Following are a few tips to keep in mind while you babyproof the house: <ol><li>Keep the bathrooms locked at all times.</li><li>Lock and hasp on doors in rooms and bathrooms should be shifted up (at the height of an adult’s head).</li><li>Keep the cribs at the lowest height because as children advance developmentally, they tend to launch themselves out of the crib.</li><li>Change the positions of electrical boards, keep them high so that they are out of a child’s reach.</li><li>Check the sharp corners and cover them with soft rubber. Stick rubber cover at the corners of kitchen tables, beds, dining tables and TV units.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>If you are living in a double storied house, fix a small door on the staircase. This will ensure the baby doesn't crawl and climb up.</li><li>If the child is using a walker make sure there is no bump or slope on the floor.</li><li>Keep the heavy objects, sharp objects, glass objects and such hazardous objects out of reach of the child.</li><li>Keep the use of rugs at a minimum as children tend to slip because of them. If you do use rugs, put non-slip pads beneath them.</li><li>Unplug all electrical appliances when not in use.</li><li>Put all the sharp objects of the kitchen in cupboards.</li><li>Remove table cloths if any.</li><li>Install safety guards on windows and doors.</li><li>Make sure there's no water spilt anywhere in the house.</li><li>Do not paint or renovate the house immediately after the baby arrives home. The chemicals are harmful to the baby. Wait a few years and then make the required changes.</li></ol>

Children are curious by nature and they will explore everything you have in the house. So it's better to keep a check on all the things you have in the house before the baby arrives.

How to baby proof your house: 15 baby proofing tips 

Children are curious by nature and they will explore everything you have in the house. So it's better to keep a check on all the things you have in the house before the baby arrives.

15 Tips to baby proof your house

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

Creativity is at the epicentre of human exploration and discovery. Creativity is a force that nurtures human development, innovation and helps us appreciate nature around us. Everyone is creative. Being creative helps children to look within themselves, take a pause and helps them to calm down. Below are a few ways to nurture your child’s creative ideas and imaginative spirit:<ol><li>Encourage possibility thinking: Pose the “What if?” question in front of your child in as many ways as possible; these help children naturally think of creative possibilities for everything they encounter.</li><li>Nurture your child’s interests: Allow your children to choose their after-school activities. Encourage them to more deeply explore those activities in essays and projects at school.</li><li>Expand the language of emotion: Being able to understand and describe emotions is critical to the creative process. Help them with the emotional vocabulary so that they can express their feelings better.</li><li>Play, play, play: Through imaginative play, children explore their ideas and create meaning about the world around them. It is better to provide all kinds of art supplies - crayons, play dough, construction paper, glitter to your child so that (s)he can create freely.</li><li>Explore the beauty of nature: The natural world inspires children to think, question, make suppositions, instil problem-solving skills, and develop creative minds. Children can draw in the sand, make designs with twigs, build forts with branches, or simply lie on the ground and look up at the sky.</li><li>Advocate for the daydreamer: When kids daydream, they explore associations, make connections, and search for possibilities. Daydreaming and a bit of solitude for reflection are among the attributes of highly creative people.</li><li>Invent scenarios: Invent scenarios with your child. This way (s)he will try on lots of different roles and organise his/her thoughts while developing social and verbal skills. Encourage your child to play house, doctor, zoo, farm, space station, school, or store.</li><li>Verbal activities: From rhymes to riddles (check our rhymes and riddles content to get you started), silly sounds to phonics, games such as "I Spy" (and many more activities on our app), verbal interactive activities can inspire and nurture creative minds.</li><li>Encourage art activities: Through painting, sculpture, collage, clay, drawing or any other medium, art is a way for children to work through emotions, make decisions, and express their ideas.</li><li>Ask open-ended and thought-provoking questions: Asking questions that provoke imaginative and creative thinking is an effective way to invite your child to express his/her ideas and share his/her visions. "What do you think would happen if….?" "What's the difference between a dog and a cat?" "What are some other ways to do this?" are a few questions to get you started.</li><li>Limit screen time: Nurturing imagination and parenting in the digital age can be tough. Focusing on a screen is a passive way of learning for children. Engaging children in a kinesthetic manner using their entire bodies and their five senses helps in deep learning and also opens up their minds.</li><li>Remember to allow for downtime: Unstructured, unscheduled time allows children opportunities to imagine and create.</li><li>Limit electronic toys: Electronic toys don’t engage a child’s imagination and so children are simply better off playing with a basic wooden toy.</li><li>Ask questions about their creations: Kids have their own thought processes, and we can’t always see what they are thinking just by looking at something they’ve made. Ask them what they have created to help them articulate their process and the ideas behind what they thought of creating and what they ended up creating.</li><li>Respect: Respecting that each child has the right to be himself/herself and believing in his/her uniqueness builds your child’s confidence. Respect his/her imagination and fantasies.</li><li>Base on Values Not Rules: Too many rules hinder creativity. If you let your children decide their behaviour according to those values, creativity will flourish.</li></ol> Here are some examples of comments that nurture the creative environment:<ul><li>“It’s fun to try it different ways”</li><li>“Tell me about it”</li><li>“Let’s try it anyway”</li><li>“Have you thought of any alternatives?”</li><li>“I see you are having a lot of fun”</li></ul>

Creativity is at the epicentre of human exploration and discovery. Being creative helps children to look within themselves, take a pause and helps them to calm down.

Nurturing your child's Creativity

Being creative helps a child take a pause from the constant running about of life and makes them feel relaxed.

Nurturing your childs Creativity

Are there any psychological effects on children watching cartoons on TV or mobile?Cartoons are the most popular entertainment for children. Earlier children would spend time outside playing with their friends, compared to now where they choose to spend time in front of the TV, watching their favourite Cartoons for hours. Ever since the emergence of the cartoon industry, it has been noted that watching cartoons can have both negative as well as positive impacts on a child's psychological growth along with their physical growth. Positive Impacts:<ol><li>Early Education: Preschoolers can get help to learn alphabets, shapes, numbers, and colours while watching TV. Undoubtedly, television can be an excellent educator and entertainer. The moving, talking pictures and colourful visuals make learning interesting and fun for kids.</li><li>Cognitive development:&nbsp;Watching TV and cartoon can help in the development of cognitive skills in kids. Skills such as logic and reasoning ability, visual and auditory processing, and sustained and selective attention of a child are developed and enhanced in kids.</li><li>Linguistic skills:&nbsp;Watching cartoons in different languages can assist children in not just learning different languages but can also help them improve their pronunciation and their manner of talking.</li><li>Creativity:&nbsp;watching cartoons enhances creative thinking in children. They may start thinking of new creative ideas like stories, characters, situations, etc on basis of cartoons they watch.</li><li>Morals and Culture:&nbsp;Mythological cartoons can introduce children to their religion and culture. Many cartoons end with good lessons of morals like kindness, caring and compassion.</li></ol> Negative Impacts:<ol><li>Violent Behavior:&nbsp;Kids who watch violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behaviour and also may fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them. Also Because Cartoon characters display no more than little harm during violent scenes, children may believe that no one gets hurt or feels pain since cartoons escape unscathed after experiencing violence or an accident.</li><li>Less-empathetic behaviour:&nbsp;Few cartoons characters display a lack of empathy and rude/ disobedient behaviour towards others. Kids might mimic this behaviour and challenge their elders when they are disciplined for bad behaviour.</li><li>Rough Language:&nbsp;Few cartoon characters make use of rough language, as a result of which children begin to use foul/ rough language in their day to day life.</li><li>Anti-social behaviour:&nbsp;Several cartoons encourage antisocial behaviour and give wrong messages to kids. Cartoon characters often display risky behaviour, such as smoking and drinking, and may also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. These can affect a kid's behaviour and make them believe it is normal to be aggressive, spoiled, or violent. cartoons may be the reason for many children to even become bullies in schools.</li><li>Health Issues:&nbsp;Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours a day watching TV are more likely to be overweight. They watch cartoons even when they eat because many parents believe it gets easier to feed babies watching television. Health issues arising due to sedentary lifestyle and inactivity for hours include obesity, vision problems, and nutritional deficiencies due to bad food habits.</li><li>Role models:&nbsp;From a very young age children start to mimic their role models. A role model is someone who either inspires and motivates the kids or discourages and admonish them, thereby shaping their character and personality as adults. Children often idolize their favourite cartoon character which could be Often a misleading role model that encourages the wrong habits or displays insensitive behaviour towards others. This kind of impact of cartoons on children’s psychology can often lead to devastating outcomes and result in kids being withdrawn, uncommunicative, antisocial, or unruly.</li></ol> Tips for parents: <ul><li>To make cartoons a healthy entertainment and a good and effective source of learning for kids, parents should pay more attention to providing selected cartoons to their kids that could positively influence them.</li><li>Parents must control the time children spend watching TV. They can choose appropriate cartoons for their kids. It would be better if parents also regularly watch and discuss the characters of cartoons with children. This way they will not only keep their kids away from violence but also direct them to different activities.</li><li>Lastly, it is recommended for parents to avoid placing their kids in front of screens while they’re eating.</li><li>Let's protect kids from the negative impact of Television media! Because healthy kids mean a healthy future!</li></ul>

Watching cartoons programs had a significant effect on the behaviour of children. Cartoons can have both positive and negative effects on cognitive and behavioural development.

Influence of watching cartoons on children

Watching cartoons can both negatively and positively influence children. Along with being the best educator, Watching TV can surely encourage children to become aggressive and violent. Hence, the cartoon industry is believed to influence a child's brain as well as physical development.

Kids tend to avoid healthy food due to the high taste levels of junk food. These activities will be a great help to develop their interest in food:<ul><li>Take them for grocery shopping.</li><li>Cook and Bake with them; there is nothing more exciting than this.</li><li>Teach them gardening - grow foods in your backyard.</li><li>Place the food on the plate in the colours of a rainbow; this way you can include all sorts of food on your child's plate. The easiest way is to prepare a food salad or a vegetable salad.</li><li>Hide vegetables and fruits in an opaque box or carry bag and ask the child to close their eyes. Then ask them to put their hand inside the bag, pick up food, feel it and then try to identify the vegetable/fruit through its texture. You can do this activity separately for vegetables and fruits to make it easier for your child.</li><li>Food obstacle course activity. Design an obstacle course in your house where you place different fruits/vegetables as obstacles. The child will have to eat a small portion of that vegetable or fruit before advancing forward. You can carry out this activity in a group and it will be a lot more fun.</li><li>Weave a story around fruits and vegetables and narrate those during their mealtime; check out food-related stories on our app.</li><li>Sing them songs/rhymes about food; you can a few songs related to food on our app.</li></ul> Keep in mind:<ul><li>Do not give them screens during mealtime; this way they will know what they are eating and will appreciate the food on their plates.</li><li>Let them have their favourite snack or dessert once in a while. But do not use them as treats for eating the food that they like less.</li></ul>

Thinking of interesting ways to present food to your child(ren) will make them eat all types of food.

Activities to encourage and develop child's interest in food

Thinking of interesting ways to present food to your child(ren) will make them eat all types of food.

Activities to develop your child interest in food

Palak Vyas

Few things to keep in mind before you go on that much awaited trip with your baby:<ul><li>Before the trip- Check with your paediatrician for any immunisations or vaccination to eliminate any risk of dreadful diseases and to keep safe from unwanted sickness.</li><li>On the flight- If you are travelling by air, consider a rear facing seat, book a seat that has bassinet.</li><li>At the hotel- Check safety, example: railings and proper locks.</li><li>Keep them entertained.</li><li>Use mosquito repellents or sprays.</li><li>Be prepared with snacks and fluids.</li><li>Take extra clothing and stock of diaper.</li><li>Take your child’s favourite items which your child associates with sleep.</li><li>Take along their favourite toys.</li><li>Try not to take trips that are longer than 6 hours.</li><li>Keep first aid kit handy.</li><li>Try to plan stops along the way that are safe, not isolated and that allow you to walk around.</li><li>Consider scheduling trips around your child’s sleep time.</li></ul>

Travelling with a baby can be pretty tricky and tiring. The key here is to maintain patience all along.

Tips for travelling with a child 

Parameters for selecting baby wipes are branded or generic, scented or unscented, disposable or reusable. <ul><li>You can choose a generic product to be cost-effective if you are comfortable with it.</li><li>Some babies have highly sensitive skin. So for them, you can opt for unscented wipes and even reusable cloth wipes.</li><li>Before buying in bulk, it is recommended that first you try a handful of variety and decide for yourself which suits your child the best.</li><li>Baby wipes come in two different packaging. One is a plastic box and other is a pop up wipe box. The plastic box is refillable so it's more convenient. Go for the one you’re comfortable with.</li><li>Flush-able wipes are also available; you can directly flush them off.</li><li>You can also find reusable and disposable wipes. Disposable wipes are convenient and more sanitary. The reusable wipes are recommended for infants, newborn babies whose skin is very sensitive. This is an economical and eco-friendly option as well. You can experiment with both the types and depending upon the convenience and suitability of your child, you can use any.</li><li>Always read the ingredient list for the disposable wipes. Select alcohol-free and fragrance-free product.</li><li>Compare the sizes available and check which one is cost-effective and solves the purpose.</li><li>Do not reuse disposable wipes. Always moisten reusable cloth wipes with warm water and clean them thoroughly after use.</li></ul>

Baby wipes are wet cleaning clothes used for hygiene purposes. Buy wipes which are gentle on your baby's skin.

Selecting baby wipes for your child

Children are active human beings. They want to walk, run, and climb anywhere and everywhere. Choosing the footwear which provides them with proper grip and balance is very important. <ul><li>Socks: Even when babies have not started walking, you can buy socks for them for protection from cold. Select socks made up of natural breathable fibres like wool and cotton. Never invest in 100% nylon material.</li><li>Soft and comfortable: The first shoes should be soft and comfortable; the baby should be able to feel his feet through the shoes.</li><li>Let it be lightweight and proper fit; not too tight but not that loose that it comes out while the child is walking.</li><li>Slippers of your child should properly fit at the toes so that they have a good grip.</li><li>Velcro fasteners are better than anything else because they are easy to wear and easy to remove.</li><li>Ensure the soles or bottoms of the shoes are not slippery. It should stay firm and hold the ground properly so that the child can maintain his/her balance.</li><li>Seams and edges should be soft.</li><li>Space near the toes should be wide enough so that the child can wiggle his/her toes easily.</li><li>Check the shoes after every 6 to 8 weeks for the right fit.</li><li>Make sure the shoes have proper padding on the heel backs, around the ankles and in the bottom inside.</li><li>Keep on checking babies’ toes regularly.</li></ul> Allow your child to walk barefoot wherever it is possible. They find perfect balance and grip by walking bare feet.

Footwear plays a major role in balance and grip of a child.

Guidelines to choose shoes for babies

Samiksha Choithani

Thumb sucking is normal among children under the age group of 2-4 years. It is comfortable and soothing for children. But, the habit can create a problem in jaws and affect a child’s speech. Here is how you can stop the habit of Thumb sucking: a) Begin with bed time, try to limit the time that your child sucks thumb on bed. If the child sucks for few hours try to reduce it to an hour or few minutes.b) Do not get angry and point every time the child sucks thumb, instead praise the child when (s)he is not sucking the thumbc) Identify the cause, If your child sucks thumb when in stress, identify the real issue and provide comfort in other ways — such as giving a comforting hug or positive wordsd) Do note scold or criticise or compare your child’s habits with other children instead just give gentle reminders.For some children it is too difficult to give up, do not worry about it.Too much pressure on child can delay the process.&nbsp;

A regular habit or not, thumb sucking can cause problems in a child's speech.

Dealing with Thumb sucking habit

You can take the following precautions while boarding a bus with a baby: <ul><li>Getting on the bus: Always wear flat and comfortable footwear. Dress your baby in a comfortable dress. While getting on the bus, make sure the bus is at a complete halt. People are always supportive towards women with babies so take help if required but at the same time stay alert about suspicious people.</li><li>Board a bus that is not so crowded: It is risky when there are too many people on the bus. If you aren’t in a hurry you can wait for a bus that's a little less crowded. You or your baby can get hurt or elbowed in a crowded bus and the baby can get cranky seeing too many people around. Put your baby into a harness or strap him/her to your torso.</li><li>Grab a good seat, preferably near window: Usually babies enjoy window seats as they can keep watching live action out of the window, the moving buses, autos, birds, greenery - this all can keep your baby busy .You can keep the glass closed to protect from dirt, dust, smoke and loud noises. Hold your baby firmly when the window is open.</li><li>Stay alert: Yes! Any public transport can be a little tricky one because there are more chances of a woman being molested and groped in a crowded bus. So, stay alert. Raise your voice if you find any suspicious person doing something inappropriate. Preferably sit around families having women and children around. Keep your phone handy. Always stay ready with pepper spray. Trust your guts before trusting anyone else.</li><li>Have something to entertain your baby: Before boarding the bus see that your child is well rested and well fed. Change his diaper so (s)he feels fresh. If your baby is old enough to eat, you can take some dry snacks along like cornflakes or roasted peanuts and popcorn packets, so the baby stays distracted and doesn’t make a fuss. You can carry a picture book if the journey is of long hours or play good music or rhymes. After a short while babies tend to sleep in a moving bus just like elders.</li><li>So don’t worry and board your bus.</li></ul>

It can get difficult to manage young children in a bus but the situation can always be managed.

Travelling with a child in bus

Children experience mental health issues when they feel pressurised, when they feel that they are not being heard, or when they are going through something. Signs that your child might have mental health issues:<ul><li>Mood changes. Look for feelings of sadness or withdrawal that lasts at least two weeks or severe mood swings causing problems in relationships at home or school.</li><li>Intense feelings. Be aware of feelings of overwhelming fear for no reason or when the child is not able to express the reason of his fear.</li><li>Behaviour changes. These include drastic changes in behaviour or personality, as well as dangerous or out-of-control behaviour. Fighting frequently, using weapons and expressing a desire to badly hurt others are warning signs.</li><li>Difficulty concentrating. Look for signs of trouble focusing or sitting still.</li><li>Unexplained weight loss. A sudden loss of appetite, might indicate an eating disorder.</li><li>Physical symptoms. Frequent headaches and stomach aches could also be a sign of underlying mental health issues.</li><li>Physical harm. Sometimes a mental health condition leads to self-injury, also called self-harm. This is the act of deliberately harming your own body, such as cutting or burning yourself. Children with a mental health condition also might develop suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide.</li></ul> Treatment of mental illness in children: As soon as you see one or more of the mentioned signs, or a combination of few signs, consult a psychologist. The treatment includes:<ul><li>Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or behaviour therapy, is a way to address mental health concerns by talking with a psychologist or other mental healthcare provider. During psychotherapy, a child might learn about his or her condition, moods, feelings, thoughts and behaviours. A few counselling sessions can help your child cope with the situation.</li><li>Medication. Your child's doctor&nbsp;might recommend that your child take certain medications — such as stimulants, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, anti-psychotics or mood stabilisers — to treat his or her mental health condition.</li><li>Some children benefit from a combination of approaches.</li></ul> Helping your mentally ill child:<ul><li>Your child needs your love and support. Talk to the doctor and adapt new ways to handle his/her illness.</li><li>Seek ways to relax and have fun with your child. Praise his or her strengths and abilities.</li><li>Consider seeking family counselling or the help of support groups, too. It's important for you and your loved ones to understand your child's illness and his or her feelings, as well as what all of you can do to help your child.</li><li>To help your child succeed in school, inform your child's teachers and the school counsellor that your child has a mental health condition.</li><li>If you're concerned about your child's mental health, seek advice. Don't avoid getting help for your child out of shame or fear.</li></ul>

It is necessary to pay as much attention to mental health as physical health. Treating mental health problems at the right time is important so that a child has a happy childhood.

Mental health of 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

A helicopter parent is a parent who pays extremely close attention to a child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they "hover overhead", overseeing every aspect of their child's life constantly. What does helicopter parenting look like? Helicopter parenting looks different at every stage in life. Whether it's standing over a teenager's shoulder as they do their homework or shadowing a younger child each time they ride their bike, helicopter parenting comes in many forms. Toddler<ul><li>trying to prevent every minor fall or avoiding risks</li><li>never allowing the child to play alone</li><li>Regularly Speak to school teacher/sir for performance and reports</li><li>not encouraging in developing and supporting their growth.</li></ul> Primary age&nbsp;<ul><li>speaking with school administrators to make sure the child has a specific teacher because they are perceived as the best</li><li>choosing a child's friends for them</li><li>enrolling them in activities without their input</li><li>completing homework and school projects for your child</li><li>refusing to let the child solve problems on their own</li></ul> Teen years and beyond<ul><li>not allowing your child to make age-appropriate choices</li><li>becoming overly involved in their academic work and extracurricular activities to shield them from failure or disappointment</li><li>contacting their college professor about poor grades</li><li>intervening in disagreements with their friends, co-workers, or employer</li></ul>&nbsp;Characteristics&nbsp;A helicopter parent is someone who is always hovering around his/her child – doing things that the child can do alone, taking care of problems the child can solve on his own and finishing the child's chores. It means micromanaging every aspect of your child's life and being over-involved in their lives, all in the name of love or care. <ol><li>Love –&nbsp;Love is the basic parental feeling that urges many helicopter parents. You love your child so much that you want to protect him or her from anything, even the tiniest bit negative and ensure they are kept out of harm's way. However, in that attempt, you end up giving excess attention to our child's life.</li><li>Need for control –&nbsp;Even if your child is growing older, you still tend to think of him or her as your baby and think you need to control every aspect of his or her life.</li><li>Information explosion –&nbsp;Like how you are doing now, these days, the Internet and other smart devices have no shortage of information on how to raise your child. You read too many of these articles that you want to make sure you get everything right every minute of every day for your child.</li><li>Anxiety –&nbsp;As a parent, if you are constantly anxious and second-guess every move you make, you tend to project these fears onto your child and get anxious about the child's safety and happiness as well.</li><li>Overcompensation –&nbsp;If you were not shown affection or love from your parents when you were a child, you tend to overcompensate for that loss and smother your kids with extra attention and care.</li><li>Changing World –&nbsp;The world is constantly changing and becoming more challenging and competitive. You get nervous about your child's future and think that without you every step of the way, they will never survive out there in the big, imperfect world.</li><li>Peer pressure –&nbsp;You see your friends and neighbours constantly fussing over their kids and feel the pressure to do so as well.</li></ol>&nbsp;Effects on ChildrenHelicopter parent can have adverse effects on both you and your child. Below are some of the effects of helicopter parenting: <ul><li>Lack of Physical fitness&nbsp;as the parent is overprotective</li><li>Frustration&nbsp;in a child due to over-involved in lives</li><li>Kids get lesser&nbsp;mental exercise Get spoil&nbsp;as a parent provide all facilities as per their demand</li><li>Have difficulty in social gathering due to a&nbsp;lack of social skills.</li><li>Dependent&nbsp;on parent&nbsp;</li><li>You end up having&nbsp;negative feelings&nbsp;all the time</li></ul> Pros of Helicopter ParentingIt seems that some people who have chosen to take part in this parenting style are happier than those who picked a different style. There are a few reasons why that could be the case. <ul><li>Happy environment -&nbsp;Helicopter parents are very strict, and they never let their children take part in things they do not know about. Perhaps they are happier simply because they always know where their children are, what they are doing, and who they are doing it with.</li><li>Reliable -&nbsp;Children who have really strict parents constantly pushing them to do their best usually grow up to become incredibly reliable.</li><li>Protection -&nbsp;Kids who always have their parents hovering over them seem to be less likely to get into any trouble when they are young. That is because their parents always seem to know what is going on as far as their kid goes.</li></ul> ﻿Cons of Helicopter ParentingParents who want to raise a confident child probably should not pick this style of parenting. These parents make their child feel bad about themselves if they are too critical, which is understandable. <ul><li>Self-confidence –&nbsp;Child is always dependent on their parents since childhood. This could make the child feel as though they will never be good enough. This kind of environment is not very likely to have much self-confidence.</li><li>Limited opportunities -&nbsp;It is often necessary for a child to fail and learn from their mistakes. Unfortunately, helicopter parenting limits children's ability to engage in this opportunity and control the child's opportunities.</li><li>Anxiety -&nbsp;The parenting technique can cause anxiety in a child. As parents were actively involved in their school work or created very structured environments during their youth, they were more likely to have depression and anxiety as adults and were less perseverant.</li></ul>

Helicopter parenting is often referred to as the over part in over-parenting. It involves excessive levels of involvement and control by parents in every aspect of their child's life constantly.

Helicopter Parenting

The only way to find your child’s interest is to spend time with your child.<ul><li>Be observant and keep an eye over his/her activities, emotions, feelings and excitement. Listen to them carefully whenever they talk.</li><li>Observe where and how they like to spend their time. What kind of company (s)he likes. What is that excites him/her while (s)he talks?</li><li>Once you have identified a few areas of their interest, you can ask them questions related to it. For example, if your child seems very excited while watching a movie nature, you may conclude (s)he likes something about nature. So then dive deep into their psyche, ask them what they particularly like about nature. If they say they like water or trees or birds, plan their activities around such elements.</li><li>Give your child time to explore, let them have real experiences. Let them have practical experience of more than one hobby or interest. Their regularity and their performance will be able to tell you what interests them and then ask them whether they would love to take it further.</li><li>Sometimes it so happens that a child is interested in something at the beginning but gradually loses interest as time passes by. In this situation, encourage them, praise them and push them. Ask them the reason behind their disinterest. Motivate them to continue but never force them too much. Know the difference between what is that they enjoy and what feels like a burden to them.</li></ul>Eventually, your child will stick to his/her passion if (s)he has your full support.

Knowing the interest of your child will help you guide your child better.

grandparenting parenting concerns

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

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Mental health of children

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Helicopter Parenting

Finding out your child’s interests

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