbibing these vital skills in us.
From teaching us the imperative and fundamental ‘Golden words’ to the mannerisms to be adopted in public, they are accountable for all.

The child’s mind is like an empty slate in which the parents inscribe various values, morals and important life skills. These skills are very crucial in the upbringing of the child. The parents play a very important role in instilling these values in them.
‘Parenting’ is a skill in itself which the parents have to deal with a lot of persistence. It is very indispensable for the parents to indulge in the right kind of ‘reward’ and ‘punishment’ activity in order to ensure the presence of the right skills in children.
Approval of the right kind of behavior and denial of the wrong behavior is a must. The child must learn to associate himself with the accurate modes of behavior.
Many a times the child tends to get into a state of confusion due to varied behaviors from parents and grandparents. This should be avoided in order to avoid conflicting ideologies in the minds of naive children.
Parents must ensure all these facets of parenting to facilitate the appropriate upbringing of their children.

Understanding Adolescent behavior

2008-05-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Once a toddler, taking minuscule steps on the floor, learning to walk with the support of our creators…falling at several junctures…being in a confused state of mind at every succeeding minute…seeking approval of ourselves and our decisions on a regular basis from our peers and parents…sometimes getting into conflicts with the very people whom we seek help and get love from…Parents seem to be ‘road blocks’ on our way to a free and happy go lucky lifestyle. But have we ever seen the story from the other side?
The period of ‘stress and storm’, ‘ADOLESCENCE’ which the adolescent goes through, is the most difficult period for a parent to deal with.
At this stage of development the adolescent undergoes various physiological, emotional, cognitive and social changes. Conflict with parents is a major contributor to the turbulence of this period. The contrasting desires of both the entities contribute to the increasing variance. Parents definitely face difficulties relinquishing control, resulting in inconsistent communication and potentially escalating negative consequences for all involved. As this conflicting atmosphere becomes a daily affair, the time that the child spends at home also declines.
Communication plays the most important role in this phase for the child as well as the parents’ life. Most of the parent-adolescent clashes tend to be about mundane issues such as personal appearance, curfews, usage of telephone, completing chores, choice of friends and many more. Parents are constantly worried about loosing control over their innocent but growing child’s life and thus resort to regular monitoring of all their activities.
This behavior of the parents is interpreted as an interference, which makes life full of chaos, bedlam and stress. This occurs as a recurring cycle resulting in dysfunctional family relation.
Parents must adopt a balanced but friendly attitude towards their children, thereby helping the child to surpass this convoluted stage of life with ease and comfort. This will not only assure the child of the love and considerate attitude of parents towards him or her, but would also weave a relationship of friendliness and openness between the two.

Importance of nutrition for a child’s growth

2008-04-27T01:20:00.000-07:00

Nutrition awareness in children is essential. Parents should teach their child about different foods and their effects on our body. If a child learns about all this at an early age, he/she can live a healthy life throughout. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise should be a regular part of a family's life; this will help children to emulate their parents who will in turn provide a good example for them.

Nutrition has become the growing need of the day. With more and more children falling prey to diseases and disorders, a lot of emphasis should be given on the five major food groups, all of which are required for good health. Dairy products provide proteins, vitamins and minerals and hence they are an excellent source of calcium. A child should at least have two to three servings of milk, yogurt or buttermilk each day.

It is always better to provide your child with skim milk and nonfat yogurt. Children should avoid eating high fat cheese and ice cream as they are harmful for our body. Candies and chocolates should also be restricted in a child’s diet as sugars supply a large amount of calories, with little nutritional value. Parents play an important role to teach children to live a healthy and a fit life.

Bed time stories for children

2008-04-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

Which child is not fond of bed time stories? I have seen parents finding it difficult to find stories to narrate it to their kids every day. Nursery rhyme s are usually narrated to their kids by their grandmas or moms themselves. Though I haven’t seen many fathers being good at the art, one can always try!

It is not necessary that you tell your child only about Cinderella and three bears’ stories. If you know about something that you want your child to improve on, develop your own stories in such a way that the story has a moral from which the child can learn. Make sure that you do not narrate stories that involve ghosts and devils because this may affect the child and he or she may not be able to sleep well. Some may even complain of evil dreams.

Short stories are also a great way to spend quality time with your children. It is very important that you spend such time with them because only then a child will open up to tell you about the daily activities of his life.

There are a lot of books too that are available in the market that tell wonderful stories. Your child may not be able to read them but they will definitely help you in narrating a good story to your kid. Gifting story books to children is also a great idea. Story books contain attractive visuals in it and hence when you are narrating a bed time story to your children, you can show them the visuals of the story and they will be able to imagine the characters of that story in a better way.

Extra curricular Activities for Children

2008-04-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

In today’s competitive world, your child is expected to be a master at all. Also, going with the popular idiom- All work and no play makes jack a dull boy proves that extra curricular activities should be encouraged.

Many parents force their children to join drawing classes, hobby classes, dancing classes, skating classes, elocution classes, etc to join - the idea to let the child do what he or she enjoys. If you force anything on the child neither is your child going to enjoy it nor will you be satisfied with their performance.

I have seen another species of parents that lay too much importance on academics. Here, you child will only become a ‘book worm’. There is a strong need for activities outside the academic world that teach them a lot of things that books perhaps may not be able to teach them.

It is important that you hone a good skill in your child. If your child loves art, then take him to a peaceful place (may be a green meadow along the country side) with a canvas and allow him to paint whatever he wants to.

If you have budget constraints and cannot afford classes that many parents enroll their children in, you can sit at home and involve your kid in a lot of extra curricular activities. For example, go skating or cycling with your kid. If they are interested in cookery, teach them a simple dish or two!

It all boils down to involving your kid in something that he or she loves doing. A lot of schools also lay stress on extra curricular activities and prefer children who are all- rounders rather than just academic scholars.

When do Permanent Teeth Come in?

2008-04-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Ever seen a just born baby? Well, I have. Usually a baby has no teeth that you can see but the fact remains that the teeth have already started to form in the bones of the jaw. Sometimes, it makes me wonder how teethes grow in a human!

At around six to eight months, babies get their first teeth. They are usually the front two teeth on the lower side. After that, teeth come at regular interval. It takes around two and a half years to have all twenty teeth erupted.

Usually children during this stage tend to be more peevish. Parents associate such problems with this process of teething. Many kids even drool. A lot of parents also assume that raised temperature is a problem due to teething.

Primary teeth are important for both eating and appearance. Any child who has lots of decay in their baby teeth is likely to have the same problem with their permanent teeth unless their diet changes drastically.

The permanent teeth start to erupt around the age of six to eight. The first permanent molars which appear behind all the baby teeth also erupt at the time when the lower front two teethes start erupting. Then around the age of nine to twelve, they are followed by the premolars. The canines also appear at around the same time. Later the second molars start erupting at the age of eleven to thirteen. What is popularly known as the wisdom tooth appears later at the age of seventeen and later. Roots of the baby teeth are dissolved by the eruption of the permanent teeth to allow these permanent teeth to erupt. This happens with the baby teeth becoming loose and falling out.

How to help your child deal with fears

2008-03-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Fear and anxiety is something that everyone experiences at all ages. The feeling is particularly uncomfortable especially amongst children. However some research shows that with children, such feelings are normal and necessary. This is mainly because experiencing and dealing with fears and anxieties can prepare children to handle the challenging situations of life.

As a parent, I have seen that the nature of anxieties and fears change as children grow and develop: As an infant my baby experienced stranger anxiety and clung to me when confronted by people she did not recognize. When she became a toddler, that is around 10 to 18 months, she experienced anxiety, when I would leave the house or her dad would go to office. Today, my four year old daughter feels scared of monsters and ghosts.

Making your child feel safe and secure is extremely important to make them cope with their fears. Children often fear a specific object or situation after having an unpleasant experience. Sleep with them before they go to bed. Tell them stories that do not involve any ghosts or demons. Some signs that a child may be anxious about something may include nervousness, nail biting, nausea, stomach aches etc. The key is to identify the object or the situation they fear and them replacing or removing that object completely. For example, many people fear darkness. Keeping a small night lamp on will surely help.

Talking to your child and knowing about his or her thought process is necessary to identify his fears. Be patient and calm to slowly eradicate all his fears.

Teaching Values and Ethics to Children

2008-03-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

It is a great responsibility on parent’s shoulder to teach their kids values and ethics so that they grow up to be responsible moral citizen of the country. Teaching your child about these issues require patience. Kids may be tempted to do something that may be immoral or unethical. The idea is not to punish them but to make them understand how certain behavior is undesirable. As a parent, you should be able to control your temper and understand the mentality of your child.

Giving them love and respect along with teaching them good values can make your child a good individual. However, it is important that this process is started at an early age. Motivate your child to be honest, to respect elders, to be kind, to not steal and lie etc. As a parent you should follow what you preach. Being a good parent comes with certain responsibilities that you ought to follow.

Instilling core values in our children is necessary. Be it school or home, children need to understand good work ethics. Being an overtly strict parent can hamper your child’s growth. At the same time being extremely liberal also does not help. What is necessary is to become their role model. Children emulate to a great extent. So the key lies in being an ideal parent who practices what he/she preaches.

Children are continuously listening and watching what the surrounding offers them. Hence it should be the responsibility of every member in the family to teach good moral lessons to your children. Building strong character and moral values in your child helps to bring about inner security self-confidence in them.

Nail biting habits

2008-03-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Nail biting, hair twirling, nose picking, thumb sucking etc are some of the common habits that are found in children. Most parents constantly complain about these habits that their children have. However, I have realized that it is only a phase for children and that with due time, it fades away when you explain its repercussions to them.

Children are usually unaware of this behavior and that they do not even realize that they are doing something that is not a good habit. Nail biting is one of the most common bad habits that are found in children. These are considered as signs of nervousness. Even nervous adults bite their nails.

There is some research that shows that around more than half percent of children population between the age of five and ten bite their nails. However, most schools are very particular about nail cutting and punish the students if they grow their nails. This is somewhat helpful for children who bite their nails.

As parents one should be patient and calm and make the child realize that it is bad for health when they bite their nails. Praise them or gift them if they do not bite their nails for a specific time frame. Make sure that your child washes his or her hands before meals. Check their nails regularly and make up stories to tell them how nail biting can be dangerous.

There is a study that also shows that even though both boys and girls appear equally prone to this habit, as they get older, boys are more likely to be nail biters. I do not know about the psychology behind this research but the fact lies in being responsible parents who do not encourage these habits and take immediate precautions to curb it.

Bedwetting

2008-03-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Bedwetting as most of you know is involuntary passage of urine while asleep. It is a common problem in infants and young children. Usually by the age of two, a child learns to control the passage of urine during the day. Most children, by the age of three, learn to control it during the night as well. However some children face bedwetting problem even after the age of three. Bed-wetting in certain cases may go on until the fourth or fifth year. However there is nothing to worry about. In few cases, bedwetting continues to persist even after the child is in his teens.

Bed wetting is to do with either psychological or emotional disturbances. Fear, anxiety, tension etc all leads to problems like bedwetting. There are also a few cases where children face problems like worm infestations or urinary tract infections. This can also make your child wet the bed.

I have seen parents punishing their child for his behavior. Punishment, in no way, is going to help. In fact this will instill fear in him and your child will only suffer more from the problem. What is important here is make sure that there is a happy and a healthy environment at home. Your child should feel pleasant. Talk to him regarding his fears and anxieties. Make him or her feel absolutely comfortable with you. Ensure that your child has a sound sleep for atleast eight to ten hours.

What can perhaps help is reducing the amount of water or fluid that your child takes before going to bed. Also, ensure that your child visits the loo before he goes to bed. Be sure to reward him in an appropriate manner when he succeeds in keeping dry at night. Do not punish him when he fails. Tackling problems like bedwetting require time and patience.

Eating Out With Kids

2008-03-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of young parents avoid going to restaurants and hotels because they have to ‘manage’ their kids. However, on the contrary, it is very essential that you take your kids out to restaurants to teach them good table manners and etiquettes

As a parent you do not want to get embarrassed and hence most parents do not wish to go out with their kids. What can perhaps be done is to involve your kid into some activity while you have your dinner or lunch. Carry some toys along with you. Especially those that your kids love to play with. They will sure get engrossed in playing with them while you can easily dine in your favorite restaurant.

It is also essential that you choose an appropriate restaurant. There are some restaurants that allot special place to you in case you come with your kids. You can also go to casual restaurants that can take in the noise that your child is likely to make. Keep in mind that a reservation will always help and that you do not have to wait for long.

Another option to try for is going to places where buffet lunch or dinner is offered. Buffet with children can be quite fun. In case you have a full time maid for your kid, then going to restaurants that have games and rides for children is the best way to keep them engaged. The maid can take care of your children while you relish your food.

If you reinforce your child with gifts and toys for good table manners, then be sure that he or she is going to repeat this behavior. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your child good manners.

If you are ok with finishing your dinner a little early by seven or eight, then one should visit the restaurant during those times. Managing your child while there is less crowd is indeed beneficial!

Holiday Bonding With Children

2008-03-08T01:27:00.000-08:00

Kids love the thrill in holidays and look forward to action packed fun, drama and yummy treats. There is only one side-effect of such pleasure trips and that is emotional bonding with your child. One is much at peace during holidays as the chores are not routine and there is time to unwind. Enhance the enjoyment by partaking in activities as suggested by your child. Hectic lives and standardized everyday patterns seldom let us look for the special things in our own lives. Unknowingly we also ignore our children’s ex-pressions. It is certainly a prudent idea to make some savings particularly for holiday trips. All holiday plans need not necessarily be exotic locales. There should be an element of relaxation and participation.

Visits to historic sites may excite you and it is necessary for the child to know about art and culture. If this constitutes your itinerary then include adventure trips to add zing to the trip. At all times, children look for support from parents. A slight encouragement to learn rock climbing or boating will only kick start pure mischief and appreciation. Bond further with long walks on sunny sands and making a castle. Sand sculpturing is loved by all and it is normal that you seem to be more excited than your kid. When your toddler sees that you are equally excited then he joins the fun. Capture each moment in pictures. Holidays are not apprehension times and go easy on meal and sleep times. Over indulgence is not a virtue but being overtly strict is a mood spoiler.Little planning is necessary to avoid travails of travel. Make necessary arrangements by carrying the right clothing and spare garments. Firstly on identifying the luxury home, make enough enquiry on the exact facilities offered by them and the fares. Please indicate clearly if the kids are allergic to certain items. Carry adequate seasonal items like raincoat, woolens and beach wears. Weekend trips to nearby islands and places of tourist interest is an excellent idea offering an alternative to long vacation plans. This sure breaks the monotony. Plan a visit to the botanical garden, water park or nearby beach.

Participate well as this is important. Plan group picnics with lot of munchies, trinkets as hampers and interactive family games. Inculcate sharing and organizing skills in children as they naturally will emulate your virtues. In case the children go overboard which they naturally will, state the limits in private.Teenage is full of mixed emotions. State your holiday dates and you will be surprised at their skill in managing events. Let them free and they will respect you. Include your parents and in laws for a super family entertainment bonanza. More the merrier surely works!