Since the turn of the 21st century, India's K-12 education landscape, long overshadowed by central and state government regulated public schools, has been witnessing a steady transformation with the entry of private players. Over the past two decades, these private day schools have become a popular choice among India's burgeoning middle class households notably because of the high quality education they offer vis-a-vis government schools. Besides raising the standards and quality of K-12 education in the country, private players have also been playing a significant role in educating the masses of India.
Unlike us, our children have a huge plethora of choices and privileges in every area of life. Add to this the steadily rising competition at school and play, early exposure to popular culture and social media and we've got a perfect breeding ground for all kinds of stress. Yes, the present generation of kids are the most stressed out despite all the material comfort and sense of entitlement they grow up with.
Children often face a lot of challenges in their growing up years, ranging from coping with competitions, studies, building competence, adapting to new school, being bullied by classmates and many more. The ability to move forward and overcome these challenges helps build resilience. Several child psychologists believe that resilience not only helps children manage stress but also anxiety and uncertainty that is likely to lead them into depression. Resilience is the ability to scale through challenges and find ways to bounce back and flourish. Here are ten ways in which you can help your kids build resilience.
With Dhanteras, Diwali and Bhai Dooj all lined up one after another, this festive season beckons us to indulge in calorie heavy snacks and tummy cravings. With so many varieties of bonbons available in the market, it is tough to keep ourselves off them. However, parents can still try not to compromise on their children’s health by overtly feeding them with high sugared/deep fried savories. Rather, moms can try making healthier sweets and snacks. Also this season, try using natural sweeteners such as jaggery, honey, or dates, as a replacement for sugar and olive oil instead of regular oil. This way, you can bless your kids with a healthy cum nutritious festive season. We bring to you a few of such healthy, mouth-watering dishes.
The most awaited festival of the year is around the corner and it’s time to exchange sweets, decorate our homes with lights and diyas with the hope that light could win over darkness. With all our little wonders at home, we need a plethora of activities to keep them occupied and at the same time strengthen the relation of love, bonding and accelerate affection and appreciation in them.
In today's fast-paced world, many young parents are worried about their children’s intelligence and coping abilities. While intelligence is purely a biological trait determined by genes, parents can definitely help their children become smarter and more competent by following these tips:
1. Make sure you are dressed well and presentable even when you're not stepping out. This will teach them hygiene and cleanliness and that it has nothing to do with going out!
Young children inherently lack the knowledge and ability to recognise and deal with strong unpleasant emotions. So they often express it physically in the form of tantrums or hyperactive behavior. At such times, it turns out to be a challenging task for a parent to soothe the child down and give him/her space to process the emotional agony and gradually let it go.
We often rely on chemical antibiotics to recover quickly from bacterial infections. However, over-dependence on chemical antibiotics has been unleashing a global epidemic of antibiotic resistance at an alarming rate and with grave consequences.
With the increase in pressure on students these days, children and young adults go through a lot of stress - be it exam stress, relationships, or peer pressure. Teenage is a time when they undergo a number of changes, both physically and mentally.
Am I a good parent? Am I being too overbearing/lenient? The perpetual doubt has lingered on in a parent's mind since time immemorial. And with good reason.
India has been among the fastest-growing economies in the world in the last decade. However, a key issue that is plaguing the country is the quality of education provided to children across all levels. While successive governments have sworn to make education accessible to all and enrolment of children in schools is as high as 97 percent, the quality of education being provided in these schools is way below average. In a country like India where the student population is on a steady rise, this is a serious cause for concern.
Just a few years ago, scoring 90 percent in the board exams was considered quite a big deal. In todays competitive scenario, even 95 percent doesn't seem enough if one wishes to pursue ones dream career or get into the best colleges. This has obviously created an environment of undue stress and pressure for both parents and students and justifiably so. However, it is important to remember that marks alone doesn't guarantee professional success and board exam results are not the end of the world. It is more imperative, instead, to maintain ones mental and emotional equilibrium and ensure that result-related anxiety doesn't harm ones health and peace of mind.
As aptly said by English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon, "Reading maketh a full man....", there is no substitute to reading a good book for all age groups. Books offer a peek into realms you might never have a chance to explore in real life and besides offering a healthy dose of wisdom, also exercise your imagination in their own unique ways. It is also believed that children who read fiction grow up to be more empathetic and forge better interpersonal and social bonds as compared to their peers who stay away from reading.
For most parents, picking and packing the right snack for children is a daunting challenge. We know that snacks play an important role in managing kids' hunger levels and boosting nutrition. So, lets look into some tried and tested methods that can benefit both parents and children.
With the holiday season upon us, most of us are busy packing our travel bags. Travelling is one of the best times to bond with family, besides enthusing relaxation and revelry, travel is great learning experience for children and adults. According to various studies, well-travelled children are likely to be more confident, more adventurous, more flexible and likely to score better grades than their less travelled counterparts. Every vacation irrespective of the distance travelled or expenses incurred can teach children innumerable things beyond their school curricula. We have listed eight of them:
We all want our children to grow up happy and healthy. So, it is truly frightening to discover that childhood obesity, attention deficit, hyperactivity and anxiety disorders are all on the rise in India. However, according to Harvard Medical Journal, if we introduce naturally nutritious foods and mindful exercises like Yoga to kids as early as possible, we can start to reverse these trends.
Here is a list of 10 stories of all times that can help teach children values like honesty, diligence, compassion, modesty and respect for others in a fun and entertaining way.
Manifestations of child abuse are not limited to physical or sexual abuse. We often fail to consider a similarly perilous abuse which is the psychological or emotional abuse, an abuse whose consequences can be as devastating as sexual or physical abuse.
Native to the Indian subcontinent, Turmeric has been widely used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Turmeric is part of the ginger family and is a key ingredient in Indian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern cooking. Apart from adding flavor to food the yellow-orange spice also has incredible health benefits. Curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric has been shown to have a wide range of therapeutic effects heres a list of some:
The scorching sun and rising temperature can cause dehydration, heat colds, headaches, heatstroke, stomach infections and many other unpleasant conditions, here's a list of best foods to have in summer to prevent our bodies from summer ailments.
Summer is here and so are vacations! Most parents are perplexed as this time of year troubles them with the thought of keeping children occupied all day - several days. Summer camps seem expensive and so are visits to amusement parks and other attractions cannot be often. So here are some ways we can keep the little powerhouses engaged in simple and economic ways during summers:
The favoured holiday destination of Europeans, particularly high-end french tourists, Morocco offers vibrant arab and berber culture, colourful souks, medieval medinas and sun-soaked beaches, writes Kalpana Parikh
My 15-year-old daughter has acne, which is getting worse by the day. She has been trying natural treatments such as sandal paste and a gram flour mix. Is it time to see a dermatologist? - Rashmi Guha, Bengaluru
The rise of double income nuclear families in urban India has coincided with the coming of age of Google and explosion of parenting websites, apps, and online forums and communities on social media. In the new millennium, its become normative for young parents, especially moms, to seek solutions for parenting problems online, rather than from their mothers - BHUMIKA K.
My ten-year-old son always sticks to his 12-year-old sister or plays at home. How do I encourage him to make new friends at birthday parties or play with children in the neighbourhood? I worry about his ability to form relationships as he likes to interact only with family members. - Raihanna Fathima, Chennai
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