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

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

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.﻿

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.

Many children are particular about not sharing their toys with others. This is because toys are the only things which they feel is their possession. And as they feel it’s their possession, they tend to not share them with people they do not know. They are reluctant to share their toys with unknown people because they are worried if someone might break them. Such a tendency is normal. But you can always teach them that sharing is caring. Help them understand that sharing is the first step towards new friendships. If your child does not share his/her toys even with the ones they know and trust, try to talk to them and understand the reason behind that. Explain to them that it is alright to share personal toys with the people they trust. If they share theirs, their friends will also share toys. This will result in more toys and more enjoyment. Do not force them to share their toys. They will take time and it is okay. Do not negatively inculcate anything in them. For example, never say “if you don’t share your toys, we will not buy more for you”.

Most kids are possessive by nature. Observe carefully where there possession ends.

Child does not share toys

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

Ravina Sewani

Children have a more delicate skin than adults so burns and scalds affect them severely. Burns and scalds are not the same. Burns are caused by dry heat, for example, by an iron or fire. Scalds, on the other hand, are caused by wet heat, for example, hot water or steam. Burns and scalds cause:<ul><li>Red or peeling skin</li><li>Blisters</li><li>Swelling</li><li>White or charred skin&nbsp;</li></ul> Burns are of 3 levels - first, second, and third degree burns:<ul><li>First degree burns are mild causing pain and reddening of the skin. Second degree burns cause redness, swelling, pain, and blistering. Third degree burns cause white, blackened, or charred skin that may be numb.</li><li>First degree burns can be treated at home. Second and third degree burns need medical attention immediately.</li></ul> A few things to keep in mind before treating burns at home:<ul><li>If the source of the burn is electrical, do not touch your child. First turn off the switch.</li><li>If the source of the burn is anything hot or due to any chemical, remove the agent and run cool water over the burn.</li><li>If your child's clothing is on fire, make them stop running, cover their face, drop them to the floor, and extinguish the fire with a blanket. If your child is old enough to understand instructions, ask them to stop walking/running, cover their face with their hands, drop to the floor, and roll on the floor to put the fire out.</li></ul> Treating burns and scalds at home:<ul><li>Soak the burn in cool (not cold) water for at least 15 minutes. Do not use ice.</li><li>If there is any clothing attached with the burn, do not peel it. Cut the extra clothing around it.</li><li>Cover the burn using a clean cloth or an antibiotic ointment.</li><li>Do not pop any blisters.</li><li>If your child is experiencing pain, ask your child's paediatrician to prescribe medication for the pain.</li></ul> Preventing burns:<ul><li>Kids are curious by nature so it is up to parents to take proper precautions which will prevent injuries from burns and scalds. Here are a few things to keep in mind:</li><li>Keep the water temperature for bathing young children between 37 to 38 C.</li><li>Do not leave kids unsupervised in the bathroom or kitchen.</li><li>Keep hot drinks and handles out of reach of children.</li><li>Never carry hot things when holding children.</li></ul> Call the doctor if:<ul><li>The burned area is charred or white.</li><li>Electric shock or chemicals caused the burn.</li><li>The burn is on the face, hands, feet, genitals, or a joint.</li><li>The burn covers 10% or more of the body.</li></ul>

Children have a more delicate skin than adults so burns and scalds affect them severely.

Burns and Scalds

Palak Vyas

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

Digital addiction is an impulse control disorder that involves the obsessive use of devices/screens despite the adverse effects on the user. Children, especially between the age of 2 to 10 years of age, do not know that excessive screen time has adverse effects on them. Hence, we cannot claim that our children have digital addiction. Addiction, in general, is when an individual knows that something harms them, yet they cannot stop themselves from doing/using that particular thing. Kids use screens for entertainment. When they look at a screen, a hormone called "dopamine" is released in their body.&nbsp;Dopamine is also called a "feel good" hormone. Not going very deep into scientific know-hows, long story short, if we can replace our kids' screen time which excites them and keeps them occupied or entertained equally as screens do, we can effectively reduce the screen time in our children. How is much screen time OK for a child?<ul><li>According to World Health Organisation (WHO), children below 18 months should not be exposed to any screens (TV/mobile/tablet/laptop) at all except talking to parents/grandparents over a video call.</li><li>Children between the age of 18 to 24 months can enjoy screen time only when accompanied by a parent or a caregiver. This screen time should be quality screen time and limited to 20-30 minutes a day.</li><li>Children between 2 to 5 years should be limited to 1 hour of screen time in a day. A parent or a caregiver should monitor this screen time.</li></ul> Identify in which situation is your child exposed to screens?&nbsp;Following are the scenarios in which children turn to screens:<ol><li>While eating</li><li>Outdoors, for example - at restaurants</li><li>During social gathering or when guests are home</li><li>Before sleep</li><li>When a parent is busy in work</li><li>Grandparent hands it over</li></ol> Tackling the above scenarios: While eating:<ul><li>Gradually decrease the frequency of using screens. If you suddenly take away their phones, the child might throw many tantrums.</li><li>No family member should watch TV/mobile/laptop while eating.</li><li>Replace screens with big picture books, preferably of food. This will develop their interest in the kind of food they are eating.</li><li>Tell them a story.</li><li>Have a meal talk - talk to them about the food on their plate, food smell, colour, and taste.</li><li>Appreciate them at the food table when they finish the food on their plate or try out a new vegetable/dish for the First Time.</li><li>Bring no negative vibes at the food table.</li><li>Make sure the entire family eats together. This way, you can talk among each other, and the child would not find the need to look at a screen.</li></ul> After two and half years of age, children should eat on their plate with the entire family. When you are eating with your child, do not use screens. If you do, then please acknowledge and apologise for the same. Outdoors, for example - at restaurants:<ul><li>Carry cube or any favourite toy</li><li>Involve in talk &amp; meaning entire conversation</li><li>Mental preparation &amp; clear communication</li><li>Scribbling &amp; take along a water book with a paintbrush</li><li>Feel the menu card</li><li>Feel of ambience</li></ul> During social gathering or when guests are home:<ul><li>Send them for outdoor play.</li><li>Accompany with grandparents.</li><li>Clear communication &amp; expected behaviour talk.</li><li>Activities (Worksheet) appreciate for good behaviour.</li></ul> Before sleep:<ul><li>Replace the screen with:</li><li>Bedtime stories</li><li>Recite verses, play soft music, meditate, or sing them a lullaby</li><li>Sleep talk regime - Decide</li><li>Sharing Time</li></ul> When a parent is busy at work:<ul><li>Involve the child in household activities like taking out peas from pea pods, setting the table up for meals, cleaning their room, watering the plants. These activities will keep them away from phones and also instil motor skills, emotional skills in your child.</li><li>Call your child's friends to play at home.</li></ul> Grandparents hand it over:<ul><li>Both the parents should talk to the grandparents to set family rules regarding the use of TV/phones/laptops.</li><li>Discuss limits and boundaries as a family that apply to everyone in the house. Decide how much time is acceptable to use screens when at home.</li><li>No screens on the dining table or before sleeping.</li></ul> Effects of excessive screen time on children:<ul><li>Obesity</li><li>Irregular sleep schedules and shorter duration of sleep</li><li>Behavioural problems</li><li>Loss of social skills</li><li>Violence</li><li>Less Time for play</li></ul> How can we reduce our dependence on electronic babysitters and find a balance between sanity and screen Time? Here are few tips for you to try at your home: Set Strict Time Limits: When you introduce the privilege of screen time, set strict time limits – and stick to them. Parents become addicted to the easy tech breaks just as much as kids get addicted to the entertainment, so this is a challenge for both of you. Embrace Boredom:&nbsp;Remember that boredom is not a disease that needs to be cured. Boredom is healthy, and kids need to experience it as part of their routine developmental process to learn how to fill and manage their Time efficiently. Boredom also fosters creativity and imagination. Encourage Time Outside: Nothing sparks a child's imagination like Time outdoors. Take your child to the park and watch them play in the sand and on rides for hours. Walk in the woods and let them discover how sticks and rocks make better toys than screens. Send them out into the backyard and see how they entertain themselves with simple pretend play. Screen time won't even cross your kids' minds when they are outside enjoying themselves. Insist On Daily Quiet Time: You need your sanity, and it is possible to get it without using electronics. Insist that your children have a daily "quiet time" for 1.5 to 2 hours each day. If they are past the napping age, suggest that they look at books in their room or play quietly and independently with toys. While it might not feel blissful the first day, you institute your new quiet time policy if you are firm with your expectations. This will then become a time that they look forward to every day. Explore Audiobooks: You do not have to give up electronics when you give up screens ultimately. Audiobooks are great – especially for children who can't read well on their own yet – and allow children's imaginations to run wild while keeping them entertained. Following little pointers will also go a long way:<ul><li>Use parental controls to block or filter internet content.</li><li>When watching programming with your child, please discuss what you're watching and educate him or her about advertising and commercials.</li><li>Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week.</li><li>Discourage the use of media entertainment during homework.</li><li>Keep screens out of your child's bedroom.</li><li>Limit your own screen time.</li><li>Eliminate background TV.</li></ul> Remember, the goal is not just to take away the screens from children but also to replace screens with something which helps them develop their intellectual, social, behavioural, emotional, and motor skills.

In today's era, almost all parents face the problem of "Digital Addiction" in children. One question to ponder upon though is, "Who introduced them to screens and why?" While you figure out the answer to this question, let's have a look at what digital addiction is.

All about Digital Addiction in Child

Choking is caused due to an object — usually food or a toy — getting stuck in the airway. Because of this, the air can't flow normally into or out of the lungs, so the child can't breathe properly. Most of the time, the food or object only partially blocks the trachea, which gets removed by the coughing and breathing returns to normal quickly.&nbsp;It's best to do nothing. Watch the child carefully and make sure he or she recovers completely. The child will likely be fine after a good coughing spell. Don't reach into the mouth to grab the object or even pat the child on the back. Either of these steps could push the object farther down the airway and make the situation worse. Stay with the child and remain calm until the episode passes. Sometimes, an object completely blocks the airway. If airflow into and out of the lungs is blocked and the brain is deprived of oxygen, choking can become a life-threatening emergency. A child may need immediate medical help if (s)he:<ul><li>Can't breathe</li><li>Is gasping or wheezing</li><li>Can't talk, cry, or make noise</li><li>Turns blue</li><li>Grabs at his or her throat or waves arms</li><li>Appears panicked</li><li>Becomes limp or unconscious</li></ul> Until the help arrives:<ul><li>In these cases, if you've been trained, immediately start abdominal thrusts, the standard rescue procedure for choking.</li><li>Start CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) right away, if you've been trained in it. If you can see the object in mouth, only then remove the object.</li><li>If you have not been trained, and no one else is available who has been, wait until help arrives.</li></ul> Prevention:<ul><li>All kids are at risk for choking, but those younger than 3 are especially at risk. Young kids tend to put things in their mouths, have smaller airways that are easily blocked, and don't have a lot of experience chewing, so they might swallow things whole.&nbsp;</li><li>Avoid foods that pose choking risks.</li><li>At mealtime, be sure to serve a child's food in small bites.</li><li>Teach kids to sit down for all meals and snacks and not to talk or laugh with food in their mouths.</li><li>Toys and household items also can be choking hazards. Choose safe, age-appropriate toys. Always follow the manufacturer's age recommendations.</li><li>Take the time now to become prepared. CPR and first-aid courses are a must for parents, other caregivers, and babysitters.</li></ul>

Choking is caused due to an object — usually food or a toy — getting stuck in the airway. Because of this, the air can't flow normally into or out of the lungs, so the child can't breathe properly.

Choking in children

A younger child is not just a huge change for parents but also a very drastic one for the elder child. To make your elder one comfortable with a new family member you can:<ul><li>Initiate by talking to your child about the arrival of his/her sibling.</li><li>Seek his/her help to setup the place for the newborn. Explain to him/her about the milestones and growth of the baby. Discuss and elaborate about the baby’s schedule and explain to them that the baby will feed, sleep and cry most of the time.</li><li>If you have to change room or the elder one’s bed, this is the right time to prepare the child.</li><li>Remember, it is difficult for children to accept sudden changes or adjustments. Prepare the child to temporarily sleep/bath/dress-up with grandparents or nanny; this will help him/her when you are in hospital.</li></ul> Take their age into consideration:<ul><li>Child younger than age 24 months of age: Young children won’t understand about adjustments and sleeping with grandparents or nanny. Talk to them only about the arrival of newborn in the family. Show them pictures of babies in books and draw a complete family picture.</li><li>Child between 24 to 48 months of age:&nbsp;Children at this age may feel a little jealous about shared attention. You can prepare the child by informing that the baby will be too young for eating and sleeping, so mumma and daddy will have to take care of the small baby. Start involving them in baby shopping and let them pick for their sibling. You can encourage pretend play with a doll and inculcate emotions of love and care for the sibling.</li><li>Child between 48 to 72 months:	Children are excited to welcome the new addition in the family however, only if they are given equal attention. Display elder one’s drawings to the infant and share empowering stories of elder brother or sister with the little one. This will make the elder one feel special and will in turn encourage them to take care of his/her sibling.</li></ul>

All elder siblings are excited about having a younger brother or sister. But keep in mind to prepare them enough so that there's no insecurity in them when a newborn arrives in the family.

Preparing the elder child for sibling

<ul><li>After babies, everything becomes secondary. And by everything, we mean EVERYTHING. Parenting becomes the most important thing for a husband and wife after having a baby. Most of the times, parents are exhausted by looking after the child all day long that their private bedtime takes a backseat.</li><li>The little time that a husband and wife get to spend with each other at night is also interrupted by a child's unannounced show-up. Most parents have been through the awkward situation when their child catches them while the parents are having sex.</li><li>Parents are usually startled when this happens and on the other hand, children are either usually afraid or confused about what they saw. Talk to your child appropriate to their age. Do not over explain yourself.</li><li>The first thing you want to do is to get something to cover yourself - maybe use a bed-sheet or wrap your clothes around yourself and your child to go to their room. Assure them that you will be with them in a minute. This calms the child down and also gives you a time lag to think about how you will talk to your child about the situation.</li></ul> For a child of 3-5 years of age:<ul><li>If your child is very young, say 3-5 years of age, they probably don't understand what they have seen. Instead they are worried about whether one of the parent was hurting the other one. In this case, you can assure your child that both the mother and father are safe&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>There is no need to lie and get all uncomfortable. Maintain your calm and clarify to your child that both the parents are safe. Let them know that they should not have walked in over you but also tell them that it WAS NOT THEIR FAULT.</li><li>Parents can simply tell the kids, "Mommy and Daddy were hugging, because we love each other".</li></ul> For a child of 6-10 years of age:<ul><li>If your child is older say of 6-10 years of age and stumbles upon you while having sex, they might feel ashamed and insecure. That is because kids never imagine their parents as doing anything else apart from 'parenting.'</li><li>To these older children, you can say, "Mommy and Daddy were just having a private time together". Ask them to go their room and be with them when you are dressed up. Calm them down and explain to them that it was not their fault. Tell them that all parents spend some private time.</li></ul> Precautions for next time:<ul><li>Lock the door. Cannot stress this enough but this is the least and the best thing which you can do. If you are worried about your child being alone, you can have your special time when your child is asleep so you can lock the doors with relief.</li><li>Teach your child to knock before entering anyone's room. Be it even their parent's room.</li></ul>

Getting caught in the act is awkward for a child as well as the parents.

Caught-in-the-act!

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.

playpens parenting concerns

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

Child does not share toys

Helicopter Parenting

Burns and Scalds

Guidelines to choose shoes for babies

All about Digital Addiction in Child

Choking in children

Preparing the elder child for sibling

Caught-in-the-act!

Dealing with Thumb sucking habit

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