ParentsWorld March 2023

The Hydration Conundrum

With the summer upon us, the weather is getting hotter day by day. General day to day activities also lead to increased sweating in this scorching heat. As we all know that our body is made up of 60% water, and as the temperature increases, we need more water as we lose more. The need […]

Leisure & Travel

India’s pilgrimage tourism magnets

Down the ages, India, the land of sages and seers has been famous for its grand temples, well-designed mosques and faith-inspiring shrines. In a country where domestic tourism is largely faith driven, Religious and Pilgrimage (R&P) tourism is big business. From the snow-swathed Amarnath shrine in Kashmir, the cavernous Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and […]

Tarotscopes: Forecast for July 15-August 15

TAROTSCOPES Forecast for March 15 – April 15

Chandana Chavan is a Bangalore-based tarot card reader with over 15 years of experience and special interest in parenting. Instagram:@mystic.muse.tarot

Forecast for March 15 – April 15

Aries: Queen of Swords
You should discipline your child without instilling fear and dread. Positive discipline and a structured time table will enable her to better organise her exam preparation […]

Tofu power

Tofu aka chaap, is processed soybean curd, and far more nutritious than its look-alike — paneer. For vegetarians, it is a rich source of protein. Try out these simple tofu recipes! writes Ramiya Sakthivel

Health benefits: Tofu is rich in iron, calcium and protein, and low in calories. It prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol levels, improves […]

Beans Goodness

If there is one food that should be part of your family’s daily diet, it’s beans. Rich in nutrients, fibre and protein, beans are flavourful and available year round. The beans family includes kidney, black, cranberry, lima and soy beans, rajma, chickpeas and many more. Each has its unique mix of nutrients. Therefore including a […]

Short story: Darkness Demystified

Lakshmi Narayan

There was once a gori chokri who despised everything dark to such an extent that she refused to step out at night and slept with the lights on. She hated ravens and crows because of their colour and even decided to mehendi her hair a bright orange to hide its rosewood hue.

She wore green […]

“Are my son’s teeth in danger?”

My son is seven. and eats sweets and chocolates almost every day. His grandparents keep buying him soft drinks and confectionery. I have repeatedly explained the dangers of such indulgence but they take my words with a pinch of salt. Should I worry about my son’s teeth? – M.P, Chennai

Definitely. Children can experience tooth decay […]

Is your child’s vision perfect?

Anitha Bennett

Several studies show that during the past 20 years, the number of children wearing spectacles has doubled. A chat with Dr. Isai Mitra, ophthalmologist of the I Center, Chennai, who specialises in child ophthalmology is likley to be an ‘eye-opener’ for parents.

How should parents as certain if their chidren need glasses?
A child will […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent,

All knowledgeable parents try to keep children away from junk food, fizzy drinks and unhealthy lifestyles. But in the busy whirl of daily life, when popping a pack of biscuits into a snack box is much easier than packing chopped fruits, it’s easy to lose sight of these ideals.

The same goes for good intentions […]

Family Fitness

Setting aside time to go to the gym, or signing children up for sports and games training may not fit into your schedule through the year. But a family exercising together could work.

Instead of figuring out when to leave the family and hit the gym, you can have your kids urging you to work out […]

Summer reading & activities

Summer holidays are a great time for exams-weary children to catch up on their reading and engage in enjoyable, meaningful activities. We present three excellent resources to help you chalk out a summer reading and activities plan for children writes Cynthia John

Storyweaver.org.in
This “digital repository of multilingual stories for children” by Pratham Books offers hundreds […]

Enriching summer activities

With the Covid-19 pandemic having ruined two consecutive summer holidays, parents and children are set to celebrate the first post-pandemic summer holiday with vengeance. We present some enjoyable, enriching and immersive summer activity options writes Cynthia John, Mini P. & Catharinal Silvia. M

With the summer holidays approaching, there’s a discernible buzz of excitement in […]

Helping children feel emotionally safe

PW invited parents of ODM Public School, Bhubaneswar to share insights on how they help their children feel emotionally secure

“Unlike parents in olden times confined to their agricultural duties, leaving their children to be raised in the lap of nature, modern parents like us invest time, money and energy to help our children develop […]

Regulating children’s social media usage

PW invited parents of Gurugram’s Blue Bells Model School, Sector 4 and Brahm Dutt Blue Bells Public School, Sector 10 to share insights on how they regulate their children’s social media usage

“We mentor, rather than monitor our children on social media usage. During the pandemic years, social media helped us remain connected. Our daughter […]

My son has dust allergy. help!

My six-year-old son has dust allergy and suffers symptoms such as red eyes, sneezing and runny nose. Please advise.
— Himani Sharma, Mumbai

He may be suffering atopy wherein one displays allergic symptoms pertaining to different body systems. In his case, it could be allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Avoid dust exposure or known allergy triggers. Also […]

For the moon with OPTATIO

Roopa Banerjee

“I wish I had more time to spend with my family.” When we say this, we are expressing a wish to be fulfilled. We know that this wish conveys our sense of longing and regret and hope for a better situation, even if it is unlikely to be realised. But what most of us […]

New horizons for genetics engineer

Intensive research in this new frontier science has created advanced awareness of cures for inherited and durable diseases. Unsurprisingly there’s growing demand for genetics professionals

Almost three decades ago, Dolly, the world’s most famous sheep was cloned successfully — a breakthrough which brought the science of genetics to the forefront of global consciousness. Since then, universities […]

My son’s handwriting is illegible. Help!

My 12-year-old son is unable to complete his notes in school. He is a slow writer and his handwriting is also illegible. How can I improve his handwriting?
— Revathi Krishna, Chennai
There could be several reasons for your son’s illegible handwriting and slow writing speed. They include:
 Some children experience delay in fine […]

“Gentle Birth Method celebrates pregnancy and makes women birth fit”

Aruna Raghuram interviewed Dr Gowri Motha, a London-based obstetrician, well-known childbirth pioneer, and founder of the Gentle Birth Method. Excerpts:

London-based celebrity medical practitioner of Indian origin, Dr. Gowri Motha graduated in medicine from the well-reputed St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, and practised as an obstetrician in Bengaluru and Chennai in the 1970s. However, she recalls […]

Helping children cope with eco-anxiety

A multiplying number of children are experiencing and displaying anxiety about damage to the environment, flora and fauna, and adverse effects of climate change writes Ranjini Rao

When seven-year-old Kyra Kumar exclaimed to her mother, “Mama, I’m a nature-an!” she not only meant she loved nature, but that she also wanted to care for it and […]

Over-parenting dangers

Over-parenting teaches children to be entitled – let them fail and learn to be resilient instead, writes Ana Aznar

During the last couple of decades, new types of parents have emerged. From the anxiously involved helicopter parents to the pushy tiger mums, these differing styles all have one thing in common: they tend to involve over-parenting. […]

News Bytes

Childhood obesity in India to rise by 9.1 percent annually
The risk of India’s male children becoming obese is likely to rise by 12 percent by 2035 and for girl children by 7 percent, according to the World Obesity Atlas 2023 published by the UK-based World Obesity Federation. In 2020, the obesity risk was 2 […]

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Timely & relevant
Congratulations for publishing an excellent parenting magazine. The stories are timely and relevant and address pressing parenting problems.
I specially liked your Ask the Doctor and Ask Your Counsellor columns. The most important concern of parents is children’s physical and mental health and it’s very reassuring to read expert opinion on how […]

Letter from managing editor

Everybody loves the summer holiday. It gives children and parents a break from stressful school routines and valuable time to rest and recharge for the next academic year. As recently as the 1980s, it was normative to pack off children to visit grandparents, cousins and sundry relations during the summer vacation or laze around at […]