The start of much-awaited south-west monsoon showers — and establishment of a new BJP-led NDA government at the Centre — have coincided with the beginning of the new academic year countrywide. For India’s 150 million rural households after last year’s disappointing rains, for the new government in Delhi, which has to learn the art of managing a coalition after two terms as a BJP majority government, and for children and parents setting out on new paths of learning and development, this is a season of hope and expectation. Parents in particular are looking forward to their children crossing new milestones in academic and extra-curricular education. While teachers and educators will hopefully discharge their duty of teaching children and youth the 3Rs and beyond, parents also have a critical role to play in preparing children to realise their full potential. In our start of the academic year cover story, we present a detailed child motivation and success guide featuring valuable advice from experts to enable parents to build children’s confidence by nurturing their growth mindset and resilience. Latter day parents, bombarded with information and advice from sundry parenting websites, apps and ubiquitous social media, are likely to appreciate our guidelines based on interviews with well-qualified and experienced child development counselors. There’s much more in this start-of-the-year issue of PW. Check out the Early Childhood essay in which Hyderabad-based psychiatrist Dr. Mazhar Ali provides useful advice to develop young children’s language and communication skills; the Middle Years story which makes a strong case for parents to encourage, rather than push children to succeed. Also a Special Essay by Ayobami Adekola of the University of South Africa advising parents on when, how, and why it’s important to talk to teens about sex and sexuality. Moreover, I highly recommend the Health & Nutrition essay written by Delhi-based pediatric consultant Dr. Tarun Singh, explaining why it’s important to include Omega 3 fatty acid foods in children’s diets to ensure optimal cognitive development. It’s an information and insights-packed issue. Your feedback on our stories, suggestions, criticisms, etc are most welcome. Look forward to hearing from you! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
