July-August 2016
Vol 6 - Issue 1 - `100
What is Your
Parenting Style? Pg 8
Good Eating Habits Pg 44 Is Your Child Hooked to
screens? Pg 24 ANXIETY IN CHILDREN
IN CHILDRENPg 48
Know Your Daily Bread! Pg 38 Blended Families Pg 18 Boarding Schools Abroad Pg 34 Classic Family Movies to Watch Pg 53
Cover Story
What is Your
Parenting Style? 08
July - August 2016
Cover Story
lectful g e N
Au
?
rian a t i r Why can't you o h t get it into your head
that you should not run on the road? Stop. That's an order!
missive Per You are a free spirit, sweetie pie, run all you want.
With increasing demands on the time of both parents and children, and with the world around us changing so quickly, parenting, in today’s fast-paced urban India, is akin to an emotional roller coaster ride. It can be exciting and exhilarating one moment, but nerve wracking and even scary at other times.With rising disposable incomes, global exposure and increasing access to technology, the world in which Indian children are growing up today is so different from the one their parents grew up in. Parents are often confused – should we be strict with the child or lenient? How does one strike a balance?
horitative Aut
Hey, remember we've discussed that running on the road is not safe? Do stop.
July - August 2016
09
Family Matters
BLENDED Families
If one single parent family were to make a change and join forces with a second lone-parent family, a blended family is formed. There are thus children from two different families, and as time goes, children from the new marriage are added in to. With divorce rates going up in our country, blended families are becoming more and more common. The challenges that they face are quite unique, and we have an expert author addressing these.
George Mathew Vadayattu is Director of Life Counselling & Care, Thiruvalla. He is also part of All India Institute of Professional Marriage and Family Therapists (AIPMFT). 18
July - August 2016
Everyday Parenting
IS YOUR CHILD HOOKED TO
Screens?
Sanjay Balasundaram is Founder and Chief Story Teller at www. keenowl.com. Award-winning KeenOwl Books have helped parents and caregivers teach life skills, share family values and traditions, and build character in young children through personalised life-lesson stories. Their books were awarded the prestigious USA-based ‘Parenting Choice’ Award.
Aparna Samuel Balasundaram is a psychotherapist, and Parent and Child Expert with 10 years of experience in the USA. She is the Founder of www.LifeSkillsExperts.com and www. AFlourishing.Me. They help you raise happy and confident kids, offer parent coaching, and life skills and teacher training workshops for schools.
24
July - August 2016
Could you have done something different? Frankly,yes. Is it too late? No. Are you alone in this? Definitely not. Countless parents have spoken to us about their frustrations and their sense of helplessness in dealing with their child’s constant need for screens.
If you are reading this article, chances are that a child you love has an unhealthy affinity to screens –where a andpotentially harmful mixture of TV, Tablet, Computer, Phones and a Video Game Device - takes up a major part of his attention, energy and time. And taking away those screens, or severely limiting the time spent on them, only leads to outbursts and frayed emotions on all sides. And in the aftermath, as you stew in your frustration, the severity of the problem slowly dawns on you. How could this happen? Do you experience a gnawing sense of guilt, perhaps? Or do you look for someone to blame? Your spouse? In-laws?
The goal of this article is to put you on a path to more peace in your home with a practical plan to manage the use (or should we say, abuse!) of screens and inculcate a higher level of responsibility in your child regarding screen time. It’s a straightforward and proven plan, but it will require patience, understanding and consistency in order to see meaningful results. A quick disclaimer: As people who use technology frequently, we are not saying that all screens are necessarily bad for our children, rather, we believe there needs to be a clear limit on the type of ageappropriate content consumed, how much time is given and its balance with other activities.
Nutrition
i l y a B D r r u e o
ad
Y
Meera Srinivasan is a food technologist and nutritionist with over 18 years of experience in the food industry. She is a core team member of Thinking Forks, a consulting firm, which works with the food industry to bring food and nutrition ideas to life.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW IT? 38
July - August 2016
Young Parents Corner
Meena Sivaraman is an early childhood development specialist. She runs Bright Vistas, a chain of corporate day care centres. With rich experience in the holistic enrichment of children’s intellect during their formative years, Meena is a firm believer in involved, hands-on parenting.
Good Eating
Habits in Young
Children
44
July - August 2016
Spotlight
Anxiety IN CHILDREN
48
July - August 2016