WANT TO BE BETTER PARENTS...

Good parenting helps foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness. It also promotes intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve. It helps protect children from developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, anti-social behavior and alcohol and drug abuse. If you don't have a good relationship with your child, they're not going to listen to you.  So, open your eyes and observe and don’t allow problems with your child to fester and grow. Below are some guidelines for the purpose.

Develop a working relationship with teachers i.e. if there are any special concerns going on in your home, it would be wise to enlist your child’s teacher as your confidentially and gain her/his understanding. You can believe that most teachers would go the extra mile and extend to your child an open heart.

Work on social skills i.e. help your child be successful by preparing him not just academically, but also socially. Establish basic rules of conduct: no hitting, kicking, biting, spitting, (no hands allowed), and no hurting others through our words.

Help children become independent by teaching small things like pick out their clothing, dress themselves, put away their books and organizing themselves etc. Setting limits helps your child develop a sense of self-control.

Communicate with your child i.e. express your love every day, no matter how tough the day. Our love must be unconditional so that no matter how tough the topic, even if they messed up badly, they should never be afraid to speak with parents. 

What you do, matters- Your kids are watching you. Don't just react on the spur of the moment. Your most important disciplinary tool is consistency.

You cannot be too loving- It is simply not possible to spoil a child with love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child things in place of love -- things like leniency, lowered expectations, or material possessions.

Be involved in your child's life. It frequently means sacrificing what you want to do for what your child needs to do. Be there mentally as well as physically. Being involved does not mean doing a child's homework -- or reading it over or correcting it.

Treat your child with respect. The best way to get respectful treatment from your child is to treat him respectfully. Speak to him politely. Respect his opinion. Pay attention when he is speaking to you.

To have a good relationship, and being in tune with your child, is what really matters and is the secret of being good parents.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Ruchi Sinha, Educator, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

A RESOLUTION...

A birthday bash, balloons and frills, cokes and colas, happy, smiling faces, aroma of cakes and delicious cuisines and everybody is waiting for the sweet, birthday girl. Here, she arrives and is ready to cut the cake and the next moment there is chaos, confusion, children screaming, moms scratching and infants crying. All thanks to our electricity department. You would all agree that life comes to a still with ‘switches being switched off.’

You turn the pages of the newspapers and daily you would come across the problems face dby locals due to electricity shortage. This acute problem is being faced by farmers, professionals, hospitals etc. to name a few of them. Our society is no exception. To improve electricity conservation in our area, a meeting was held in the community hall; all the residents including president and secretary were present in the low capacity room of the hall. Everybody was eager to put their individual discomfort but unanimously agreed to save electricity.

“Electricity saved is electricity produced.”

As one of the spokespersons, I decided to jot down all the suggestions given by my friends so that together we may draw any conclusion.

Later, as an active, enthusiastic participant I handed over the suggestions to the local council which included spree of dos and don’ts. ‘Restrict your usage’ and ‘switch off when not in use’ could bring a sea change in the consumption of electricity. Let us practice and teach ourselves not to overuse the electricity. Besides, these, switch off should be the vital slogan running throughout the areas.

‘Let us care and share.’

During day time, let the AC for living room work and all can sit around barring the use of ACs elsewhere. Another innovative idea was the use of CFLs which consume less electricity. General awareness through slogan writing, drawing competition, poster making could also be introduced regularly.

I hope, expect and insist that these suggestions would prove to be a milestone in conserving electricity.

Together we can and together we will bring a difference in this electricity deficient country.

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Sonjuhi Khare, PGT English, Meenakshi Public School
www.meenakshipublicschool.com

A Story...

One day a father and his rich family took their young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family, when they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip”?

“Very good dad!”

“Did you see how poor people can be?” The father asked.

“Yeah”!

“And what did you learn?”

The son answered, I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four.  We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!”

Isn’t it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life you have got everything.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Praveen Malhotra, Senior Co-ordinator, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

The Grand Baby Carnival on 07/09/2014...

Meenakshi World School, Sector 10 A, Gurgaon celebrated ‘Baby Carnival’ on 7th September 2014 to celebrate childhood. Children of age group 1.5 to 5 years from different schools of Gurgaon were invited to be a part of the gala celebrations. The events included fancy dress competition for children and parents, dance and music competition, tattoo making and pottery making, show and tell, spell bee etc. Apart from this there were several games to ignite the young brains. The little ones showcased their knowledge in these games where they had to identify numbers and alphabets and solve puzzles. A magic show and puppet show were also put up and the curious minds ventured into the untrodden path of the mysterious.  The day witnessed an enthusiastic participation of children and children. Riya and N.Laija Chanu won first prizes for ‘Little Fairies and Little elves’, Anahita bagged the first prize for the Show and Tell competition. Creative instincts of students were awarded and Abhijay, Anvisha and Tanush won the first prizes for Drawing and Painting and Collage making. Aditi and Yashashvi won the dance competition. Mrs. Harshita and her son Aarav bagged a prize for their emotional portrayal of the mother child chemistry on stage. Food stalls and rides were the other attractions where the children thronged. A lucky draw was held and Tashi Chauhan and Ridhhim Chillar were the lucky ones to win a battery operated bike and a study chair and table.  In the hustle and bustle of daily lives the event was indeed a carnival for children as they could move out of their classrooms and breathe into the fresh air of fun and activities. Meenakshi World School has been organizing such events from time to time and has plans to conduct the same in the future too.  

POSITIVE THINKING...

Positive thinking is an optimistic state of mind which sees the bright side of life. A positive frame of mind brings more harmony and happiness, improves relationship and brings success in your life. Positive thinking is one of the most important key to success.

A positive attitude makes life look brighter and promising. People around you pick your mental moods and are affected by accordingly. Remember that life is a series of seasons. Every human being will have to endure the harshness of few winters in order to get the glory of best summers. Never forget that winters do not last.

Keep in mind at all times that we grow the most from our greatest sufferings. As we go through it, it hurts but as we move through it, it also heals.

People often wonder how to be positive in their thoughts and actions especially when you are unhappy and unsatisfied. We all are connected at an invisible level. As you do your healing, you aid a healing of the world, as you let your brilliance shine, you silently invite those around you to do the same. As you do the required work highest and the best, you serve as a model for others.

Some milestones in life which seems difficult or impossible can be achieved with positive thinking. So be positive in every sphere of your life.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Poonam Kaushal, PGT Physics, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

SAFETY OF CHILD...

After children reach one year of age, accidental injuries are the largest cause of death. Therefore, reducing injuries when working with this age group is a major concern.A Survey conducted with more than 1,200 children followed that from birth through first grade found that children who spend more time in child care have a slightly reduced risk of injury compared with children spending more time in their own homes. Additionally, the majority of injuries (87%) that do occur in child care are minor. Only 1% are considered severe. However, there are still a large number of children accidentally injured in these settings each year.

It is important to be continuously alert for hazards in the environment. A large-scale national study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that two-thirds of the childcare settings they examined had at least one safety hazard. The CPSC warns that there is a potential for children being injured, even seriously hurt, in these environments. 

The study looked at cribs, safety gates, window blind cords, drawstrings in children’s clothing, recycled children’s products, and ground coverings. Listed below are some of the most important environmental concerns in keeping children safe:

-  All materials should meet the standards of the  Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

-  Children should be protected  against falls from stairways, windows, and elevated surfaces

-  Children should be protected from electrical outlets with specially designed outlets or safety caps.

-  Electrical cords should not be within reach of children.

-  Emergency phone numbers should  be posted near each telephone (poison control, fire department, emergency contact numbers for parents and others, and the child’s doctor).

- Make sure there are adequate fall surfaces under both indoor and outdoor equipment and that toys are not left in fall zones. Continually examine the environment for tripping hazards.

-  To prevent poisoning, make sure all cleaning supplies and medications are in locked cupboards, there are no poisonous plants on the premises, and that children do not have access to purses or offices where adults might store personal medication.

-  Toys need to be safe by being age and developmentally appropriate for the group. For example, all toys for infants and toddlers or children who are still mouthing toys need to be choke resistant. They also need to be lead free and nontoxic. Finally, one must examine toys to make sure that they cannot lead to strangulation.

-  Buckets and tubs containing water need to be closely supervised and emptied when not in use since amounts of water can be a drowning hazard for young children.

- All equipments, including railings on stairs, need to be examined for possible strangulation risk. Window blind cords and drawstrings on children’s clothing can also create safety issues.

-  A daily safety check and maintenance is essential to keep equipments and the child’s environment safe.

-  Children need to be safe from other children who are aggressive.

Even if the environment meets safety guidelines, supervision is critical in ensuring child’s safety. The majority of injuries (60%) that occur in early childhood are due to child behavior rather than environmental causes for example, a child tripping and falling, colliding with objects, or one child pushing another as they go down a set of stairs. Most states have established child/staff ratios to assist in providing adequate supervision. It is critical that programs maintain these ratios. In addition, it is important that adults actively monitor children. Many programs require staff to maintain visual contact with children as they play. Low classroom dividers can help children to feel a sense of privacy, while still allowing adults to adequately supervise children.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Deepanshu Soni, Class Educator, Blooming Buds

www.bloomingbudsmws.com

MORE THAN JUST GRADES...

We all consider the childhood years as wonder years but are they really wonderful for our children? In this fiercely competitive world, the young ones get a taste of competition may be at age of two or three in their own drawing room with cousins or siblings of their age. It is not uncommon to see parents urging their child to recite a poem or dance or sing a filmy song in social gathering. What about the little girl who doesn’t want to sing and hides behind her mom? She is labeled shy whereas another outgoing kid who regales everyone with her poems and cute baby chatters gets the claps, competition begins from here.

As a child grows up we in our quest to prepare him for the competitive world ferry him from one skill-oriented class to another so that he is not left behind. The intentions are sound but what about the child? Some children handle it all but some kids don’t and these kids are not willing to accept or share their feelings with grownups. That is where I think the problem lies and that is where communication and interpersonal relations come into play.

We as parents don’t invest too much time and effort in these areas and in the child’s teenage years we are at a loss of words, action and connection with a child. The child rebels, becomes aggressive and we conveniently term it ‘generation gap’ whereas it is ‘communication gap’.

As teenage years are stressful where peer pressure, disappointments and temptations reign supreme and we guardians and well wishers can severely mar the child’s personality with our expectations and ambitions.

During the kids’ growing up years we lay a lot of emphasis on good academics as we feel that is the passport to a good career which ensures a good and comfortable life. As a parent we enjoy basking in the reflected glory of their achievements but do we give as much importance to the development of their interpersonal skills and communication?

Are we patient, understanding, generous, cheerful enough with them to let them acquire these qualities? I certainly hope so. Though we cannot turn back the clock, we can certainly make amends. It’s never too late to start…..

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Rashmi Banerjee, PRT English, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com