ParentsWorld May 2019

India’s Top 10 Trekking Trails

With the onset of summer, what better time for hoisting backpacks and disappearing into the wilderness? ParentsWorld presents a list of the country’s Top 10 trekking destinations For outdoor enthusiasts and free spirits, trekking/hiking along untrodden ways is the best way to explore nature in its most pristine form. Walking through swathes of green forest, traversing hill and dales, fording streams in hidden valleys provides rushes of adrenalin, which packaged five-star holidays can never match. Hardened trekkers are ever ready to swear that Wordsworthian ambles through lonely woods rejuvenate mind, body and soul beyond compare. But although cross-country treks are fast gaining popularity with young India, it’s useful to bear in mind that they require great reserves of energy, stamina, and the ability to rough it in the great outdoors. Far from the creature comforts of starred hotels, smart eateries and glitzy shopping malls, trekking trails deep in the wilds of untamed nature offer exhilarating, yet arduous, satisfaction. But to make cross-country experiences enjoyable and mishap-free, trekkers need to be well-equipped. A must-have is a sturdy and comfortable backpack which can store clothing, sleeping bags, camping gear, basic cutlery, non-perishable snacks, water, toiletries, etc. Comfortable hiking boots and a first-aid kit are also a sine qua non. For beginners a one-day hike is a good starting point which, with the acquisition of learning-by-doing experience, can be extended to half-week and seven-day trekking expeditions. Moreover it’s important to understand that trekking is usually a group activity to be undertaken only in designated trekking areas. One of the world’s most popular trekking destinations is located in India — the Himalayas. The lofty, mystical mountains sprawl over 2,560 km covering the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland and attract legions of trekkers from around the world. Down south, away from the mighty Himalayas too, there are the alluring trekking trails of the Sahyadri mountain range. The Aravali hills along the western seaboard of India also offer exciting trekking/hiking options. With the onset of summer, what better time for hoisting backpacks and disappearing into the wilderness? ParentsWorld offers a guide of the country’s Top 10 trekking destinations. 1. Ladakh: Tso Moriri-Kibber trek Sited at breathtaking and often mind-bending altitudes of 11,500 ft-plus, Ladakh’s stark, icy mountain-scapes offer challenging trekking options. The region attracts over 500,000 domestic and foreign tourists annually, drawn by the district’s towering peaks, wind-swept valleys, icy deserts, and ancient Buddhist monasteries. Several travel agencies offer trekking packages and rent equipment such as rucksacks, tents, feather jackets, etc against security deposits. Among Ladakh’s most frequented trekking trails is the Tso Moriri-Kibber trek. The base point for this trek is Korzok village near the Tso Moriri Lake around 240 km from Leh, the admin capital of the district. The Tso Moriri-Kibber trek is usually of ten days duration (including two days of road travel). Trekkers converge at Leh and drive to Tso Moriri lake via Chuma Thang, famous for its bubbling hot springs. Spending…

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Helping children to love science

With science teaching-learning in schools stuck in a time warp, science educators and evangelists advise parents to take the lead in providing children opportunities to discover the wonders of science outside of school. ParentsWorld suggests ways and means to enable parents to provide children access to enjoyable, experiential science education – K.P. Malini, Mini P. & Cynthia John “Everybody starts out as a scientist. Every child has the scientist’s sense of wonder and awe.” — Carl Sagan, American astronomer and science populariser (1934-1996) Every child has an innate curiosity to explore, investigate, ask questions and seek answers. Unfortunately, since 1835 when Thomas Babbington Macaulay, the First Baron Macaulay, wrote his famous minute on the future of Indian education replacing Persian with English as medium of instruction to provide “useful education” to the people of India and to “form a class Indian in blood colour but English in tastes, in opinions, morals and intellect,” the natural inquisitiveness of children has been discouraged across the education spectrum — from early childhood education and subsequently in primary-secondary and even higher education. With the great majority of India’s 1.5 million schools steeped in rote learning and chalk-n-talk pedagogies and regurgitation of facts for examinations, science teaching-learning has become the biggest casualty. To this day, in India’s classrooms science subjects continue to be taught from textbooks with teachers reciting scientific facts and insisting on their absorption. Hands-on experiential learning, if any, is restricted to ritual once-a-week science lab sessions. Little wonder that the overwhelming majority of school-going children in India have developed aversion, if not fear and loathing, to science. “There is something seriously wrong with the way science is being taught in India’s schools. Science is best learnt through experimentation and discovery in experiential laboratories where children learn cause-effect thinking. There’s urgent need to overhaul science teaching in our schools to enable children to develop scientific temper and mindset. Enthusiastic learning of science subjects helps children develop critical thinking, observation, logical thinking, reasoning, deduction, and problem solving skills. These are critical for success in all professions not merely science careers,” says Neeraj Ladia, an alumnus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi and astronomer and Chennai-based business head of SPACE, a company which offers astronomy/space sciences education to school students. With science teaching-learning in schools stuck in a time warp, science educators and evangelists advocate and advise parents to take the lead in providing children opportunities to discover the wonders of science outside of school. “Parents need to supplement science teaching in schools which tends to be focused on theory and memorisation. This can be done in simple ways such as enrolling children in after-school science workshops, buying them science kits and demos, and using the Internet and online resources to conduct science experiments at home,” says Swaminathan Balasundaram, an alumnus of Madras Christian College and founder-director of Young Scientist (estb.2015), a Chennai-based company which offers hands-on science workshops for children. A collegium of science educators interviewed by ParentsWorld recommends the following simple ways by…

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Encouraging creative thinking in children

PW invited parents of the Salwan Public School, Gurgaon, to share insights on how they encourage their children to think imaginatively and creatively “We believe creativity and ingenuity play a major role in personality development. Therefore no matter how exhausted we are after a day’s work, we always encourage our nine-year-old daughter Kavya (class IV) and four-year old son Lakshit (nursery) to ask as many questions as they want to spark a debate so they can transform into creative thinkers who look beyond obvious solutions, a critical 21st century skill. Moreover since Kavya is extremely fond of art and dance in particular, we have enrolled her in a creative dance and drawing class after school hours. Sometimes she surprises us with her creative birthday cards and unique choreography.” — Renu Singla, homemaker “In my opinion, children learn from their role models. I have raised my 17-year-old daughter Shailka (class XII) to become a creative individual and a critical thinker. Right through her formative years, she has won appreciation for doing things differently because I have always encouraged her. Today Shailka has overtaken me and is by far the best problem-solver in our family. She is never bored and comes up with exciting activities to do even on a rainy day.” — Manu Bhatnagar, self-employed “We believe a stimulating learning environments at home can make a substantial difference to helping children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills from young age. Towards this end, we have transformed our home into a virtual classroom for our daughters — 15-year-old Sanya (class XI) and ten-year-old Soumya (class V). We encourage them to ask questions, not worry about making errors and come up with solutions to problems.” — Sheetal Chhikara, advocate ““We have made it a habit to have open-ended debates, quizzes and challenge competitions with my daughters Anamika (class XII) and Anushka (class IX) from early age. These are followed by small rewards for accomplishments. The idea is to give them the freedom to explore ideas and transform into confident, independent children unfazed by life’s many challenges. I am proud to say that brainstorming and problem-solving have become their forte.”— Ajay Kumar Srivastava, general manager, Riello Power India (P) Limited

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Neologism is about coining new words

The words cold-blooded, blushing and amazement have something in common. English bard and playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) invented them. They didn’t exist before he coined them. Neologism is the formation of a new word or phrase which often becomes part of the English language after common use. While many neologisms have become part and parcel of the English vocabulary, there are some which haven’t become common yet but are fascinating, nevertheless. For example, sarchasm was coined as a blend of sarcasm+chasm. Sarchasm denotes the gulf between an author of sarcastic witticism and a person who doesn’t get it. Similarly, blutter is a combination of blubber and stutter. It means a long, rambling speech going nowhere. The charm of the English language is that it’s constantly evolving, incorporating new words such as selfie, meme and hashtags every day. Neologisms are of three different types: portmanteau (blend words), derived and transferred words. Portmanteau or blend words are created by combining existing words. For e.g smog=smoke+fog, brunch=breakfast+lunch. Derived words are derived from original Latin or Greek phrases. For instance, villa is Latin for house and copious is derived from the Latin copia. Transferred words use phrases directly from other languages and adjust the spelling or sound to neologise it fully. For example, the word ‘herbs’ is transferred from the French herbes while ‘alligator’ comes from the Spanish el lagarto. Examples of neologism abound in literature as authors love creating new words. For instance Shakespeare coined ‘bedazzled’. “Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes, that have been so bedazzled with the sun that everything I look on seemeth green” (Taming of the Shrew). Author Lewis Carroll fans will remember the word ‘jabberwocky’ from his classic Alice in Wonderland. Carroll coined it to a mix of unintelligible words. The word ‘nerd’ was coined by American children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel in his poem If I Ran the Zoo. ‘And then, just to show them, I’ll sail to Ka-Troo And Bring Back an It-Kutch a Preep and a Proo A Nerkle a Nerd and a Seersucker, too!’ English historian and writer Horace Walpole made up ‘serendipity’ after reading a Sri Lankan fairy tale The Princes of Serendip in which three princes had the happy coincidence of making fantastic discoveries by accident. Pop culture has produced its own examples of neologisms. For instance ‘meh’ denotes anything boring or drab. The origin is uncertain; some believe it was first used in The Simpsons while others say it owes its origin to the Yiddish term mnyeh. ‘Chillax’ and ‘dude’ are other instances of pop neologisms. All this prompts the question: Can anyone create a neologism? The answer is yes. Human beings have a wide range of emotions and all of them don’t have descriptive words yet. However, the reach and usage of the new word subsequent to its creation is what decides whether it is accepted into the English language or disappears into obscurity. So, how does one coin a new word? Well, you can think of an emotion or…

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Cold Noodle Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS  500g soba noodles  1 ½ tsp dark sesame oil  1/3 cup rice vinegar  1/3 cup soy sauce  Juice from one lime  Zest of one lime  2 tbsp brown sugar  2 minced garlic cloves  2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)  1 cup finely grated carrot  1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts  ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro Preparation guide  Cook soba noodles according to package directions in a large pan. Drain, rinse noodles with cold water, and set aside. Pour the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice into a large bowl. Mix in lime zest, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes; stir until sugar dissolves. Toss in carrots, peanuts, and cilantro.  Cut noodles into 3-inch lengths. Stir into dressing mixture. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Toss salad again before serving. If dry, splash with soy sauce and vinegar. Serve cold. Health benefits  Soba noodles contain higher amounts of fibre and protein than traditional noodles or pasta. They are made from buckwheat flour, which is an excellent source of nutrients such as protein, fibre, iron, carbohydrates, manganese and thiamine. Promoting healthy food habits in children

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Fruity Ice Pops

INGREDIENTS  3 cups strawberries (or other fruit like kiwi, other berries)  1 tbsp fresh lemon juice  1 tbsp honey Preparation guide  Blend the berries, honey, and lemon juice. Strain mixture through a sieve to remove seeds if any. Pour into moulds, making sure to leave room at the top. Insert sticks all the way down into each mould. Freeze overnight.  To remove pops from mould, run under warm water for a few seconds. POPSICLE IDEAS  Mix berries, yoghurt and honey in a blender. Save few berries and drop them in whole before freezing.  Puree diced melon with fresh lime juice and zest. Mix puree with lemon-lime soda.  Pomegranate-cherry-banana. Fill mould one third of the way with pomegranate juice. Drop in slices of fresh cherries and freeze for one hour.Then add a second layer made from blended yogurt, ripe banana and pomegranate juice. Freeze for another hour and finish with another layer of juice and cherries.  Blend chocolate milk and a pinch of cayenne pepper until frothy, and freeze.  Combine brewed tea with citrus slices or small chunks of fresh fruit, and honey.

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Cooking with children: Chicken and Grapes

Summer holidays are the perfect time to get children to learn the culinary arts, an essential life skill which will hold them in good stead through their adult lives. Moreover, parent-child cooking sessions promote family bonding and provide a wonderful opportunity to educate children about healthy diets. Here are some easy recipes to start with: Parvathy Menon CHICKEN & GRAPES INGREDIENTS  ½ kg boneless chicken, cut into cubes  1 ½ cups seedless green grapes  2 tbsp olive oil  ½ tsp lemon zest  1 tbsp lemon juice  2 minced garlic cloves  1 tsp ground cumin  ½ tsp ground coriander  ½ tsp salt  8 skewers  2 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves  1 lemon, cut into wedges PREPARATION GUIDE  Whisk oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt together in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, soak the skewers (if wooden) in water.  Thread four marinated chicken cubes and four grapes onto each skewer, alternating them. Oil a grill pan and preheat oven to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with mint and serve with lemon wedges. HEALTH BENEFITS. Grapes are a summer food as they have high water content and help keep the body hydrated. They are also anti-inflammatory and help alleviate symptoms of allergy such as watery eyes and runny nose. Recommended: How to keep children occupied during Covid-19

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Avoid health and dietary supplements

Most parents believe that they are failing their children if they don’t do something to ‘fatten’ them. This flawed reasoning is driving numerous parents to feed children dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals which do more harm than good – Dr. Gita Mathai It’s quite common to hear middle class parents and grandparents expressing dissatisfaction about their children’s physical growth and development. Many tend to be unhappy with their children’s height and weight — they are either too fat or thin — their body mass index (weight divided by height in meters squared) is not the ideal 23, or they seem to lack energy and stamina. However, such fears about children’s physical development are mostly unwarranted, especially in the first year of an infant’s life. For instance the birth weight of a newborn should ideally double by the end of the fifth month and triple by the end of the first year. An infant who was born prematurely may weigh 2 kg or less at birth. That means her weight should be 4 kg at five months and 6 kg on the first birthday. Another mother may have delivered a baby that was 3.5 kg at birth, 7 kg at the end of the fifth month and 10.5 kg on the first birthday. When these two children meet, although both have gained weight proportionately and are growing normally, the 10 kg child may seem much healthier than the 6 kg one. Inevitably, this prompts comparisons and heartburn among parents and family members who begin comparing diets and worry whether the latter child should be administered dietary supplements to accelerate her physical development. Unfortunately, even educated parents tend to be unaware that every child follows her own individual linear growth curve. Enhanced diets are unlikely to boost a child’s physical progression. For example after the age of one, a child needs only 400 ml of milk per day. Increasing the quantity of milk consumption to increase weight/height is likely to prove counterproductive. Intake of large quantities of milk bloats the stomach and is likely to cause abdominal distress in young children. Ideally, if a child eats a balanced, home-cooked meals (not instant noodles and other fast food) for breakfast, lunch and dinner, supplemented with a homemade snack of fruits or nuts at 10 a.m and 5 p.m, she will be on a healthy growth trajectory. Snacking on ready-to-eat, nutritionally sub-standard packaged foods should be discouraged. The common refrain of most middle class Indian parents is that their children have poor appetites and don’t eat enough. A child who exercises for at least an hour and has her meals at fixed times is likely to have a good appetite. Yet despite reassurances from paediatricians, parents tend to doubt their children are developing optimally. They believe that they are failing their children if they don’t do something to ‘fatten’ them. This flawed reasoning is driving a growing number of parents to feed children dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals which do…

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Make a Friendship Potpourri Jar!

Do it NOW!

Are you looking for a special way to tell your friend you care? Make a potpourri friendship jar that your friend will treasure!

Get a pretty glass or plastic (transparent) jar or take an old one and remove the labels by soaking it in warm water.

Fill the jar with a mixture of goodies as […]

Heart to Heart

Hello Children!

If fun and excitement is what you’re looking for, here’s the place for you! Kidzone presents proposals to rev you up, give you great ideas and help you do some interesting things solo and with other children.

Jump right in and join the action with our cool ideas, activities, engrossing stories, puzzles and more.

Also send […]

Help! My teenager has greying hair

My son is only 16 years old but 75 percent of his hair is grey. We were advised to shave it off but the regrown hair is also grey. He doesn’t have dandruff. Is his greying hair because of vitamin deficiency or a skin disorder? Will medication or protein supplements help? Should he use hair dye? — Imtiaz Ali, Hyderabad Your son is suffering from premature canities which results from deficiency of the pigment melanin that gives hair its black colour. It could also be a genetic disorder. Some research studies attribute it to iron, copper, zinc, vitamin B12, para amino benzoic acid and calcium panthothenate deficiency. Consult a dermatologist who may prescribe dietary supplements. Though hair dye is not usually advised for age specific contraindication, it’s best to avoid synthetic, organic and metallic dyes. Instead opt for vegetable hair dyes. My 17-year-old daughter is recovering from chicken pox and the marks are still present all over her body. Will they fade on their own or should I consult a dermatologist for medication? — Valerie Francis, Bangalore If anti-viral and prophylactic oral antibiotics are administered at the appropriate time during illness, they will prevent later scar formation and pigmentation. If the patient has troublesome scarring on the face and neck, it is better to consult a dermatologist for treatment. Natural resolution of skin scarring takes some time. My daughter (5) loves eating ocean prawns. Of late I have noticed that she develops red rashes on her hands and legs after eating them. The rashes itch but disappear after three-four days. Is it a skin allergy or should I consult a gastroenterologist?— Komalavalli Iyengar, Hyderabad Your daughter may be suffering from urticaria which is caused by multiple factors including consumption of non-vegetarian food especially shelled seafood such as prawns. This skin ailment causes itching, giddiness, vomiting and abdominal pain. Visit a dermatologist immediately for diagnosis and treatment. If during diagnosis consumption of prawns is found to be the cause, they have to be avoided for an indefinite time period. My 12-year-old daughter has dark skin colouration around her neck. She has tried applying natural skin whiteners such as curd, lemon juice, etc but the discolouration has reduced only slightly. Please advise. — Mary John, Chennai Based on the partial history provided by you, it seems your daughter is suffering from acanthosis nigricans/ pseudo acanthosis nigricans, which is triggered by hormonal imbalance, insulin resistant diabetes mellitus and obesity. Consult a dermatologist who will ascertain the cause of discolouration and prescribe safe and suitable skin-lightening agents. (Dr. Sribiju is a consultant dermatologist with the Kerala Government Health Services)

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Coping with peer pressure & poor body image

My 13-year-old daughter wears thick spectacles for myopia. She hates wearing them because she is ridiculed by her classmates and is insisting on undergoing corrective laser surgery. But friends tell me that such procedures should be performed only after an individual crosses the 18 years age threshold. What’s your advice? — Balakrishnan Nair, Kochi An ophthalmologist is best qualified to explain the treatment options. But the underlying issue is her inability to cope with peer pressure and ridicule. You need to encourage two-way communication, and listen to her fears and insecurities unjudgementally. Don’t belittle her problems and avoid lecturing and doling out solutions. Brainstorm and encourage her to find her own solution. If required, consult a counsellor. My 17-year-old son is tall and thin. He has recently signed up with a gym and his fitness trainer has advised that he consumes a protein supplement to boost weight and stamina. I am afraid that the protein mixture may contain steroids, but he is adamant on getting onto the protein diet. Please advise. — Chandrika Gopinath, Chennai Consult a qualified nutritionist. Your son is feeling inadequate about his physical attributes and therefore is susceptible to impetuously accept advice of unqualified people. Step up and schedule a session with a professional nutritionist. My daughter (17) hasn’t performed very well in her class XII board exam. She is all set to write the NEET exam for admission into a MBBS degree programme. But her confidence is badly shaken because of her under-performance in the boards. How can I boost her self-confidence? — Lajmi Poppat, New Delhi Here’s what you can do: • Reassure her that you believe in her capability and that her best is good enough for you. • Don’t belittle her aspirations, blame the education system or other students and use philosophical reasoning to justify her under-performance. • Insulate her from extended family and friends who are always ready, willing and able to offer unsolicited advice. • Fully support her in exam preparation and encourage her to share her fears, anger, guilt or disappointment. Lending a patient sympathetic ear does wonders to alleviate stress. • Consult a career counsellor if she wants to explore other career options. I divorced six months ago and have won custody of my seven-year-old son for the week with my husband given weekend custody. When he is with me, my son is very studious and completes all school work carefully. But when he visits his father over the weekend, he returns with school work unfinished. I have tried explaining to my ex-husband but it’s of no use. How do I remedy this situation? — Rashmi Chattopadya, Bhopal Divorces are always messy and painful. You can choose one of the following two solutions: First is the proactive approach where you help your son complete his homework before he visits his father on weekends. This will allow your son to experience a disciplined home environment as well as indiscipline at his father’s residence. The second approach is corrective. You…

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Vehicular pollution leading cause of childhood asthma

Vehicular pollution caused asthma in 350,000 children in India in 2015, reveals a study published in Lancet Planetary Health (April). The study, which surveyed 194 countries, says that India reported 350,000 pollution-related childhood asthma cases, second highest after China, where 760,000 cases were detected followed by the US (240,000), Indonesia (160,000) and Brazil (140,000). Researchers of George Washington University, USA, which conducted the study, estimate that more than one in ten childhood asthma cases is linked to vehicular-related air pollution. With 92 percent of cases developing in habitations that have vehicular pollution levels below the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline, the researchers recommend that this guideline is reviewed. “Our findings suggest that the WHO guideline for annual average nitrogen dioxide concentrations might need to be revisited, and that traffic emissions should be a target to mitigate exposure,” says Susan Anenberg, associate professor of environmental and occupational health, George Washington University, who stresses that policy initiatives to alleviate vehicular-related air pollution can lead to improvements in children’s health. Children are swallowing more foreign objects than before The rate at which foreign objects are being swallowed by children below six years has nearly doubled in the two decades after 1995, says a new study published in Pediatrics (April). The study found that the rate of foreign-body ingestions — children swallowing coins, toys and other foreign objects, including potentially fatal button batteries — nearly doubled between 1995 and 2015, rising by 92 percent during the 21-year study period and increasing by 4 percent annually. Researchers of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, who analysed 30,000 cases in which children aged below six had ingested foreign objects, found that the most commonly ingested items were coins, most often pennies. Of all of children hospitalised during the two decades studied, nearly 80 percent had ingested coins. Dr. Orsagh-Yentis, lead author of the study and a pediatric gastroenterology motility fellow at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says the study underscores the need for greater parental vigilance and safe storage of potentially dangerous objects. Firstborns outperform younger siblings Firstborn children tend to outperform their younger siblings in cognitive tests and are better set up for academic success thanks to the engaged parenting they experience, says a study published in the Journal of Human Resources (April). The study found that as early as age one, later-born children score lower in cognitive assessment tests than their elder siblings, and the birth order gap in cognitive assessment increases until the time of school entry and remains statistically significant thereafter. Eldest children are also 30 percent more likely to be CEOs and politicians. Jee-Yeon K. Lehmann, co-author of the study and an economist at the Analysis Group in Boston, attributes this advantage to first-time parents “wanting to do everything right”. “Our findings suggest that broad shifts in parental behaviour from first to later-born children are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes,’’ says Lehmann. Moreover the study suggests that ‘’mothers take more risks during pregnancy and…

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Boredom benefits

Your April cover story detailing creative summer options for active children was useful and relevant (PW April). I especially enjoyed the DIY section which featured the socially purposive activity of building bird feeders and bird baths, and plogging which combines jogging with picking up litter. Also thank you for advocating that boredom is good for children as it boosts their creativity and cognitive development. In today’s intensively competitive world, parents feel it’s their duty to enroll children in as many summer activity camps as possible to learn academic, sports, music and sundry other life skills. Unfortunately this tendency of parents to cram their children’s summer holidays with activities is stressing them out instead of preparing them for success in life. After a action-packed school year, children deserve some quiet time for introspection. Summer holidays should be a time of rest, leisure, outdoor games and boredom as well! Sumita Raghupathi Chennai Sports activities recommendation Thank you for your cover story ‘Creative summer options for active children’ (PW April). As a parent who has spent 13 summers with her child, I know how difficult it is to keep children occupied and entertained during the two-month summer holidays. Most frighteningly, it’s difficult for parents to get children off television and digital devices and participate in non-digital indoor and outdoor activities. From personal experience, I believe encouraging children to participate in sports activities during the summer break is a great way to expend excess energy and keep children healthy, as well as help them discover a new sport. A friend of mine, whose son was training as a swimmer, enrolled him in a tennis coaching class last summer, and he discovered that his passion was tennis rather than swimming. He is now playing and winning local tennis tournaments. Summer holidays should also be a time for family bonding. It could be a summer vacation, weekend getaway or just parents taking few days off to spend time with children. Sreelatha Muniraju Coimbatore Excellent child safety guidelines The column by Dr. Gita Mathai on making homes child-safe was excellent (PW April). I am a teacher in a primary school in Bangalore and vividly remember some years ago reading about a three-year-old child who died when a television set fell on him at home. It was a tragic accident. I remember inviting our school parents to counsel them about making their homes child-safe. I am so glad that Dr. Mathai has given a detailed list of common household safety hazards and dangers. Especially now that summer holidays have begun, parents need to take special care to make their homes child-safe to prevent accidents. Preethi Reddy Bangalore Kidzone contribution My children loved your new Kidzone feature (PW April), especially the short story and Fritzee’s Fact File. Can children contribute to this section? Please advise. Dina Rosario Mangalore Yes children can contribute to the Short Story section. Please email the short story (600 words) to [email protected] — Editor Environment conservation imperative We are in the grip of a long,…

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Letter from the Managing Editor

As a school student in the 1980s, two subjects which me and many of my peers dreaded were maths and science. Three decades later despite the dawn of the hi-tech Google age, student sentiments towards these subjects haven’t changed much. The overwhelming majority of India’s 250 million school-going children continue to be afraid of science and maths. The root cause of this aversion — as I discovered later in life — is not popular preference for the arts and humanities, but the way the sciences are taught in schools. In the majority of India’s 1.5 million schools, science teachers encourage textbook-focused rote rather than experiential lab learning. In overcrowded classrooms, children are expected to memorise scientific facts and data and regurgitate them in exams. The weekly science lab sessions are ritual events where children crowd around obsolete equipment. The anti-social outcome of textbook-based science teaching in schools is that children are unable to develop scientific temper and mindset. An inquiry-based cause-effect discipline, experientially taught science helps children develop critical thinking, observation, logical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. These skills are essential for success in all 21st century professions. In this month’s cover story, we highlight why it’s important for parents to help their children overcome science phobia and derive pleasure and enjoyment from learning science subjects. Our editorial team led by Cynthia John also presents a specially curated list of summer science learning programmes being delivered across the country which parents will find useful. Moreover, there are interesting suggestions on engaging children with science through nature activities, citizen science and simple experiments. Apart from our regular features in this issue, we present highlights of the EW India Private Higher Education Rankings 2019-20. EducationWorld (an affiliate of ParentsWorld) commissioned the well-reputed Delhi-based market research and opinion polls company, Centre for Forecasting and Research (C fore) to interview 9,914 faculty, industry leaders and final year students countrywide who have rated and ranked the country’s Top 100 private universities, engineering institutes, B-schools and multi-disciplinary arts, science and commerce colleges on 10-12 parameters of higher education excellence. These league tables — based on field interviews by over 100 C fore representatives spread over four months — will enable parents to identify and shortlist the most suitable higher education institutions for their children.

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Join with us in our mission to build the pressure of public opinion to make education the #1 item on the national agenda