ParentsWorld October 2018 Archives

Cover Story

Creeping childhood mental health crisis

Disturbingly, a large and growing number of children and adolescents in India are suffering mental health disorders. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report released last year says that one in four early teens in India suffers depression – Geetha Rao Kavya Rao (14), a class IX student in Mumbai, was a class topper and an excellent vocalist loved by her teachers and peers. But three weeks ago, her parents visited a counselor because she suddenly stopped speaking with friends, became withdrawn and aloof, sluggish, started weeping irrationally and neglected her meals and sleep. Following three sessions with a psychiatrist, Kavya was diagnosed with depression. Manish Mehta (14), also a class IX student in Mumbai, was admitted to hospital with complaints of excessive, super-speed speech, vainglorious boasting, becoming abnormally friendly with strangers, and demanding expensive laptops and cell phones. His parents reported to the psychiatrist that he was “always restless and started numerous activities without completing any of them”. Manish was diagnosed with mania — a bipolar disorder characterised by sustained periods of abnormal mood swings and exaggerated behaviour. Kavya and Manish are typical of a disturbingly large and growing number of adolescents in India suffering mental health disorders. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report released last year says that one in four early teens in India suffers depression. According to WHO’s Mental Health Status of Adolescents in South-East Asia: Evidence for Action (2017), a quarter of adolescents in India in the 13-15 age group suffer from depression. The report reveals that 11 percent of adolescents countrywide are “distracted”; 8 percent are anxious and suffer consequential sleep disorder; 8 percent experience loneliness most of the time; and 10 percent are unable to forge friendships. The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 (NMHS), conducted by the highly reputed National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore under the purview of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, endorses this alarming phenomenon of creeping adolescent depression. NMHS 2015-16 highlights that 9.8 million teenagers in the age group 13-17 years suffer depression and other mental health disorders and are “in need of active intervention”. The study found that prevalence of adolescent depression is highest in metro cities, and comparatively less in small town and rural India. “India is confronted with a childhood-adolescence mental health crisis. With stressful peer pressure, high parental expectations, breakdown of traditional family structures, and incremental technology dependence forcing lifestyle changes, a rising number of children and adolescents are finding it difficult to cope with the burden of the pressure to excel and continuous scrutiny. Moreover with parents mostly ignorant about mental health issues and social stigma surrounding psychological disorders, most adolescents grow up with mental health illnesses and transform into dissatisfied and maladjusted adults,” says Dr. K. John Vijay Sagar, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, NIMHANS. According to Sagar, almost 30-40 percent of adults in the 20-30 age group suffering mental health problems had a history of depression during middle school and adolescent years. “Almost half the adults…

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Academic Advantage

Mind Mapping – basics & benefits

Creating mind maps i.e, diagrams to visually organise information, helps students develop successful self-learning and study skills – Jayalakshmi Vaidyanathan Mind mapping is an innovative learning technique that helps students visualise and externalise concepts by creating mind maps i.e, diagrams to visually organise information. It is commonly used as an effective learning aid, to boost critical thinking and in presentations, brainstorming, decision making and project management. According to the e-learning portal, www.bbcactive.com, “mind mapping helps students to understand and absorb information, and increases critical thinking and memory skills, particularly for students who are visual learners”. It’s also useful for teachers. “The visual nature of these thinking tools allows teachers to monitor and assess their students’ understanding of the topics covered.” Origins The phrase ‘mind mapping’ was coined and popularised by British psychology author/educationist Tony Buzan. But the idea of visually mapping information and graphically representing ideas and concepts dates back to the third century when Greek thinker Porphyry of Tyros used it to explain his philosophy. Buzan is credited with coining the phrase ‘mind mapping’ while hosting a BBC television series in 1974. In a TEDx talk in 2012, Buzan expounded the theory that the human brain works on imaging. For instance, when he mentioned the word ‘mango’ to his audience, all of them said it was the picture (of a mango) that first came to their minds. Buzan’s thesis is that the brain works through radiant associations, colours, and multiple sensory linking. Buzan’s guidelines for creating mind maps: Start at the centre with an image of the subject/idea/concept, using at least three colours. Use images, symbols, and codes throughout your mind map. Select key words and print using upper or lower-case letters. Each word/image is best left alone and sitting on its own line. The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The lines become thinner as they radiate from the centre. Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support. Use multiple colours throughout the mind map, for visual stimulation and also for encoding or grouping. Develop your personal style of mind mapping. Use emphasis and show associations in your mind map. Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy or outlines to embrace your branches. Highly effective Mind mapping requires students to actively learn by connecting prior knowledge to new information. When creating mind maps, students frequently interact with textbooks, notes from class, an instructor, classmate, or study group. When used in classroom instruction, mind mapping techniques have been shown to improve students’ learning outcomes (Horton et al, 1993) and knowledge retention (Nesbit & Adescope, 2006). In another study (Cunningham, 2005), 80 percent of students reported that “mind mapping helped them understand concepts and ideas in science”. Other studies also report positive effects through the use of mind maps. Farrand, Fearzana, and Hennessy (2002) found that mind maps enabled medical students to retain information and encouraged deeper levels of learning, especially when paired with a problems-based learning curriculum. Useful apps Several apps can…

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Leisure & Travel

Singapore – An immersive holiday for children

For adults the island nation of Singapore is one of the busiest global business hubs worldwide. But, for children, it’s a fantasy wonderland with an endless list of enthralling sights and sounds which simultaneously educate and entertain – BHUMIKA K. A giant black slope lights up and bursts into flowers as you slide down a fruit and flower projection slide, birds feed on nectarine from your hands, dolphins wobble and wiggle before you or come kiss you, cable car rides take you across the sea to tempting islands, and you spend a day with dinosaurs and mummies, roller coasters and fairytales…! The stuff that dream holidays are made of. Most parents select and build their annual holiday plans around their children’s interests and activities. So like every summer, this year too we customised our annual holiday to suit our nine-year-old son. But unlike previous years we chose an international destination as a special treat and Singapore was the first choice. For adults the island nation of Singapore (pop. 5.6 million) is a clean, tech-driven shopper’s paradise and one of the busiest global business hubs worldwide. But, for children, it’s a fantasy wonderland with an endless list of enthralling sights and sounds which simultaneously educate and entertain. Here are the must places to visit if you are on a four/five-day family holiday to this beguiling destination. Singapore Zoo Spread over 26 hectares, the 24×7 Singapore Zoo is home for over 2,800 animals, including rare species of wildlife such as polar bears and sea lions. Cages and cramped enclosures are unknown in this habitat with wilder species housed in spacious, natural surroundings behind glass partitions. The feeding sessions when children can feed a rhinoceros or giraffe are a big draw as is walking amidst fruit bats. The zoo also houses the world’s first free-ranging orangutans and families can breakfast with them. The Night Safari, which was introduced in 1994, is also a huge attraction offering opportunity to sight rhinos, leopards, striped hyena and giraffe in near natural environments. Jurong Bird Park Asia’s largest bird park with free-flight aviaries is a treat. You can literally walk amidst the birds, hold a cup of nectarine for lories to feast on, wiggly worms for hornbills to come peck at, and watch amazing bird shows. Teeming with 600 rare, exotic avian species, it’s acknowledged as one of the world’s prime examples of conservation and bird life displays in natural settings. One of the indoor displays titled Magnificent Birds is a brilliant example of how museums can provide interesting visual information about avian life, and their interconnection with humans. You could also don the role of a palaeontologist and dig up and brush out mud to discover dino bones at one more experience in the park. For parents who believe fun and learning can’t possibly go hand in hand on vacation, Singapore is an excellent example of edutainment. Art-Science Museum For science and tech loving children, the ArtScience Museum is the destination to head for the most…

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Letter from the Managing Editor

Letter from Managing Editor

Mental health is a taboo subject in most Indian households, particularly if related with young children and adolescents. The social stigma associated with mental illness diagnosis inhibits most parents from acknowledging, let alone taking children to counseling clinics and psychiatrists. Discomfort and shame of admitting that a child may be suffering a mental disorder prompts most parents to dismiss behaviour problems, anxiety attacks and social phobias of children as bad behaviour and indiscipline, which will get better with time and enforcement of strict rules. Sustained silence around this issue has created a national child mental health crisis. According to a report titled Mental Health Status of Adolescents in South-East Asia: Evidence for Action published by the World Health Organisation last year, 25 percent of adolescents in India in the 13-15 years age group are clinically depressed. An earlier 2015-16 study conducted by the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore highlighted that 9.8 million teenagers in the 13-17 years age group suffer mental disorders and are in “need of active intervention”. In the Google age where the Internet and social media are ubiquitous, children and adolescents are facing unprecedented peer, parental and social pressure to excel in academics, careers and relationships. In our cover story this month, we spotlight the alarming childhood-adolescent mental health crisis confronting the country and the dangers of teens with unaddressed mental disorders transforming into maladjusted adults. With double income nuclear families becoming normative in urban India, all the mental health experts and child psychiatrists interviewed for this feature advise parents to be observant and vigilant about behaviour changes, provide children showing signs of stress their unconditional emotional support and proactively seek professional help. They warn that social, emotional and mental well-being of adolescents is the prerequisite of success in academics, careers and personal relationships. In this issue, we also present selected awardees of the EducationWorld Grand Jury Awards 2018-19 conferred trophies and certificates at the blockbuster EW India School Rankings Awards 2018-19 Nite held in Delhi NCR on September 27-28. EducationWorld (an affiliate of ParentsWorld) celebrated and awarded schools in 11 categories including STEAM education excellence, community outreach, innovative teaching among others selected by an eminent jury of highly respected educationists. To access the complete pictorial essay of the awards nite, visit www.educationworld.in. Moreover, check out the Health & Nutrition essay by Vellore-based pediatrician Dr. Gita Mathai and Academic Advantage feature on how to build mind maps which sharpen memorisation, self-learning and study skills.

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Mailbox

Regulate gaming time

The cover story on gaming addiction in the September issue of ParentsWorld was spot-on. I teach in a secondary school in Chennai and almost every week, I need to summon parents because their teenage children are distracted in class or sleepy-eyed and slip-shod with homework. Most of them admit that their children play computer games for long hours. Dual income parents expressed their inability to impose gaming time limits. When I suggest they should deny their children access to Internet wifi connectivity at home, they are reluctant to do so saying it is up to their adolescent children to understand the dangers of gaming. There is a fundamental flaw in this argument. It is beyond teenagers to understand the adverse impact that excessive gaming can have on their mental and physical well-being. The onus is on parents to stamp out this menace. Arun Robert Chennai Tech addiction not all bad The cover story ‘Saving children from gaming addiction’ (PW September) was interesting. I believe there’s a conditioning gap somewhere and we may learn from children who were exposed to technology early in life and didn’t end up all bad. Ankit Fadia, for one, (who studied at Delhi Public School, RK Puram) was gifted a computer at age 10, and became interested in ethical hacking after a year of playing video games when he read a newspaper article on the subject. He wrote hacking tutorials, started a website hackingtruths.box.sk and turned author at age 14 — the youngest author to be published by Macmillan India — with a book on ethical hacking. There are quite a few others like Ankit that one reads of — Ayan Chawla, the youngest tech company CEO at age 13, the 10-12 years old Kumaran siblings who founded the software firm GoDimensions in Chennai, among others. Their parents perhaps did get something right. Why do children develop gaming disorders? Is it the age at which they were introduced to gizmos? Is it the type of gizmos and games? Or is it just the home environment that nurtures or destroys young lives? Maybe we should look for answers. Papa Rao Bangalore First aid knowledge imperative The essay by Dr. Gita Mathai on coping with health emergencies was very useful (PW, September). Many organisations across the country offer first aid and emergency response workshops. I strongly recommend that parents and teachers enroll in these workshops as knowledge of first aid is imperative to respond effectively to child health emergencies. Citizens, not paramedics, are usually the first to respond during an emergency, so a little knowledge of first aid can go a long way in saving lives. With floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and other dangers causing havoc worldwide, one can never be too prepared. Ramesh Kumar Bangalore Stimulate children’s creativity The Activity zone feature on animation was very interesting (PW September). With animation apps freely available, it can indeed turn into an enjoyable family activity. To wean children off digital gaming addiction, we need to stimulate our…

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News Bytes

Social media distracts teens

A research study released by San Francisco-based non-profit Common Sense Media has found that teenagers are distracted from real-life interactions by social media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat. For the study titled Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal their Experiences, Common Sense Media interviewed more than 1,100 teens aged 13-17 years across the US, most of whom were “fully aware” of the power of social media to distract them from real-life priorities, such as homework, sleep and time with friends and family. More than half (57 percent) interviewed said social media distracts teens from doing homework and 54 percent admitted that they sometimes ignored people they were with, to browse social media apps. “Social media has transformed adolescence and the lives of millions and millions of teens. Teens have told us in this landmark report that they are distracted from their friends, from their homework and from sleep. A lot of teens feel addicted to social media,” says Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. On the other side of the coin, a sizeable number of respondents talked about the positive effects of social media. Twenty-five percent of the teenagers interviewed said social media made them feel less lonely. Pressurising picky eaters is futile Pressuring children who are picky eaters will not solve the problem nor will it help them gain weight, says a recent study conducted by the University of Michigan and published in Appetite (July). Instead it will cause meal-time tension and hinder parent-child relationships. “Parental pressure is having no effect, good or bad, on picky eating or weight in this population,” says study author Dr. Julie Lumeng, a pediatrician and research professor at the University of Michigan’s Center for Human Growth and Development. Lumeng followed a group of 244 ethnically diverse two and three-year-olds over a year, comparing parental pressure tactics to children’s healthy growth and reduction of picky eating behaviour. According to Lumeng given that “over a year of life in toddlerhood, weight remained stable on the growth chart whether they were picky eaters or not,” picky eating is not a “serious behaviour flaw that parents should expend lots of energy to eliminate.” Spiritual children will be happier adults Participating in spiritual practices during childhood and adolescence may act as a protective factor for a range of well-being outcomes in early adulthood, says a new study conducted by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. According to the study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (September), children and adolescents who attended religious services at least weekly were nearly 20 percent more likely to report higher happiness as young adults (ages 23-30) and were less likely to have depressive symptoms, smoke, use illicit drugs, or have a sexually transmitted infection, than those who never attended religious services. The research team assessed more than 5,000 children who were followed between 8-14 years of age. “These findings are important for our understanding of health and our understanding of parenting practices. Many children are raised…

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Ask the Doctor

Is drinking milk bad for health?

I grew up believing that drinking milk twice or three times per day is crucial for healthy growth and development. But now, some people say it could be bad for children. Please advise.— Usha Madhavan, Chennai Drinking milk is commonly regarded as a healthy food habit. Milk is a good source of nutrition and calcium and protects against some lifestyle diseases. However, according to the WHO-recommended ‘food pyramid’ and ‘food plate’, milk and milk products should be restricted to two-three servings per day. Infants below three years fed excess milk are at risk of developing iron deficiency anaemia. If children don’t like milk, don’t force-feed them — try yogurt or paneer. Moreover some recent studies have linked excessive milk/diary products consumption to cholesterol, acne and weight gain. I usually prefer natural methods of disease prevention and treatment instead of allopathy. Is there a natural option to deworm my eight and nine-year-old children? How frequently should we deworm them?— Annie Kurien, Kochi It is a common myth that you need to deworm children once in 6-12 months. Some early studies suggested that in large communities with variable levels of hygiene regulation, children were prone to worm infestations and consequential anaemia, weight loss and poor scholastic performance. Consequently they needed to be dewormed regularly. Thus, it may be beneficial to regularly deworm children living in hostels or large communities. For children living in nuclear as well as joint families, it may be better to focus on encouraging good hygiene practices such as washing one’s hands before meals and after playing in the sand or with pets, and trimming nails regularly. If there is a specific suspicion of worm infestation, it can be treated. Allopathic medicine has highly evolved drugs to treat worm infestation. I recommend you use them, if required. My 14-year-old teenage daughter has facial hair on her upper lip. She wants to bleach (Fem cream) her face but I believe she is too young for it. Is it advisable to allow her to use bleach creams? — Aishwarya Sudish, Mumbai It is common and normal for adolescents to be hyper-conscious about their physical appeal and want to look attractive. As parents we need to underplay their physical flaws and accept them by appreciating and building on their strengths, confidence, and skills. On the other hand, we also need to help them deal with acne, facial hair, etc. Bleaching, although practised commonly, has potential hazards. I suggest you explore homemade bleach products. Recent studies suggest that laser hair removal is the safest procedure. Depending on the density of facial hair, a dermatologist will be able to advise you on the best course of action. My son, a class XII student, has lost weight — from 98 to70 kg — over the past three months through a combination of exercising and dieting. However of late, I’ve noticed that his hand trembles slightly. Can drastic weight loss be the reason behind this? — Kiran Vashisht, Chandigarh It’s very commendable that your son has…

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Ask your Counselor

Helping children cope with parents’ job transfers

My husband has a transferable job and we keep moving cities every two-three years. It is difficult for my 12-year old son to adjust in school as he takes time to make friends. I feel his life is becoming unstable because of these frequent transfers. How can I help him adjust and make friends faster in a new city? — Rizwana Hussain, Pune Several families understand that children suffer great stress with frequent transfers and choose the option of children living in one city with one parent while the other chooses work promotions and transfers. Living in the same city allows children to benefit from better social interaction, peer relationships and academic growth. If there is an opportunity to live in one city until he crosses adolescence at least, it will benefit him immensely in the long term. Adolescence is the period when children form and develop personal identities from cliques and it’s best to allow such peer relationships to flower. If such a decision is not possible for your family, the best course is to have a discussion with your son on the nature of the stress he experiences in school. Without belittling or lecturing him, respect his challenges and guide him towards finding solutions and coping strategies. If required, you could also take the help of a therapist or school counsellor. My daughter is afraid of thunderstorms. She will turn 13 next year and may need to travel on school trips, etc. I want her to overcome this fear. Please advise. — Vinodini Kumari, Chennai Fear of thunderstorms is one of the most common phobias of children. If it’s severe, professional help may be needed to gradually and scientifically facilitate age appropriate desensitisation techniques to overcome this fear. However, the following steps may prove helpful. Together explore and understand through videos different weather phenomena starting with whatever is least likely to remind her of thunderstorms and slowly move forward from rain to hailstorms, hurricanes and thunderstorms. Ensure the videos are presented as scientific facts and watch the thunderstorms video in daylight before clubbing it with the night sky. Don’t lecture or advise. Her fear is real and she must have the opportunity to speak about it and find ways to deal with it. You can also help reduce the sensory components of a thunderstorm by using headphones and music during the storm and heavy curtains to block out lightning. Also read: Precocious puberty fears I had to leave my two-year-old daughter under the care of my mother in my hometown, Kurnool, while pursuing my postgrad medical studies in Bangalore. I used to talk with her regularly on the phone and meet once or twice a month. Now I am done with my studies and want her to live with me, but she prefers to stay with my mother. She is four years old. Should I leave her for some more time with my mother or is it better to get her used to living with me right away? —…

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Careers Watch

Rising demand for physiotherapists

The general perception is that physiotherapists are concerned only with massage and exercise. But that’s not all there is to this profession Did you always want to be a doctor but haven’t been able to clear the medical college entrance examination? Don’t despair, you can become a doctor of physiotherapy which is increasingly becoming an attractive option. There is a great — and rising — demand for physiotherapists with all kinds of patients, including those recovering from surgery and accidents and some suffering chronic diseases like arthritis, needing their services. Even sports icons, pop stars, fashion models, and sedentary executives are taking to physiotherapy to keep fit and knock themselves into shape. The general perception is that physiotherapists focus only on massage and exercise. But that’s not all there is to this profession. Contemporary physiotherapists manage the not inconsiderable task of restoring, maintaining, and promoting the overall health and fitness of multiplying segments of the population. Conditions ranging from back pain to heart disease, arthritis to paraplegia (paralysis of legs), fractures and amputations, cervical spondylosis to frozen shoulder, head injury, and strokes are increasingly being treated by physiotherapists. A physician perhaps restores a patient’s health but it’s the physiotherapist who improves the quality of her life. STUDY PROGRAMMES. Bachelor and diploma courses in physiotherapy are offered by 18 colleges recognised by the All India Physiotherapists Association. The four-year graduate degree programme is followed by a six-month internship. Eligibility is Plus Two or equivalent with a 50 percent average in physics, chemistry, and biology, and a pass in English. A typical physiotherapy study programme includes familiarisation with physiology, anatomy, physics, and theory and practice of body movement, electrotherapy, and manipulative procedures. The syllabus also includes a study of medical and surgical conditions for which physiotherapy may be used. The Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi, conducts a joint entrance examination for admission into the first year of the professional programme in physiotherapy and occupational therapy available at the following institutes: National Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped, Kolkata, and National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack. The joint entrance examination is usually advertised in February and the examination is held in May/June. Other medical colleges and institutes which offer similar courses are: • University of Madras, Chennai • School of Physiotherapy, Parel, Mumbai • L.T. Medical College, Sion • Nair Hospital College, Mumbai • Christian Medical College, Vellore • Government Medical College, Chennai • Apollo College of Physiotherapy, Hyderabad • Kasturba Medical College, Manipal A physiotherapist uses natural physical exercises and movements (sometimes in water), weights, electrotherapy, short wave diathermy, ultraviolet light and massage to treat the sick, partially paralysed, and convalescent. Sometimes physios treat patients under the direction of doctors or they may evolve their own treatment therapies. There are only 5,000 qualified physiotherapists in India whereas according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there should be one for every 10,000 citizens. Consequently, according to WHO norms there is a shortage of 95,000 physiotherapists in India! Considering this, employment and…

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School Profile

The Knowledge Bus Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi

Sited in the national capital’s bustling Punjabi Bagh suburb, The Knowledge Bus Global Preschool (TKBG, estb. 2017) is the latest venture of the TKBG chain of schools promoted by well-known educationist Dr. A. Sukhija, and comprising the TKB Global Preschool, Ashok Vihar (2015) — ranked among the Top 10 preschools in Delhi in the EducationWorld India Preschool Rankings 2017-18 — and K-12 TKB Global School, Mohali (2016). Spread over an area of 7,500 sq. ft, the newly promoted TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh has quickly earned a reputation for offering professionally administered early childhood education to 180 children in the 1.5-3.5 years age group. The distinguishing feature of TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh is that it offers the internationally benchmarked and intensively researched early childhood education curriculum of the Busy Bees Singapore Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Busy Bees, UK (estb. 1983), which owns over 400 highly-respected pre-primaries in the UK and South-east Asia. Uniquely, the curriculum integrates the student-centric Reggio Emilia, Multiple Intelligences Theory and Lilian Katz pedagogies to enable holistic development of youngest children. Additionally, TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh offers the Letterland English phonics programme which promotes interactive learning. TKBG leader Dr. A. Sukhija Founder-director An alumna of the Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa (Haryana) and MBA from Newport University, California, USA with over 25 years of teaching and administrative experience, Dr. A. Sukhija is the visionary founder-director of The Knowledge Bus Global chain of schools. Prior to promoting TKBG, Dr. Sukhija served in top-ranked international schools such as VS International School in Delhi NCR and KG School, Lucknow and trained faculty of K-12 schools in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai and Lucknow. Recently, Sukhija completed a certificate course in international education for preschool professionals from the Asian International College, Singapore and an international certified career coach program of Mindler Education Pvt. Ltd (India) and Career Development Alliance LLC (USA). The objective of the TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh is to “enable the cognitive, linguistic, physical, social and emotional development of its pupils by offering a rich blend of extracurricular activities to make learning joyous”. Campus Infrastructure Spread over 7,500 sq. ft, TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh provides its students child-friendly facilities including 12 spacious, well-ventilated classrooms equipped with multimedia computers and audio visual aids, a library hosting over 500 children’s story and picture books, a pretend play zone, a large multipurpose hall and a mother-child engagement area. Co-curricular and Sports Education Committed to providing holistic education, TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh offers excellent co-curricular and play facilities. The campus hosts a physical development room, music and dance rooms, art and craft corners, splash pool and soft gym. Young learners are taught yoga and taekwondo by certified instructors. Admission & fees TKB Global Preschool, Punjabi Bagh is a pre-primary with day-boarding facilities for children aged 1.5-3.5 years. The school admits students throughout the year. Fees (per year): Rs.146,000 (Tuition fee: Rs.9,000 per month & initial fee: Rs.38,000) For further information contact 9871503001/ 9870156262/ 9870166262 Also read: EducationWorld India…

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Health & Nutrition

Fighting bad breath

Though halitosis is not a fatal ailment, the instant recoil of friends, classmates, co-workers and even strangers can erode the confidence of people suffering bad breath and negatively impact their personal relationships and career advancement – Dr. Gita Mathai Halitosis or bad breath is a common problem affecting individuals of all ages and both sexes. Yet the oddity about bad breath is that 10-15 percent of the people who suffer from it tend to be blissfully unaware of their affliction. Usually, spouses, family members and friends feel shy and delicate about informing them of their condition. Though halitosis is not a fatal ailment, the instant recoil of friends, classmates, co-workers and even strangers can erode the confidence of people suffering bad breath and negatively impact their personal relationships and career advancement. Everyone’s breath smells bad in the morning, but halitosis all day is abnormal. To check if you have bad breath, cup your palms, hold it over your mouth and nose, breathe out and then smell your breath. You can also breathe directly on to your wrist. An even easier way is to ask a child. You are likely to receive an unflattering but truthful reply. Bad breath in infants and toddlers It’s not uncommon for infants to develop bad breath, even before teething sets in. This is usually because they are put to sleep with a milk bottle in the mouth, allowing bacteria to flourish. It results in “bottle mouth” with caries in milk teeth, a coated tongue and foul breath. Toddlers also develop bad breath because their parents neglect to brush their teeth twice a day. Moreover young children tend to place objects such as erasers, twigs, crayons, or erasers in their noses. This is likely to result in bad breath. An ENT surgeon can safely remove such objects. Dental problems In adults, foul breath is usually the result of untreated dental cavities. Bacteria feast on food stuck between the teeth forming plaque between the gums and teeth. This provides a crevice for bacteria to grow and causes foul-smelling gum infections. In some cases the tongue may have fissures and cracks which harbour bacteria that produce malodorous gases. Food-related odours Our intestines teem with good and bad bacteria digesting food which produce gases with a characteristic odour. Some food additives and condiments contain sulphides which are absorbed into the bloodstream and then released through breath. For instance, onions and garlic cause halitosis for some time even after the mouth is rinsed and teeth are brushed. Moreover gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) can cause foul-smelling breath and belching. Sign of other diseases Some diseases produce breath with a characteristic odour. Diabetic ketoacidosis produces a fruity odour. Kidney and liver malfunction can cause an ammonia-like smell. Intestinal obstruction causes the breath to smell bad. Some cancers also release characteristic odours. Respiratory tract problems often cause halitosis. For example, inflamed sinusitis results in a multiplication of anaerobic bacteria which cause putrid breath. Allergies can also produce post nasal drip or a blocked…

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Health & Nutrition

Indian desserts with a health twist

The festive season is round the corner and many dread the after-effects of indulging in rich, ghee and sugar-laden Indian desserts. To help your family enjoy a guilt-free and healthy festive season, we present Indian dessert recipes with a healthy, nutritious twist, writes K.P. Malini Palada Pradhaman Kheer is a speciality of the southern state of Kerala. This recipe of pradhaman or payasam is made using flakes of cooked rice known as ada and milk. Rice flakes are a probiotic food and promote abdominal health. Ingredients 200 gm sweetened condensed milk ½ cup ada 3 cups (450 ml) milk 2 tbsp ghee 3 tbsp raisins 3 tbsp chopped cashew nuts Preparation guide Boil 2-3 cups of water and mix in the ada. Switch off the flame and keep it covered for 15 minutes. Drain water completely. Heat ghee in a thick bottom deep pan. Fry the ada in it till it turns light pink in colour. Set aside. Combine milk and water in the pan and bring to boil. Add the cooked ada to it and reduce heat to low while stirring gently. Cook for about 15 minutes. Add the condensed milk and stir well. Cook for another five minutes. Remove from flame, garnish with raisins and cashew nuts and serve. Sandesh This delightful dessert from West Bengal is known as the ‘queen of Bengali sweets’. Paneer i.e cottage cheese is your source of nutrition in this recipe. Cottage cheese contains high amounts of protein and fibre, which helps digestion. Ingredients 1 heaped tbsp maida 2 tbsp powdered sugar 500 gm paneer 2 heaped tbsp dairy whitener 400 gm sweetened condensed milk Preparation guide Blend all ingredients in a mixer to get a smooth paste. Ensure there are no lumps. Heat a thick-bottomed pan and pour the blended mixture and stir. Reduce the flame and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring continuously till it becomes dry. Grease a plate with little ghee. Pour the cooked sandesh and level it. Cool it and cut into desired shapes. Dharwad Peda Dharwad peda is a gluten-free delicacy of Karnataka. It’s a unique rich brown grainy and crumbly peda. Despite bad press, ghee or clarified butter (homemade) is rich in conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, a fatty acid known to protect the body against carcinogens, artery plaque and diabetes. Ingredients 2 litres milk + ¼ cup milk 2 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup sugar 2 tbsp castor sugar 2 tbsp ghee Preparation guide Boil 2 litres of milk into a thick bottom pan. Add the lemon juice and stir continually. Turn off heat. The milk will curdle and whey will separate from it. Take a muslin or cheesecloth and place it on a colander. Pour the curdled milk into it and gently squeeze the whey. This is the chena. Cook the chena in a frying pan on low-medium flame until moisture evaporates. Pour the ghee and sugar and mix well. Stir continuously till the mixture becomes brown. Make sure it does…

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Activity Zone

Science at home: Lemon volcano

Introducing children to the logic and magic of science through hands-on experiments is an effective way of helping them understand scientific concepts. Here’s a simple experiment/activity you can do at home to help children understand the chemistry behind reactions to different types of acids. Lemon suds eruption Materials Two small containers (for eruptions) Food colours (to make eruptions look interesting) Large plastic tub (to place the erupting containers) 2 tbsp baking soda 2 tbsp citric acid (lemon juice can be added instead but eruptions won’t be very dramatic) ¼ cup clear liquid hand soap ¾ cup warm waterProcedure Place the containers in the tub, away from each other. Pour in clear liquid hand soap till quarter of each container is filled. Fill the containers with warm water and mix with a teaspoon. You will get a sudsy liquid. If you want the eruptions to look interesting, add a few drops of food colour and mix well. Add baking soda into each container and mix well. Next, scoop in citric acid and mix. The mix will immediately create light and fluffy colourful sudsy eruptions. These eruptions will last for a long time. Try mixing several food colours and watch the results. If you leave out the food colours, then you will get a homemade cleaning agent. If you add lemon juice instead of citric acid, then it will become a ‘natural’ homemade cleaning acid! This experiment teaches children about acid-base reaction. Baking soda is a base which, when mixed with citric acid or acidic lemon, releases carbon dioxide. When this bubbly gas mixes with hand soap, you get foam eruptions. The foam produced is cold. Therefore the acid-base reaction is an endothermic reaction wherein heat is absorbed and cold released. Carbon dioxide is produced, causing the bubbly reaction, just as it does when a bottle of soda is shaken and opened. K.P. Malini

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Fun with Words

It sounds like music in your ears…

The study of phonoaesthetics helps understand what makes ‘brillig’ grate the nerves, ‘lump’ appear thick, and ‘glowing’ feel light Roopa Banerjee When we hear the phrase ‘teeny-weeny,’ the smallness of the sound reflects its meaning. Words starting with ‘sl’ mostly feel unpleasant: slug, slush and slime. These are not coincidences and yet they haven’t been coined just for effect. The study of the aesthetic properties of sound is phonoaesthetics. This branch of phonetics studies possible connections between sounds and meanings of words. The word phonoaesthetics originates from the Greek words phone (voice or sound) and aisthetike (aesthetics). To understand phonoaesthetics, we need to appreciate that sound has many qualitative aspects, of which euphony and cacophony are the most important for language experts. Euphony and cacophony use sound patterns to achieve contrasting effects. While euphony is pleasing and harmonious, cacophony is generally harsh and jarring to the ears. Euphony is used for pleasant after-effects and is most noticed in songs or poetry such as ‘Some Sweet Day’. ‘Ode to Autumn’ by John Keats has these pleasant-sounding lines: “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun…” On the other hand, cacophonous sounds are harsh. They are unpleasantly rough and grating to the senses. “The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!” from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky is one of the most famous examples of cacophony with harsh and loud sounds in invented words such as ‘brillig,’ ‘gimble,’ ‘borogoves,’ and ‘Jugjub’! Interestingly, the Upanishads mention sound symbolism: “The mute consonants represent the earth, sibilants the sky, the vowels heaven. The mute consonants represent fire, sibilants air, vowels the sun… The mute consonants represent the eye, sibilants the ear, vowels the mind.” Phonoaesthetics have prompted some famous stage and screen actors to change their names. Male actors try to avoid gentle continuant sounds, such as m and l, when choosing new names, and select hard-sounding consonants, such as k and g. Thus, Maurice Micklewhite became Michael Caine, Marion Michael Morrison became John Wayne and Alexander Archibald Leach became Cary Grant. Women actors went the other way by removing hard sound consonants. Thus Dorothy Kaumeyer became Dorothy Lamour and Norma Jean Baker became Marilyn Monroe. Similarly, nicknames sound more pleasant because most of them end with ‘y’ or ‘i’ like Nicky, Billy, Jenny or Peggy. These are softer sounds and for generations, people have felt that nicknames are kinder in sound without knowing the connection with phonoaesthetics. Combinations of letters tend to exhibit a semantic similarity. For example, the combination ‘gl’ at the beginning of words generally denotes something to do with light, whether dazzling or pale: glow, glare, gleam, glimmer, glitter, glisten, glint, gloss, gloom. The combination ‘ump’ at the end of words denotes something rounded or thick: lump, bump, clump, stump, hump, plump, and rump. These individual sound groups of letter combinations are called phonoaesthemes. Here’s a lovely poem by American poet Alma Denny (1906-2003) which describes the connection between sound and effect of words most beautifully: Caprice in consonants…

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Parents Corner

Career guidance & counseling insights

PW invited parents of Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur to share best ways to educate children about 21st century careers “Our 17-year old daughter Eesha (class XII) is academically brilliant and routinely tops her class. We have observed her strengths and weaknesses over the years and are of the opinion that her aptitude lies in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects. We have communicated the importance of making the right career choice to live happily. When it started becoming apparent that Eesha was aiming to study abroad, we made it a point to visit the US-based Harvard, MIT, Princeton universities and the UK-based Cambridge University during our family vacations.” — Nidhi G. Agarwal, advisor and region head (Rajasthan), KPMG “My ten-year-old daughter Anvi (class V) is too young for serious discussions on careers or higher education programmes. However we both believe that effective communication, analytical and creative thinking skills, which can be nurtured from early years, are essential skill-sets for any future work environment. Therefore, we have enrolled Anvi for piano, taekwondo, art & craft and kathak classes, and routinely engage her in roles and responsibilities at home. We also try our best to talk respectfully of all professions. We are confident these activities will help Anvi develop holistically and make an informed career choice.” — Kriti Agarwal, homemaker “We always encourage our sons Kush (17) and Arjun (15) to think about their role models to decide future goals and ambitions. Kush and Arjun are fitness freaks and regularly play soccer which we encourage, as we believe all-round development will help them in the 21st century jobs market. Reading is another childhood habit we have helped inculcate by buying them a library of books. As parents, we prefer to give our children the freedom to choose careers of their choice with our unconditional support.” — Sanjeev Pandey, self-employed. “Today children are spoilt for choice. I believe our job as parents is to not pressure them to select a career of our choice but offer them guidance on how to acquire knowledge and skill-sets in areas of their interest. With this objective in mind, we encourage our children Krish (class IX) and Kavin (class VI) to speak their minds about occupations that interest them, their dreams and goals in life. For instance, when Krish was 13 years old, he started playing cricket with the same passion and enthusiasm that he invested in academics. We advised him that if he is able to balance his time between sports and academics, he will achieve his dreams.” — Deepika Sharma, entrepreneur

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