Overdue wake-up call
Your well-researched cover story ‘Rising tide of child and youth suicides’ (PW June) supported by a wealth of data, sent shivers down my spine. It’s an overdue wake-up call for unsuspecting middle-class parents who believe that topping national entrance exams is the prerequisite of success in later life. The time has come to switch tracks and focus instead on our children’s mental and physical well-being.
As highlighted in your story, there are equally remunerative careers in sports, music and entertainment as there are in the traditional fields of engineering and medicine. But most fail to acknowledge this. Clearly, identifying children’s aptitudes and intelligences and guiding them to make informed higher education decisions is the best way forward. Therefore, revisiting parenting styles, being more observant, showing empathy and understanding are useful and welcome tips shared by PW experts cited in your lead story.
The Ask Your Counselor column by Sudharani Naik was also a reassuring read. I have been a worried mother as my son often confuses the letter ‘b’ with ‘d.’ But I was relieved to know it’s normative for children to make such mistakes in kindergarten and that it has nothing to do with learning disabilities.
Vidhi Gupta
Mumbai
Timely advice
Your Early Childhood feature on ‘5 ways to prepare the first-born for a sibling’ (PW June) was timely and informative especially as I am a mother of a six-year-old and expecting my second child in September.
In our childhood, not much thought or seriousness was given to discussing sibling rivalry. It was regarded as natural. Your article is an eye opener and helps raise awareness about sibling rivalry, the psychology behind attention-seeking behaviour of first-borns and their jealousy of the unborn. It’s still not late for me to psychologically prepare my daughter to be more accepting of her sibling’s arrival.
Vivikta Mookey
New Delhi
Useful positive parenting advice
I am thankful to ParentsWorld sensitising the parents community towards gentle, positive parenting and managing children’s emotional issues. Your cover story on child and youth suicides (PW June) has highlighted the urgency of prioritising children’s mental and physical well-being over and above their academic success.
Children normally experience fear when they are worried or alone. This is the time when they need the shoulders of their parents to lean on. The other day my son had a bad dream and started shouting and crying in his sleep. After splashing a few drops of water on his face, he finally woke up and even started narrating his dream to me. I believe our presence is what matters the most in their nurturance.
Mina Nithula
Chennai
Easy recipes
Inspired by your Health and Nutrition section on school lunchbox recipes (PW June), last week my daughter helped me put together her favourite pizza with a twist in her lunchbox. Your simple-to-follow recipe and easily available ingredients for a No Oven Bread Pizza became very popular with her school friends. She even innovated by spreading some of her favourite herbs over it.
Laila Dsouza
Mangaluru
Useful guidance
Your choice of books on phonetics in your Resources column (PW June) were inspirational to say the least. So much so that I bought them all for my five-year-old daughter. She loves the activities-based stories and has developed a good understanding of phonics and language. Above all, she is now able to read little by little on her own.
Given the constraints of working parents who have little time to weigh the options available in the market, I look forward to more information on such educational books and resources in future issues of ParentsWorld.
Daksha Malla
Bengaluru
