best ever baby foods

8/7/2019 Best ever Baby Foods

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Best ever Baby Foods...By Geetai Nivangune

Food plays a very important role in childdevelopment. It is very important for baby to get all the nutrition in his

diet to build strong foundation of his health. Mothers milk is the bestfood for baby till 4th month. After four months, it your responsibility tointroduce your baby to various food groups which will help him to growstronger and more healthier.

But what can be the best nutritional food for babies? Below is the listwhich you can include in your babies diet to make him stronger,healthier and chubby.

Nachni Kheer

Finger Millet or Nachni cereal is easily available in Indian markets andis the best baby food. Nachni is great source of protein and is also richin calcium and iron as compared to other cereals. Because of its highnutritional value, nachni kheer is the first food which is given to babyafter 4 months.

Nachni cereal and nachni flour is easily available in Indian kitchen.Take few nachni cereals and roast them on low flame and grind themin grinder to make fine flour. You can keep this flour in stock because ithas very long shelf life.

For one bowl of kheer: Take 2 to 3 tablespoons ofnachni flour. Boil the water for 5 minutes and then add this flour to thewater and stir till it boils. Stirring continuously is very important toavoid clots. Once the mixture turns into semi solid, add little milk, 1
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teaspoon for ghee, pinch of salt and little sugar or jaggery to it to giveit sweet taste. Cool it for 5 minutes and your healthy nachni kheer isready for your tiny tot.

It is advisable to start with small quantity and dont expect them to

finish it in one go. Nachni kheer is filling and hence keeps babysatiated for very long time.

Moong Dal and Rice Phej

Moong dal and rice are very easy to find ingredient inIndian kitchen. To make moong dal and rice phej, you need to roastmoong dal and rice on pan and then grind them together to make a

fine powder. The ratio to make this mixture is half cup of moong dal toone cup of rice. You can prepare this flour and keep it for daystogether and use it whenever needed.

For one bowl, boil the water and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of moong daland rice powder to it. Stir well till it boils and add little salt to it beforeremoving it from the flame. Rice is great source of carbohydrates andmoong dal is very nutritious and easy to digest. Hence this can be thebest food for growing babies and also to give them a new taste.

Dry fruit Milk

Cows milk is the best milk for babies as a second option after mothersmilk. You can make the milk more nutritious by adding dry fruitpowder. To make this powder, take few almonds, dry dates, pistaswhich are very good sources of minerals and vitamins. Add this powderto warm milk with little sugar and yummy nutritional milk is ready foryour baby. It also helps to induce very good sleep to your baby.

Dalia

Dalia or broken wheat is a nutritious option for babies asit is made from whole wheat. Being easy to digest and quick toprepare, Dalia can be a regular part of your babys diet. Start withequal quantities of wheat Dalia and lentil. Add Dalia to boiling waterand cook it for some time until it is half-cooked. Then add lentil until


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both the Dalia and lentil are well-cooked. You can add a pinch of saltand ghee to taste. You can also cook it with other vegetables likepotatoes, onions, peas and any other green vegetables

Suji Kheer

Suji kheer is an excellent combination of fats, carbohydrates andprotein which is necessary for babys growth. It is quick to make andat the same time is healthy for the baby.

To make one bowl of suji kheer, take 2 to 3 tablespoons of suji androast it with ghee. Soon the suji color will change to brownish red, addmilk and sugar to it to make it into a thick paste. Feed your baby withthis healthy food whenever he is hungry.

Mashed apple with milk

Fruits are great source of vitamins and minerals and arenecessary for proper growth of the baby. The only way to include fruitsinto babys diet is my combining it with milk. As baby is too small tochew fruits, fruits are boiled and mashed with milk. Since apple is

highly nutritious, it is very healthy food for baby. What you need tomake apple mash is, boil the apple in the water for 2 minutes and thenmash it with milk to make a thick paste which is easy for baby toswallow. Once the baby likes the taste you can also start giving babydifferent types of fruit juices which will give baby enough dose ofvitamins which are needed for growth and keep them healthy.

It is very important to introduce baby to different kinds of food rightsince beginning. After six months you can try and experiments withmore different variety foods and help you baby to grow healthier.

BedwettingBy Geetai Nivangune
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Mom please I wont do it again, I dont know howthis happened. Promise me that you wont tell this to anyone. Doesyour child tell you the same thing?? Dont get angry on seeing yourchild wet his bed.

Bed-wetting is also referred to as sleep wetting. It is a term given tothe uncontrolled passing of urine while a person is asleep. It affectspeople of all ages, but is usually seen in young children.Bed-wetting isobserved more in boys as compared to girls. According to a survey

conducted by the nephrology department of Rajasthan's premier SawaiMan Singh Hospital, Bet-wetting is common in 25 percent of childrenaged up to four years. The difficulty decreases as they grow and itremains in only two to three percent till the age of 12.

Causes of Bedwetting

Listed below are some causes which are important for parentsto know:

Bedwetting in most cases can be hereditary. If one or both

parents wet the bed as children, the chances of their child alsobecoming bed wetter increase by around 50%. In such cases, thechild usually stops at the same age that their parents did.

A child with smaller bladder is likely to suffer from bedwetting.There could be a problem which the valve that controls the flowof urine from bladder.

Some time brain takes longer to develop voluntary control overcertain bodily functions. In such case a child can wet the bedbecause his body has simply not yet learnt to control thebladder.

Children who suffer from constipation can also suffer frombedwetting due to pressure put on bladder. A urinary tractinfection can also increases the chances of bed wetting.

When a child is in deep sleep to know about the sensation ofurination.

Children sometimes wet the bed if they undergo stressful events.E.g. school days, fights between parents, etc.
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Psychological Impact on Children

Many children suffer from self esteem problem. They have feeling of failure and start to distinguish themselves

from others.

Feel guilty about their doing. They are teased by their own family members and sibling. They are afraid of their friends, as they dont want their problem

known to their friends. They feel bad as they cannot go for sleep overs and overnight

trips. Children who are unable to join in these gatherings mayfind themselves missing out on spending quality time with theirpeers or family.

They are also sometimes subjected to punishments.

When to Consult Doctors?

If bedwetting continues after the age of seven or eight. If the child who has been dry for while suddenly starts wetting. If bedwetting is upsetting the child, causing anger and

frustration.

How to make your housechildproof?

By Pooja Biraia

When was the last time you crawled aroundyour home on your hands and knees? As strange as it sounds, give it a

go. Kids explore their everyday environments, so it's crucial to checkthings out from their perspective to make sure your home is safe.

Just a moment back he was crawling right in front of you, and now he isout of sight. Just ten minutes back you saw him in his room, and nowyou find him in the balcony.
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Oh! Kids just keep moving around, you never know when they wouldsee what, get hold of what and get hurt by what. It only takes aninstant for babies and toddlers to fall, run over to a hot stove, or putthe wrong thing in their mouths. And at such times, when your kid is atoddler or a four year old, your watchfulness is his best defense.

All the more, as the child spends most of his time at home, and he isnewly beginning to learn and adapt, his novelty factor gets the betterof him and he wants to explore anything and everything he can get hishands on. But then although you try your best to keep eyes on him forall the time you can, there are chances that he gets out of sight andgets hurt, as a result of his inquisitiveness or the curiosity element.And to guard against such times, you need to make your homechildproof get all those things in place that can be a cause for injury,starting from the tiniest edges to bigger things like ..

Be a child to know his mind!

To know a child or to deal with him better, it is important that you putyourself in his/her shoes and think like a child. Only then would youknow what you need to keep away from him

Here are some basic starter ideas to childproof your home

Lock the door: There are certain such things that you want to keepaway from your kids reach. Now, how much ever you try his attractionalways gets the better of your efforts, and hence, you decide to safely

tuck the stuff into a room and lock it. Yes, this is the tight way ofkeeping him away from it, but make sure door knob is neatly shut.

Outlet covers

These are a boon to all those blessed with small kids at home. Outletcovers are simple to install and incredibly effective in preventing the

kid in wedging something into the electrical socket, and getting hurt.Ensure to replace the protective cover, each time you use the outlet.

Cabinet locks

These are useful, when you want to keep certain cabinets, drawers andcupboards, out of reach of children. These can be useful when youwant to keep kids from sharp objects, important papers and files,


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cosmetics and other vanity items etc. There can also be locks formicrowaves and ovens.

Corner covers

If you have tables or counters with sharp edges and that are lowenough to hurt your kids, if they were to run into them you mayconsider buying padded corner covers. These covers can be expensivebut then the fact that they can prevent the pointy edges from hurtingyour kid, is a reason convincing enough and well worth the investment.

Beware of water

Water can be a major reason for children to be victims of many homelymishaps, most of which can result from slips and falls. First thing first,make sure that there is no water spillage anywhere in the home including the hall, rooms, kitchen, balconies etc. and if due to somereason water does get spilled, then make sure to dry the area thattime itself. Another thing is, to ensure that no bucket or tub is filledwith water inside the bathroom, and if it is, then the door be locked.This is because if a child gets close to a filled water tub, it only takesabout an inch of water for them to drown in. Store hair bleach, hairdye, bathroom cleanser and other solutions in a locked cabinet in the

bathroom.

Over-the-top items

Simple things like your dinner table cloth can be a reason for an injury.Your child would pull, tug and hold whatever can be accessible andseen, and when the cloth on the dining table gets pulled, it carries withit all items including plates, sharp utensils, hot objects, etc. and can fallon your child. All the more, pot handles and crockery, mobile phones,high-end electronic items, etc must be kept on upper shelves or in thelocked bedrooms only.
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Imitate your kid

This is the time when you get into your childs shoes, rather hismannerisms, and take a hands and knees tour of your house to makesure that you did not forget any areas.

This way you measure how high your child can reach and make surethat everything below that level is either safe to play with or securelylocked away. This tour will actually help you in noticing very minute,but important and hidden dangers that you had missed whenchildproofing the house.

Instruct the maid

You are out of house, and your maid is the babysitter for your kid.Instruct her on the basic things she needs to take care of, things thatmust be out of reach of the kid and the rooms that have to be keptlocked. The maid, for whatever time she is with the kid, needs to bemade totally responsible and alert.

Outsmarting your moves

You have heard the famous phrase that goes, Child is the father of theman. And it is not just the teens or the 20 somethings we are talkingabout, smartness begins right since childhood, and you may not evenhave thought, when your child surprises you with his smart moves thatedge one step above yours.


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You try hard to childproof your home, evaluate safety measures andgive you best when you realize that your kid has found his way aroundthe no entry tag you placed. Others find new dangers that you werenot even aware of. So, watch your children and adapt yourchildproofing methods, and re-evaluate the safety of your home and

the effectiveness of the safety measures as your child grows andlearns new things.

Kitchen care

There are only two ways to keep your kid away from heat and flames

in the kitchen. One is to prevent him from entering the kitchen and theother is to lock the kitchen door itself.Whichever you opt for, ensurethat you keep him away from various kitchen supplies including spices,utensils et al.

Windows and doors- Window guards and safety nettingcan be used to prevent falls from windows, balconies. These must besecure and properly installed. There should be no more than fourinches gap between the bars of the window guard.

The main entrance should be closed at all times, to prevent your kidventuring out of the house, without your notice. The doors of the toiletsmust be closed when not in use, and in case you have a westerncommode, make sure that the toilet seat lids are down.

Remember to

Always keep certain contacts handy, in case of emergencies, and ifpossible, keep them close to the phone, preferably in the phone diary.And inform your caregiver about it. Some of the contacts that areessential to be noted are the doctor's number, parents' work and cellphone numbers, neighbor's or nearby relative's number.


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How to make your Kid sleep?By Swagata Yadavar

Night after night you follow this routine- tuck them in,give a good night kiss, switch off the lights, and close the door- wishingthat this is it- the day when your kids sleep by themselves. Twentyminutes later they are in the living room, saying they are afraid/notsleepy/bored and your dreams of a peaceful night are broken.

No matter how small, you find your kids dictating what they want forbreakfast, which dress they want to wear, which channel to watch andwhen they want to sleep. All your efforts to explain, cajole are thwartedwhen they refuse it. Their ability to be independent comes in the wayof whats good for them. Kids are increasingly up till late nights as lateas 2 am which affects their growth and concentration at school thenext day.

Here are some of the ways to make sure that your child sleeps atregular time and gets proper sleep:

Create the mood: Kids are highly affected by the environment, if youcreate a relaxed environment with no phones, no loud TV and put onsoft music, they will get sleepy and soon be off to bed. Many parentsswitch off the lights and soon enough the child gets the signal it is timeto sleep and with no distractions is off to sleep.

Decide when they are ready:You should take a call about whetheryou think your kids are tired enough to sleep. If you want them tosleep at your destined time then they have to be worn out by thattime. If they are not tired enough they will want to play till late hoursat night. So let them play hard in the evening and they will surely besleepy by nightfall.
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Routine, routine, routine: One day you tell them to sleep as late asthey want and next day they have to sleep at 9, this is confusing totheir brains and bodies. So make a routine and stick to it with minorchanges during the weekends but be consistent.

Make sleep rituals:They have to change into sleep clothes, do theirhomework, brush their teeth and then they are off to sleep. If your kidis too small then a warm bath that relaxes and soothes them followedby storytelling by you. These rituals insure that will not resist sleep.

Prepare them: If they are sleeping alone for the first time then youcan make them comfortable by keeping their favorite soft toy nearthem and small night lamp on. Tell them that you are going to be therenearby in case they need anything or are afraid but they have to sleepby themselves. You have to make your own rules whether you want togo to then whenever they cry for help or want to them to soothe

themselves and fall asleep.

Stick to it: You may find that your kid is not listening at first. He isgetting up many times and crying aloud for not getting to play more.Experts say toddlers are busy learning about their bodies: how theywork, what they can do and whether or not they really need to sleep.But with time they wonder if they are missing out on interestingactivities while sleeping. They will also observe whether they can bendthe rules and try to control your behavior. So when you are consistentand firm they will adapt to the change without much fuss and tears.

Adjust the nap times: For small kids, who still are used to gettingnaps in the afternoon, adjust naps so that they dont get too much ofit.

You will notice the change in your childs behavior soon after they startsleeping on time. They will get up quickly without much fuss, have anappetite during breakfast and be more energetic in the day. If they areschool going then they will have higher concentration levels duringclass and greater focus in whatever they do.

Here is table of how much sleep your child requires according

to his age:

Age

Requirement


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1-3 Years Old 12 - 14 hours per day

3-6 Years Old 10 - 12 hours per day

7-12 YearsOld

10 - 11 hours per day

12-18 YearsOld

8 - 9 hours per day

How to increase my Kids height?By Swagata Yadavar

You imagine your child, standing in the corneralone when other kids are playing. You see him constantly mocked andlaughed at. You hear silly names other call him and cringe away indisgust. This is when you decide that your kid will not face the fatethat many short kids face, he will be tall or as tall as others.

Height has always been unfairly associated with qualities- taller peopleare seen as stronger, intelligent; with leadership qualities and thosewith short height are seen as unsuitable to sports, suffer from low selfesteem and are told that they will be unsuccessful in life.

It cannot be more far from the truth, after all height has nothing to dowith intelligence, skill and confidence. With efforts, shorter kids canalso excel in sports that are not dependent on height like cricket,tennis, swimming.

So ignoring the reality, all parents, tall and short, worry about whethertheir kids will grow to be taller and thus successful in life.
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About Height growth

When children are young their skeleton is made more out of cartilagethan of bones. As they grow up the cartilages or growth plates at theends of the bones enlarge and push the older cartilage cells inside the

bones where they ossify and form bones. When all growth plates close,the bones stop growing and they stop growing taller.

Some say women grow till the age of 21 and men grow till the age of25, so even if puberty has left your child still wanting some moreinches, there is still some hope.

Factors on which determine Height:

Genes: Height is determined 40-60% bygenetics. In a research conducted in Queensland institute of medicalresearch on twins and siblings showed that hereditability of height is80% while another research done in Miao-Xin Li of Hunan Normal

University in China and his colleagues estimated a height heritability of65 percent. It proves that hereditability of height also depends on theother factors like dietary habit and lifestyle.

Thus kids will only reach the height that they are genetically meant tobe when the external factors are favoring their growth. There areindicators available which can predict the height of the child dependingon the heights of both the parents.

Sex: Women tend to be shorter than men across all cultures andraces. Girls tend to grow faster when they are young but after puberty

they end up being shorter than boys of their age.

Diet: An important factor other than genes which decided how tallyour kid will be. Dr. Shweta Iyengar says, Diet plays an important rolein kids development. Whatever nutrition they get first is utilized tofulfill the vital functions and the rest is used up for growth. If thenutrition falls short of what is required for the vital function then it isdefinitely doing to lead to poor growth and height.


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A diet that has all the essential carbohydrates, proteins, fatty acids inthe required amounts and which is low in sodium, low in excess sugarand saturated fats will ensure that children reach the height that theirgenes will allow them to reach.

Exercise: Children need their share of exercise andactivity to build and strengthen their muscles and bones. Regular

exercise helps children burn off the calories, improves appetite andleads to weight gain which results in proper growth of height.

Lifestyle: Kids who are well fed, who have access to proper playgrounds and parks and have medical facilities at their disposal willsurely fare better than those who are deprived of all these. If the childgrows in hygienic surroundings he will be less likely to suffer frommany diseases that will ensure that he reaches the optimum height.

There are other factors that determine the heights are sleep patterns,exposure to pollution, psychological factors and Climate.

How to make sure your child reaches the optimum height?

-Diet: You have to make sure that your child gets the optimumnutrition that is by making sure that he eats fresh fruits, vegetables,sprouts, legumes, fiber rich foods like oats, cereals, iron rich foods likespinach and ragi and calcium from milk, paneer etc.

You need to monitor your childs diet to reduce the intake of junk foodand increase natural and nutritionally rich foods. Pay special attentionto proteins as these are responsible for growth and development of the

body.

Maggi Noodles: Taste hai, Health??- Not really!
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Not giving them their favorite Maggi will onlymake them demand it more so she suggests, parents can control theamount given to the child instead of the whole packet at once, youcould give them half and only if they finish their fruit servings or aglass of milk.

Another idea she suggests is that you could reduce the harms done byMaggi by adding lots of vegetables that the children would normallymake a ruckus to eat.

In India, there are other variations like Atta noodles and Rice Maggiwhich are nutritionally richer than the regular noodles. So if they reallyinsist on Maggi, then varieties seem to be the solution.

Also you have to take all the claims by the Companies of fortified withcalcium" or with added vitamin C with a pinch of salt becauseaccording to reports, these companies add just a handful of mineralslike 4 nutrients compared to the 15 nutrients they rob the food of.

So, let your kid have Maggi but make sure he also appreciates thetaste of traditional snacks like upma, poha, idlis which are nutritionally

richer than Maggi and are easier to make too. Let Maggi treat be anoccasional ritual than an everyday one! Dont forget the othernutritional culprits like white bread, instant pasta which are eatingaway your childs nutritional intake and make sure that you keep a tabon these too.

Ways to manage Hyperactive KidsBy Swagata Yadavar
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Children are blessed with abundant energy, theyare always seen running around, moving from activity to activitywithout getting tired, they also tend to have shorter attention spansand have trouble sitting still for a long time. All these traits are fineoccasionally but when your child shows all of these consistently thenyou know that he or she is a little more hyperactive than other kids.

Dealing with children is exhausting but with hyperactive children it canbe really tough. They tend to fidget a lot, they do not listen well, mayforget details, and have problems in learning and face difficulty insocializing with other kids. When your child really doesnt listen andhas to move around all the time, very few parents can be calm andcomposed. But getting angry, punishing them will do you and yourchild no good.

Here are some of the ways that will help you deal with a childwho never tires:

Be Consistent: When your child is moving from one activity toanother, it is essential that you try to find some sense and stability intheir chaos. Follow routines and fixed rules that will at least make thechores manageable. For example: when your child gets up, he has tomake his bed himself and has to eat his or her breakfast and milkbeing seated at the same place. Your child might make a fuss at thestart but will adapt to the routine.

Encourage: Hyperactive children are known to be quicker at graspingthings, using their imagination, thinking out of the box, havingboundless energy and being enthusiastic about everything. Tell themabout their positives. Encourage them to take up sports which candirect their extra energy in the right manner.

Let them play: Keeping your hyperactive child at one place is really


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not a good idea. They cannot be restricted to one activity or to sittingat one place for long. Expecting them to do so is not fair. When theyare given enough time to play, their ample energy is released and thenthey will be less restless and would be able to concentrate better.

In the Classroom: You can tell your childs teacher about the kidshyperactive tendency so that she does not punish him for behaviorthat is a part of his personality, or inherent. Also tell the teachers thatallowing them to stand and study and directing their energy by makingthem do the errands like fetching the duster, chalk will make themmore manageable.

Divide their project into small tasks: When you aredealing with achild that is hyperactive, you have to think of ways to grab theirattention for long by changing activities from time to time, involvingthem while teaching them and making use of their enthusiasm. Whenyou have to sit with them for homework, you can solve math sums for10 minutes, ask them English meanings for some time and spend thetime after studies, drawing.

Correct them gently: Hyperactive kids tend to rush through thingswithout paying proper attention to details and their work tends to lookshabby. Go through their homework together, point their mistakesgently. Make them identify some common mistakes they make and askthem to go through their work once again before submission.

With Other kids: Hyperactive kids tend to get excited while playingand may dominate other kids; they also tend to push and hit others.You need to set rules about behavior early on. Tell them hitting andpushing are not ok, so is dominating.

Be Flexible: Listening is a key skill that they have to posses in orderto learn and to make friends. Tell them a story and ask questions aboutit later, this way they will pay attention. When sitting at one place is a

challenge, you can give them a squeeze ball in their hands which theycan squeeze and release their energy. Give them space to work and letthem express themselves.

Keep them away from sugar: Children tend to eat lots of sweetenedfoods and drinks. This makes them more hyper because of the sudden


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rush of energy that these foods provide. So monitor the amount ofsugar that your kid is eating and control the amount if required.

Accept them: Every kid is special and different. Each of them is filled

with different potentials and abilities. While your child may not be thequietest in the class or the topper, but he could be good at creativethinking, imagination and could be the fastest runner. Never compareyour child with other children and make him feel bad.

These tips are sure to help you to deal with your over active child but ifyour child shows more extreme type of behavior then you shouldconsult the doctor as he may be suffering from Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which will require professional help tomanage.

10 Healthy habits for your KidsBy Swagata Yadavar

One moment they are placed in your arms and the next, they crycomplaining how they hate school and suddenly they are big enough togo to school alone. Children really seem to grow fast, so fast that youdont realize the years you wished they grew faster are long gone, andnow you wish they just stayed the same.

When your kids have been inculcated with the right habits, values andattitudes you can rest with the fact that you have done your bit welland just wait see how they turn up.

Here are some of the healthy habits that you must inculcate inyour child:

Hygiene- A point that cant be stressed enough. A persons hygiene iswhat gives the first impression and plays important role in how theperson is perceived. If you inculcate few habits in the childhood itself,

you can be assured that the habits stays.

A simple thing like washing hands can be really important in fightingoff germs that are everywhere and bring with them hoards of diseasesand illnesses. Most cases of colds and loose motion can be preventedby good hand washing habits.
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Wash hands Make sure your kid wash his handsafter- School, before meals, after play and after visit to the bathroom.

Tissue issue- Always make sure your kids carry handkerchiefsand tissue. Inculcate the habit of -sneezing only in thehandkerchiefs and tissues or in the sink.

Bathroom habits- Small kids can really be impatient whiletaking baths and if left to themselves, they would not have baths

at all. Ensure your kid cleans all parts properly, washes his hair,leaves no shampoo in the hair and cleans the bottom properly.

Consistency really pays off in matter of hygiene. If you tell your child towash his hands and feet every day after coming home, chances are hewill start doing it on his own after few times.

Oral care- There is nothing painful like a toothache and nothing morepainful like a toothache as a kid. To make sure that you child does nothave frequent toothache and tooth decay. You have to be vigilantabout dental habits since childhood. You should not only ensure that

he brushes twice but also on how he brushes.

He should be taught to brush for at least 2 minutes every day. Ittakes that much time to clean all your teeth.

Teach him to use small circular motions while cleaning the teethand brush in vertical motion for the front teeth.

Tell him to clean the upper, the lower as well as the inside part ofthe teeth.

Regular visit to the dentist is essential in the childhood for good healthof the teeth. If your child is resists, explain that regular visits are better

than one occasional trip for tooth removal.

Eating habits- What your child eats when he is little, gives a clue towhat his health will be like when he grows up. If you find that chips,candies, cakes and burgers are all your kid has taste for, it is time toact. Junk food with his attractive look and taste will make your childdemand it but unless he is given homemade nutritious meals, he willhave good chances of growing as an obese adult.
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Include servings of fruit in his diet every day.

Your kid should have at least one meal of sabzi, chappatis anddaal everyday. Ask your kid to eat small but sure portions ofevery food type.

Expose your kid to different types of food at a younger age- givehim tofu, soy, dahi, salads, porridges. Variety will get himinterested and give some more nutrients too.

Control the intake of junk food by making them special treatsand getting rid of stock early on.

Your child will not eat something that you dont and will not demandanything unless it can be available. If all healthy options are in front ofyour kids, there is no reason why your child wont eat and accept that.

Sleep- As our lifestyle is changing we find ourselves catching lesssleep than our parents, our kids are also getting less sleep than whatwe got as kids. It is not a good trend as children need proper amountof sleep for their development and growth.Research only shows thatchildren who do not get enough sleep in childhood turnout to be obeseadults.

Let your child sleep everyday at the same time. Do not let him stay late, just because you are watching TV or are

doing some work. All children need more than 8 hours of sleep, if your child sleeps

late, he will wake up late, so let him sleep early.


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Exercise: Hours in front of the telly and some more infront of the computer and some more completing home work. Todayskids are more inside the home than we ever were. If you dontconsciously change these, then these habits will make them sedentaryadults.

Let your child play outside in fresh air at least for an hour everyday.

Involve him in some physical activity like cycling, skating,swimming, gymnastics- whatever finds him interested. Encourage sports- give him the platform to try basketball,

volleyball, cricket or tennis. Take him along when you are going out for walks or small

shopping, it will be better than bonding over television.

Sexual Behavior:They are too little to be given sexual education butthere is need to educate children about good and bad touch and howto deal with strangers. These things even though not pleasant will dotheir bit in protecting your kids against abuse.

Distinguish between these touches-

Good touches- hugs, pat on the back, kiss on the cheek are allforms of expressing affection

Bad touches- are those touches when someone hurts, hits orpushes you.

Secret touches- are those touches when someone touches youand tells you to keep it a secret.

You must tell your kid that any kind of uncomfortable encounter with a

stranger or even an acquaintance should shared with you. You mustalso tell your child that it is not his fault if something like this happens.

4 reasons why kids should notskimp out on Breakfast
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By Priyanka Parab

Every morning Kewals mom finds her sons breakfast dish being lickedclean by the family dog. Needless to say, the family dog enjoys ascrumptious breakfast of two chapatis and the vegetable preparationof the day, while Kewal enjoys his cream biscuits and Frooti. His poormother is at her wits end, trying to get Kewal to not skimp out on hisbreakfast, but Kewal being a kid, does just that!

Why should Kewal not skimp out on his breakfast?

You might not know, but breakfast is the most importantmeal of the day. In fact breakfast is breaking the night long fast thatwe impose on our body, when we retire for bed at nights. And sincemany kids sleep more than us adults they end up holding a longer fastthan us, which makes breakfast so much more important for them. Thebody needs to be re-fueled after an 8-9 hour long fast, which makesbreakfast that much more important for kids.

With over 30 years of credible research pointing towards the health

benefits of breakfast, we are going to try our level best to convinceKewal to get on his munchies early in the day and leave the biscuitsand Frootis for snack times.

So lets tell Kewal about the 5 things hell be missing out on ifcontinues skimping on his breakfast:

A good breakfast will lead to better marks:Research has shown an increase in the brain power of children whoconsume breakfast regularly. To ensure a further boost, it would be agood idea to serve a breakfast high in whole grains, fiber and proteinto your child, as this will not only boost his mental abilities but also hisphysical ability making him excel in co-curricular activities, sports andmusic.
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In a study published in 1998, in the Archives of Pediatrics andAdolescent Medicine it was found that children who breakfast regularlyhad better scores in maths and higher IQ levels. Plus studies haveshown that kids who have the first meal of the day are more alert inclass and this automatically translates to good grades in class.

A good breakfast will prevent fat children: Its

true! Children who eat a wholesome breakfast kick start theirmetabolism which starts burning calories, thereby preventing themfrom getting fat. Plus children who skip breakfast are bound to behungry before lunchtime and thus will end up consumingjunk food ornormal food in larger quantities as compared to those children whohad their morning breakfast. This means that the children who skippedare actually consuming much more calories throughout the day, plusresearch has proven that children who have their breakfast regularlytend to be overall healthy eaters i.e. they are bound to make healthierchoices when it comes to eating.

More over setting a good breakfast habit in childhood itself willstreamline you childs eating and meal patterns, thus helping himavoid childhood obesity which is a recurring condition.

A good breakfast will help them grow up into healthy adults:

Children who eat breakfast regularly have a betterchance at growing up into healthy, fit and strong adults. This isprimarily because of the whole-grains, fibers, proteins andcarbohydrates along with the calcium that is much needed during thegrowing years.
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Plus if kids are given a balanced breakfast which includes fruits theyget the required anti-oxidants and fiber which boosts their immunesystem, keeping them away from serious diseases that can make themill and threaten their long term health. Research has shown thatchildren who have their breakfast regularly have lower blood

cholesterol as compared to their non-breakfast-eating littlecounterparts!

A good breakfast ensures a happy, well behaved kid: Havingtheir morning breakfast ensures that the childs stomach is full and hewont start becoming irritable or feel tired and restless due to the lackof sugar and protein in his system, which is the case with kids whoprefer skipping breakfast. A full stomach also ensures that kids canconcentrate better while in class and even perform better in sports andco-curricular activities as their energy levels remain up throughout theday.

Well, now that Kewal knows about these reasons we are sure that thefamily dog will have to revert back to his doggie biscuits, while ourKewal enjoys his daily morning breakfasts!

5 Mistakes which Parents MakeBy Geetai Nivangune

All parents wish nothing but the best for their children. They want their

child to be happy and want to see them to succeed in life. Your bondwith your child during his growing years is very important. But thereare still a few mistakes which many parents tend to make, which canhave quite negative effects on their mind and hamper theirdevelopment. So what are these mistakes, which all parents have towork upon? Let us have a look at them

1) Comparing
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Most of the times, parents compare their child withtheir neighbors child who comes first in the class and is very studious,athletic, artistic and so on. What every parent has to understand is thatevery child is unique and has his own individuality. Parents who fail toaccept this fact, end up constantly comparing their child with others. Itis better to stop comparing your child with others and in return focuson the things in which he or she excels. If you dont support your childwith his weakness, he will lose his confidence and resort to attentionseeking tactics to please you and others.

You as a parent should not point the flaws by comparing, insteadshould encourage him to work on them. This will not only help him toperform better but will also boost his confidence.

This problem doesnt end here; parents tend to make comparisonsbetween siblings too. The child who is weak in academics is alwayscompared with his sibling who is excelling academically. While onesibling is often praised the other is taunted and criticized incomparison. Behavior like this from the parents side can have a badimpact on the childs health. He is bound to feel that his parents lovehim less because he didnt score well or didnt come first in his class, it

can also create a bridge between you and your child. Parents shouldavoid comparing and should not allow their childs weakness to be theparameter of judging him.

2) Performance Pressure

With competition increasing day by day, parentsexpectations from their children are also increasing. Performancepressure is the most common problem which every child faces today.Children are being continuously pressurized to be the best in almosteverything today by their parents. All parents wish that their childshould perform better than others, but continuously putting undue


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pressure on your child can suppress his confidence level and willdisable him from performing to his potential. Parents should not getangry or taunt children if they score less but motivate them to dobetter next time. Antics such as taunting, not talking, ignoring etc. forbad scores can have negative effect on their innocent minds.

Many parents also promise rewards for better performance, pleaseavoid this as much as you can. Make them understand the importanceof getting good marks and how it will benefit them in the future.Rewards should only be in form of appreciation and motivation.

3) Choosing Career

I am going to make my son a doctor; I am going to make my daughteran engineer, are sentences spouted by many parents now-a-days.Parents often discuss what they want their child to be in their social

circles.

Many a times, parents impose their choice of career ontheir child. This is not going to help you or your child, if his or herinterest lies in some different field. Ask your child want he likes and

wants to be in life. As a parent it is very important for you to analyzeyour childs aptitude and select a profession or career for him in whichhe shall excel and succeed. Let your child decide his preferenceregarding his career rather than you enforcing him with your choices.Many children because of their parents choice are forced intoprofessions, but fail to succeed because of lack of interest.

Give your child freedom to decide about what he wants to do. This willnot only help them to work hard on what they like but will also shine intheir career if it is something of their choice. So be supportive towhatever decision your child makes for himself.

4) Punishing


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Many parents punish their children for getting poorgrades. Parents sometime resort to violent form for punishment likebeating their children, keeping them home (grounded). This can have abad impact on the childs health, as it can make your child develop afear of failure. They will withdraw themselves from others, theirconfidence levels will drop and even if the child wants to work hard onhis mistakes, he will not be able to do it. Punishing is not the solutionto the problem if your child gets poor marks, as a parent it is yourresponsibility to find out the reasons for his poor performance. Sit withthem and find out if they have any difficulty, so that you can solvethem as this will surely help them in working hard towardsimprovisation.

5) Underestimating

If she can come first than why cant you? Youmust have asked this question to your child an umpteen number oftimes. But what happens if your child comes second in academics or ifhe comes first in dance completion or in some sports. All children aredifferent; all of them have their own specialty and interests. If someonelikes to be a scientist then others want to be singers like LataMangeshkar. What is the harm if your child is extraordinary good insinging or playing cricket and average in academics? It is parents whohave to find out the hidden talents of their children and support them.

So if you really want your apple to be a shining star, be supportive tohim and guide them in a positive way!

5 things about Hand washing younever knew!By Swagata Yadavar
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Wash your hands your mother used toexclaim as you came home, it is the same dialogue that you repeatwith your own kid. But sometimes washing hands can be as bad as notwashing them. Yes, you might have wasted all that vocal power fornothing.

We all know that washing hands prevents diseases, but do we all followthe proper technique for doing so? These are the ways you shouldntwash your hands:

Fast Washing: Washing your hands for less than 20 secondsmakes the entire ritual useless. A thorough wash of 20 seconds isrecommended to kill all the germs present. Use that time toclean all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists,between your fingers and under your fingernails. Anything lessthan 20 seconds is as good not washing.

Unclean Soap dispenser: Washing hands using soap fromsoap dispenser that hasnt been cleaned is of no use. Soapdispenser is a favorite hideout for the germs. It is also hardlycleaned. Thus as dirty hands touch the dispenser; thecontamination increases and continues unattended.

Dirty Soap: Generally, washing hands with soap is acceptableway of cleaning but there are chances that the soap has some ofthe germs left after use. If you are using soap, hold it in thewater for some time, rub it gently and then use it.

Hand sanitizers on greasy hands: Dont use hand sanitizerswhen your hands are dirty and covered with oil. Using sanitizerskills germs but in this case these are quite ineffective assanitizers cannot penetrate through grease to kill pathogens.

Washing hands only before eating: Diseases can be spread ifthey are in contact with the eyes, nose and mouth. So justtouching your face or eyes can make you vulnerable to diseases.

So make sure you wash your hands when you come from outsideor have been in contact with unhygienic surfaces, not just beforeeating.

80% of diseases spread, can be prevented by washing hands. Still weignore this simple method of fighting diseases and look out for otheroptions.


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Here is the way to do it!

First, turn on the tap and wet your hands with warm, runningwater and apply liquid soap or use clean bar soap. Lather well.

Rub your hands vigorously. Make sure you wash them at least for15 to 20 seconds.

Not just the palms make sure you clean all surfaces, includingthe backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and underyour fingernails.

Rinse well. Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel. Use a towel to turn off the tap.

The options:

Soap Liquid soaps Hand Sanitizers (Alcohol-based hand sanitizers which don't

require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing.)

5 Tips to make your childconcentrate better!By Priyanka Parab

Rohan Sharma is a smart kid. He grasps thingseasily and understands them well and can even put them intoapplication, still it doesnt translate into good grades for him at school!His parents are worried as they cant seem to figure out what is going
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The reinforcement helps your child to not only re-hash the daysteaching but also helps him to improve his concentration as he has topay complete attention to what the teacher is saying and laterconcentrate on trying to re-call what his notes say!

Avoid Multi-tasking:

Many of us adults would agree that multi- tasking isquite difficult. In fact Multi-tasking ensures that we cannot concentrateon one single task at hand when we have a bevy of tasks lying in front

of us. Now imagine your children who by nature are curios andinquisitive and are sitting with a multitude of books in front of them!

Now throw in the computer, Television and other tempting gadgets inthe mix, surely it would be a concentration buster wont it?

Allocate a certain study time for a certain subject as this will help thechild concentrate on one subject and understand it properly. Soinstead of 1 hour of study for 4 subjects, distribute it over a 20 minutestudy time for per subject! This distribution will work wonders for yourchilds concentration levels.

Break it up:

Breaking study sessions helps childrenconcentrate better. Remember those monotonous board meetingswhere you could do with a break, now imagine your child sittingthrough atleast 6 hours of continuous teaching per day at school,seems like a too long board meeting?

Breaking up study sessions seems like a wonderful idea especiallywhen the child is having trouble concentrating. Such breaks serve as


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revitalizers for the childs sagging interest and concentration levelswhen it comes to studying, as taking a few moments off the subject athand can freshen up the mind.

Watch the habits:

While you can only hope that your childconcentrates in school, at home there are certain areas where you can

ensure that his concentration is optimum. For doing so, you need towatch your habits and your familys habits! See whether some familymembers have a habit of speaking too loudly or listening to music orTV too loudly? Similarly check whether your habit of supervising overevery aspect of your childs studying is affecting his concentrationlevels? Also do check whether your child is eating well, is he under anykind of stress at all?

While the family habits can be managed easily, youll face difficulty incontrolling your habit of supervising over his studies, as some childrenfind the presence of an adult or rather anyone disturbing when it

comes to concentrating on their studies. Ensure that he sits to study ina well lit room with good ventilation and least possible noises in thebackground.

To improve his concentration, look into his diet and cut

down on his junk food intake if it is in excess, also try and sort outsituations which might be stressing him out, as stress tends tointerfere in ones concentrating ability.

The main thing to be kept in mind here is that you mustnt seek toimprove your childs concentration only from the academic point ofview but from an overall point of view. A good concentration willensure that even as an adult your child will be able to concentrate


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better and have a chance at a better professional as well as personallife!

Are we feeding Too much chocolate

to our kids?By Priyanka Parab

Imagine this, you get in the lift with yourlittle one, in enters the friendly neighbor and on spotting your child shegoes, Aww! Arent you a cute little girl? Here have a chocolate, andthats how the day begins for your child. Kids are by default cute littlepeople! The very moment, one of them so much as smiles at you, youmelt like a gooey chocolate and end up offering them chocolate.

Ask yourself how many times have you seen a kid and on impulsegifted them with chocolate, plenty of times right? The same applies toyour child, no matter how hard you try to supervise their intake ofchocolate, well meaning aunties and uncles are going to keep onbombarding them with chocolate. This ensures that they somehow endup eating more chocolate than you would like them to! Sad but true.

But have you ever stopped to wonder how much of chocolate you! Yes. You are giving to your child? Dont be shocked, but most of thechocolate that your child eats comes from within the family itself!

How Am I giving my kid, chocolate?

You may not realize, but even the No Candy rule does not deter kidsfrom gobbling up their beloved chocolate! Especially, when you are the
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one who is providing them with their chocolate! Following are the waysin which you might be unknowingly slipping them chocolate,

Chocos - You would want to start your childs daychocolate free, yet chocolate flavored chocos somehow find their wayin your childs cereal bowl which he has for breakfast! Whats wrongwith Chocos? You ask, well heres what wrong them! Not only do thesechocos contain a high level of cocoa i.e. chocolate, they also have avery high sugar content!

Chocolate flavored Health drinks Which parentdoesnt want their children to drink milk? None right! But when thechildren begin turning their noses at the yucky taste of milk, you jumpright ahead and give them a chocolate flavored health drink! Thereby,adding to their chocolate intake quotient for the day.

Chocolate biscuits Biscuits are the one way that you can ensurethat your childwill not be eating junk food! You try and avoid givingthem the cream filled ones opting for the chocolate chip or chocolate

flavored biscuits, in this whole bargain, you end up giving them all themore chocolate and sugar with it too!

Chocolate Burfis and chocolate cakes Festiveseasons and special occasions call for the undeniably sweet chocolateburfi to be distributed and eaten. This delicious form ofMithai is known

to have a cocoa and sugar content, plus its hugely preferred over theother non-chocolate Mithais by kids! Birthdays especially, see theentry of your nightmare or the chocolate cake as some prefer to call it.Cake being a huge favorite with kids, is gobbled up within no time andso is the cocoa and sugar along with it!
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Chocolate Ice Creams Wouldnt you love it, if yourkid ate all sorts of ice creams like coconut, sitaphal, anjeer etcinstead of gravitating towards chocolate ice creams? Sadly, kids beingkids, they will do the exact opposite and dive headlong into thechocolate filled Sundaes or Chocochip chocolate ice-cream be itwhatever you can be assured that it will contain lost of chocolate andsugar!

While these are just some of the ways in which you could be givingchocolate to your kids, there are many other ways in which they mightprocure chocolate!

Grandparents are mostly known to pamper

their grand kids by giving them lots of chocolates. Pocket Money, is used to buy chocolates along withjunk food Well-meaning aunties and uncles, often end up offering

children chocolates Many a times parents are known to compensate for not spending

time with their children by showering them with chocolates, toysand more chocolates in some cases.

But every kid loves chocolate, so how can it be harmful forthem?
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Recent studies have reported that chocolate whenconsumed in a certain amount i.e. 6.7 grams precisely offers immensehealth benefits, but anything more than it and most of its healthbenefits are lost! And with kids loving Chocolate more than anything inthe world, 6.7 gms is just not a real possibility. Moreover, only darkchocolate which contains Flavanoids along with anti-oxidants is ahealthy form of chocolate! All other forms of chocolate with their highcocoa and sugar content, do nothing but create health problems for

your child, if consumed in excess!

Chocolates are known to cause tooth decay and cavities in childrendue to their high sugar content, which fosters growth of bacteria thatconvert the sugar into acid, which corrodes the protective enamel ofthe teeth and leads to decay and cavities!

Ever wondered why kids after having a pastry or a milkshake, tend togo wild, hyper and just generally out of control? Its because of thecaffeine that is found in chocolates these days is the same caffeinethat is present in your coffee! Similarly, chocolate milk is known to

make children fat, recent studies have also shown that children whodemand too much chocolate during the early years of their life, go ontobecome aggressive adults!

So, the next time you decide to give in to your little ones persistentwhining and buy them a chocolate ice-cream, think again Havent theyhave already had enough chocolate?

Are you a good parent? Find out...

By Pooja Biraia
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The moment your baby is born, you define arole for yourself, that of being a good parent. And one thing that youpledge against is to avoid the mistakes your parents made asparents.

You would never enforce a career of your choice over your child, youwould never nag him to score more in his school, you would always besupportive of his decisions and moreover, you would make a wonderfulparent of the apple of your eye!

Cut to now: You cant stop yourself from comparing him with theneighbours boy who again scored a 95% leaving your son at thesecond position. You have to ensure he goes for all four classeseveryday, including drawing, painting, karate and tuitions and dare hemiss even one, he would have it from you. You want him to be asperfect as you, no matter what!

So, what happened to all those promises you made to yourself whenyour child was born? Are you still a good parent? Well, read on to find

out.

Say no

He wants to have that Ice cream and have it right now. No, how muchyou try convincing, he would not give in and finally you go out of yourway to get him that small cup of strawberry ice cream. And if you thinkthis is a mark of your love for you boy, think again. The moment heknows that his tears make you go weak, he would use it as his weaponto make sure his demands are met. So, it becomes important not togive in to a child's every demand. Stand your ground and learn when

to say "no."

Dont humiliate publicly

A toddler who spills a drink and starts crying already feels bad enough.Resist the initial reaction to yell or scream. Your daughters marks arefar worse than her class mates, so what? If that is a reason enough foryou to shout at her when among family and friends, it would take her
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Charity begins at home, remember this famous quote? Your childssense of responsibility begins at home. The more you show him that heis important and is capable of carrying out necessary tasks, the moreconfident he would be and the happier he would be thinking that he isold enough to be assigned responsibilities and he makes a difference

at home. Start with simple things like running errands, making theirown beds, dusting the house, watering plants, etc. Children also needto understand that they are responsible for their own actions and theconsequences that follow.

Fix days

Sundays are movie days when the family wouldgo out to the nearby theatre, Thursday dinners are at restaurants,every fourth Saturday, there is a family get-together et al. Theserituals create a bond between family members.

It may be as simple as reading a book together every night or taking ayearly trip to the beach. Rituals provide the social glue that bond onegeneration to another, creating many special memories within a

family.

Dont Micromanage

You dont have to tell him how to open the wrapper of a chocolate, orhow to dry himself with the towel. These simple things kids learn asthey grow up. And moreover, he would feel you are only looking forexcuses to pinpoint his faults and instead of rectifying them he wouldignore. This is the last thing you would want right? So dontmicromanage, and if the matters are important where you have topinpoint, then do it gently, after a gap of time when the incident

happened and in private.

Dont fight in front of them

If your son imitates the way his father dresses, and the way his mothertalks, then he can also learn from the chemistry between you both, athome. Fighting or arguing in front of kids is not a good idea, as it canaffect the childs psychology and he will in turn behave the same way


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in school and with his peers. If the child senses that parents are not intalking terms with each other, it may create a negative atmosphere inthe house and the child would think of himself being the cause of mostof the fights.

Now that you know the seven steps to being a good parent the hardpart begins, actually applying it. So take it one step at a time.

Are you a good parent? Find out...By Pooja Biraia

The moment your baby is born, you define arole for yourself, that of being a good parent. And one thing that youpledge against is to avoid the mistakes your parents made asparents.

You would never enforce a career of your choice over your child, you

would never nag him to score more in his school, you would always besupportive of his decisions and moreover, you would make a wonderfulparent of the apple of your eye!

Cut to now: You cant stop yourself from comparing him with theneighbours boy who again scored a 95% leaving your son at thesecond position. You have to ensure he goes for all four classeseveryday, including drawing, painting, karate and tuitions and dare hemiss even one, he would have it from you. You want him to be asperfect as you, no matter what!

So, what happened to all those promises you made to yourself whenyour child was born? Are you still a good parent? Well, read on to findout.

Say no
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He wants to have that Ice cream and have it right now. No, how muchyou try convincing, he would not give in and finally you go out of yourway to get him that small cup of strawberry ice cream. And if you thinkthis is a mark of your love for you boy, think again. The moment heknows that his tears make you go weak, he would use it as his weapon

to make sure his demands are met. So, it becomes important not togive in to a child's every demand. Stand your ground and learn whento say "no."

Dont humiliate publicly

A toddler who spills a drink and starts crying already feels bad enough.Resist the initial reaction to yell or scream. Your daughters marks arefar worse than her class mates, so what? If that is a reason enough foryou to shout at her when among family and friends, it would take herself esteem right to the bottom and she would start avoiding you.

Show that you recognize and understand your childs feelings andmake a conscious effort not to constantly focus on bad behavior.

Be their cheerleader and shower unconditional love

You make it a point to say I love you, each night to your partner, butever thought how important are these words for your kids too? Look forsmall, small things they have done that have had positive impacts andrecognize them. Tell them how much you love their habits and hobbiesand that they are they are your priorities over all else. When you giveyour child importance, they would feel they can accomplish

everything!

Mark time with them as your first priority

You got to choose between yourkitty party and a game of carom with your son. You got to choosebetween entertaining guests and patching up with your little son whois angrily sitting inside the closed room.


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What you choose depends on which one is your priority. But let yourchild know that he/she comes before anything else or anyone else, forthat matter, and when you show that kind of importance, you are sureto get the same importance in return.

Set rules and command obedience

At one instance you scold him for spilling the milk, and the very nextmoment you are patching up. This is only going to confuse him andmake it even harder for you as a parent to enforce rules and make himabide them. Set limits and rules and always enforce them, so that yourkids know that there are some things that are just not acceptable, andthere will be no leniency in that regard.

Assign responsibilities

Charity begins at home, remember this famous quote? Your childssense of responsibility begins at home. The more you show him that heis important and is capable of carrying out necessary tasks, the moreconfident he would be and the happier he would be thinking that he isold enough to be assigned responsibilities and he makes a differenceat home. Start with simple things like running errands, making theirown beds, dusting the house, watering plants, etc. Children also needto understand that they are responsible for their own actions and theconsequences that follow.

Fix days

Sundays are movie days when the family wouldgo out to the nearby theatre, Thursday dinners are at restaurants,every fourth Saturday, there is a family get-together et al. These

rituals create a bond between family members.

It may be as simple as reading a book together every night or taking ayearly trip to the beach. Rituals provide the social glue that bond onegeneration to another, creating many special memories within afamily.

Dont Micromanage


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You dont have to tell him how to open the wrapper of a chocolate, orhow to dry himself with the towel. These simple things kids learn asthey grow up. And moreover, he would feel you are only looking forexcuses to pinpoint his faults and instead of rectifying them he wouldignore. This is the last thing you would want right? So dont

micromanage, and if the matters are important where you have topinpoint, then do it gently, after a gap of time when the incidenthappened and in private.

Dont fight in front of them

If your son imitates the way his father dresses, and the way his mothertalks, then he can also learn from the chemistry between you both, athome. Fighting or arguing in front of kids is not a good idea, as it canaffect the childs psychology and he will in turn behave the same wayin school and with his peers. If the child senses that parents are not in

talking terms with each other, it may create a negative atmosphere inthe house and the child would think of himself being the cause of mostof the fights.

Now that you know the seven steps to being a good parent the hardpart begins, actually applying it. So take it one step at a time.

Discipline your child the right way!By Swagata Yadavar

Thrash came the stick on your back; you never even realized whathappened when another blow came your way. Your age: 6 years,your crime: eating chocolates without asking your mom.

Those were the days when the smallest of mistakeswere solved by the cane believing that a little beating did no harm andthe child would learn from it and not repeat it again. Dont spare therod and spoil the child was the belief then. Physical punishments inthe form of hitting, beating or making the child kneel down on the
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floor, stand with the hands up and standing in the sun were common inour childhood.

Aditi Korgoankar, Counseling Psychologist says, Physically punishingis been a part of child rearing in India. Hitting the child is a form of

negative reinforcement in which an unfavorable action is followed byan unfavorable outcome.

Today however the idea of physically hitting the child as a part ofdisciplining the child is losing its relevance. In fact hitting the child isfrowned upon, psychologists also agree to the view that hitting thechild is not going to help the child in the long run.

Here are some of the Negatives of Physical Punishments:

These are some of the prolonged effects of repeated hitting the child.

Lead to Aggression in children: Because

they are hit when young, children then consider hitting andbeating to be a part normal interaction and hence tend to bemore aggressive with other kids.

No Positive outcome: Young children do not connect theiraction with the consequence, so many times even after they gethit, they do not realize what they were hit for. So has thepunishment has no real outcome other than hurt.

Physical wounds: Extreme beating and prolonged exposure tostrict physical punishments leave physical wounds as well asinjury in many cases.

Severing relationships: The sight of a parent hitting is not

easily forgotten by a sensitive child. So even later in life therelation

Leaves Scars for life: If kids are regularly beaten in theirchildhood especially in presence of others they lose their selfconfidence early on. This leads to issues of self esteem later onin life. Children may also hold grudge against parents and havedifficult relations with them.


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Better discipline methods:

Time out zones

Hitting and punishing kids younger than 2 years ispointless. They have no ability to see the relation between the actionand the consequence so they learn nothing after a spanking orbeating. They feel the pain of the spanking but learn nothing from it.So for these kids, it is important that parents make it clear what is

good and what is bad and even set a good example themselves.

After they have done something wrong they should be sent to atimeout zone, where they sit till they are calmer and are in a mood tomake amends. Generally the time spent in the timeout zone increasesby one minute every year of the child.

Establish who the boss is

After kids are older from 3 years and above, they can understand thelink between the action and the consequence so this is the time when

you can lay rules and decide what happens if they are broken.Remember to discuss why there are some rules and remind for fewtimes before you punish them for not adhering to them.

The earlier you establish that who makes the rules and they have tofollow, easier is it for them to accept it. If you are too flexible at theearly age, your child will not take your word very seriously.

Praise when they are right

Your child does need you to tell him when he is wrong but he needsyou more to tell you when he is going the right thing. For example youalways tell your child to share his toys so when he actually does that,


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praise his efforts. This way you are reinforcing the right behavior bypraising it.

Be consistent

While you make rules, remember they will only work if you areconsistent with them. That is you do not reward the action at oneinstance and then criticize it later on. You also need to repeat the rulesquite few times for children to remember them.

Dont let your Child be ObeseBy Geetai Nivangune

Rahuls is the only child, being the apple of hisparents eyes, he was spoilt by his parents and two sets ofgrandparents. Somehow in Rahuls family, love could only beexpressed with food. With everybody loving Rahul so much, he soonbecame too heavy for his age. His weight became an issue for himwhen activities like running and playing became too difficult for him. Itwas then that his parents decided to do something for his weightproblem and consulted a dietician.

Today large numbers of kids are overweight and unless we do

something about them, most of them will be plagued with multiplehealth problems by the time they grow up.

But what exactly is Childhood Obesity?

When your child is extremely overweight for his age then he is obese.Childhood obesity is becoming major concern because it is detrimental
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to childs health if you given attention and lead to serious problems inhis future life.

How can I check if my child is obese?

Your doctor will help you to tell you if your child is obese by calculatinghis/ her Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is different for body girls and boys.It is very important for your child to have a proper body mass index asit can give rise to various health issues.

So, lets know what the causes of obesity in children:

Genes: Genes can play a big role in affecting weight related chemicalsin the body. So if you are obese then there are chances of your childbeing overweight or obese in his childhood.

Poor Eating Habits: You are what you eat is very apt in cases ofobese children. If your child has poor eating habits like consuming highcalories foods, loves binging on junk food, eating when not requiredetc. then there many chances of him becoming obese and also invitingmany health issues.

No Active Life: Children are becoming very lazy; they like to be couchpotatoes rather than playing outdoors. Sitting for hours in front of theTV, playing games on computer are making children addicted tosedentary lifestyle. There is no way through which they get a workoutto burn the calories leading to gaining weight.

Unhealthy Family Atmosphere: Children replicate what elders do. Iffamily follows diet which include oily, sugary and calorie dense foodthen there high are chances of children to be obese. If your kitchen isfilled with all unhealthy food items, then you cannot blame your child.It is very obvious for your child to get addicted to them and the effectwill be shown on his weight

So how is this going to affect your child?

Childhood obesity can have bad effects on childs physical health.

Overweight children are at high risk of developing following healthproblems in future:

Diabetes and type 2 diabetes

High blood pressure
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Sleep disorders

Heart diseases

Early puberty

Respiratory problems

Joint problems

Along with physical health problems, a child can also gothrough various emotional setback of being overweight like:

A child might have low self esteem because of his personality.

He will also have low confidence whenever out in social group.

There are chances of him being depressed always because he ismostly liked to be mocked and teased, e.g. If he cannot walk properly,run properly etc in school or while he is playing with his friends.

Childhood obesity is not your childs problem but your problem too.The best way to manage the obesity in your child is used introduce himto healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet with regular physical activity canhelp long way to lose weight and stay healthy.

Give them Some SunshineBy Priyanka Parab

D.T. Max once said, Education is morethan filling a child with facts. It starts with posing questions.

Unfortunately the only questions that are being posed today are Whydid he kill himself? or Was she depressed before committingsuicide? The facts filling the minds of todays children are not how
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much percentage of earth is water but Will I make the cut off list?,What will I do if I dont get in the college of my choice?

So what is the reason for this sudden epidemic of suicides plaguingour young?

Causes of stress in children

While placing the blame on the education system in India alone is notfair, there is no denying the lions share it enjoys amongst factorscausing stress to students! Dr.Anjali Gandhi from the National MentalHealth Clinic however blames the media Children are prone tosuggestions and with the hype generated by the media; suddenlysuicides have become an easy way out rather than dealing with thestress. All this publicity has given rise to a Copy cat syndrome whereinstressed students are aping the others and committing suicides.

Factors contributing to stress in todays youngsters are:

Parental Pressure and expectations: Parental pressure is

one of the major factors other thanacademic performance stress that is plaguing todays students.Kids are more or less being treated as trophies to show off bythe parents, based on their academic and extracurricularachievements; such practices are causing undue stress inchildren today.

Peer pressure: The need to fit in is greater than ever in theadolescent or teenage years. The sudden pressure to conformand perform equally according to ones group is very high andthis can create stress amongst youngsters.

Competition: In todays date competition and the competitiveatmosphere starts at a very young age. Kids as young as 6 yearsof age are put into a variety of classes namely art, sports, craftsetc, not to mention the compulsory tuition so that they stayahead of the competition! Similarly college students too areoverburdened with academics. A competitive atmosphere wherefailure isnt an option becomes a major cause of stress.


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Family environment: For parents who think that providing theirkid with excellent education and every little thing that herequires will keep him happy. Think again! Family environment isa very common albeit overlooked cause of stress in youngsters.Parents arguing in front of their kids, absence of parents due to

their jobs or other reasons, parents divorce, constant squabblingover money etc. are major reasons for stress causers inteenagers.

Growing up: One should remember that as an adolescent or ateenager, the child is growing up and is bound to be confusedabout many things due to the onset of puberty. Attractiontowards the opposite sex is normal and while it is common foryoungsters to start dating early these days, the breakup of arelationship is something that they are finding it hard to dealwith creating stress.

Signs of stress in children:

Children under stress usuallyapproach the authority figure, be it at school/college or home. It is onlywhen they do not receive any reassurance from them, that the stresslevels begin to escalate and the stress signs start becoming morevisible, is what Dr. Anshu Kulkarni had to say regarding stress inchildren today.

To combat stress, it is not enough to just know what causes it!

Knowing the tell tale signs of stress also goes a long way in helping astressed out youngster. Following are a few simple signs indicatingstress in your ward:

Withdrawal: If you notice your child withdrawing from socialinteraction and friends, outings etc, it may be a sign of stress.


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Aggressive behavior: The child will exhibit aggressive behaviortowards everyone around him; temper tantrums for no apparentreasons are an excellent indicator of stress in children.

Over eating or under eating: Stress affects a personsappetite, so if your child is indulging in over eating or under

eating for no particular reason, he might be under stress. Lethargy and excessive sleeping: Lethargy and excessive

sleeping hours are indicators of stress in children and should notbe confused with laziness in the child.

Moody: Quiet spells followed by outbursts or temper tantrumsover small things are signs of stress in children.

Abdominal Pain: Abdominal pain is also a sign of stress inchildren.

Depressed: If your child is generally unhappy in school, collegeand at home and prefers isolation and loneliness instead ofcompany, it is a sure sign that he is under stress.

Constant Headaches: Suffering from constant headaches is asign of stress in children and adults alike.

Poor memory, difficulty in concentration, lack of sleep or too muchsleep are other signs of stress, which should not be overlooked as theycan lead to build up of stress in the child.

Healthy and quick snacks for kidsafter schoolBy Pooja Biraia

Given their way, children would love to growup on a diet of breads, biscuits andjunk food which are often addictiveand unhealthy. At such times, the challenge for a mother is, how topackage healthy and nutritious foods, which kids often tend to avoid, ina sumptuous and tempting way that makes them ask for more andmore

The right time for healthy snacks is often the time after school, in theevenings, when kids are hungry and the body demands energy and
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nutrition. But if you indulge in preparing exhaustive and tediousvarieties, that consume time to prepare, your kid will look for othersimpler options like biscuits and wafers. Hence, just like it is importantto prepare nutritious snacks, it is also important to do it quickly.

Here we bring to you a list of healthy snacks that hardly consume timeto prepare and will keep junk food out of your kid's vocabulary..

1. Paneer wrap (Preparation time: 20min)

Ingredients: 100 gms grated paneer; 100 gmsboiled French beans and carrots; one cup chopped coriander; onechopped onion; one tsp jeera; juice of one lemon; half tsp redpepperika (red shimla mirch); one tsp extra virgin oil; 100 gms wholewheat flour

Method: Make four rotis from the whole wheat atta. Grate thepaneerand add all the ingredients to it besides oil. Saut it in oil and place iton the roti and roll it. Have it with green chutney. The dough can beprepared the day before. All the ingredients can be chopped the day

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