Important life skill
Inspired by your Health and Nutrition section on summer coolers (PW April), on a particularly hot day last week, my daughter rustled up an appetizing lemon-mint punch! She even greased the rim of the glass with tangy lime and chaat masala. Thank you for sharing simple recipes which children can manage. Learning to cook is an important life skill for all children.
Malati Nair
Vizag
Inculcate DIY culture in children
As parents of a preteen, we are constantly looking for ways and means to keep her off digital devices. This challenge becomes more pronounced during summer holidays. Therefore I loved reading your cover story on the importance of hands-on learning and vocational skills (PW May). It was timely and thought provoking.
Clearly, we are paying the price of our education policy makers persistently neglecting vocational education and training, especially in schools. No wonder I fail so miserably in managing even the smallest of household repair jobs. I am sure other parents will agree that inculcating a do-it-yourself (DIY) culture early on will make children self-sufficient and stimulate creativity and problem-solving skills. My daughter loved your DIY aquarium building suggestion as she is fascinated by marine life.
Gomathy Krishnan
Hyderabad
Useful fitness exercises
Your Health & Nutrition section detailing exercises to improve body posture was welcome and useful (PW May). Lately I have noticed my children slouch a lot while reading and watching digital devices. They often complain about muscle, back, neck and shoulder pain which I suspect is a result of bad posture. After almost three weeks of following the suggested fitness regimen, I have observed my children are experiencing less fatigue and pain. Last week I joined my children in the exercises, and the results are encouraging. I am feeling more relaxed.
I also enjoyed reading your travel section. An adventure sports enthusiast, I am inspired to explore mountaineering in Himachal Pradesh.
Aamir Mohammed
Bengaluru
Healthy lifestyle advocate
Congratulations for publishing an excellent parenting magazine that advocates a healthy lifestyle and addresses a range of pressing child health and parenting problems. In particular Ask Your Doctor and Ask your Counselor are columns that I eagerly look forward to. The May column in which Dr. Sudharani Naik shared tips on helping children cope with social anxiety was excellent. I also liked the advice of pediatrician Dr. Amritha Rao who busted the popular myth that children suffering cold infections should not be given citrus fruits. As she rightly said, citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and boost immunity.
It was also revealing to read about millets — the new superfood rich in protein, minerals, fibre and vitamins — in your Health and Nutrition section.
Rosaline Thomas
Chennai
Address children’s communication skills deficit
I am an abacus teacher and interact daily with a large group of children in the 7-14 age group. Of late I have observed that children’s socialisation skills and etiquette have declined substantially. Despite being in the same class for several weeks now, some of my students greet each other without exchanging smiles or making any attempts at conversation. I even alerted some parents about this behaviour but most of them blamed it on Covid lockdowns, digital devices addiction and so on.
I believe good quality friendships and relationships are critical to development of social competence and are associated with mental health and well-being in childhood and adolescence. Though social distancing and isolation restrictions during the pandemic had a negative impact on the ways in which children socialize and communicate with peers, this communication skills deficit needs to be urgently addressed with recommendations by an expert panel of your esteemed magazine.
Minu Sharma
Kolkata
