Parentese importance

I am a new mother of a seven-month-old child beginning to communicate. Your special essay “Is there a right way to talk to your infant? (PW July) was timely and very useful.

Development psychologist Jane Herbert has clearly explained the nuances of ‘parentese’ and how babies mimic their parents’ voice and gestures, to build their vocabulary over time. I intend to follow her advice on boosting my infant’s language learning and keep an eye on the vocabulary growth milestones suggested by her.

Karen Fernandez
Panjim

Timely & insightful

Your Adolescence story “Strategies to Prevent Teenage Substance Abuse” (PW July) was insightful. It offers a practical guide for parents navigating the complex world of adolescent substance abuse. Child psychologist Reena Chopra convincingly connected triggers like peer pressure, emotional stress, and curiosity with adolescent substance abuse

The story also responsibly addresses the rise in vaping cases among teens. Thanks for warning teens, most of whom are unaware that vapes are banned, and they barely understand its health risks. Rather than preachy warnings, your story constructively promotes open and respectful communication and advises factual education, empathy, and modeling behaviour from parents.

Piu Biswas
Jamshedpur

Well-structured guide

With advanced and disruptive technologies certain to change society and the jobs marketplace in more ways than one, your cover story “Prepping Children for an Uncertain Future” (PW July) is the most well-structured guide I have come across. It urgently stresses the need for children to be equipped with critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication, problem-solving among other skills required to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable world.

It’s alarming that global think-tanks like the World Economic Forum and investment banking firm Goldman Sachs have predicted that over 300 million jobs will be lost to AI by 2047 and that 65 percent of primary school children will be working in new jobs that don’t exist today.

Thanks for presenting the inputs and opinions of expert parenting coaches and psychologists. They presented a good route map to raise children in an increasingly BANI world.

Mona Singh
Gurugram

Thanks 2x

Your recipes section (PW July) inspired me to try my hand at some of your innovative vegetarian treats. It was impossible to find litchis in the market though for the litchi sandesh recipe. But the tandoori idli tikka and quinoa pulao were an absolute hit with the family Thanks!

Also my daughter is a preteen and wants to work with animals as an animal-assisted therapist. I never took her career choice seriously until I read your Careers story on a promising vocation for animal lovers. Thanks again.

Minu Thomas
Chennai

Good advice

Against the backdrop of the monsoon and post monsoon influenza peaking, your Health & Nutrition article “Ways to outsmart the flu virus” (PW July) was timely and informative. I have always believed than an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Therefore, I was persuaded by Dr. Tarun Singh’s strong recommendation for taking the flu vaccination annually as a preventive measure.

The article equips parents and caregivers with an informed and effective blueprint for flu prevention. 

Harleen Singh
Ludhiana

Valuable public service

Congratulations for publishing an excellent parenting magazine packed with stories addressing urgent parenting problems! Your Ask the Doctor and Ask Your Counselor columns are excellent because they address parents’ anxiety about children’s physical and mental health. Physical and mental health issues apart, parents are currently anxious about how to nurture their children’s creativity and imagination, and it’s very reassuring to read expert opinions on this subject in ParentsWorld.

You are providing a valuable public service!

Vaishali Menon on e-mail