Interesting & enjoyable Thanks for the Kidzone section — it’s interesting and enjoyable. My children love solving the puzzles and DIY creative activity. Also your selection of reference books was very useful. Moreover, I enjoy reading the Ask the Doctor column every month. The October column by Dr. Gita Mathai about urinary tract infection in children was very useful as was her advice about preventing and reducing asthma attacks. Shalini Kumar Chennai Developing children’s life skills Your October cover story ‘Reviving children’s life skills in the post-pandemic era’ was timely and relevant. The intermittent pandemic lockdowns and school closures of the past 20 months have adversely affected children’s life skills development. Personally, I have observed that my children have lost their social graces and presentation skills. Impersonal online classes have also taken a toll on their creativity. Sitting long hours in front of computer screens without any physical interaction has also made them uninterested in extracurricular activities. They have begun to believe that school is only boring academics. Now that schools are reopening, teachers and educators need to provide children opportunities to re-build their social and life skills. Academics should take a backseat and children should be allowed to play with friends and participate in co-curricular activities that promote life skills, art and creativity. Veena Shankar Bengaluru Suggested: Reviving children’s life skills in the post-pandemic era Avoid packaged infant foods My daughter just turned a year old, and I have been researching different weaning food options. Your Early Childhood story on homemade infant foods was very useful (PW October). Many parents have a misconception that packaged baby foods are more nutritious than homemade meals. The advertising labels on packaged baby foods detail ingredients which are supposed to be ideal for infant growth and development. But what they fail to mention, as my paediatrician told me, is that pre-packaged infant foods contain high amounts of sugar and salt, and harmful preservatives and flavourings. I strongly recommend homemade ragi porridge for infants. Shyama Vincent Pune What about parents’ mental health? With most companies still mandating work-from-home and primary schools yet to open, parental stress has become more pronounced. Parents are doing double duty of monitoring children’s online education and office work. Through the pandemic, the media was full of stories about children’s mental health issues. What about the mental health of parents? I know parents who are financially anxious, depressed and frustrated because they cannot be the best parents they can be, in this unprecedented pandemic situation. Many schools are talking about hybrid education. For a full-time working parent, this is very impractical, as they can’t go to office one day and stay home the next, when online and offline classes alternate. As India’s premier parenting magazine, you need to highlight the phenomenon of pandemic-related parental stress. Jaspreet Kaur Mumbai Social skills building activities I read with interest your cover story about reviving children’s life skills in the post-pandemic era (PW October). Definitely the pandemic lockdowns and social restrictions have affected social…
