<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>

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

Handy Summer Care and Tips For Babies

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

Summer Precautions for Babies

It's just a few days to your child's birthday and you are wondering if everything will go according to your plan or not. Well, here are a few things you can prepare beforehand so that on your child's special day you are not busy with organising and execution and are able to spend quality time with your child: <ul><li>If you're calling your child's friends over, make all the calls at least 3 days prior and take the confirmations so you can make the arrangements accordingly.</li><li>If you are planning to get food from outside, call the catering people and make appropriate arrangements for the special day.</li><li>If you are going to plan an activity for children, get all the materials for the same and keep everything in one place so that you don't have to rush around for everything on the day of celebration.</li><li>Get a house help for the whole day to help you with the arrangements prior to the celebration and also to help you tidy up the place post the celebrations.</li><li>Make your child try on the clothes and footwear before their birthday so that if any changes are to be made, they can be done within time.</li><li>Wind up all your personal/professional work one day prior to your child's birthday so that you can give your undivided attention to your child.</li></ul> If you are confused as to what you can do to make your child's birthday fulfilling, take a look at our 'Birthday Celebration Ideas' article to get some ideas.

Don't fuss about the preparations on the day of the celebration of the child's birthday, instead, see what you can manage prior to the celebration to make the day less stressful.

Preparing for your childs Birthday

Don't fuss about the preparations on the day of the celebration of your child's birthday, instead, see what all you can manage prior to the celebration to make the day less stressful.

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

Children should be trained for swimming after the age of 4 years because that is when they are developmentally ready. Swimming Essentials to be kept handy while going swimming with your child:<ul><li>Swimming costume</li><li>Towel</li><li>Shampoo and Shower gel</li><li>Hair clips and bands</li><li>Swimming Cap</li><li>Goggles (Swimming Glasses)</li><li>Armbands</li><li>Swim nappies (if required)</li><li>Tan lotion</li></ul> Children are often quite excited about water, but do consider these water safety basics when you are in a pool with your child:<ul><li>Keep a continuous watch on kids; this is mandatory everywhere - in a bathtub or in a swimming pool.</li><li>Check the quality and strength of the tubes that your child is using.</li><li>Don’t be pushy. If the child is too scared, take them out of the water and try again later.</li><li>If the child is learning to swim, an adult should swim at arm’s length (close to the child).</li><li>Children should be away from the pool when adults are not around, never leave the child unsupervised.</li></ul>

Swimming pools can pose some danger so it's better to take precautions. Children should be trained for swimming and taken care of while about basic water safety rules.

Swimming Pool essentials for kids to make their pool time safe

Swimming pools can pose some danger so it's better to take proper precautions.

Safe Swimming Pool Essentials and Considerations for Children

<h2>Here are the quick tips on How to tell a joke to kids.</h2> <h2>Remember, Jokes aren’t funny unless you tell them in a funny way. Read on to know more quick tips.</h2> <ul><li>Believe in the joke you are telling - If you think it's funny, kids are more likely to agree.</li><li>Relax - If you feel awkward, so will the kids.</li><li>Vary your voice - Monotone speech makes the joke boring.</li><li>Signal the punchline - A little pause adds to the suspense.</li><li>If they don't laugh, give up - Desperation isn't funny.</li><li>Believe in the joke you are telling - If you think it's funny, kids are more likely to agree.</li></ul>

Jokes aren’t funny unless you tell it in a funny way. Read on to know more quick tips

How to tell a joke to children that makes them laugh

Jokes aren’t funny unless you tell it in a funny way. Read on to know more quick tips

Entomophobia is defined as the fear of insects; this type of phobia is focused on particular insect and not on situation or experience. It is not just about avoiding to see insects but the mere thought of insects creates anxiety. Causes:<ul><li>Developing the phobia from family, some of the family members could have experienced it in front of the child, for example a parent would have shouted in front of the child while seeing a cockroach/spider.</li><li>Traumatic brain injury in early years of age could be one of the possible reasons for anxiety and panic.</li><li>A traumatic experience during early years of childhood, for example the child would have a lizard fallen on his/her arm.</li></ul> Physical symptoms of phobia:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>Increased rate of heart beat</li><li>Trembling</li><li>Discomfort in speaking</li><li>Tightness in the chest</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Upset stomach</li><li>Numbness</li><li>Feeling dizzy or fainting</li><li>Nausea</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure Therapy: It is a method by which the child is deliberately set to experience the situation, phobic trigger until the panic attack passes away. “Imaginary exposure,” in which the child just thinks about ticks, may be the first step in therapy. Next, your child may be shown a cartoon picture of a tick, and then a photograph of an actual tick, and then a video of a tick. At last, your child might be exposed to an actual tick or bug. Keep your child close to you and assure them that they are safe with parents and the therapist around.</li><li>Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): The therapist of your child will help your child challenge their own thoughts about ticks. They will help your child write down the thought, look at it and think about it, and then replace it with a more appropriate thought - such as that there are ticks in the country, but not in this neighbourhood.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It's a treatment where your child will be exposed to computer simulations of insects. Getting the experience of an insect in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Modelling: In this method, the child sees other person facing the situation without fear and panic.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

Entomophobia is defined as the fear of insects.

Entomophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Aquaphobia is the fear experienced by seeing water, it can be small amount of water in the kitchen sink or a large body of water like ocean. It is not the amount but the water itself that leads to anxiety and fear.&nbsp;Aquaphobia is often mistaken for another phobia called hydrophobia. Even though they both involve water, aquaphobia and hydrophobia aren’t the same. Hydrophobia is an aversion to water that develops in humans during the later stages of rabies. Physical Symptoms:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>Trembling</li><li>Hot flushes or chills</li><li>Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing</li><li>A choking sensation</li><li>A rapid heartbeat</li><li>Tightness in the chest</li><li>Upset stomach</li><li>Headaches and dizziness</li><li>Feeling faint</li><li>Numbness or pins and needles</li><li>A dry mouth&nbsp;</li><li>A need to go to the toilet</li><li>Ringing your ears</li><li>Nausea</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Causes:Aquaphobia is often caused by a traumatic event during childhood, such as a near-drowning. Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure Therapy: During this type of therapy, your child will be repeatedly exposed to the source of the phobia — in this case, water. As (s)he is exposed to water, your child's therapist will keep track of his/her reactions, thoughts, feelings, and sensations in order to help him/her manage their anxiety. Mind well, that this method should only be used in the presence of a mental healthcare expert as these can trigger panic attacks or severe anxiety. In the later stages of this treatment, your child may decide to work with a specially trained swim instructor who can help him/her learn to feel comfortable with swimming.</li><li>Conditioning Therapy: With cognitive behavioral therapy, you’ll learn to challenge your thoughts and beliefs about your fear of water. As you learn to challenge your fears, you’ll also develop strategies to cope with those thought patterns and beliefs.</li><li>Modelling: In this method the child sees other person facing the situation without fear and panic.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It's a treatment where your child will be exposed to computer simulations of water bodies. Getting the experience of a water body in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

Aquaphobia is the fear experienced by seeing water.

Aquaphobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Claustrophobia is the fear of closed spaces. This can be experienced in an elevator, small rooms without window, caves, cellars, small closed cars and sometimes tight – neck covered clothing. If you know the child is claustrophobic do not tease the child in panic situations. Causes:Calustrophobia may be caused due to a traumatic event in early years of childhood. These event(s) could be:<ul><li>Child getting locked in dark room unable to find door</li><li>Child crawling into a hole and getting stuck</li><li>Child locked in a closet</li><li>Child left alone in car or van</li><li>Child with clautrophobic parent(s)</li><li>Child who was bullied or abused</li></ul> Triggers:People affected by claustrophobia will often go out of their way to avoid confined spaces, such as lifts, tunnels, tube trains and public toilets. But avoiding these places may reinforce the fear.Some people with claustrophobia experience mild anxiety when in a confined space, while others have severe anxiety or a panic attack. The most common experience is a feeling or fear of losing control. Some common triggers are:<ul><li>Lifts</li><li>Tunnels</li><li>Tube trains</li><li>Revolving doors</li><li>Public toilets</li><li>Cars with central locking</li><li>Car washes</li><li>Shop changing rooms</li><li>Hotel rooms with sealed windows</li><li>Planes</li></ul> Physical Symptoms:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>Trembling</li><li>Hot flushes or chills</li><li>Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing</li><li>A choking sensation</li><li>A rapid heartbeat</li><li>Tightness in the chest</li><li>Upset stomach</li><li>Headaches and dizziness</li><li>Feeling faint</li><li>Numbness or pins and needles</li><li>A dry mouth&nbsp;</li><li>A need to go to the toilet</li><li>Ringing your ears</li><li>Nausea</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure therapy: In this method, your child will be exposed to the situations that frighten him/her. This is done to help a child get over his/her fear. The situations that trigger the fear or phobia are gradually intensified. For example, at first, your child might be asked to just look at a photo of a tight space. Then, with the help of your child's therapist, your child will be worked up to being inside a tight space. Mind well, this method should be used in the presence of a mental healthcare expert as this can trigger intense panic attacks and anxiety.</li><li>Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): This is a type of talk therapy where your child can meet with a trained therapist one-on-one. The child will be encouraged to talk the negative thoughts that drive his/her fear and learn ways to overcome them. Your child may get CBT alone or combined with exposure therapy.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It's a treatment that uses computer simulations of tight spaces like elevators or MRI machines. Getting the experience of a tight space in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Modelling: In this method the child sees other person facing a closed space situation without any fear or panic.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

Claustrophobia is the fear of closed spaces.

Claustrophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. The child gets anxious and feels uncomfortable in front of a group. Early childhood experiences sometimes lead to glossophobia. Glossophobia is a subset of social phobia, the fear of social situations. Most people with glossophobia do not exhibit symptoms of other types of social phobia, such as fear of meeting new people or fear of performing tasks in front of others. In fact, many people with glossophobia are able to dance or sing on stage, provided they do not have to talk. Physical symptoms:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>High blood pressure</li><li>Increased heart rate</li><li>Dry mouth</li><li>Difficulty breathing</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Headache</li><li>Dilated pupils</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Causes:Negative experiences like child being judged, embarrassed, or rejected, or unpleasant situations like being given a report card in the class that didn’t go well, or a child being asked to give an unprepared presentation in class. Treatment:Reshaping negative thoughts in the child can help to treat glossophobia:<ul><li>Inculcate this thought in child’s mind “everyone can make mistakes and tend to forget while presenting”. “Failures are a path to success and it is fine if anyone fails”. Reassure your child about the fact that – “Everyone wants you to succeed”. Once you have identified fears, help your child to present or practice in small groups of family relatives or friends (not in a group of strangers).</li><li>Once the child is comfortable, encourage him/her to interact with strangers on a family outing or routine setups like interacting at a grocery store, park etc.</li></ul>

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking.

Glossophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Nyctophobia is when a child fears nighttime or darkness, this is one of the common childhood fears that progresses till adolescence. Fear of darkness or sleeping alone at night usually develops between 3 to 6 years (36 to 72 months) of age. At this age some of the common fears are:<ul><li>Monsters</li><li>Ghosts</li><li>Strange noises</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Looking at the anxiety or fear of a parent/caregiver could develop a phobia in a child.</li><li>Over protection by parents can also lead to anxiety when left alone or without parents (with other family members).</li><li>Late night negative experience, like an accident while travelling or injury can lead to anxiety and panic during long term.</li></ul> Physical symptoms:<ul><li>Sweating</li><li>Increased rate of heart beat</li><li>Trembling</li><li>Discomfort in speaking</li><li>Tightness in the chest</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Upset stomach</li><li>Numbness</li><li>Feeling dizzy or fainting</li><li>Nausea</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body</li><li>Fear of fainting</li><li>Fear of losing control</li><li>Fear of dying</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure therapy: This treatment exposes children to their fears repeatedly until the thing they fear, such as being in the dark, no longer triggers the feelings of anxiety or panic.</li><li>Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps children identify their feelings of anxiety and replace them with more positive or realistic thoughts with the help of a therapist. With nyctophobia, your child may be presented with information to show that being in the dark doesn’t necessarily lead to negative consequences.</li><li>Modelling: In this method the child sees other person facing the situation without fear and panic.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It's a treatment where your child will be exposed to computer simulations of dark places. Getting the experience of a dark place in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

Nyctophobia is when a child fears nighttime or darkness.

Nyctophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Acrophobia is the fear of heights that can cause anxiety and panic among children. Causes:<ul><li>Acrophobia is sometimes developed due to a traumatic experience in early years of a child’s life. Like falling from a great height, or closely watching someone from high place.</li><li>Acrophobia, can also develop without a known cause. In these cases, genetics or environmental factors may play a role.</li></ul> Physical symptoms:<ul><li>Increased sweating</li><li>Chest pain or tightness</li><li>Increased heartbeat</li><li>Nausea</li><li>Headache</li><li>Shaking and trembling</li><li>Feeling dizzy</li><li>Numbness</li><li>Shortness of breath</li><li>Upset stomach</li></ul> Psychological symptoms:<ul><li>Experiencing panic when the child sees high places</li><li>Child experiencing extreme fear of being trapped somewhere high up</li><li>Experiencing extreme anxiety and fear when the child has to climb stairs, look out a window, or drive along an overpass</li><li>Worrying excessively about encountering heights in the future</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>A mental health expert can diagnose phobia; keep a regular track of your child’s behaviour/health in particular situations and with objects.</li><li>Phobia diagnosis is based on diagnostic guidelines and a thorough clinical interview. If you feel that your child has a phobia, take him/her to a healthcare expert. Your child's doctor will either ask you or your child about the symptoms. The doctor might also take a medical, psychiatric, and family history.</li><li>Your child's doctor might also use the diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Exposure therapy: In this type of therapy, your child will work with a therapist to slowly expose himself/herself to what (s)he is afraid of. For acrophobia, your child might start by looking at the pictures from the point of view of someone inside a tall building. The therapist might make your child watch video clips of people crossing tightropes, climbing, or crossing narrow bridges. Eventually, your child will progress and might go out onto a balcony or use a stepladder.</li><li>Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): In CBT, you child will work with a therapist to challenge and reframe negative thoughts about heights. This approach may still include a bit of exposure to heights, but this is generally only done within the safe setting of a therapy session.</li><li>Virtual reality (VR): It is a treatment where your child will be exposed to computer simulations of heights. Getting the experience of a heighted place in the virtual world can help your child get over his/her fear in a setting that feels safe.</li><li>Modelling: In this method, the child sees other person facing the situation without fear and panic.</li><li>Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants (prescribed by a doctor) can be helpful along with the above treatments.</li></ul>

Acrophobia is the fear of heights that can cause anxiety and panic among children.

phobia types parenting concerns

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

Entomophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Aquaphobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Claustrophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Glossophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Nyctophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

Acrophobia - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

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