ParentsWorld February 2020

Choosing the right academic board for your child

By Fatima Agarkar, co-founder KA Edu Associates

Over the years with the evolution of the education industry, one would assume with more curriculums and newly operating schools, the ease of making an informed decision about the ‘right’ learning environment for your child
would be a simple reality or just a formality but the truth is that with more choices in terms of academic […]

Things to keep in mind before choosing a preschool for your little one

By Sonia Agarwal Bajaj, Founder, Little Chipper International, Agra

Choosing the right preschool is very important as the early years create a lasting impact in the child’s life. Preschools are a special place for children, outside of home, that provide them with a foundation for literacy, social interactions and establish their initial relationship with learning.

While shortlisting preschools for your little […]

Moms n’ Dads

Breaking unhealthy habits and adopting good ones can be a family affair. When the whole family is committed to a lifestyle change towards better food choices and exercise, it becomes much easier than doing it solo.

Plan activities such as daily walks, joining fitness clubs and playing a new sport together. You can collect healthy food […]

Do it now!

Home-made Squash

Instead of stocking fizzy drinks and tetrapacks, make your own fruit squashes that you can drink any time. It’s healthier, and cheaper!

Nutritionist Rashmi Chakrapani offers two easy recipes. Store squashes in the refrigerator and serve when you have guests or when you experience summer thirst.

Lime Squash
• Squeeze the juice of 20 limes/lemons. Strain […]

Action Plan

If you really want to start building a healthier lifestyle, here is some advice about drawing up an action plan. Try out these easy ideas and you could soon start feeling energetic and active. Pick up pointers from the other Kidzone pages and make your own action plan.

Keeping germs at bay
 Avoid touching your […]

Heart to Heart

Hello Children!

When was the last time you were laid up in bed with an illness just when you were looking forward to a special event in school?

Illness is literally a pain. Worse it forces you to miss out a lot of fun and enjoyment. Therefore maintaining good health and fitness is important. But good health […]

Other attractions of Rajasthan

Territorially the largest state of the Indian Union and a vibrant and colourful tourism mecca, last year Rajasthan attracted 17.5 million tourists including 1.5 million international visitors to the ‘Land of Kings’.

If there were a prize for the most vibrant and colourful tourist destination of India, it would go to the desert state of Rajasthan […]

Managing children’s anger & stress

PW invited parents of Bal Bharati Public School, GRH Marg, New Delhi to share solutions they believe will help children cope with anger, stress and mood swings

“My 17-year-old son Kunal (class XI) is visibly difficult when he is unable to resolve difficult situations or has had arguments with teachers/peers at school. Sometimes a brisk […]

Feather in pun’s cap

English playwright Samuel Johnson referred to punning as the lowest form of humour, but Alfred Hitchcock, famous Hollywood producer and director, said puns are the highest form of literature… – Roopa Banerjee

“You can tune a guitar, but you can’t tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass,” said Douglas Adams (1952-2001), British author, essayist and satirist […]

Coconut Cream Truffles

(makes 18 truffles)

Ingredients

 ¼ cup softened butter
 ½ tsp vanilla essence
 ½ tsp coconut milk
 2½ tbsp thickened coconut milk
 Pinch of salt
 1½ cups powdered sugar
 1 cup shredded coconut
 6-8 ounces baking chocolate

Preparation guide

 Beat butter until smooth. Mix in coconut milk and salt. Slowly add […]

Peanut butter coconut bars

(12 servings)

Ingredients

 1½ cups of coconut flakes
 ½ cup desiccated coconut
 1½ cup chocolate chips
 1 cup rolled oats
 ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
 ⅓ cup coconut oil
 4 tbsp sugar

Preparation guide

 Mix 1 ½ cups of coconut flakes, 1 cup of chocolate chips, sugar and rolled oats.
 […]

Coconut Panna Cotta

(6 servings)

Ingredients

 4 cups thick coconut milk
 1 tbsp gelatin
 ⅓ cup honey
 2 tsp vanilla essence
 1 cup seasonal fruits

Preparation guide

 Pour 1 cup coconut milk into a medium saucepan. Add the gelatin. Keep for 5-10 minutes to allow gelatin to soften.
 Now heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, […]

Coco about coconuts!

Call it a drupe or fruit, coconut is a must-have ingredient in the Indian kitchen, used in almost everything from juices and soups to curries and desserts. Coconuts are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and contain medium-chain fatty acids that are better absorbed by the body than animal fats. Fresh coconut flesh is high […]

Encourage children to drink more water

In the scramble to adopt healthy lifestyles and nutritious diets, most parents tend to ignore the critical importance of encouraging children to drink more water for maintaining good health and well-being – Shunila Joy Chauhan

The familiar advice: drink eight to ten glasses of water a day is dinned into our heads in childhood and later. But […]

Is it safe for children to use deodorants?

My daughter is in class VII and physically fit and active. She perspires heavily in the underarm area. Is it safe for her to use deodorants?
— Shiny Verma, Pune

Some people sweat a lot. It’s not a disease but physiological variation. You can give her a double layer of cloth in the underarm area or […]

Help! My daughter still throws tantrums

My six-year-old daughter still throws tantrums. I thought she would outgrow them after four years, but they continue. The scene of the tantrums is usually outdoors, in a supermarket or someone’s house. It’s becoming very difficult to manage her outbursts. Please help.
— Priya Tucker, Pune

Tantrums come in all shapes and sizes. Older children can […]

Books that inspire

Arundhati Nath & Parvathy Menon recommend motivational books to inspire children to set their sights high

Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different
True Tales of Amazing Boys Who Changed the World without Killing Dragons
By Ben Brooks
Publisher: Hachette
Price: Rs.899

There’s a reason why this book made it to the New York Times […]

8 ways to discuss suicide with teens

Discussing suicide with teens and children is difficult, but it is something they need to learn about

Suicide and self-harm is not an easy subject to discuss. But being able to talk openly about it is beneficial. Discussing it with teens and children may be even more difficult, but it is something they need to learn […]

Helping children to express and manage emotions

Early childhood is the time when children begin to form personal and social relationships. Therefore it’s important for parents, grandparents and caregivers to encourage them to identify, express and manage their emotions positively – Diya Shivlikith

Young children experience the same range of emotions as adults. They get angry, sad, happy, embarrassed, annoyed, etc. But unlike adults […]

Dont judge. Enable single parents!

Around the world and specially in deeply patriarchal countries such as India, single — divorced, widowed, unmarried or single by choice — parents, especially women, are judged harshly and stigmatised for their personal, marital and parenting choices – Shreya Iyer

For Mumbai-based Nandini Chakravarty (45), brand strategist at a local start-up, ending an abusive marriage and starting […]

Air pollution contributes to eczema & asthma in children

A new research study published in the European Respiratory Journal (January) reveals that exposure to high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at birth increases the chances of children developing eczema and asthma in adolescence. The study, conducted by Canadian researchers, tracked 1,286 children from birth to age 18, and used the Ontario Registered Persons Database […]

Digital screen addiction begins early

Study shows that the average time that a child spends watching screens increases drastically and the digital screen addiction begins in the early years. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH), University at Albany and the New York University Langone Medical Center. It states that the average daily time […]

Adult and infant brains sync up during play time

According to a study conducted by Princeton University and published in Psychological Science (January), infant and adult brains are in sync during natural play with brain activity rising and falling simultaneously as they share toys and eye contact.

For the study, researchers tracked the neural coordination of adults and infants while they played with toys, or […]

School lunch boxes lack nutritional quality

Less than two in every 100 home-packed school lunches eaten by children in primary schools in the UK meet acceptable nutritional standards, says a study conducted by University of Leeds. Researchers analysed the nutritional quality of packed lunches in a sample of primary schools in 2006 and again in 2016. The results, published in the […]

Inspiring New Year resolutions

Your cover story on ‘A-Z New Year resolutions for good parenting’ (PW January) was informative and refreshing. The suggested list of resolutions were simple to follow and relevant to improving the quality of family life.

Though like most people I have seldom followed my New Year resolutions through, I am determined to try out some of […]

Letter from Managing Editor

In the first two decades of the new millennium, the family unit/household has experienced more mutations than perhaps in the entire past century. The traditional joint family unit of parents, children and grandparents has all but disintegrated and two-parents and children nuclear family is becoming normative in urban India. However a new millennium phenomenon is […]