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

<ul><li>Protect your child from too much sun. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 AM and 4 PM so avoid taking your child out during these hours.</li><li>If you plan to take your child outside, apply sunscreen to them which provides protection against UV rays. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours and after being in the water or sweating. Use sunscreen on cloudy days too as the sun’s rays pass through the clouds as well. Do not skip sunscreen if you are taking your child out; only skip if your child is wearing clothes that cover his/her entire body.</li><li>If your baby is less than a year old, keep them out of the sun as much as you can. Dress your baby in lightweight, light-coloured clothing with long sleeves and long pants. Make sure to cover their head.</li><li>Select sunglasses for babies and children that provide 100% UV protection.</li><li>When it is too hot and humid, children should not play outside or exercise for more than 30 minutes at a time.</li><li>Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids even if they are not thirsty. Water is best of all. Dehydration can cause fatigue and muscle cramping.</li><li>Keep your child covered at all times when outside or sit in the shade as your child’s sensitive skin can get a sunburn. If your child gets sunburn, the best remedy is to use a cold compress for the affected area. If it’s too much, consult a doctor.</li><li>Never leave your kids unattended in a closed car even for a few minutes and even if the windows are open. The temperature inside a closed car increases too quickly and can be fatal for a child.</li></ul>

Handy Summer Care and Tips For Babies

Summer Precautions for Babies

Parenting is a process, not a learned behaviour. Raising a child in a nuclear family requires several measures, the most important of all being the sharing of responsibilities between both the parents equally.<ul><li>Children in a nuclear family are more confident as they are more independent compared to children raised in joint families.</li><li>A joint family offers a lot of family time, so parents in a nuclear family should properly schedule their day to assure sufficient and efficient time for kids in the family.</li><li>Being in a nuclear family brings many responsibilities on parents’ shoulders. This might drain you out, more if you are a working parent. This draining out will make you frustrated sometimes but it is very important to stay positive in front of your parents. The serious discussions can be limited to bedrooms between you and your spouse.</li><li>If you live in a nuclear family, it is important to maintain good ties with the extended family. This is because they will be at your help to look after your child when you cannot be present for your child.</li><li>Instead of relying on gadgets, invest in educational play boxes for your child which will aid your child’s intellectual development.</li><li>Involve your kids in household chores. Nothing can be a better way to spend quality time with your kids. This also develops emotional, motor, social skills in your child.</li><li>Make sure to plan outings – even to the nearest park – once in a while. This will help you ease a bit and also give your child the time to bond with you.</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 nuclear family or elementary family or conjugal family is essentially a family which has parents (mother and father) and children.

Parenting in a nuclear or conjugal family

A nuclear family or elementary family or conjugal family is essentially a family which has parents (mother and father) and children.

Parenting in a nuclear family

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

Are we exhibiting what we want our kids to be? Call it a harsh reality but children rarely learn from what we preach, they learn from our actions. Take this for an example, an anonymous user on the internet confessed that her child would hit her younger sibling while playing. Her explanation in defence was, “We are playing ‘mommy”. We all aspire to become perfect parents for our kids because we want to inculcate values in them that would make them better human beings. But the larger and the more significant question is do we exhibit that kind of discipline in our behaviour? We expect our children to use modern-day gadgets judiciously but do we supervise our use of these products? We want our kids to watch their words and actions when angry but do we manage our anger appropriately? We want our kids to show decorum and discipline with their daily routine but are we exhibiting ourselves as an example to do the same? Dr Haim Ginott, a renowned child psychologist, pointed out, “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” If we give the child an environment of hostility he is more likely to learn to fight. An environment of ridicule and shame can lead to the child resulting being shy and guilty. But similarly, if the child had always lived with tolerance, he learns to become more patient. If he has always received praise, he learns the virtue of appreciation. What is important during the child’s growing years is that we model the kind of behaviour we expect our children to be. It is impossible to not be stressed or angry under circumstances. But when the parents manage their stress and anger appropriately, the message is loud and clear to the kids that it is normal to feel negative at times but it is only the positive attitude towards solving these problems that reap good results. Parents should ‘speak’ and ‘do’ what they expect out of their children. Saying statements like. “I love all kinds of food”, “I love playing outdoors”, “Let’s clean up the mess together”, “Let’s help little brother/sister with eating the food”. These kinds of statements bring about assurance in the kids and before indulging in the wrong they are forced to do what think what they have been taught. The brains of children are like sponges. They absorb everything without discriminating information into right or wrong. Let's set ourselves as better examples for our children. Let's exhibit what we want our children to be.

Are we exhibiting what we want our kids to be? Call it a harsh reality but children rarely learn from what we preach, they learn from our actions.

Children See Children Learn - The pillar of parenting

Being a positive role model for your child can help instil the right attitude and habits from an early age for your child to nurture a healthy lifestyle.

Children See Children Learn ~The pillar of parenting

Samiksha Choithani

Like adults children also start exploring their behaviour at different ages. But like adults, children don’t have words to express their emotions; they are just discovering different ways of behaviour in order to influence people. So tantrums are just method of expressing feelings for children, all we need to do is try and understand what is happening around them. Tantrums cannot be totally avoided but of course can be controlled. Take the following steps to cope with your child's tantrum issues: <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Ensure the child is not stressed – if the child is tired, hungry or stressed he/she may experience tantrums.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Identify the sources that lead to tantrums, for e.g. If your child is experiencing tantrums when you are involved in a conversation, try to hold it for a moment and listen, in case you are avoiding it might trigger and lead to a frustrated behaviour. Next, time when you have a long family conversation, ensure you have a book to read or some colouring assignment for a child to keep them busy.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Distract your child and don’t try to be rebellious when the child is experiencing tantrums. Just try to change the environment or start a new activity.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Just try and talk about the feeling, encourage them to name the feeling. For example if the child throws a toy, ask them why did they throw? It wasn’t working? What could have been done? And what could be the consequences of throwing it?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep calm, take time (a minute) to control yourself first before reacting to the situation. If you get angry, situation can be hard both for you and your child.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be consistent in your approach, if you give a phone to child during meals when the child experiences tantrums and sometimes you don’t, things can get worse.</li></ul> Note: Once the child turns 5, tantrums may considerably reduce as they develop an understanding of consequences of their behaviour. You can explain them immediately or at night in the form of a story.&nbsp;

A child is bound to throw a tantrum because who else if not the child. This does not mean the tantrums can not be tamed.

Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

Palak Vyas

Keep the following points in mind while buying a milk bottle for your child: <ul><li>Bottle material: The glass bottles are heavy, BPA (a chemical used in plastics) free, can last longer and can be easily cleaned. But they need to be handled with care while. They are more expensive than plastic ones.</li></ul> The silicone bottles are light and unbreakable, BPA free. Often they are soft but more expensive than the plastic and glass ones.The plastic bottles are light, unbreakable and inexpensive. Generally, parents don’t prefer using plastic though they are very convenient to use.The stainless steel bottles are light, unbreakable, BPA free, last longer, not very expensive too.Parents can use any of the above material depending upon their preference and convenience. <ul><li>Bottle shape: Most bottles are slightly curved or angled for easy grip. Height and width should be chosen based on baby’s convenience to hold.</li></ul> <ul><li>Disposable bottles are also available in the market if you want to use during travelling, when washing and cleaning are not possible.</li></ul> <ul><li>Venting system: There are bottles available in the market which claim to be anti-colic. It has a straw-like component so that the baby doesn’t ingest gas bubbles.</li></ul> <ul><li>Number of bottles: Depending upon how you use it, minimum 2 to 4, to a maximum of 8 to 10 bottles can be required.</li></ul> <ul><li>Nipples: There are two varieties- silicone and latex available in the nipple material. Flat-topped and wide nipples are better.</li></ul> <ul><li>Nipple size and flow: For preemies and newborn, the smallest size is preferable while for a grown-up baby, there are nipple sizes and flow which are larger and faster respectively.</li></ul>

Selection of milk bottle can be based on many parameters like nipple shape, nipple flow, bottle material and bottle shape.

Selecting a milk bottle for your baby

Children get cranky for many reasons. However, neglecting the cranky behaviour of a child is clearly not a solution. It is important to identify the cause and find a solution for it.If your child is a toddler the reasons can be:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Change of usual schedule.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Upset stomach</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Pain in some part of the body</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Suffering from cold or flu</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Sleep deprived</li></ul>You may try some home remedies like having simple food for few days, give your child a long night sleep or you can put some nilgiri oil drops in the hanky and place it near the child. Rest and food can help your toddler overcome this behaviour.If your child is an infant the reasons can be:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Hunger</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Fatigue</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Messy Diaper</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Rashes</li></ul>To make your child calm, check the diaper regularly, try and feed the child more often. If the mother is breastfeeding the child, she should avoid spicy food for a few days or any food that can create stomach problems in infants. Additionally, keep a regular check on rashes on neck and thighs. Give proper amount of sleep to your child.

It's normal for kids to get cranky but as a parent do not lose the cool.

Why is my baby so cranky/fussy?

<ul><li>Normally babies stop wetting beds when they are 2 or 2.5 years old. And if any child is wetting beds even after 2.5 years, the parent can wait till 5 years.</li><li>If bed wetting continues after 5 years, then in the beginning, the doctor will usually give them behavioural treatment and by following that most of the problems get solved.</li><li>But if the child continues to urinate in bed at 6 or 7 years also, then the parent should consult a specialist and do as per doctor’s advice.</li><li>If the family has a history of such a condition, there are more chances for the child to have this problem.</li></ul> As per the behavioural treatment given by the doctor:1. The child should not be given any fluids or liquids after 6 PM including sweet drinks, water, lassi, soda, buttermilk, milk etc.2. The child should be asked to urinate just before bed and even after sleeping, the parent is supposed to take the child to the toilet after 1- 2 hours. <ul><li>Urinating in bed is a combination of both physiological and psychological issue.</li><li>Child should be made mentally strong by counselling and talking to them. They should be asked to wash their undergarments or bed-sheets which they had spoilt. By doing this, they will feel conscious and stay aware about it.</li><li>You can appreciate your child by putting star-marks in the calendar for the nights (s)he didn’t wet the bed. The child can be asked to use the affirmations like “I won’t urinate in bed tonight” for 20 times.</li><li>If the problem continues even after these efforts, the doctors might suggest an alternative treatment.</li></ul>

Urinating in bed can be avoided by not giving fluids before bed but sometimes it has underlying psychological reasons as well.

Urination in bed

Helping your child to cope with moving anxiety:<ol><li>Prepare your kids by proper information beforehand.</li><li>Let them ask questions and answer patiently.</li><li>Answer them honestly and be prepared for a variety of reactions.</li><li>If the place you are moving to a new place, take your child there and let them explore the new place.</li><li>Encourage their opinions and participation. For example ask them which plants they would want in their new house.</li></ol> Helping your child cope with stress:1. Stop over scheduling their day:Limit your child’s activities as per his age. 2. Make sleep a Priority:See that your child has enough sleep, let there be quiet time in the afternoon where they can read, or listen to music, rest and relax. 3. Teach them how to listen to their body:Consider asking them questions about how they feel whenever you see their energies are going down. This way they also stay aware about his body. 4. Prepare your kids to deal with mistakes:You can prepare them by narrating your own experiences of how you made mistakes and how you deal with it, how you solved it or handled it calmly. They always model you. 5. Limit the use of technology:Set time limits for using phones or watching television or playing video games. Overuse of technology makes child irritating. 6. Schedule relaxing activities:You can also enrol your child for music, painting, sketching, swimming or yoga classes as per his choices and preferences. 7. Get help:Any time you feel that your child looks over-stressed and none of the things are helping, take expert advice and consult a counselor.

In times of stress, it is important to let your child know that you are there for them.

Helping a child cope with stress

What works best in the cases of addiction is that a similar kind of less harmful or useful thing should be replaced in place of the previous addiction. For example, if a child is addicted to sugar, you can provide him/her with raisins or dates in place of sugar. <ul><li>When you see your child is obsessed with a fictional character like spider-man or superman, try showing him/her the positive and humanly traits of the character.</li><li>Try and incorporate or relate those with your daily incidences.</li><li>Give them more humanly touch.</li><li>Eventually, you can identify a similar character from your family and relate their human traits with that of the fictional character your child is obsessed with. For example, you can relate your child’s father with Superman, tell them, “The way Superman saves the world and fights evil, your father does the same. He built us this house, he works and earns, takes care of us when we are sick so basically he also protects us”.</li><li>Give them the idea that these are imaginary or fictional characters inspired by real-life, science and technology.</li><li>It is okay for a child to be attracted to superheroes as long as (s)he is learning something good from them. This is where they enjoy their little innocent world of imagination. Let them feel happy and enjoy their world of superheroes and other characters. Eventually, when they grow up, they will come to know the difference between real and imaginary.</li><li>These characters are made in such a way that not only children but young and old everyone is inclined towards them.</li><li>All you have to see that their addiction does not come in their way of studies or their growth.</li><li>If you feel that because of this (s)he keeps getting distracted, explain to them that there is a time and place for everything. One cannot talk about the same thing all day long. There are several more things to explore so take them for visits at the zoo or a museum to keep them away from the imaginative world for a while.</li></ul>

Addiction/obsession is not something which can be immediately worked upon.

Dealing with fictional character addiction in children

Every child needs full attention of a parent. While you are busy with the younger one, your elder child will experience a range of emotions, from excitement to jealousy or may be responsible and caring. In order to seek your attention, the elder child may show more tantrums or misbehave or refuse to eat. These emotions are short-lived but if not addressed well can have lasting impact on a child’s mind. Here are a few ways to make sure that your elder child does not feel neglected:<ul><li>Let them not feel left out: Take an extra care to ensure that the elder child never feels neglected (unintentionally though). Ask their suggestions for picking up clothes for newborn, choosing the toys for little one and more. Make sure you spend equal time with both the kids</li><li>Avoid giving excuses: Never make the younger one an excuse for not attending the elder child – “we can’t go to the park/playground as the baby is sleeping” “Keep quiet the baby will wake up” “After I attend the baby, I will listen to you” Instead tell him/her , “ We will play together when the baby wakes up, We will go to the park together May be giving a hope and the feeling of togetherness will help the child.</li><li>Pay more attention: Express extra care and love for elder one, increase your daily hugs and play some games or increase story time for the elder one.</li><li>Avoid comparing: This comes unintentionally but it can have a strategic impact on a child’s mind. Little things like who crawled first, child’s weight or who walked first can be taken as criticism by the elder one.</li></ul> Ensure both the children get equal attention and feel loved.

Every child needs full attention of a parent. So, pause and reflect on your parenting to make sure none of your children feel left out.

Managing sibling insecurity

Ravina Sewani

Children break their bones either by falling or while playing a sport. Sometimes, an unfortunate accident is also the reason behind fracture. Fractures are of two types: displaced and non-displaced.Non-displaced fracture is when the broken parts of bone are lined up correctly. This type of fracture is harder to identify.Displaced fracture is when the broken parts of bone are not lined up. Symptoms of bone fracture:<ul><li>Pain</li><li>Bruising</li><li>Swelling</li><li>Snapping noise</li><li>Numbness: This could be a sign of nerve damage near a break. A change in the colour of his skin could mean the same thing.</li><li>Can't straighten the injured area</li><li>Can't move a limb like normal</li></ul> Diagnosis: A fracture is diagnosed by doctors via X-rays. An X-ray can show where the break is and its type. Treatment:Treatment includes the use of cast, splint, or brace. These keep the broken bone from moving while it heals. Even the displaced broken bones often will heal straight over time. For the displaced bones, they are sometimes put back in place before the cast, splint, or brace is put on. This is done through a procedure called a ‘reduction’. This is also called "setting the bone." There are two types of reductions:<ul><li>Closed reduction: This is done without any incision or cut. The doctor gives a medicine to the child to ease the pain and then moves the bones back into the right position. No incision (cut) is needed.</li><li>Open reduction: This surgery is done for a more complicated injury. The surgeon makes a cut and moves the bones into the right position. Before this procedure, the doctor will usually give anaesthesia to your child. Surgical plates, screws, or wires might keep the bones in place.</li></ul>New bone formation may take several weeks to months after a break, but full healing can take much longer time. While waiting for medical help:<ul><li>Make sure your child is lying down. Then put pressure on the area with a sterile gauze pad or a clean cloth. Don't try to push the bone back into place. Don't wash it.</li><li>If you can't see the bone, don't move the limb. Try to cut away or remove clothing around the injured area, but do it gently so you don't cause any extra pain.</li><li>Wrap ice or a cold compress in a cloth and put it on the skin near the injured area. Don't do this in babies and toddlers because cold temperature can hurt their skin.</li><li>Don't give any food, drink, or medicine to your child in case (s)he needs surgery.</li></ul> Things to keep in mind post treatment:<ul><li>Make sure that your child eats a healthy diet that includes plenty of calcium and vitamin D.</li><li>Teach your child to take good care of the cast or splint.</li><li>Help your child to follow the health care provider's directions for rest and/or doing any exercises.</li></ul>

Children break their bones either by falling or while playing a sport.

Fracture in children

You can consider the following points while handling and dealing with a child whose loved one has died in the family: <ul><li>Talk straight and precise but with care and compassion. For example, if you want to disclose that the child’s grandpa has died, tell them, “I have some bad news for you, your grandpa died yesterday night due to a heart attack”. Take a pause; let the child understand what it means.</li><li>On hearing such news, different kids may have different reactions. Some children go silent, some might ask questions, and some might even start crying. Be sure to stay around and in case you can’t be around, hand over your child to someone close to him/her like. Give them warm hugs and cuddle with them if they feel like it. Give them some time.</li><li>If your child is old enough to understand, you can explain to him/her the reason behind the death; for example, if grandpa died due to a heart attack, explain that people can die of physical illness. When their heart stops working, they can die.</li><li>Prepare your child beforehand about things that are about to happen. For example, prepare them for funerals, burials, and people coming for prayers and condolences. Let them know what they can expect for a few days in the family and the house.</li><li>Talk about rituals and what happens during that ritual. How are people going to greet or what they might say, “My condolences or I am sorry for your loss are a few polite words people may say. We should thank them for coming”.</li><li>Give them time to heal from the loss, and during that time, stay around and make them comfortable to express themselves in whatever ways they want.</li><li>Help your child feel better by remembering the dead loved one and their happy stories.</li><li>Make your child realise that death is irreversible; people don’t come back once they die. But we can always cherish their memories.</li><li>To explain the concept of death, take some examples from nature’s cycle. Please show them some dead butterfly on the porch or some dead plant and explain how this dead animal or plant can’t take any food or water. Likewise, tell them that dead people can’t breathe, can’t take food or water, and they won’t be around us anymore.</li><li>Do not try to protect your child from pain. Tell them the truth. When you explain it clearly, with care and compassion, they learn to deal with it gradually.</li><li>If you feel that your child is not coping after your many efforts, you can take them to a counsellor, who can certainly help your child.</li></ul>

Such times can be very difficult with a little one around. It is important to take their feelings into consideration.

gender bias parenting concerns

Parenting issues are a part of the everyday parenting journey. Following article(s) might help you with your concern(s).

Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

Selecting a milk bottle for your baby

Why is my baby so cranky/fussy?

Urination in bed

Helping a child cope with stress

Dealing with fictional character addiction in children

Managing sibling insecurity

Fracture in children

Handling a child when someone passes away in the family

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