PW invited parents of Shiksha Valley School, Dibrugarh (Assam) to share their insights on how they are helping their children remain emotionally strong during the pandemic lockdown
“I believe love, attention, recognition and appreciation are some ingredients that help nourish children’s emotional strength. My adolescent son Kunal (15) needs special counselling to understand and deal with his emotions. I always give him a patient hearing when he expresses his apprehensions about the future and other worries and anxieties, feeling of insecurity etc. I often run him through a critical appreciation of life, its joys and sorrows, successes and failures. In the current pandemic situation, we try to involve him in multiple activities so he remains productively engaged.”
— Dr. Indrani Sengupta, assistant professor, department of education, Manohari Devi Kanoi Girls College, Dibrugarh.
“To keep my daughter Benesha (class IX) from overthinking about the pandemic, I have introduced her to responsible household chores like preparation of meals, gardening, car washing etc. Moreover during our mealtime conversations, she is encouraged to speak her mind on various issues. We give her a patient hearing and reason with her so she is assured that her opinion also matters. This has raised her confidence level. Since we live in a tea estate, we are privileged to take long walks every evening which is very relaxing after a long day of online classes.” — Neelanjana Kaushik, lawyer, Dibrugarh district court.
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