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.

A few things said in haste messes up a child's brain and have a considerable impact psychologically, like low self-confidence, self-doubt, anxiety, depression, and so much more. Throughout your parenting journey, make sure you are not saying things or acting out in a way that could damage your child(ren) mentally. Sometimes parents are not aware that their actions affect their child(ren) negatively, and sometimes parents overlook it and justify their bad behaviour due to their stress. Here are a few practices which you should avoid telling your child(ren): Pick these up right now. I don't want you leaving a mess like that again.Instead, say:&nbsp;I don't like this mess you are leaving. Can you please clean this up when you have time? You should know better.Instead, say:&nbsp;It's OK not to know some things. Here, I will help you out. You're a bad kid.Instead, say:&nbsp;Can you tell me why you behaved/acted in such a way? I feel it wasn't right, is there anything you want to talk about? Or Else.&nbsp;Example: Eat dinner, or else you won't get your dessert.Instead, say:&nbsp;How about you take a healthy dinner quickly so that we can all enjoy dessert together?&nbsp; Stop being shy.Instead, say:&nbsp;You can come to say hi to your aunt when you are ready. You should set a good example for your brother.Instead, say:&nbsp;Your brother looks up to you; you're such a good role model. Wait until your father/mother gets home.Instead, say:&nbsp;You're grounded because you said a bad word. I will never forgive you.Instead, say:&nbsp;What you did was not acceptable, but we can look past it and move on if you think the next time. I'm ashamed of you.Instead, say:&nbsp;Although I feel bad about what you did, I love you for who you are. Don't worry; everything will be OK.Instead, say:&nbsp;Mom and Dad are always nearby, and we're going to set up a plan in case of emergency. Here, I'll do it.Instead, say:&nbsp;Let's do it together!" Don't cryInstead, say:&nbsp;I know you're sad, and it's OK to cry. It's OK to let out your emotions. Let me hug you. If you don't clean your room, you're going to be in big trouble.Instead, say:&nbsp;When your room is clean, then you may go out to play. Family finances aren't your business.Instead, say:&nbsp;Finances are how we make and manage money, and when you like, we will teach you what we know. I'm disappointed in you.Instead, say:&nbsp;I'm surprised and was not expecting this to occur. Come here, NOW.Instead, say:&nbsp;It's almost time to go. Do you want one minute or two? Because I said so.Instead, say:&nbsp;Explaining why you feel a certain way about something. We can't afford that.Instead, say:&nbsp;We're not going to buy that because we're saving our money for more important things. Don't talk to strangers.Instead, say:&nbsp;What would you do if a man you don't know offers you candy and a ride home? OR If anyone makes you feel sad, scared, or confused, you need to tell me right away. You should listen to adults.Instead, say:&nbsp;You need to listen to your parents. Don't be greedy!Instead, say:&nbsp;Would you please be kind and share your toys with your friend? Who taught you this? (about mischief)Instead, say:&nbsp;Why did you do that? Look at this lovely girl.Instead, say:&nbsp;I love you. You can do this too. I do everything for you.Instead, say:&nbsp;We do things for you because we love you, so please do for me. Do I have to tell you this 100 times?Instead, say:&nbsp;I've told you this before, but could you please. That's only for boys/girls.Instead:&nbsp;Say nothing at all. Try your best at raising gender-neutral children. You live under my roof, so you follow my rules.Instead, say:&nbsp;You know the household rules. Please stick to them. That's how I was raised.Instead, say:&nbsp;I don't think it's a good idea to do [ ]. Even my parents used to tell me that [ ]. You're just like your mother/father!Instead say:&nbsp;I’m not happy with [ ] because [ ]. I told you so.Instead, say:&nbsp;I'm sorry to hear about [ ] ... let this be a lesson. It's just a little white lie.Instead, explain to them that it's OK to use white lies to be polite and not hurt someone's feelings. Explain to them the fine line between lies and little white lies. Man up. / Be a man.Never disregard your son's feelings. Don't teach them that showing emotions is weak. To show emotions is only human. Why can't you be more like your sister?Instead, say:&nbsp;I don't quite like this behaviour of yours. Do you think we can work on it? If you loved me, you wouldn't do (this/that).Don't teach them that love needs to be proven all the time. Love comes without ifs and buts. I wish you'd never been born. / I hate you.No matter how angry you are, this is the worst thing to say. You would be scarring your child. Why can't you do anything right?Instead, say: What's the barrier? Is there anything I can help you with? I don't believe you.Instead, say: This comes as a shock for me. But I am sure you can tell me the whole thing. There's nothing to be afraid of.Instead, say:&nbsp;Everyone has their fair share of fears. We appreciate that you shared your feelings with us. We promise we will work on this together. You're lazy/stupid/selfish.Never label your child. Never. Your friends don't do that.Comparison will never bring any positive change. Accept your child for who they are and appreciate them. You should have done better.Praise them for their achievement. Do not over expect. You don't know what you're talking about. / You're too young to know what you want.Often children know what they want or how they feel. Saying this will show your distrust in their feelings. You'll never be able to do that.Instead, encourage and push your child to do better, of course, without any comparison. You're so fat/skinny, or You're going to get fat/skinny.Never attribute a child's identity to their looks. You make me so mad.Calm your anger down, and then talk to your child(ren).&nbsp;Instead, say:&nbsp;We will talk about this after a while when I am in the right state of my mind. Impact of such phrases on children:<ol><li>Antisocial behaviour</li><li>Poor resilience</li><li>Depression</li><li>Aggression</li><li>Lack of empathy</li><li>Difficulty in relationships</li><li>Self-doubt</li><li>Lack of self-confidence</li><li>Anxiety</li></ol>

A few things said in haste messes up a child's brain and have a considerable impact psychologically, like low self-confidence, self-doubt, anxiety and so on

Speaking Gently: Things you should never say to your child

A few things said in haste messes up a child’s brain and have a huge impact psychologically.

Things You Should Never Say to Your Child

If your child is laughing without any specific reason or if (s)he is talking, crying or staying silent way too much without any understandable reason, this might indicate that your child is unable to understand what is going on in a particular situation. When children have insecurity of being judged as someone who cannot gauge what is going around in his/her space, they react in a way in which people around them are not able to catch the fact that the child is not understanding anything happening around him/her. From the child’s perspective, (s)he feels, "Come on! I don’t get it. Why do you want me to understand everything”. They choose not to be vocal about how they feel. So they keep reacting in odd ways. Sometimes children are scared and think "If I go say that I don’t understand this and ask again, my parents will get angry and scold me.” You need to analyse the scenarios in which your child laughs too much. Ask you this question - Is this situation particularly funny and laughable or is my child just acting oddly because of (s)he lacks understanding of the situation? If you feel that your child lacks understanding, talk to them in private and ensure them that you are there to understand them and not mock them or be angry at them. Reassure them that if they don't feel right about anything, they can come to you and talk to you; there will be no judgements. If things are out of control and you cannot help manage your child's behaviour, you should consult a child psychologist who can help you solve this problem by taking steps in the right direction.

Pay attention to the situations in which your child laughs too much; this will help you to understand the problem better.

When a child laughs too much

Pay attention to the situations in which your child laughs too much; this will help you to understand the problem better.

It's time to get creative and know that your children will remember the fun, no matter what you end up doing.&nbsp; <ul><li>Balloon Balloon:</li></ul>Kids love balloons so wake them to lots of balloons. Stand over the bed and shower them with a laundry basket full of balloons and pieces of curled ribbon. Or scatter balloons in their room after they've fallen asleep the night before so they wake up to a sea of colour.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/birthday-balloons-in-room-2.jpg_image_1637134022133.jpg" width="309" style="cursor: nesw-resize;"> <ul><li>Make a Paper Crown:</li></ul>Decorative paper, scissors, and a small piece of tape are all you need to craft a cute crown for your birthday king or queen. Sticking with the royal theme, let your child choose a title or name they'd like to be called for the day.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/papercrown-main.jpg_image_1637134039436.jpg" width="310" style=""> <ul><li>Dress in their Favourite Colour:</li></ul>Favourite colours are a big deal to kids. The whole family dressing in their favourite colour is a beautiful sight to smile for them.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/photo-1511348547654-09ef00c65feb.jfif_image_1637142205348.jfif" width="312" style=""> <ul><li>Let them Decorate the Cake:</li></ul>Make a cake or buy one and allow your child to do the decoration. They can include their older siblings and do the teamwork. Provide them with chocolate chips, icing sugar, colourful gems, whipped cream. They would enjoy it so much.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/toddler-decorating-cake.jpg_image_1637134398150.jpg" width="313" style=""> <ul><li>Treasure Hunt:</li></ul>Play treasure hunt with them. You can hide their gifts in different places and leave clues for them to search for it. It's always fun to figure out riddles and clues.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/1155287281-1024x700.jpg_image_1637134817639.jpg" width="312" style=""> <ul><li>Watch their Favourite Movie:</li></ul>Kids love to watch their favourite movie again and again. Fix some time and all the family and friends&nbsp;can have a small get-together followed by a movie night. You all can book a mini theatre and have more fun.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/homes_outdoor_theaters_02474.jpg-df9a7-1226x0-c-default.jpg_image_1637135064640.jpg" width="313"><ul><li>Size Them Up:</li></ul>Each year, mark their height on the wall, take their hand-prints or take a photo in the same spot so you can see how much they grow and change each year.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/74e1c2f084a4a242417979fab7d0f59a.jpg_image_1637138211985.jpg" width="105" style=""><img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/img_1974.jpg_image_1637138084741.jpg" width="212" style=""> <ul><li>Gift Hamper:</li></ul>Give a birthday gift hamper with all the little things the child has ever asked for once in a while, like some small toy, pencil, stopwatch, globe or some book of their favourite character. Sometimes picking up little things they told you once makes them happier and they feel heard and very special.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/adobestock_85273473.jpeg_image_1637141848847.jpeg" width="309" style=""><ul><li>Decorate with Pictures:</li></ul>Fill a wall or a sheet of poster board with some of your favourite photos of the birthday kid from birth to present day, or just from the past year.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/birthday-party-decoration-500x500.jpeg_image_1637138745386.jpeg" width="307" style=""><ul><li>Write and Give Letters:</li></ul>Write an annual birthday letter to your child highlighting special moments and milestones from the year. You can also write letters to your child throughout the year and gift them together on his birthday. The letters may have funny interesting incidents and events. There are so many fun things you can do together with your child to make their birthday special. And enjoy to the fullest.<img src="https://bee-assets-production.s3.amazonaws.com/image/1200-173940516-child-giving-card.jpg_image_1637139010443.jpg" width="306"> Shower them with lots and lots of Love.

It's time to get creative and know that your children will remember the fun, no matter what you end up doing. Start with creative decorations, balloons, gifts, cake designs, and party games.

Creative Birthday Celebration Ideas for Children

Your child's birthday is special not just for your child but for you as well. Try keeping it minimal but yet full of memories.﻿

<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

Palak Vyas

Whenever you dress or undress your baby, make sure you select a warm room which is comfortable and a soft and a spacious surface like a bed to lay your baby down. <ul><li>If you are dressing your child just after a bath, apply lotion, cream or talcum powder as per the season.</li><li>Start with putting the nappy or diaper on your baby.</li><li>Dress your infant baby in a number of clothes you are wearing plus one more. That should work for most of the babies.</li><li>During winters, dress your baby in layers. If required, you can easily remove the layers one by one.</li><li>While you dress/undress your baby try talking or singing to them to distract them from any discomfort they may have while you are dressing them.</li><li>The whole time, be careful about baby’s neck and head.</li><li>If you are dressing your baby in a jumpsuit, unbutton or unzip it first and then put it below the baby to dress him/her.</li></ul>

It can be difficult to dress up your little baby as they are constantly moving about. Keep you calm while doing so.

Dressing your infant

Dr Ajab Primuswala

<ul><li>Stealing is something which a child does out of curiosity.</li><li>May be the child is picking up just simple things like stationery which is very attractive to them. They don’t know what stealing is but if they like something, they pick it up and keep it for themselves. They don’t understand that the particular thing is not possessed by them so they cannot take it home.</li><li>If you find some unknown objects in their bag, just simply go and ask them about where did they get it from. If they say it was one of their classmates’ or if they start giving any explanations, make them sit and talk to them in a very calm manner.</li><li>Do not get aggressive and scold them. Instead tell them, “It does not belong to you. If it does not belong to you, you cannot bring it home. If you need anything of this sort, you come home and ask us, we will get it for you. Don’t make it a habit of picking up things from wherever you like.”</li><li>Stealing is a concept which we understand. As a young child, they don’t understand this; it is just a simple behaviour where they feel, they just liked something and took it away. They do not understand the concept that this doesn’t belong to me or how can I take when it is somebody else’s thing. Be verbal, make them understand and explain to them what stealing is and what are the consequences of stealing.</li><li>For example, explain to them that if they continue with stealing as a habit even after growing up, they might end up in jail.</li><li>This is just making them learn about what exactly they are doing is not a behaviour which is socially acceptable and is considered to be wrong.</li><li>Don’t start getting aggressive on them without explaining. If it becomes a continuous behaviour even after explaining, then you need to get it checked that what pleasure they are getting out of this habit.</li><li>Keep a check on your child if this turns out to be a continuous habit. Make them understand that they will have to face consequences because of this. Do not tell them that they will be punished but for example, if the child has picked up something from someone, make it a point that they go to that person, return the thing in their hand the next day and apologise for the same.</li><li>This will make them realise that this is something they cannot do however hard they like it.</li><li>Children learn what is appropriate and what is not through proper guidance. If any action or behaviour is appropriate, (s)he will be appreciated and would be found guilty for inappropriate action.</li></ul>

Children do not understand the concept of "stealing" so instead of dealing with this situation using your anger, it is better to sit with your child and make him/her understand why they should not be doing this.

Dealing with child's habit of stealing things

Today your child might just have asked about next door kid’s toys but tomorrow (s)he might have many questions like “Why can some people go on foreign trips and why can’t we?”. “Why does that boy have such an expensive suit and I don't have it? In short, you will have to give him/her some idea about money and money matters. When you start any conversation on wealth with your child, you should start with the concept of budgeting. Give them at least a rough idea about savings and family values regarding money. Showing them a larger picture will enable them to understand whatever you will explain to them further.While you are talking about money, indirectly you are teaching them about their relationship with money. So don’t sound judgemental, bragging, jealous or envious while talking about wealth. Keep all your notions aside and give them plain information and leave it up to them to analyse and come to conclusions. Explain money in a straight and plain manner. You can tell them that some people are born rich (hereditary wealth), some people have just what they need, whereas there are some whose basic needs are not met. There are people who work very hard but they are not paid enough. It is neither easy to understand nor is it fair. You too can show your confusion over wealth distribution. You can also explain to them that it also depends on how the family decides to spend. It depends on an individual and their preferences and passion about where they want to spend money. You can teach your child to appreciate what they have instead of thinking about things they can’t have. This is very difficult even for an adult but the more you emphasise on teaching appreciation, eventually, your child learns to do so.

It is difficult to talk about money matters with children but it must be done.

Talking about money matters with children

Clothing for a baby should be such that the baby is able to sleep hassle freeIn winters:<ul><li>Use thermal wear.</li><li>Do not use cotton clothes as they aren’t effective against cold.</li><li>For a newborn baby, swaddle with a warm blanket till 2 months.</li><li>Dress your child in a bodysuit. You can layer up with pants and top.</li><li>Put on soft warm socks for tiny toes.</li><li>Go for zip ups. So if it gets warmer you can take off easily.</li></ul> In summers:<ul><li>Use organic cotton muslin quilt to cover them while they sleep.</li><li>Fabric like fleece, cotton or flannel can be used.</li><li>Smooth cotton tops with short sleeves and pyjamas are enough.</li><li>In very hot weather only a diaper/cotton underwear is fine.</li></ul>Each one of us have different capacities to bear hot and cold temperatures so make sure to keep checking till you get an idea about your baby’s tendency. Check whether (s)he is fine with layering up or is (s)he okay with just a diaper. Soon you will know how to dress&nbsp;your own baby depending upon his/her comfort and requirements.

Choose sleepwear in a way that the baby sleeps hassle free and wakes up with a smile.

Sleepwear tips for babies

While buying a crib for your child, keep the following things in mind: <ol><li>The crib should not have drop-side rails, which means it should have fixed side rails. The cribs with drop-side rails have been banned because infants get trapped or strangulated in the side space of the drop-side rail.</li><li>The next important safety measure is to check the slat distance. The safe distance between slats is 6 cm. This distance protects the infant from falling out and trapping their heads between the slats.</li><li>Buy a crib that has the firmest mattress. Check it yourself. Soft mattresses increase the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).</li><li>Ensure that there is no extra space between the mattress and a crib to avoid baby from sliding. So the mattress should fit in properly.</li><li>The corner posts should be at the right height that is over 16 inches. In case if you are using a used crib from family or friends make sure to look for its condition and fittings and in any case, it should not be older than 10 years.</li><li>Always place your baby on his/her back to sleep.</li><li>Keep checking all the screws and hardware regularly and tighten them if needed.</li><li>Do not put anything extra in the crib like soft toys, extra mattresses, comforters or anything. This can cause your baby to suffocate.</li><li>Whenever you are placing your baby in the crib, see that (s)he is not wearing any bib or neck-piece as it may strangulate the baby.</li><li>Keep a vigilant eye over your baby when (s)he is in the crib, do not leave the baby unattended for longer duration.</li></ol>

A crib or a cot is a small bed especially designed for infants and very young children.

Selecting a crib for your baby

Juhi Mishra

The school years (most importantly the preschool years) are the most important years in a child’s life. These years lay the foundation of an individual’s personality. The school years affect the learning style of an individual. It is very important for a child to be in school and around teachers who nurture the growth of the child and let the child BE. Following are the points which need to be considered while selecting a school for your child: <ol><li>Distance: The school should be close enough to the house so that the child does not have to spend more than half an hour travelling one way.</li><li>Age: The school should be following the correct age criteria for admission. Especially for preschools, the child should be 2+ for playgroup, 3+ for nursery, 4+ for Jr. KG, 5+ for Sr. KG and accordingly. By the time the child is 6+, s/he is ready to be in grade 1. It is not advisable for the parents to save 1 year while seeking admissions in the school. The child is ready to learn better if the age of the child is appropriate for that grade.</li><li>Child centric curriculum: Look for the curriculum, which should be child centric. The way the curriculum is imparted in the school. The school should be respectful towards the individuality of a child. Also, if the school works closely with the parents for the betterment of the child, it is an added advantage.</li><li>Fee and infrastructure: Though it is suggested to select a school that fits the budget, but it is also advisable to check if the fees being paid is utilised appropriately. It is better to ask these questions beforehand: If the fee is too low, are the teachers appointed not qualified enough? If the fee is too high, how is it being utilised? Is the school just focusing on building fancy infrastructure? Is the school focusing on teacher training and development programs? Is the basic infrastructure in place (toilets, learning resources, etc.)?</li><li>Teachers: The adults who would be in the child’s environment should be qualified enough to impart the knowledge.</li><li>No-judgement environment: It is better to talk with parents who are already sending their children to a particular school. This is to check if the children are judged as per the performance/ behaviour/ background of&nbsp;child. The children in their growing years do not need any kind of labels: brilliant, poor, intelligent, dumb, etc. Any label (good or bad) is not helpful in a child’ early years. One needs to be sure that children are not shouted at or physically assaulted in the school.</li><li>Safety: It is very important that the school takes care of the safety of a child. The staff should be reliable and their background has been checked, is of utmost priority. The place should be such that the opportunities to get hurt are less (though certain incidents are unavoidable). There should be CCTV cameras all around (except the toilet booths). But, it is also very important that parents are not given the access to live streaming of the cameras (as one never knows the intention with which any one may look at any child while going through the live streaming).</li><li>Interview for the child and the parents: If the school interviews the child (especially preschools) to check the level of the child or if the school interviews the parents (to see if they will be able to help the child at home), such a school should be avoided. The school should be confident enough to impart education in a way that all children are happy learning.</li><li>Cleanliness: It is very important that the environment in which the child is going to spend a lot of time is hygienic enough. The school should not be having breeding grounds for insects, dust coated furniture and fixtures, dirty toilets, smelly rooms, damaged doors and windows, etc. Cleanliness is of paramount as the place where the child is going to spend his/ her time should not affect the health of the child.</li></ol>

The school years (most importantly the preschool years) are the most important years in a child’s life. These years lay the foundation of an individual’s personality.

Preschool Selection

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

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

Following measures can be taken to make your travel happy and comfortable: <ul><li>Confirm the train timings: Whether it is going to be late or not. This is to make sure that you won’t have to wait long hours with the baby on the station.</li><li>Carry a fold-able baby cot: Infants usually sleep a lot. So carrying a fold-able baby cot is a wise decision. It occupies less space and you don’t have to carry the child in your lap all through the journey. They too can have a comfortable sleep.</li><li>Carry an extra baby bag: This may seem extra baggage but it’s easy and comfortable to have a separate bag for baby’s belongings. That small bag can include diapers, baby wipes, cream, soft blanket, towels, sanitiser, milk powder, thermos with warm water, hairbrush , a mattress for the cot, feeding bottle, medicines and other such essential things for baby. Don’t forget to put your baby’s favourite toy and a water bottle.</li><li>Medicines: Please carry emergency medicines for fever, colic, stuffy nose, and nausea. Gastric pain is very common in babies so if your baby has been prescribed special medication take it along without fail.</li><li>Comfortable seat: Try and book lower berth so your baby can easily play and there are less chances of falling. Look for any sharp edges or such objects around that can hurt your child while playing.</li><li>Carry your baby’s food: You can prepare his/her favourite food for the journey. Try to keep food light and easy on your child’s stomach.</li><li>Avoid travelling with a baby who is less than 3 months old because they are easily prone to infections.</li></ul>

Travelling by train with a child can be tricky. The key is to be all prepared before boarding the train.

piercing parenting concerns

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

Dressing your infant

Dealing with child's habit of stealing things

Talking about money matters with children

Sleepwear tips for babies

Selecting a crib for your baby

Preschool Selection

Managing sibling insecurity

Guidelines to choose shoes for babies

Travelling with a child in train

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