It's trickier to keep babies safe in monsoons, but taking care of a few important things can make it alright: <ul><li>Make sure that your baby’s clothes are dry and warm. Clothes often remain cold and damp after a wash in the monsoon. Clothes that remain damp can result in your baby catching a fever or cold. It is also best to opt for breathable cotton fabrics and avoid synthetics that may cause rashes.</li><li>Monsoons are always accompanied by several insects and germs like flies, fungus mosquitoes, etc. Hence the chances of babies falling ill also increase during monsoons. To keep your baby free of these, ensure that you and everyone else handling your baby should stay clean. Keep an eye out for nappy rash - change diapers regularly and apply a good diaper rash cream.</li><li>Disinfect your home and surroundings too regularly to keep germs away. Unclean surroundings can harbour many disease-causing insects and pests, as well as bacteria.</li><li>Monsoon brings with it malaria and dengue causing mosquitoes. To prevent your baby from catching these diseases, it is best to use bed nets or mesh windows. You can also use mosquito repellent creams for your baby after consulting with a doctor. There are also liquid, card and coil repellents available that are safe and effective against mosquitoes.</li><li>It is best not to take your baby out during monsoons, especially when it is raining. The humidity and the change in temperatures might lead to your baby catching the flu. If you have to take your baby out, make sure that your baby is covered correctly and completely dry throughout your outing. If you go out, avoid dirty areas with puddles and mud. Ensure that you are not taking your baby to crowded places as it’s easier to get infected with people around. When you take your child outdoors, keep wet wipes handy to ensure your baby stays clean all the time.</li><li>Some infants are allergic to specific pollen and allergens. Make sure your baby is kept away from these during the rains. If you notice any rash, redness or other symptoms, consult your doctor immediately and get it checked.</li><li>Check your house for dampness, leakage before the monsoon arrives. Get them fixed if there is a problem. Check for fungus or moulds around the house. Secure the loose electric wiring, if any. Clean the drains and keep bathrooms hygienic</li><li>Always feed freshly prepared food to your baby in monsoon as food tends to spoil quickly in monsoon.</li><li>Since you can’t always find clean water when you’re outside, make sure you carry a small bottle of sanitiser and use it to clean your hands whenever handling the baby.</li><li>Many doctors recommend getting a flu booster shot when the monsoons are around. Make sure your baby gets all his/her shots before the monsoon.</li><li>Since a baby is primary indoors in monsoon (s), he doesn’t need a daily bath. Two to three times a week, and especially around humid times, can give your baby relief from the heat as well. If your child has been outside, definitely give him a nice warm water bath.</li></ul>

Taking the right precautionary steps before the arrival of any season will keep your baby safe and healthy.

Monsoon Precautions for Babies | Tips & Precautions

Taking the right precautionary steps before the arrival of any season will keep your baby safe and healthy.

Monsoon Tips and Precautions for Babies

Empathy is one of the most important traits for living in an interconnected world. It's one of the&nbsp;character strengths and life skills&nbsp;essential to kids' overall growth and success. These movies help kids learn the value of putting themselves in someone else's shoes to understand the feelings and perspectives of others.&nbsp; From classic films like&nbsp;To Kill a Mockingbird&nbsp;to modern kid-friendly faves like&nbsp;Inside Out&nbsp;and&nbsp;Zootopia, these picks will help your family step into a new point of view.&nbsp; 1. “To Kill a Mockingbird”“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” So says Atticus Finch, a lawyer who decides to defend a Black man accused of rape in the 1930s Deep South. This classic film teaches kids about the impact of racism. And it can help kids understand the importance of not judging others by their appearance.Recommended Ages: 12+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/3iulxza-asset-mezzanine-16x9-8zhwmh5.jpg_image_1646294317589.jpg" width="372">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>Do you think you could stand up like Atticus to fight for what’s right?</li><li>Why is the character Boo Radley so misunderstood?</li><li>What do you think the jurors are thinking as they consider the case?</li></ol> 2. “Beauty and the Beast”Magic turns an arrogant prince into an ugly beast. To try to break the spell, the beast takes a young woman named Belle captive in his castle. She starts to see the beast’s inner beauty, but her village marches to destroy him. The music, story and animations in this Disney movie will captivate kids—raising questions about the nature of appearances.Recommended Ages: 6+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/image.jpg_image_1646294271183.jpg" style="" width="371">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>What is Belle feeling when she agrees to be the Beast’s captive?</li><li>Why is Gaston surprised that Belle doesn’t want to marry him?</li><li>Why do the villagers want to destroy the beast?</li></ol> 3. “Inside Out”Inside Out is an animated Pixar film about the feelings of an 11-year-old girl named Riley. Anger, Sadness, Joy, Fear and Disgust are all characters in the film. They must work together to help Riley make the right decisions in life. Inside Out is more serious than a typical Pixar movie, but it can teach kids a lot about emotions. (Read why Inside Out is great for kids with attention issues.)Recommended Ages: 6+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/0_jtb_n9gbsypx-vfb.png_image_1646294250269.png" style="" width="371">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>Why is it hard for Riley to tell her parents how she is feeling?</li><li>How does Bing Bong feel when he helps Joy escape?</li><li>What does it mean to have “mixed emotions” about something?</li></ol> 4. “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”In the classic family film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, a young boy named Elliott makes friends with an alien who is stranded on Earth. Elliott tries to help E.T. “go home.” But other humans are afraid of E.T., and government scientists try to catch and study the alien. This film can help kids explore how people see others who are different.Recommended Ages: 7+ <img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/maxresdefault_%281%29.jpg_image_1646294380349.jpg" style="" width="370">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>Why do the kids and adults see E.T. differently?</li><li>Could Elliott have talked to his mom about E.T.? Why or why not?</li><li>Did you know that the director, Steven Spielberg, has dyslexia?</li><li>Do you think that helped him relate to the characters, and how?</li></ol> 5. “Zootopia”In a world where animals can talk, a rabbit named Judy Hopps and a fox named Nick Wilde team up to solve a kidnapping case. This exciting crime mystery has lots of jokes that will go over kids’ heads (and that parents may love). But it’s a great tool for helping kids learn about tolerance and the danger of stereotypes.Recommended Ages: 8+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/zootopia-movie-wallpaper-2016-12-1200x748.jpg_image_1646294440972.jpg" style="" width="371">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>What kinds of stereotypes do the animals of Zootopia have about rabbits and foxes?</li><li>How do Judy’s and Nick’s opinions about each other change in the film?</li><li>Is there something human society can learn from Zootopia?</li></ol> 6. “Fiddler on the Roof”Fiddler on the Roof is an epic musical story of Jews in Ukraine facing religious persecution while trying to hold on to their traditions. The main character is Tevye. He butts heads with his daughters over marriage, and they are all threatened by a hostile government. Fiddler on the Roof can help kids understand how cultures shape people.Recommended Ages: 10+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/mv5bmtq0nza4otu4of5bml5banbnxkftztcwotmznzyzna%40%40._v1_.jpg_image_1646294225660.jpg" style="" width="370">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>At the start of the film, Tevye sings “If I were a rich man…” Have you ever felt like him?</li><li>Why do Tevye and his daughters disagree about marriage?</li><li>Do you know of any people today who are persecuted because of their religion?</li></ol> 7. “Bully”Bully is a powerful documentary about the impact of bullying in America. Through heartbreaking real-life stories, the film takes on issues of name-calling, physical violence and teen suicide. This movie is intense and not appropriate for every child. It’s probably best to watch this film together with your child.Recommended Ages: 12+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/aaaabvti2x7eoluf77i_hfgqubduoecyuhzov4y2la9iofd2jolnrangcbeo_azeyr3d_vpyso5wj96qxt10i_pqlg67jgey.jpg_image_1646294206690.jpg" style="" width="368">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>How do the kids who are bullied feel? Have you ever felt that way?</li><li>Why do you think it’s so hard for kids to stand up when another child is bullied?</li><li>How can kids and adults help stop the problem of bullying?</li></ol> 8. “The Breakfast Club”In The Breakfast Club, five high school students—some popular and others not—spend Saturday detention together. They end up setting aside their differences to learn about each other’s hopes, fears and dreams. There’s a lot of racy content in this film, but it can help your teen learn about social dynamics in high school.Recommended Ages: 15+<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/rs-186370-b75dd31761fbf9e5dc7b036389d257ff.jpg_image_1646294186209.jpg" style="" width="370">Discussion Questions to Ask Your Child<ol><li>Does your high school have clubs like in the movie?&nbsp;</li><li>Which student in the movie is the most like you?</li><li>Do you think the students will continue to be friends when they go back to school the next week? Why or why not?</li></ol>

Kids with social skills issues may struggle with empathy—the ability to understand and relate to the feelings of others.

08 Movies to Help Children Learn Empathy

Kids with social skills issues may struggle with empathy—the ability to understand and relate to the feelings of others. This can make it hard for them to make friends and navigate social situations. These movies can help kids learn how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.

In a joint family, every member takes their turn to nurture and nourish the child. Joint families are a boon to working parents or otherwise too. Children get to learn to respond and interact with others, adapt to changes and people. Raising a child in a joint family also becomes a bit easier on the mother because of the whole support system. Like every coin has two sides, bringing up a child in a joint family also has its own set of pros and cons. <ul><li>A joint family has too many authoritative figures which usually can give contradicting signals to a child. In a joint family, the same message should come from all the adults in the family. If jumping on the bed is not allowed, then the same message should come from both parents and grandparents.</li><li>It Is given that the parenting styles of grandparents and parents are going to differ. And when the differences arise, children are quick to catch those. So whenever you feel conflicts arising, it is better to sit down and talk about the differences when the child is NOT around. Set ground rules about raising your child.</li><li>In a joint family, a child learns good family values from the elder family members.</li><li>Children in a joint family are less hooked on gadgets as everyone in the family is ready to cater to their needs, be it emotional, social, physical, or in academics.</li><li>Making decisions for a child might get conflicting in the joint families as the grandparents tend to impose their thoughts and opinions. Sure, at times the help and insights are great but at the end of the day, it is solely the right of parents to decide the best for their child.</li></ul> In the end, it is up to parents to weigh the pros and cons of raising a child in joint and nuclear families and then decide what’s best for their child(ren).

A joint family is a large family where the grandparents, father, mother, uncle, aunt and their children live unitedly under one roof.

Parenting in a Joint Family | Types of Family

A joint family is a large family where the grandparents, father, mother, uncle, aunt and their children live unitedly under one roof.

Parenting in a Joint Family

<ul><li>Make sure to get your child fully checked before the winter starts.</li><li>Make sure that all heating appliances like geysers &amp; heaters are in working condition.</li><li>Adequate warm clothing is essential but makes sure to NOT over-dress your baby as it can be extremely uncomfortable for him/her. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Always remember to make them warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat. The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.</li><li>Give warm water baths to your child. Make sure that there is a balance between the bathroom and the bedroom temperature so that your child does not get uncomfortable after the bath.</li><li>There should be no gusts of cold winds when you are bathing your baby.</li><li>Give adequate necessary vitamins and nutrients essential for proper growth to your child.</li><li>When riding/travelling in a car, make them wear thin, snug layers rather than thick, bulky coats or snowsuits.</li><li>Use sleep clothing for babies like warm one-piece sleepers or wearable blankets instead of loose bedding like blankets, quilts, pillows, bumpers, and sheepskins as they are a cause of suffocating deaths.</li><li>If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be thin and tucked under the crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest.</li><li>Prevent cold and flu by getting kids to:</li></ul>-Use soap and water: Washing their hands frequently will reduce the spread of germs.-Cover their mouth: Sneezing or coughing into the bend of their elbows also helps prevent the spreading of germs.-Get immunised: Keep vaccinations current, including the flu shot.<ul><li>Include soup in your baby’s diet. A healthy soup in cold weather will keep your baby warm.</li><li>Maintain your own hygiene: Make sure to wash and sanitise your hands before you attend to your baby every time. You need to stay healthy so that your child does not catch any infections because of you.</li><li>Use a Humidifier: When using a heating apparatus during winters it could rob the room of water vapour, making the air dry as well as your child’s skin. Hence, install a humidifier in the room so that the moisture levels are maintained.</li><li>Make use of a moisturiser for your baby as your little one's skin will be extremely sensitive and the harsh atmosphere of the winter can make it dry. Opt for skin creams or moisturisers that are made for the baby’s skin.</li><li>Protect your child from hypothermia. Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy.&nbsp;Speech may become slurred.</li><li>If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call for an emergency at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him/her in blankets or warm clothes.</li><li>Another thing to keep your baby safe from is frostbite. Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen.&nbsp;This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose.&nbsp;They may become pale, grey and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that his/her skin burns or has become numb.</li><li>If you suspect frostbite, bring the child indoors and place the frostbite parts of his/her body in warm (not hot) water. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten noses, ears and lips. Do not rub the frozen areas. After a few minutes, dry and cover the child with clothing or blankets. Give him/her something warm to drink. If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.</li></ul>

Winter Precautions for Babies

Precautions for Babies During the Winter Season

Before guiding your child towards the spiritual path, accept it in your life first. Children can feel when parents fake something. So it is important to be completely true to what you believe in before nurturing your child’s spiritual side. Developing spirituality is a lifelong journey towards self-discovery. What is spirituality?The dictionary defines it as being concerned about the human soul and spirit as opposed to physical and material things. It does not matter in which religion you believe. It is important to believe in the energy that is greater than us. Spirituality is developing life values like gratitude, compassion, sharing, acceptance, faith, etc. Being spiritual is respecting life, respecting the rights of others, and appreciating the environment. For example, teaching ‘sharing’ to children is important; be it sharing their toys with other children or sharing their time and energy with elderly people. It is important to let our children know how these actions make other people feel good. Not to mention when we help others, we are truly helping ourselves. Spiritual kids are happier and healthier and have a better sense of values and morals.Spiritual well being leads to fewer chances of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Spiritual well being also leads to emotional well being in children. There is no particular age when you can start instilling spirituality in your children. You can teach your babies and toddlers too. At this age, they might not understand it mentally but they will feel the energies, vibrations, and love and will know that this is a state of being. Here are a few ways to nurture your child spiritually:<ol><li>Set an intention:&nbsp;First thing in the morning have everyone in your family set their intention for the day. Have your children state their intention, for example, their intention for the day could be something like: I intend to be mindful in school today, or I intend to have a happy day.&nbsp;At the end of the day, ask them if their day turned out as they intended it to. If not, ask them where it went off track and what they could have done differently.</li><li>Gratitude journal: Make it a habit that everyone in the family writes down at least one thing they are grateful for every day in the evening. It can be anything from being happy for being alive to thanking another family member for something they have done for them. Alternatively, if you as a family eat dinner together, have everyone at the dinner table state what they are grateful for.</li><li>Guided visualisation: Children are visual learners so guided visualisations or meditations work great. Guided visualisations can create healthily, thought-provoking images to transform negativity into positive affirmations. Guided visualisations provide relief from stress and anxiety, decrease panic attacks, boost self-esteem, and provides opportunities for children to connect with themselves on deeper levels. Guided visualisations are best to use before bed so as to calm your baby down and put them in the space to have good dreams.</li><li>Martial Arts:&nbsp;As odd as this sounds, martial arts actually emphasises self-control, respect, and compassion. Apart from teaching self-control and discipline, martial arts boosts self-esteem and confidence, it provides a tool to channel anger. It is also a great exercise</li><li>Yoga:&nbsp;Yoga brings about inner peace, is a good way to increase children’s awareness of their own bodies, aids their sense of balance. It also reduces stress and lowers anxiety levels in children.</li><li>Arts and Crafts:&nbsp;Arts and crafts provide children with the opportunity of being creative and use their imagination. Hence, art and craft is great way to explore spirituality. Art also helps children in expressing their deepest feelings for which they don’t have the words to say out loud. Children tell the truth through their art.</li><li>Explore nature: Exploring nature helps in self-discovery. You can teach several aspects of life using the elements of nature. For example, you can teach your children about transformation by talking about butterflies; teach them about the interconnectedness of life by talking about ecosystems while hiking in the forest; teach them about conservation by picking up trash wherever you are; take them for stargazing. There are endless ways to teach children about the universe and its place in it through the exploration of nature.</li><li>Community Service: Volunteering for a community service project can provide children with a broader understanding of how they fit in the world. It helps them develop compassion and empathy for others and find gratitude that their own circumstances are different from others.</li><li>Encourage your child to share his or her dreams with you: By showing a genuine interest in your child’s dreams, the child will learn to value them. Encouragement to share will build their self-confidence and in turn create an optimistic and cheerful approach to life. By encouraging a child to share aspirations we are ultimately supporting them in believing and achieving them.</li><li>Listen to your child with full attention and concentration: When children try to communicate but aren’t heard and honoured, they try to guard their feelings over time and keep to themselves most of the time. Take time out to sit and listen to your child’s joys, achievements, frustrations, and dreams.</li></ol>

Children can feel when parents fake something. So it is important to be completely true to what you believe in before nurturing your child’s spiritual side. 

Nurturing your child's Spirituality

Spirituality keeps one grounded and helps an individual live an emotionally and mentally content life.

Nurturing your childs Spirituality

The straight answer to this question is a big “NO”! You might think a little perfume won’t harm and once in a while, it is okay. 

Should I apply perfume to my children or not?

The straight answer to this question is a big “NO”! You might think a little perfume won’t harm and once in a while, it is okay. But it is advisable to not use it regularly for babies. Scented products have a lot of chemicals and hence can have toxic effects on the human body. Little babies and kids have higher sensitivities and they are at higher risk of exposure to harmful chemicals found in such scented products. The chemicals used in perfumes and deodorants are known to bring changes in blood pressure, pulse and mood. It changes the brain blood flow and can trigger migraine headaches. Choose not to wear perfumes around babies and do not apply them to your toddlers. Instead, if you wish, you can use some natural and pure essential oil products in less quantity.

can kids wear perfume

Bee Suggestions

About Bee