Kidzone

Heart to Heart

Hello Parents!

An HR (human resource development) vice president quit his company job at 45 to start a new career in teaching. A 28-year-old electrical engineer decided to call it quits and go back to college when he realised he should have qualified as a media professional instead.

To go with the flow, hundreds and thousands of […]

What type of parent are you?

Authoritarian parents insist on children following hard and fast rules based on the ‘because I say so’, philosophy. Permissive parents give their children great latitude to choose what they want to do and tend to fudge discipline issues.

Progressive parents balance the need for rules and regulation with encouraging freedom combined with responsibility, Take this quiz […]

“I have a gifted child…”

I seriously believe I have a very gifted eight-year-old child. She’s amazing at painting, craft and clay modelling. I feel her school’s art education and the hobby classes she attends are not helping her develop her potential to the fullest — R.K, Pune

It’s wonderful to be able to spot a gifted child early. Helping her […]

Patriotism begins at home

How often we wonder if the young generation truly understand the struggles of people in pre-independence India!

Here’s an activity to help your children understand how one man with a fistful of salt changed the course of history. In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi decided to give the British a taste of his unique brand of satyagraha. And […]

Creative parenting green activities to try together

Want to be a green household? Take time out from your daily routine and try these activities to bond as a family unit and create evergreen memories.

Go for a walk in the garden or in your neighbourhood to find a tree you like. Let your child name the tree as you would name a pet, […]

Kids who dare to dream

As children survey the world around them, they naturally want to emulate people they admire — teachers, sports stars, actors, astronomers. They become interested in computers, spaceships, fire engines, and often want to make them. These inspirations don’t always come from their school syllabus and curriculums, but arise out of sheer amazement that such things […]

Heart to Heart

Hello Parents!

For parents, the possibility of a school massacre, a bomb blast in the city and sexual abuse in schools is a nightmarish prospect. What we don’t often dwell upon is how insecure such incidents make our children. With television and newspapers headlining horrific incidents, their hyperactive imaginations can go into overdrive.

The safety and security […]

Nurturing Talent

Skill-building classes and courses aren’t the only way to develop a child’s talents. Children need to be inspired and motivated, to keep their passions and interests alive. They often get bored with hobby classes and lose interest after a while.

The best way to ignote children’s passion is by way of exposing them to great ideas, […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent

It’s not unusual these days to meet youngsters unwilling to conform with formal schooling systems. A growing number of smart and savvy students are disillusioned with the annual scramble for marks and grades, and rebel against the system in different ways.

Recently I met a class X student who refused to write his exams, though […]

Redefining ‘learning’

Sunil Noronha

“You learn something new everyday.” This oft-used phrase indicates that learning is a 24 x 7 process. We never stop learning which started in the womb. It’s happening right now, as you read this article!

The key to learning something new every day is to redefine what we mean by learning. Everything we see, every […]

Realising a child’s potential

My 12-year-old daughter has great academic potential, and I want to do my best to help her realise it. I just don’t know how to ensure she doesn’t lose the best opportunities available. What should I get her involved in?

You shouldn’t hurry to enrol her in too many courses or get her involved in multiple […]

When your child fails to meet expectations

Anitha Bennett

“I was always a topper in my school. I had my notes picture perfect and I was a model student. But my daughter is just the opposite — incomplete notes, complaints of day-dreaming from her teachers and almost total disinterest in studies. She doesn’t care for extra curricular activities either. Every evening, homework time […]

Mom With Limitless Books

Minu Sarin was a Mom who loved books. And both her children — Veena (6) and Ashutosh (10) — loved them too.
Minu always found it a challenge to afford all the books she bought. She did not want to spend too much. So she started the ’10-book Club’.

To kickstart the club, she bought a […]

Heart to Heart

Hello Parents!

I recently met a mother who is waging regular battles with her daughter. Her 14-year-old daughter wants to go out with friends and hang out at malls as do most teenagers.

But given the deteriorating law and order situation countrywide, her parents refuse to allow her to go anywhere unaccompanied. Her mother fears the dangers […]

Reaching out to teach

Annie Besant Jon

Do you know a child who wants to learn but can’t afford school? Or a child who has a hard time doing her homework because her parents are illiterate? Your family could help teach such children! This way your children will discover the joy of helping others.

Helping an underprivileged child to learn the […]

Creative parenting

Stepping Outdoors

Increasingly, school, homework, television and computers conspire to keep children indoors. Here are some ways to get kids outdoors for activity and vitamin D.

Host a photography contest. Give your children and their friends an outdoor theme, and prompt them to take some good photographs.

Organise a nature search. Make a list of things that can […]

Five international dishes

Anitha Bennett

Restaurants serving multinational cuisine are popping up all over the place, and can help your family savour foreign delicacies in your own city. It’s a good way to get your kids off junk food and fast food joints. Here are international dishes you could try at home.

Fajita
This is a staple of Mexican menus. […]

Classroom comparisons

I’m tired of listening to my 11-year old daughter’s complaints. She is forever comparing the extravagance of her classmates and what they buy with large sums of money. We don’t believe in celebrating birthdays at fancy restaurants or buying expensive gadgets to keep up with the Joneses. I don’t know how to keep her happy.

Your […]

Parenting – striking the right balance

Anitha Bennett

If you have been attending ʻWhat kind of parent are you?ʼ quizzes, you are like most parents who are not sure if they are exercising good parenting. Parenting can sometimes be a difficult balancing act. Most parents don’t seem to know whether they are doing it right.

Friends or parents?
Children too want democracy and […]

Five superfoods to give your child every day

Bananas
Bananas contain a lot of fibre, and help fight constipation. They are also high in potassium, and good for kidneys, bones, heart and nerves.

Milk
Milk gives kids the calcium they need for growing bones, and also contains protein and vitamins, aiding growth and strength. Children need two-three glasses of milk every day. If they […]

Eating right for school days

By the time he comes home from school, my son is tired though he eats a good lunch. He gets home at 4 p.m. in the school bus. As a result, he is in a bad mood for one-two hours after coming home. I am sure lack of food is the main reason. How can […]

Quick-fix food ideas

Peanut-butter date sandwich

Store some chopped dates (preferably Arabian) in a box. Any time you want, spread peanut butter on brown bread, add chopped dates to make a sandwich. You can have a nutritious meal ready in two minutes! Serve with a slice of watermelon or apple.

Baby potatoes

Pressure cook baby potatoes and get a family member […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent,

Parenting 24×7 is a full-time demanding job. While we manage the myriad chores while getting through the day, there are several casualties like our health, sleep and marriage, which could easily take the back seat.

Therefore it’s time to step back from the roles of SuperMom or SuperDad and work towards a better life-parenting balance.

While […]

5 Exotic Treats for Your Family

Anitha Bennett

You might not be able to make that dream vacation to the Alps, but there are other ways to treat your family to some out-of-the-world stuff. Find some exotic ice-cream flavours for them to sample. At the same time, drive home the point that such desserts are a rare treat, only to be consumed […]

School Days

Every home experiences days when children don’t want to go to school. Morning battles are difficult to handle. Try these options:

An energising snack of fruit or nuts before breakfast.
Small rewards kept ready for good behaviour.
A chart listing things to be done in the morning, including brushing, bathing, and eating. Stars can be rewarded every day […]

Back-to-school blues

Veena Shankar

My daughter is five and usually loves school. But after every weekend or holiday, she refuses to get back to school, and I have a hard time persuading her. I know it’s a common issue, but it’s a pain. Any solutions? — R.S.

This problem is not unique to children. Adults also suffer ‘Monday morning […]

Is your child a slow learner?

Nisha Daniel

Do you suspect your child is a slow learner? You could be wrong. She might be good at some tasks and not in others.

A slow learner is distinctly different from a child with a learning disability. A slow learner learns everything that is expected of her, and is capable of attaining milestone development norms, […]

Is your home child-enabled?

Is your house child-proof? If you are a parent who’s worried about safety of children, you probably have done some amount of child-proofing, especially in the early years.

Making your house child-enabled is the next step. Childproofing keeps the environment safe, but a child-enabled home provides opportunities for learning and exploration.

It’s advisable to make every room […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent

It’s shocking but true. India has more than 1 million children with Type 1 diabetes, according to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). With childhood obesity pegged at 50 percent in metros, Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes among children is also rising alarmingly.

Given the large quantities of fried and packaged foods our children consume, their […]

Building a Memory Bank

Cynthia John

You probably have a half-filled pastel-coloured baby record book with early photographs of your tiny tot. But what about the following years and their memories? You might have many digital photos that never got sorted or printed.

There are many other precious bits of your child’s life that you are likely to want to remember. […]

Hi- Five

Top 5 Family Exercises

1. Walking. Get some exercise together and slow down for chats and to watch morning birds.
2. Jogging. Burn fat together
3. Swimming. Everyone enjoys splashy fun.
4. Playing ball. Getting sweaty for a good game is always a pleasure.
5. Shuttlecock. This provides exertainment!

Left out at school!

Veena Shankar

My son feels left out of the ‘gangs’ at school. How do I help him cope?

Find out why this is happening. Is he new to the school, or is he very different from those he wants to be friends with?
Share your childhood experiences of being left out and explain that it is not because […]

Is daydreaming good for your child?

Veena Shankar

Ever wonder how Archimedes got his ‘a-ha’ moment while lounging in a bathtub? Or how Newton unravelled the secret of gravity while dozing under an apple tree? If recent research is to be believed, it may well be because the wandering mind is fertile ground for creative problem solving! The findings of several separate […]

No more bribes – only creative rewards!

Tired of giving in to your child’s demands and ‘bribing’ your child? If you have fallen into the trap of bribing your child so much that she will not help you with any chores unless you promise to buy her some goodies, it’s time to change the transactional interface.

First, be firm about getting out of […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent

If you have a child, you are likely to have many toys, games and books strewn around the house.

You might have spent hours browsing and choosing, reading labels about how educational a toy is, or how it can build your child’s IQ. Or, you might have a shelf of birthday gifts and well-used toys […]

The Ripple Effect

Lakshmi Narayan

T here once was a man, a decent sort, who wanted to become a prophet, change the world and make people behave in a nicer way. But every time he opened his mouth, people either yawned or sidled away, or worse still, teased and needled him. The few that listened, misrepresented his teachings so […]

learning Differently

Everyody these days knows that learning is a lifelong process. But consciously have you thought of learning with your child? Learning together can give you both deeper insights and a rich bonding experience. With many calls on your time, especially time with your child, it makes good sense to attempt to learn together. Here are […]

Teacher troubles

Anitha Bennett

My child often doesn’t understand what her teacher teaches in class. What should I do?
Before you confront the teacher, you need to do some homework yourself. Find out if your child doesn’t like a particular subject. Most kids who dislike a subject end up closing their ears however well the teacher teaches. Or […]

Listen to children’s fears

Nisha Daniel

When confronted with a child’s fear, we often attend to it cursorily and push it out of our minds. But it’s useful to remember that your child’s fear is very real and she lives with it day in and day out. Therefore it’s important to spend time, thought and discussion to putting her fears […]

Declutter Day

Having a family Declutter Day once a month helps the whole family. Get every member of the family to sort through their things and collect clothes, toys and other objects they want to throw or give away. They can be brought to a common area. If other familly members would like to use any of […]

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