Modern day parents are confused about the advisability of co-sleeping with parenting counselors and experts divided on the issue Aruna Raghuram “For most of human history, parents slept close to their babies for their safety and protection, as well as for parents’ own ease of breastfeeding and sleeping.” — Dr. James J. McKenna, anthropologist and author of Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions. Though as Dr. McKenna says for centuries parents have instinctively observed co-sleeping — the practice of parents and young children sleeping in the same bed — the debate over whether it’s good or bad for children is not over. Not a few latter day parents are confused about the advisability of co-sleeping with parenting counsellors and experts divided on the issue. In Western countries, co-sleeping is not normative and most children sleep in separate rooms from infancy. However in India, it’s socially accepted for children to co-sleep with parents until they are six or seven years old. Moreover with the Indian home averaging only 494 sq. ft, space constraints also force most parents to sleep with their children. Sids risk The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly advises against bed-sharing between parents and infants, until one year of age, as it increases the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). During co-sleeping, it’s possible that a parent could roll over and suffocate the baby or loose blankets and sheets can cause suffocation. However, AAP suggests room-sharing until an infant is at least six months of age (preferably one year) to enable parents to keep a close watch on her. Bengaluru-based pediatrician, Dr. N.V.S. Krishnan, says in India too ‘rooming-in’ of mother and infant is encouraged. “Rooming-in is a practice that is recommended by government, obstetricians and pediatricians. Immediately after delivery, the infant is put in a crib in the same room as the mother. Earlier, the infant would be kept in a nursery in the hospital and brought to the mother for breastfeeding. Rooming-in fosters bonding between mother and child and promotes breastfeeding,” says Dr. Krishnan. According to Krishnan, co-sleeping becomes a necessity in some Indian households because of space constraints. “In many Indian homes, there is a shortage of space, especially in the case of underprivileged families. In the West this is not the case. In my opinion there is no concrete evidence of either benefits or disadvantages of co-sleeping.” Dr. Preethi Anne Ninan, clinical psychologist and consultant at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, believes that “whether parents choose to bed-share, room-share or create a separate bedroom, their first priority should be safety of the child while sleeping”. “Child safety is the most important consideration while deciding where infants should sleep. Parents should always make sure to sleep infants on their back on a firm mattress, free of heavy blankets, pillows or soft toys,” advises Dr. Ninan. Arguments in favour Parents and infants co-sleeping in the same room — not bed — has many advantages. They include: Convenience. Having an infant crib in your bedroom…
Parents are dealing with huge demands on their time and energy. Children may not be attending school or involved in regular activities. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on families, routines have collapsed, patience is wearing thin and self-care is a distant memory. Decades of research have taught us that adversity during childhood has damaging effects on children’s health and development. Many studies have shown that kids who have faced abuse, neglect and family conflict struggle forming friendships, have academic difficulties and face physical and mental health problems in adolescence and adulthood. Fortunately, development scientists have identified ways to help children survive and thrive during times of adversity. The beneficial effects of protective and nurturing experiences are powerful antidotes to stress and adversity and prepare children to cope with hard times for years to come. Families worried about possible long-term effects of pandemic-related disruption can learn from these proven strategies. Here are 10 ways parents can foster children’s resilience during challenging times. Connect with one another Make time to talk, listen and play without distractions. Be sure children know they are loved unconditionally. This can include taking breaks to check in during the day when learning and working at home, having a special bedtime routine that includes talking about the day, taking walks together, or playing favourite games. Making the effort to connect helps children know they’re valued and creates a sense of security. Support children’s friendships Think about ways for children to play together outdoors, talk via technology or play a video game virtually with friends. Some families are creating safe zones or bubbles, where they allow children to pick a close friend or two whose family is practicing recommended Coronavirus precautions that they can interact with more closely. Maintaining friendships gives children opportunities to learn from peers and reduces stress, providing support and acceptance. Find ways children can help others Talk about how others are also struggling. Encourage them to donate toys they’ve outgrown, save money for a special cause or help a neighbour with errands like shopping, bringing in mail, doing yardwork or dog-walking. When you do things for others in the community, include your children and talk about why you do it. This helps children learn about the needs of others and cultivates empathy. Help children stay involved in clubs or groups Some groups that work well during a pandemic include outdoor Scouting, Zoom clubs and other special-interest clubs such as outdoor sports, fishing, hiking or biking. Being part of a group helps children experience a sense of belonging and promotes identity development. It can also help build morals and values and even promote academic success. Stay in touch with important adults Children benefit from relationships with other grown-ups, like grandparents and teachers. They can be another source of support and someone to talk to about problems or successes. They’re particularly important when parents are unavailable due to work or other obligations. Help kids stay connected through Zoom, email, phone calls, FaceTime and special activities…
Urban upper middle-class parents under domestic stress are increasingly flocking to a new genre of advisory professionals: parenting coaches. These new-age gurus with professional qualifications in child and adolescence development, education, psychology and counseling are providing advice to parents to navigate the challenges of raising children in the disruptive pandemic era – Smiti J.N. With schools, colleges, and universities countrywide under comprehensive lockdown for over 82 weeks — the world’s longest education shutdown — for fear of contagion by the novel Coronavirus, aka Covid-19 virus, and children learning best as they can, latter day parents of young and teenage children are obliged to discharge responsibilities that parents of preceding generations never experienced or imagined. In the pre-pandemic era, the responsibility of teaching and nurturing children was substantially discharged by teachers. Suddenly, the entire burden of teaching (or ensuring children learn), feeding, nurturing and counseling children and youth has devolved on parents, themselves obliged to work from home. Confronted with the totally unforeseen and unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a large unquantified number of parents have buckled under the strain. Reports of women and child abuse, forced early marriages, alcoholism and substance abuse are rife. However, it’s safe to assume that these and other criminal acts of commission and omission are spreading in the bottom half of the country’s iniquitous socio-economic pyramid. Urban upper middle-class parents under domestic stress are increasingly flocking to a new genre of advisory professionals: parenting coaches. These new-age gurus with professional qualifications in child and adolescence development, education, psychology and counseling are providing aid and advice to parents to navigate the unique challenges of raising children in the disruptive pandemic era. “Becoming a parent is natural. Parenting is not. It is a highly developed behavioural science. That’s why since ages, young parents have been seeking and getting advice from their own parents, family elders and later on from doctors, pediatricians and psychologists. Now in the 21st century disrupted by the social media and most recently, the unprecedented pandemic, parenting challenges have multiplied. Parents are confused and afraid of damaging their children’s psyche and lives. That’s why they want to go beyond guidebooks and seek meaningful advice from parenting experts and coaches to guide them through new-age parenting challenges,” says Sushant Kalra, parenting coach and founder of the Delhi-based Parwarish Institute of Parenting (estb. 2008). For the past 13 years, Kalra has been coaching parents and teachers to nurture nine capabilities within children — “happiness, self-expression, self-confidence, determination, inquisitiveness, exploration ability, humaneness, self-esteem, self-reliance, and independence”. These qualities in children are imperative for developing “no-limitness adults,” he says. Aarti Shah, a Mumbai-based child and human development specialist who has been coaching parents and teachers for over two decades, believes that latter-day parenting poses unique challenges to parents. She believes that external influences such as the internet, globalisation, rapid urbanisation, and unchecked information explosion have confused and frightened young parents. “With the Covid-19 pandemic mandating isolation and distancing, parents have lost the support of family elders…
BPA chemical exposure impacts fetal brain growth Scientists at the University of Missouri, USA have found that transmission of bisphenol A (BPA) from a pregnant mother to her unborn child through the placenta could negatively impact fetal brain development. BPA is an industrial chemical used in many household items such as plastic water bottles and food containers, and the epoxy coating of metal food cans. Exposure can occur during the simple act of microwaving food inside polycarbonate plastic food containers. “The placenta is only a temporary organ that aids in the exchange of nutrients and waste between mother and child during pregnancy, but how the placenta responds to toxicants like BPA during pregnancy can lead to long-term health consequences,” says Cheryl Rosenfeld, professor of biomedical sciences in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. For the study, the researchers exposed female mice to BPA two weeks prior to conception until day 12.5 of pregnancy. At this point, they collected their fetal placentas and isolated their RNAs for sequencing. Analyses indicated that BPA induces small RNAs in mice placenta and that these may affect fetal brain development through the secretion of MicroRNAs. Infants born to vaccinated mothers have high antibody levels Infants born to mothers vaccinated against Covid-19 during pregnancy have more antibodies than babies born to unvaccinated or Covid-infected mothers, says a recent study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), USA. At two months, 98 percent of infants born to vaccinated mothers had detectable levels of protective Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most common antibody found in blood, and at six months, 57 percent still had detectable IgG. In contrast only 8 percent of infants born to Covid-infected mothers had IgG. “The durability of the antibody response shows vaccination not only provides lasting protection to mothers but also antibodies that persist in a majority of infants to at least six months of age. We hope these findings will provide further incentive for pregnant women to get vaccinated, especially with the emergence of new variants like Omicron,” says Andrea Edlow, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at MGH. School uniforms don’t improve student behaviour School uniforms don’t improve primary school children’s behaviour or attendance, reveals a study published in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly (December 2021). The study conducted by Arya Ansari, assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University, USA (OSU), Michael Shepard, a graduate student in human sciences at OSU, and Michael Gottfried, associate professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed data of 6,300 kindergarten-class V children in 1,000 schools across all 50 states of the US. “A lot of the core arguments about why school uniforms are good for student behaviour don’t hold up in our sample. We didn’t see much difference in children’s behaviour, regardless of whether the schools had a uniform policy or not,” says Ansari. However the study found that class V students who attended schools mandating uniforms reported lower levels of “school belonging” than those in schools without uniforms. “When students can’t show their…
Brilliant advice I love reading the ‘Your counsellor replies’ column by parenting coach Dr. Pallavi Chaturvedi. Her parenting advice is always relevant and applicable. In her January column she gave brilliant advice about how in large families parents can teach children the value of money. Also many thanks for the essay ‘Helping children with homework’. It was timely because with online schooling there’s a lot of pressure on parents to help children complete homework and assignments. Many schools load children with unnecessary homework and parents have no option but to help out. Vinaya Sailen Delhi Also read: Helping children with homework Welcome optimism The New Year began on a grim note, with the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus causing a huge surge in infections across the country forcing government to impose curbs and restrictions. Also, schools closed down once again to check the spread of the new variant. Therefore your January cover story ‘2022: Make a positive start’ was a welcome breath of fresh air and optimism. In the midst of all the pandemic gloom and doom, it’s important to be positive about the New Year. As you suggest, families should start 2022 on a fresh note and set achievable familial and personal goals. Parents should motivate children to make New Year resolutions. I especially liked your health and fitness goals suggestions. Two years of the pandemic have made many parents realise that good health and nutrition is the prerequisite of leading a productive life. Ramyashree Nanda Hyderabad Informative & enlightening The stories in ParentsWorld are informative and interesting. I really enjoyed reading the ‘Fun with Words’ section on zeugma (PW January). It’s something we look forward to in every issue. Also the counselling advice by Dr. Pallavi Chaturvedi and Ask the Doctor by Dr. Rashmi Ravindra were very enlightening. I request you to include a page on the latest Internet resources and mobile apps that are useful to parents and children. There’s a wealth of information online and a reviews page written by experts will help parents choose the best education/entertainment resources for children. Maria D’Souza Mumbai. Quality family time priority Your cover story ‘2022: Make a positive start’ (PW January) was inspiring. Fifteen years ago as a MBA student, I used set myself yearly goals and made sure I achieved at least half of them. But now with two children, work, and a host of things to do, I haven’t made New Year resolutions for a long time. After reading your story, I realised that setting goals and making resolutions enables children and young people to draw up priorities and work towards achieving them. Also the global Covid-19 pandemic has taught all of us the importance of family relationships. In the New Year I have resolved to spend quality time with my two children. Many life skills are learnt by children in informal home-settings and I hope in 2022 I will able to engage them in skills-building family activities. Preethi Varma Mumbai New mom woes Your recovery advice…
At the best of times, parenting is a stressful and demanding obligation. In the era of the pandemic more so. During the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic which shows no signs of going away as new variants sprout continuously, parents have been confronted with new and unprecedented challenges. With schools, colleges and universities in India closed for over 82 weeks — the world’s longest education lockdown — parents have had to take on the additional burden of tutoring and monitoring children’s online learning from home even as they struggle to cope with work from home and household chores, and deal with pandemic-induced financial and health anxieties. Parents are experiencing never-before stress in managing children and adolescents emotionally scarred by prolonged education disruption and forced home confinement. Therefore, it’s not surprising that in these times a rising number of stressed parents are reaching out to parenting coaches to aid and advise them to navigate the unique challenges of raising children in the disruptive pandemic era. These new-age gurus with professional qualifications in child and adolescence development, psychology and counseling, are providing useful advice enabling stressed parents to cope with pandemic disruptions plus challenges such as the impact of the ubiquitous internet, all-pervasive social media and growing digital addiction among children and teens. In our cover story this month, we discuss the rising popularity of parenting coaches who have stepped up to provide personalised professional aid, advice and mentoring to harassed parents. Within India’s post-liberalisation newly affluent nuclear households where only the best is good enough for the children, anxious parents want to equip themselves with knowledge and skills dispensed by qualified parenting experts, counselors and coaches. In this first-of-its-type story, we interview India’s leading parenting coaches who are advising parents anxious to effectively nurture children through infancy, early childhood, middle years, adolescence and even adulthood. There’s much else in this issue of ParentsWorld. Check out our Early Childhood story on the pros and cons of co-sleeping — the practice of parents and infants sharing beds — and Special Essay on 10 parenting strategies to reduce children’s pandemic stress. Also don’t miss our Middle Years story featuring valuable guidelines to improve children’s writing skills. Please send us your feedback on this special cover story and also first-hand reports of your experience of parenting children in the pandemic era.
PW invited parents of Delhi Public School, Kamptee Road, Nagpur to share their views on frequent school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic “Mass closure of schools during the first wave of the pandemic was acceptable since the country was in the grip of an unprecedented crisis, with little knowledge about symptoms and treatment of the deadly virus. With school managements taking great care to design safety protocols for children to follow for in-person classes resumption, we believe there is no safer place for school children — my sons Gurjas (class IX) and Gurman (class I) included — than the school campus. Repeated school closures have only confused them and affected their mental well-being” — Jasmeet Kaur Birgi, businesswoman, Nagpur The Covid-19 pandemic has caused enormous education disruption countrywide. Add to that repeated school closures. Thanks to the DPS Nagpur school management’s timely online learning initiatives and subsequent on-campus vaccination drive, my 17-year-old daughter Bhumika (class XII) is up to date with her studies and has received her first jab. But given a choice, she would attend physical school any day for the socio-emotional support it offers her, among other benefits. I believe schools should remain open for able, willing and ready children and parents.” — Priyanka Kumari, homemaker. “Recently available data on Covid-19 indicates that there is a limited direct danger to children’s health. Children account for only for 8.5 percent of Covid positive cases with very few deaths reported worldwide. Bearing this in mind, local governments should make informed decisions on keeping children in or out of school, and avoid prolonged lockdowns. It’s unfortunate for children like my daughter Amaira (class I) who can only visualise what a real school looks like. Therefore, the need of the hour is for schools to reopen campuses for in-person classes and to ensure children’s social emotional well-being. Closing schools should be the last resort.” — Dr. Megha Jain, dental surgeon and cosmetologist, Nagpur “School closures during the pandemic waves which proved to be testing for teachers and students, were not fully justified. Adding to the enormous learning loss suffered by young children learning from home is the lack of student acceptance and commitment towards online classes. My children —Twinkle (class IX) and Tejas (class V) — who have shown little bonding with their online classmates, are no exception. Clearly, they are missing physical school, their friends and joyful play.” — Dr. Manish Dipani, practising general physician Also read: School reopening happiness
Charactonym is a name that is descriptive of the character who bears it Roopa Banerjee Have you observed that some characters in books, TV shows and films bear names that depict and/or describe their personalities? For instance Ebenezer Scrooge, the mean miser, in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. The name Scrooge gives readers clear indication of him being a miser even before Dickens elaborates on this character trait. This literary device where a character’s name suggests a distinctive personal trait is known as charactonym. One of the most apt examples of this literary device is Mistress Nell Quickly, a fictional character featured in several plays by William Shakespeare. She is an innkeeper, who runs the Boar’s Head Tavern, at which Sir John Falstaff and his layabout accomplices meet. Another interesting charactonym is Sir Toby Belch in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Sir Toby’s surname, Belch, indicates his love of food and drink and hearty living, as also his raucous temperament. The word charactonym is formed by combining character with onym, derived from the Greek onuma, meaning a name or word. Thus, charactonym is the name given to a character. Not just plays, fairy tales also abound in charactonyms. For instance, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. In contemporary literature for children, the best example is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series where there are many charactonyms. The character Draco Malfoy conjures up an image of a dark personality as ‘draco’ suggests dragon and the prefix ‘mal’ — evil or bad. Similarly, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are excellent examples of charactonyms. Sirius is the name of a dog constellation while Remus is one of the twin founders of Rome, said to be raised by a wolf. Lupin is very similar to the word lupine, an adjective which means of or relating to wolf. Also, the Latin name for wolf is canis lupus. Thus, the names of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin actually mean Black Dog and Wolf Wolf. Similarly, Severus Snape — the Latin word severus means strict and Snape evokes mental image of a snake. Richard Sheridan’s famous play The Rivals features a character named Miss Malaprop who uses incorrect words in place of words with similar sound, resulting in nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterances. Another famous character is Alfred Doolittle from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. He never had a job and actually did very little. Classic use of charactonym. A unique feature of charactonyms is that they are very specific to the language in which the story is written. Hence, they pose great challenge to translators. Not just literature, people in the real world also have names that match the work they do. Like Lance Bass who became a bass singer for the American pop band NSYNC and Usain Bolt who is a world-famous sprinter. Their examples would also qualify as atronyms, a literary form which deserves a separate story! Exercise Here are some charactonym origins of famous characters. Identify the books from which these charactonyms have been taken: 1. Xenophilius Lovegood. The…
An isolated kingdom sited in the deep Himalayas which claims to measure progress by a Gross National Happiness Index, gradually westernising Bhutan may well be the world’s last Shangri-la Sandwiched between China (Tibet) in the north and India to the south, east and west, for almost a century, the mountain Kingdom of Bhutan (pop. 784,717) has deliberately shunned modernity by cultivating an isolation policy. Until a few years ago, it was difficult for travelers to visit the country. Even today — perhaps apprehensive of the devastating cultural and environmental impact of mass tourism — it isn’t easy to enter Bhutan. Non-Indian foreign tourists have to pay a sizeable daily fee and Indians get only a seven-day permit, that can be renewed at the border with some difficulty. Yet, tourist footfalls in Bhutan are on steady rise. Tourism is one of the country’s major sources of revenue, the others being export of electricity, timber, handicrafts and agricultural products. In late November last year, after a bumpy three-hour ride in a tightly-packed van along a crater-ridden road, your correspondent arrived in the Indian town of Jaigaon in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Jaigaon is a typical Indian town — chaotic, dirty and noisy. Crossing an ornate gate into Bhutan I entered the radically opposite pleasant town of Phuntsholing. A model of urban planning in comparison, the streets of the town are neatly laid out, well-swept, and tree-lined, with broad pavements for pedestrians. The architecture of almost all buildings is in traditional Bhutanese style, as mandated by law. Hoardings, billboards, advertisements, posters and slogans on the walls are strictly banned and conspicuously absent. Nor does music blare from shops, which are neatly white-washed, with a standard green-colour board indicating its title and address. Garbage heaps, pavement stalls, and the crush of vehicular traffic ubiquitous in Indian towns are virtually unknown in Phuntsholing (pop. 27,658). In the courtyard of a gaily-painted Buddhist temple, elders chatted in the sun while turning their prayer-wheels. The contrast with India, visible from the grills of a wall, couldn’t have been starker. As I was to discover during the next few days, Bhutan is a relatively prosperous country, with a government that does much for its citizens, providing free education, health-care, and generous scholarships to study abroad. After a peaceful night in Phuntsholing, I took a van next morning to Thimphu, the country’s capital and largest town. The six-hour drive on a smooth, Indian-built road (most roads in the country have been built with Indian assistance), passed through stunningly scenic countryside — semi-tropical jungle for the first few hours, and as we climbed higher, pristine alpine forests spread over several Himalayan peaks rising high into clouds. Down below, a river fed by waterfalls spilling from mountain slopes cut a swathe. White prayer flags, mounted on tall wooden poles, fluttered in the wind, the sweeping vista unimpeded by billboards or buildings. We passed a few small settlements as the van sped past quiet Buddhist temples, pyramid-like chortens or stupas, and neat…
My seven-year-old son is tall and skinny. His friends make fun of his skinny frame. So of late, he has stopped going out to play with them. I believe he needs to interact with peers and develop important social skills. Please advise. — Rupali Shukla, Delhi Body shaming and bullying by friends causes stress in children of all age groups. You need to comfort your son that it’s alright to be thin and discuss different body types by illustrating examples of sportspersons/other role models with varying body types. It’s important to use discussions at home to build his self-esteem and confidence. Avoid discussions which glorify physical attributes. Buy him his favourite clothes and shoes to make him feel good. Most important, you need to emphasise that it’s his personality, friendliness, generosity and helpfulness which will define his relationship with friends in the long run and not his physical characteristics. My daughter got her first menstrual period four months ago. Since then she refuses to go out to play or attend badminton coaching during her period days. She also feels awkward talking about it. How do I help her understand that menstruation is perfectly normal? — Neelima Kamath, Bengaluru For a young girl, menstruation and physical changes that accompany it are life-altering. You need to allow her time to let it all sink in. Explain and counsel her about the physical transformation she is undergoing, take her shopping to buy comfortable sanitary pads and leak-protect underwear, and encourage her to wear comfortable clothes during her period days. There are also many informative videos online which explain and inspire young women to perform all normal activities including sports, during menstruation. My 12-year-old daughter is very shy and reticent. She has only two-three friends. When I encourage her to make new friends, she withdraws into a shell. I want her to develop a more outgoing personality. Please help! — Krithika Rao, Hyderabad Nature and nurture define how we function in the real world. Some people are naturally introverted while others are extroverts. It’s unlikely that you will be able to force a 12-year-old to be outgoing if she doesn’t want to be. There are many adults too who are content with three-four close friends. I recommend that you create opportunities that nurture her communication skills. You could enrol her in after-school classes/workshops where she will get the opportunity to participate and interact with peers; explain the importance of communicating her needs and being assertive so she doesn’t miss opportunities and encourage her to participate in a variety of literary and extra-curricular activities and competitions. Avoid constantly prodding and nagging her to be extroverted. Accept and appreciate her for who she is. (Dr. Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi is a parenting coach, founder – Get Set Parent, and vice-president, Early Childhood Association of India) Also read: Understanding teenage Eating Disorders
Children love sweet treats. Instead of packaged foods, try out these simple recipes for homemade sweet treats which are healthy and nutritious Parvathy Menon Cinnamon Cake (4 servings) Ingredients ½ cup softened butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups flour (maida) 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 cup yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 tbsp walnuts For the filling ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon Preparation guide Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture followed by vanilla essence. Pour half into a greased pan. Mix remaining ingredients for the filling and sprinkle half on the mixture in the pan. Add the remaining creamed mixture and filling. Sprinkle chopped walnuts. Preheat the oven to 240C. Bake for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the cake and check if it comes out clean. If not, bake for five minutes more. Health benefits. Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and Omega 3 acids and boost gut health and regulate blood pressure and blood sugar. Eggs are a good source of protein and several important vitamins and minerals such as folate, vitamins D, E and K, selenium and phosphorus. Homemade cakes are nutrient-rich and devoid of artificial flavouring, preservatives and colour. Cocoa Delight Cake (4 servings) Ingredients 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 6 tbsp cocoa 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt ¾ cup oil 2 tbsp vinegar 2 tsp vanilla 2 cups cold water Preparation guide Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased pan. Level off and punch three holes into the mixture. In the first hole, add oil. In the second, add vinegar. In the third, add vanilla. Pour water and mix thoroughly with a fork or blender. Pre-heat the oven to 240C. Bake for 30 minutes. Insert a wooden toothpick in the centre and check if it comes out clean. Otherwise bake for another 5 minutes. Optional: Sprinkle chocolate chips or chopped walnuts on top before baking. Health benefits. Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that lower blood pressure, improves blood flow and regulates sugar levels. Ragi-dry fruit porridge (2 servings) Ingredients 2 tbsp ragi 2 figs 5 almonds ½ cup milk 1½ cups water 1 pinch cardamom powder 2 tsp sugar 1 banana Preparation guide Mix ragi powder with milk, sugar and water. Boil the mixture, stirring all the while, to avoid it from becoming lumpy. Add cardamom powder and stir. Chop figs, almonds and banana into small pieces. Add the figs, almonds and banana chunks to the porridge before serving. Health benefits. Ragi is rich in amino acids that improve hair and skin health, repair muscle tissue, fight anaemia and boost hearth health. It is also rich in protein, magnesium and calcium, which improve bone density. Also read: Strawberries and cream recipe
Monojit Ghosh Pull-up exercises build upper-body and arm strength. They also strengthen back and shoulder muscles. Most people don’t include pull-up exercises in their workout regimens because they believe they are “difficult” and require extraordinary arm strength and gripping power. Though this is true to some extent, my advice is to start small by doing simple exercises on pull-up bars to build forearm grip and strength. Children also benefit from doing pull-ups, as good upper body strength will stand them in good stead in sports and games. Exercise bars installed in public parks are convenient for pull-ups. You can also install pull-up bars at home at minimal cost. Here’s how you can get started. Hanging Dead hang. Hang from a pull-up bar for 20-30 seconds. Stop your body from swinging by squeezing your muscles and making the body tight. Now change your grip, and hang with your palm facing you. Hang for 20-30 seconds. Jump pull-ups If the pull-up bar is high, place a stable stool or chair under it. Hold the bar and jump, holding tight while trying a chin-up position. Come down smoothly without jerks. Be careful not to hit the bar. Repeat continuously ten times. Take a 30 second break and do the next set. Do at least three sets. Hanging with bent arms Hang from the bar and pull yourself or jump up to chin-up position, with your hands bent and hold for 10-15 seconds. Do three sets. Then do the same with reverse grip. Jump pull-ups with slow descent Jump to chin-up position and slowly descend to hanging position. Start with five, and slowly increase to ten. Hanging to leg raise Start with a dead hang, and raise both legs upwards as high as you can and descend slowly. Repeat ten times. Try the following three leg variations. Keep legs straight and toes pointed. Bend both legs and raise, bringing your knees as close to the chest as possible. Open your legs as wide as you can, and raise them in the straddle position. Hanging walk Hang and slowly ‘walk’ sideways with your hands. Try to keep your body tight. If your body is swinging a lot, it will be difficult to balance. Squeeze your muscles tight for better control. Pull-up After you have built upper body and arm strength through these exercises, try conventional pull-ups. Hang from a bar and stop your body from swinging. Grip tightly and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar, and descend slowly. Gradually increase repetitions. Also read: Challenge your child to a workout!
My 11-year daughter attends two-hour football coaching classes five days per week. On days when she has her menstrual periods, she doesn’t want to go for practice. Is it advisable to do strenuous exercise and sports training during menstruation? — Ruchi Saha, Bengaluru She can do any form of exercise during her periods as long as she is comfortable doing it. It’s a myth that a menstruating girl/ woman cannot play sports and/or exercise. Menstruation is not a hindrance to any of these activities. My 12-year-old daughter got her first menstrual period ten months ago. Since then her periods have been irregular. Sometimes, she gets it once in two months, otherwise in 45 days. The first five days she experiences heavy flow with the period lasting for 10- 11 days. Is this normal? — Ragini Kumar, Chennai When a girl child begins menarche, it’s common for the periods to be irregular for about one-two years. But it’s important that the menstruation isn’t heavy and prolonged as it can lead to anemia and related problems. In this particular case, given that she has heavy flow for five days and the periods go on for 10-11 days, it’s possible she is suffering from menorrhagia which requires immediate medical attention and treatment. Please consult a gynaecologist. I have heard about cervical cancer vaccines being administered to teenage girls in the US. My daughter is ten years of age and is yet to begin menstruating. Should I vaccinate her against cervical cancer? — Lidya Preetham, Bengaluru Cervical cancer vaccines have been in the market for the past ten years. In India, they are not a part of the National Immunization Programme but are easily available. Typically, they are given to girl children aged 12-13 years. If the vaccine is taken before 15 years of age, only two doses are administered and if taken after 15, three doses. Catch-up vaccination can be given until the age of 26. Once a woman becomes sexually active, the effectiveness of the vaccine reduces. In this case, your daughter can be vaccinated when she turns 11 or 12 years old. But please consult your paediatrician before vaccinating her. My daughter uses normal sanitary napkins, but gets rashes by the end of her period. We have tried different brands, but it hasn’t helped. Please advise. — Vidarbha Sharma, Mumbai It’s common for girl children to complain of rashes because of sanitary napkins. Most sanitary pads have a plastic net-like weave at the top which irritates external genitalia. Try brands advertising soft, cloth-like weaves to avoid skin rash. Another option is to use cloth pads. Menstrual cups can also be tried if she is comfortable with inserting the cup into her vagina. But it is usually very painful for children who have their hymen intact to use menstrual cups. (Dr. Anu Sridhar is senior consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology, Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru) Also read: Talking menstruation with your daughter
Lakshmi Narayan There was a time, long ago, when my cup of joy spilt over. But there was a nameless hole in my heart the size of a fist, growing bigger, darker and deeper with every passing day. I read the holy books of many faiths. I visited sacred sites and sat at the feet of sanyasis and yogis, shrinks and soothsayers, in an attempt to find a solution to the emptiness gnawing within. But I couldn’t find a satisfactory solution. Soon the hollowness yawned open into a mighty chasm and I could feel myself descending into a bottomless abyss. That’s when I looked into the limpid eyes of my adorable dog and everything fell into place. You see, when I fed him, he gazed at me with rapturous gratitude. When I was ill, he guarded me like a fierce lion. When I petted him, his eyes shone with worshipful adoration. When he was scared or in pain, he sought me out for comfort and reassurance. When I was sad, he snuggled up to me, offering me the company of a true friend. When he was naughty and I scolded him, he wagged his tail, eager to make amends. He didn’t take grudges to bed, for each day was a fresh adventure. Even if I stepped out a dozen times, he never tired of welcoming me back with unbridled joyousness. Thin or fat, old or young, pretty or so-so, it made no difference to him, for he loved me for what I was. Though there was plenty of space to run and play, his favourite place was by my side. Despite belonging to another species, he was the dearest member of the family, who was not ashamed to say, “I love you. You are the centre of my universe,” openly and un-apologetically as often as he could. By now I had twigged that I was unhappy and lost because I had wasted my time seeking positive responses from human beings full of themselves. In the lambent eyes of my pet I saw what I was searching for — unconditional love. The quickest way to understand the mysteries of the universe was to copy the childlike curiosity of my dog. In his simple uncomplicated lifestyle, I saw the vision of the Creator shining through. By accepting the Almighty as my pack leader, I was acquiring a pathfinder. By choosing simplicity, the complex became clearer. By making love my emblem, I could strive to create a heaven here on earth. Most of all, I now learnt to live for others, without expecting anything in return. I must confess it wasn’t easy, and many disappointed me with their greed, self-absorption and deceit. But I emulated my dog, freely distributing my time, care and love. In the end I did find what I was looking for. I set up a shelter for abandoned, sick and injured animals. And the outpouring of love that I got from my furry friends made me feel like a…
Benita Sen A family that exercises together usually brims with energy and enthusiasm. Having fun and remaining healthy happens automatically. Helping your family remain active is one of the greatest gifts you can give. Do it together Turn activity sessions into workout capsules for the family. Encourage children to join you in simple cardio exercises like jumps and arm swings, or take the stairs rather than the lift. Every extra activity burns unwanted calories, keeping children safe from the scourge of childhood obesity that leads to chronic illnesses and disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) says so. Observe! Every child is unique. Does yours have a special liking for a certain type of physical activity? Does she dislike certain exercises? Build on positives. If your child runs well in short bursts, she may be more comfortable with sprints than with long distance running. Some children can skip 100 times without a falter while they find toe-touches boring. So, give your child more of what she enjoys. Set a routine Although you may be tempted to sleep late over weekends, rising early and venturing outdoors for a walk or run makes you feel better and will help you fight Monday morning blues. Is your child too busy during the week to spend half an hour outdoors in the morning? What about an after-school tennis session or an evening swim? Set a routine and stick with it. Travel time fun While planning your vacations, try to find destinations which offer simple adventure sports that all of you can enjoy together. Take sports equipment along, and enjoy the outdoors as much as you can. Choose the right activities However much your child may love sports and exercise, it is necessary to introduce variety. If you are not much of a sportsperson, reach out for advice. Make sure you get pointers from the right person because wrong advice can harm your child. Jogs, swimming, racquet sports like badminton, tennis and table tennis and team games like cricket will keep your child interested in sports. However it is advisable to start with warm-up exercises. Also read: Boost family fitness with traditional rope skipping
Heart to Heart Dear Parent, Even in the midst of these busy and stressful days, it helps to take a fresh look at parenting. As your child throws new challenges your way every day, you need to appreciate that it contributes to your own growth and development. If you can find five ways to manage a last-minute school project without pausing to think, you’ll realise how parenting is improving your productivity. Every day, you are forced to be creative to meet your child’s demands and needs. Similarly, you are enhancing your negotiation and team-building skills if you help your child maintain peace with a sibling or neighbour. Are you aware that managing children develops several skills such as handling clients, effective time management and leadership? Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Intelligent parenting equips you for the boardroom, corporate leadership and just about any other job! If you think about it, you’ll become aware of the wide range of skills you are forced to use every day — from coaxing your child to cooperate, to striking a deal over television viewing rules. Therefore when parenting seems an overwhelming task, just sit back and take a fresh look at it. You might even laugh as you discover that the benefits of parenting outweigh the costs. Idea box- Help your child conquer clutter Annie Besant Jon “Mom, where are my shoes?” Does that sound like one of the demands that are yelled at home every morning before school? If so, here are some suggestions to get your child organised — tips that work! The first initiative to take is to stand in the battlefield (your child’s room!) and do a reconnaisence. Are toys and books fighting for control of the floor? Is a collection of funky caps parked on the desk? Once you give the common clutter-makers a fixed place, most of the mess will disappear. Help your child conquer clutter with these tips: Find a large bag, preferably of earth-friendly cloth, and dump socks, stationery, odds and ends into it. Suspend it from a hook, and decorate it with sequins/beads. Invest in a bin or shoe rack for footwear and tuck it behind the door. Make a home for games and puzzles. Store them in cardboard or plastic boxes or ziploc bags. Colour code the boxes or stick appropriate pictures on them in lieu of labels. Convert a shoe rack into a shelf for books, magazines and other publications. The challenge is to keep placing things in the right receptacles. Develop this habit by awarding stars for days when nothing is left lying around. Give small rewards for every three stars earned. Help your child conquer clutter. Also read: Desktop organiser
Benita Sen If your child discovers the joy of words in her early years, you’ll witness her develop into an effective and powerful communicator. While one can improve vocabulary at any age, child development specialists believe children learn new words at twice the speed of adults. Here are some ideas to make the process of improving their vocabulary simpler. Gift your child word power with these suggestions! Encourage her to be nosey Interest fuels a child’s ability to learn and retain new concepts and words. Find a subject in which your child is interested and discuss it with her, introducing her to new words of the subject. If she is interested in tennis, read up on the sport together. Find biographies of tennis legends and discuss them with her. This may require extra effort, but it will be worthwhile. Try books or sites that label the different parts of things and creatures. If your child loves cars, learn about motor-car accessories, cycles, scooters and even airplanes. The magic of word games Nothing is as enjoyable as play. Once a week, pull out a word game for the family to join in. Scrabble, Boggle, Crosswords or similar games can draw out less commonly used words. Your enthusiasm will be contagious. While games like Scrabble can never go out of fashion, if your child is net-savvy, go online to play new word games. Some of the most popular sites are Ask-Oxford (puzzles and games), GameHouse and BlackDog’s word games. Books or periodicals with crossword puzzles, wordsearch, scrambled words or other word-play games can also be read together for the fun of it. Reading time Entering the wondrous world of books is a fascinating way to improve one’s vocabulary without giving it much thought. Reading aloud is enjoyed by toddlers as well as older children. It’s also a great way to bond with children and slip in new words. Explore different ways to keep replenishing your stock of books. Take advantage of online libraries, second-hand bookstores, swapping with buddies and book fairs. Creative writing Introduce your child to poetry, including limericks, free verse and haiku. It will improve vocabulary. While writing poetry with rhyming words, provide a dictionary, thesaurus and online tools to help. Writing journals, stories and narratives also builds word power, and is an enjoyable creative exercise. Creative talking Over dinner, or on vacation, you could declare a ‘rhyme time’ meal where everyone tries to talk in rhyming sentences. Another time, it could be ‘American English’ or ‘Victorian English’ depending on the books you are reading or the television programmes you watch. Word play in all forms can be enjoyed throughout life. And you’ll be amazed by the skill with words that your child begins to display. Also read: Feather in pun’s cap
Old-style stockbroking firms have morphed into gleaming Wall Street-style powerhouses employing economists, accountants, analysts, and specialists Very few monitors of the Indian economy could have imagined that Indian companies like Infosys Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services and others would emerge from the cloistered corporate world of India to become star scrips on Nasdaq (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations), the technology-heavy US stockmarket index. But these scrips were merely the vanguard of at least two dozen blue-chip Indian companies which are now listed on Nasdaq. India’s two active stock exchanges are now dealing with big numbers and big money with stockbrokers dealing in billions rather than in millions. Their characteristic tiny booth-like offices boasting only a telephone have metamorphosed into gleaming avant-garde Wall Street-style powerhouses employing economists, chartered accountants, financial analysts, researchers, and industry specialists. Quite obviously stockbroking firms and stockbrokers are redefining themselves as the business of advising buyers and sellers of financial paper and of facilitating the transaction (‘broking’) becomes more complex and voluminous. The National Stock Exchange or NSE (inaugurated on July 23, 1994) provides nationwide trading facilities accessible to investors all over the country with the automated, screen-based trading system using state-of-the-art technology making stockmarket operations more transparent. Simultaneously with foreign financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley and Jardine Fleming having entered the Indian stockmarket, stockbroking has become more professional. Today’s progressive stockbrokers have all their operations computerised and employ qualified industry specialists to advise on buying and selling of stocks. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been empowered by an Act of Parliament to protect the rights of investors and ensure the promotion and regulation of the capital markets. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), New Delhi, conducts its chartered accountancy programme for Plus Two level school leavers through a foundation course and directly for graduates (except fine arts graduates). Finance managers may be MBAs with specialisation in finance from reputed institutes of management or from business administration departments of major universities. Some other useful learning programmes for the stockbroking business are: Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi, offers a postgraduate membership course in capital markets and financial services Institute of Capital Market Development, New Delhi, offers a one-year postgraduate programme in fundamentals relating to capital market development All India Centre for Capital Market Studies, Nasik, Maharashtra, offers a one-year postgraduate programme in capital market studies in collaboration with the Bombay Stock Exchange Training Institute, leading to a diploma from the University of Pune Stock Exchange Building, Mumbai, offers certificate courses run throughout the year Institute of Financial and Investment Planning, Mumbai, offers a one-year correspondence-cum-lecture series course leading to a diploma in financial and investment planning Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), Hyderabad, offers a chartered financial analyst equity research programme The Orion Institute of Capital Market, New Delhi, offers a one-year diploma programme in financial systems and investment management With a large number of foreign financial institutions entering the Indian stockmarket, courses in forex…
For parents consciously trying to keep children off digital devices, we recommend four inspiring books for young readers Benita Sen Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters By Barack Obama | Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers | Price: ₹399 Celebrity dad, former US President Barack Obama, wrote a children’s book before he was sworn in as the nation’s first African-American President. Published in November 2010, in this poignant letter to his two daughters Obama pays tribute to 13 American heroes and their ideals which have made the US the most economically and culturally powerful nation of the world. From the artistry of Georgia O’Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, Obama sees traits of these heroes in his own daughters, and in all of America’s children. The picture book also features evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long. See Inside How Things Work By Conrad Mason | Publisher: Usborne | Price: ₹599 Wonder how this, that and the other works? If your child is curious and full of questions, you may find answers in this book. A facts-rich tome, it provides information about scientific inventions, machines, submarines, gadgets and devices. It also provides Internet links for children to access educational activities and games. Designed as an interactive book with flaps and colourful illustrations, See Inside How Things Work introduces youngest children to the joys and wonder of science. Shark vs. Train By Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld | Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers US | Price: ₹399 What happens when a shark competes with a train? One wins and the other loses. Or let’s put it this way, sometimes, one wins and at other times, the other has the advantage. Where? Depends where they are running the race! It could be in a hot air balloon or on a seesaw. While your child learns about the strengths and weaknesses of the two, she will also learn that there is no perfect race in life! The vibrant illustrations and amusing text make this book an enjoyable read, perfect for children below seven years of age. Wangari’s Trees of Peace By Jeanetter Winter | Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books | Price: ₹472 This picture book tells the true story of Wangari Maathai, a young girl growing up in Kenya in a neighbourhood full of beautiful trees. A school topper, she gets a scholarship to study in America. She returns six years later to find that the trees are being cut down. She is shocked by this desecration and more so by public apathy. She decides to do something about it and begins by planting nine trees. Over the next few years, Maathai’s Green Belt Movement planted 30 million trees in Kenya. In 2004 Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her social, environmental and political activism. Informative and inspirational. Also read: 3 collectibles for your childrens bookshelves
