ParentsWorld October 2021

Indian children are hesitant to request mental health support

Indian children are most hesitant about soliciting professional support and counseling for mental stress and disorders. According to a 2021 survey conducted by Unicef and Gallup among 20,000 children and adults in 21 countries, Indian children are hesitant to request mental health support. A mere 41 percent of Indian children and youth between 15-24 […]

Letter from managing editor

In India’s exams centred K-12 education system, life and soft skills education has been continuously neglected. Except for a handful of top-ranked progressive private schools, the great majority of India’s 1.5 million private and government schools have neglected to simultaneously teach children valuable inter-personal communication, team-working, time management, conflict resolution skills and plain old-fashioned good […]

3 Great reference books

Stocking selected reference books at home will encourage children to research, investigate and explore a wide range of subjects from science, geography to flora and fauna. PW recommends three excellent hardback reference books for children and parents – Cynthia John

5000 Awesome Facts (About Everything)

Publisher: National Geographic Kids

Price: Rs.1,199

This tome details 5,000 amazing facts about […]

My teenage daughter is disobedient & rude. Help!

Dr. Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi

My 13-year-old daughter was a well-behaved extroverted child, good in studies and interested in music and art. But since the past five months, her behaviour has changed. She is disobedient, defiant, rude, and talks back to us. I suspect it is the influence of her friends. I’m finding it difficult to correct […]

Bioinformatics: plethora of options

The immense potential of the IT, life sciences and biotech industries in India and the West has encouraged promotion of corporates which are allying with academia to conduct path-breaking research

The 21st century’s most promising industry, bioinformatics — a marriage of IT (information technology) with life sciences — offers a multiplicity of high-potential and rewarding career […]

Go creative with haiku

Annie Besant Jon

Fat and green I am,

Hop and skip on land and water

Have you heard my croak?

Yep, it’s a frog! This simple riddle is in the form of haiku, unique short-form Japanese poetry. Haiku traditionally consists of three short lines that don’t rhyme, with themes centred on nature.

With the monotony of online classes […]

The J.K. Rowling story

Anitha Bennett

“All I ever wanted was for somebody to publish Harry so I could go to bookshops and see it.” — J.K.Rowling

Reportedly richer than the queen of England, J.K. Rowling — author of the best-selling Harry Potter fantasy series which have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide — has a remarkable rags-to-riches personal story […]

Create a glowing deep sea scene

The underwater world is a treasure house of flora and fauna. Hundreds of corals, fish and other creatures of various sizes, shapes and hues inhabit this last unexplored frontier. Here is a way to replicate the wonder of the deep sea by making a glowing underwater night scene.

Things you need

Cardboard box
Scissors/paper cutter
Serial lights
Clay in […]

Island & Resort

Once there was a woman who was really fed up with all folks around her. Her parents, for instance. Every time they came to stay, her mother would whinge about her sisters, her neighbours, her grocer. “My neighbour stole my mangoes,” and “Your sisters think I’m their ayah,” “My grocer cheats me,” and so on.

Her […]

Take your child paintballing

With several paintball sport arenas providing international quality equipment mushrooming in the metros and tier II cities, many families are enthusiastically taking to this recreational sport – K.P. Malini

With state governments easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, many families are cautiously starting to engage in outdoor sports and adventure activities.

One outdoor activity which is fast gaining popularity […]

Joining and joining with polysyndeton

I want to write books and act on stage and sing songs and solve mysteries and learn new things and travel everywhere and live life – Roopa Banerjee

If a friend narrates her life’s ambitions as above, your first reaction is likely to be a sigh and think that that it is a very long sentence! […]

Bridges that make you strong

Bridge exercises are becoming popular in workout routines because they strengthen glute muscles, alleviate back pain and improve body posture and balance – Monojit Ghosh

Bridge exercises are becoming popular in workout routines because of their several benefits. They isolate and strengthen gluteus (butt) muscles — the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus — and hamstrings, alleviate back […]

Dry fruit treats

The festive season is round the corner. Here are some dessert recipes harnessing the nutritional power of milk, nuts and dry fruits – Parvathy Menon

Power of five milkshake (4 servings)

Ingredients

20 almonds
15 cashewnuts
6 dates
20 unsalted pistachios
10 figs
1 tsp rose essence
¼ tsp cardamom seeds, pounded
7 almonds, roasted
4 cups milk

Preparation guide

Soak the almonds in water overnight. Peel the skin […]

School reopening happiness

Thank you for your informative cover story ‘Readying children for on-campus school’ (PW September). I am pleased that schools have finally reopened in Bengaluru.

The past 18 months of lockdown and online schooling have turned my once energetic and sporty teenage son into a couch potato. Pre-pandemic he used to love playing games and actively participated […]

Helping children catch up with the learning backlog

PW invited parents of Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana to share their insights on how they are helping their children cope with learning the backlog in the new academic year

“I must first thank my daughter Aiman’s class XII teachers who have worked very hard continuously innovating new learning methodologies and making students and parents’ lives […]

Paradise regained: Kashmir blooms again

Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving.

Tourism, the mainstay of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (pop. 12.3 million), crippled by long years of militancy and civil unrest, is reviving. An aggressive promotional campaign of the government coupled with […]

My daughter has UTI. Help!

My daughter has been complaining of pain while urinating. I suspect a urinary tract infection (UTI). I don’t know whether I should consult a doctor right away, or wait for her to get better. How will the doctor confirm it’s UTI?
— Anonymous

Urine is sterile when it is formed but can develop bacterial infection […]

Mutating pet for your child

The joy of witnessing a caterpillar fly away as a beautiful butterfly is educative and heart-warming for children. Their love for nature and nurture can be fulfilled by engaging in this pet project, writes Anitha Bennet

Has your child been pestering you for a domestic pet such as a kitten or puppy? If you are unsure […]

Homemade infant foods

It’s best for parents to introduce infants to nutritious home-cooked foods, free from artificial flavours, preservatives and excess sugar and salt that packaged foods usually contain, writes Anitha Bennet

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be introduced to foods other than breast milk when they are six months old. But parents are often confused […]

Reviving children’s life skills in the post-pandemic era

Against the backdrop of children trickling back to campuses and classrooms after prolonged socialisation restrictions and isolation, ParentsWorld interviewed several education experts and counsellors to suggest ways and means for parents and teachers to develop students’ life skills even as they focus on remedial academic education in the post-pandemic era, writes Nikhil Jayadevan, Mini P. […]