ParentsWorld May 2022

Idea Box: The Magic of Science

Fortunately, science is not just about high marks and entrance exams. Though the subject is associated with toppers, medicine and engineering, its breadth is so wide that most children are enthralled by it. If your child gets hooked to the magic of science, she could be studying marine life in the Maldives, conducting research to […]

Heart to Heart

Dear Parent,
What’s your pain point? Latchkey kids? No family dinners? More time at playschool/daycare? Some lament these issues. Others dismiss them as inevitable. Some frown at lifestyle choices of parents. And parents try to ignore critics, or justify their choices.

Like it or not, urban realities are here to stay. Long distance or broken marriages. […]

Movies to enjoy together

Anitha Bennett

Looking for family weekend ideas that you and your children will enjoy? Children may not share your enthusiasm for Scrabble, but they will definitely enjoy a good movie.

Create a ʻmovie timeʼ weekend once a month, distinctly different from watching the telly daily. This can be a starting point for conversations about the issues highlighted […]

Mailbox

Simplify child adoption process

I have been childless for ten years after marriage. It has been a very frustrating and painful experience.

Two years ago we decided to adopt a child and registered with an adoption agency. This also has been a frustrating experience. We are still on the waiting list as the agency says very few […]

Detoxing digitally addicted children

Child psychologists and psychiatrists are warning that with children having switched to learning, playing and socialising online, there’s real danger of digital addiction with serious consequences for their physical and emotional growth. PW suggests three activities — cycling, cooking and gardening — for parents to detox and wean children away from digital devices

Nishiha, Belcia Prakash […]

‘You’re the best!’ Belief in your child’s academic ability can actually improve her grades

We have all met the parent who thinks their kid is the next Picasso or Einstein regardless of the evidence. But it’s hard to ascertain if these beliefs are helpful or harmful.

Overly optimistic parents could reduce their children’s drive to work harder and give them a false idea of the opportunities available to them. Or […]

Baby pram/stroller safety guide

Parents need to carefully examine several factors including portability, storage capabilities and safety before purchasing a baby stroller, writes Mini P

For parents of infants, prams and strollers are a boon, making traveling with young children simple and easy. Whether it’s running errands in town, outdoor walks, park visits or inter-city travel, a pram facilitates painless […]

Skincare for teens

Though acne isn’t a health risk, it dents the self-image and confidence of adolescents for whom looking good is important, writes Nishiha David

The adolescence years are a period of rapid physical and intense emotional change. During this period when children are struggling to cope with bodily and emotional transformation, they are often plagued by a […]

Child dental health woes

My three-year-old son hurt himself while playing and has broken his front tooth. Will this create complications in future? — Tina Shah, Mumbai

Whether he has a broken tooth or suffered trauma, first and foremost, don’t panic! The damage needs to be assessed — the extent to which the tooth has been damaged, and if it […]

Teen brains tune out mom’s voice

Teen brains tune out mom’s voice

At around age 13, teenagers’ brains no longer find their mother’s voices uniquely rewarding, and begin to tune into unfamiliar voices, says a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience (April). Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, California used functional MRI brain scans to understand adolescent children’s neurological activity […]

Delectable prawn recipes

Give your child the benefit of this nutritious shellfish by rustling up these four delectable prawn recipes, writes Belcia Prakash

Prawn Dosa

INGREDIENTS
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cardamoms
• 3 onions
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies
• ½ cup prawns
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 tsp […]

9 ways to fight ‘sitting disease’

A sedentary lifestyle aka sitting disease, causes health problems including obesity, diabetes, shoulder and back pain, and ocular disorders. Here’s a simple guide for your family to mitigate its pains and problems, writes Mini P.

The past two years of the pandemic during which adults and children have been working and learning from home has resulted […]

My daughter has become compulsive about hands-washing. Help!

After the pandemic third wave, my 12-year-old daughter washes her hands every 30 minutes. Is she suffering from an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
— Joby Thomas, Trivandrum

During the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected over 43 million countrywide, there was heightened fear and anxiety about contracting the virus and parents went all out to propagate […]

Badminton: A game for the family

Belcia Prakash

Young woman playing badminton

The emergence of Indian badminton players such as P.V. Sindhu, B. Sai Praneet and Saina Nehwal as global superstars of the international circuit has sparked unprecedented interest in this racquet game. This fast-reflexes sport has become popular with children and adults alike with some sports commentators ranking it the […]

Floral designers in full bloom

Within the booming Indian economy, occasions to celebrate are aplenty. Therefore floral designers are much in demand and tend to be given a carte blanche to exercise creativity and imagination

Within the booming Indian economy, occasions to celebrate are aplenty. Therefore floral designers are much in demand and tend to be given a carte blanche to […]

The moving spirit of zeitgeist

-Roopa Banerjee

Zeitgeist defines the spirit of an age or time period denoted by ideas, beliefs, literature, philosophy, etc of that period. The word coined in the 17th century comes from the German zeit i.e, time and geist which means spirit.

Zeitgeist is a useful literary tool for writers as it conveys popular thinking of a given […]

Making up for Covid era loss

PW invited parents of Indus Altum International School, Belagavi to share insights on how they are helping their children make up for the lost pandemic months

The deadly Covid pandemic has left an indelible impact on our minds and has taught us the important lesson of living life positively. In keeping with this spirit, we first […]

Languid charms of Myanmar

Cut off from the rest of the world by its isolationist military junta for several decades, Myanmar has attracted considerable attention in recent times as an exotic tourism destination whose glittering pagodas have earned it the descriptive of the Golden Land

Although it’s in the news for all the wrong reasons, our neighbour nation Myanmar aka […]