Samiksha Choithani

Parents should be able to understand about half of a child's speech by the age of 2 years and about three quarters at 3 years. Identify these signs to understand language or speech delay issues among children:<ul><li>by 2 years: the child says only certain sounds or words repeatedly and can't use oral language to communicate more than his or her immediate needs</li><li>by 2 years: can't follow simple directions</li><li>by 2 years: has an unusual tone of voice</li></ul>Parental involvement plays a major role in treating delayed language/speech problems. Some of these steps can encourage speech development among children:<ul><li>Spend more time in communicating with your child, talk, sing, use gestures and encourage your child to repeat the sounds or gestures.</li><li>Read stories or show pictures to your child; try and name them while the child looks at them. You can then move on to rhymes, sing loud and clear with proper lip movements.</li><li>Talk about everything in routine situations – like when you use a refrigerator tell that I am opening a refrigerator to get fruits/vegetables – name them and show it to the little one.</li><li>Try to talk to your child throughout the day, Point out objects and ask questions.</li></ul>If required meet a speech therapist, a therapist can help the child to pronounce words and sounds by strengthening the muscles of mouth and face.

Delayed speech can be treated with the help of a speech therapist. There is nothing to worry about much as every child achieves milestones at different times.

Delayed Speech Problems among children

Sleep walking is common in kids; Most kids outgrow it by they reach their teens. Sleep walking usually lasts between five to fifteen minutes. The child would not remember a thing they did while sleepwalking. If your child is sleep walking, never try to wake them in the middle of the movement as it can aggravate the situation. Just gently get them back on bed with guided instructions or holding their hand to get them back. Causes of sleepwalking:<ul><li>Lack of sleep or the child is too tired</li><li>If the child has irregular sleep schedules</li><li>In case of fever or other illness</li><li>It may occur due to some medication</li><li>Stress could also cause sleepwalking</li><li>Inheritance (family history)</li></ul> What happens during sleep walking:<ul><li>They are sleep talking.</li><li>They seem dazed.</li><li>They look confused.</li><li>They won’t respond to you.</li><li>They might keep rubbing their eyes or fussing with clothes.</li><li>Their eyes are open but they don’t see things the same way they do when they are awake.</li></ul> If your child is sleep walking, you can prevent it by following these simple tips:<ul><li>Do not give sugar or coffee before sleeping.</li><li>Have a cool atmosphere in the room – preferably 25 degrees.</li><li>Avoid giving water or fluids before bed time and make sure they go to toilet (empty their bladder) before going to bed.</li><li>Bed room should be dark, quiet and comfortable for a perfect sleep.</li><li>Sleep on same time daily.</li></ul> Apart from these precautions, it is also advisable to take safety measures if your child sleep walks:<ul><li>Lock the doors and windows at night.</li><li>Keep alarms on doors and windows.</li><li>Keeping hazardous things out of reach.</li><li>Sleep walker should not sleep on bunk bed.</li><li>Install safety gates on staircase.</li></ul> Risk levels of Sleepwalking:<ol><li>Harmless- like sitting up</li><li>Potentially dangerous- like wandering outside</li><li>Inappropriate- like opening a closet door and peeing in it.</li></ol> Severity of this condition:It is not harmful but hazardous as they might run into doors or walk down the stairs, fall and hurt themselves. There is nothing wrong with your child’s emotional or psychological well-being. It does not cause any emotional harm. When to see a doctor:<ul><li>When this becomes a regular episode.</li><li>When your child stays sleepy all day.</li><li>When he or she either harms him/herself or others in sleep.</li><li>Consult a psychologist in extreme behavioural pattern to check whether there is any specific brain activity responsible for this.</li></ul>

Sleep walking is common in kids; Most kids outgrow it by they reach their teens.

Managing Sleep Walking Habit in Children

Mustafa Lokhandwala

The nose is an essential part of our body. It filters the air you breathe, removing dust, germs, and irritants. It warms and moistens the air to keep your lungs and tubes that lead to them from drying out. Your nose also contains the nerve cells that help your sense of smell. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. For example, the stuffy nose of the common cold can make it hard for you to breathe, sleep, or get comfortable. Let's be nosy and find out standard childhood nose related issues : Bacterial Nasal Infections - Minor infections at the opening of the nose, may result in pimples at the base of nasal hairs and sometimes crusts around the nostrils. The infection may result from nose picking or excessive nose blowing and causes annoying crusts and bleeding when the crusts slough off.Broken Nose - A broken nose, also called a nasal fracture, is a break or crack in a bone in your nose — often the bone over the bridge of your nose. Common causes of a broken nose include contact sports, physical fights, falls, and motor vehicle accidents that result in facial trauma. A broken nose can cause pain, along with swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes. Your nose may look crooked, and you may have trouble breathing. Treatment for a broken nose may include procedures that realign your nose. Surgery usually isn't necessary for a broken nose.Deviated Septum - The bone and cartilage that divides the inside of the nose in half is called the nasal septum. The most common symptom from a badly deviated septum is difficulty breathing through the nose, which is usually worse on one side. In some cases, it may cause sinus drainage or repeated sinus infections.Nosebleeds - A nosebleed is blood loss from the tissue that lines your nose. The most common causes of nosebleeds are dryness (often caused by indoor heat in the winter) and nose picking. These two things work together — nose-picking occurs more often when mucus in the nose is dry and crusty. Colds also can cause nosebleeds.Post-Nasal Drip - Post-nasal drip occurs when your nose and throat produce excess mucus, often causing you to feel it dripping down from your nose into your throat. Symptoms include Feeling of mucus drainage into the throat, Frequent swallowing, Throat clearing, Sore, irritated throat &amp; Feeling a lump in the throat.Rhinitis (Hay Fever) -&nbsp;Allergic rhinitis is the most common childhood ailment caused by allergies. Symptoms include a runny and itchy nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip and nasal congestion (blockage). A child with allergies may also have itchy, watery, red eyes and chronic ear problems.Runny Nose - A stuffy or congested nose occurs when the tissues lining the nose become swollen. The swelling is due to inflamed blood vessels. The problem may also include nasal discharge or "runny nose." If excess mucus runs down the back of your throat, it may cause a cough or sore throat. A runny nose may be annoying and uncomfortable, but it usually clears up on its own. Occasionally, it can be a sign of a more severe problem. A runny nose may be severe in infants. Prevention tipsAlthough it may not be possible to prevent all nosebleeds in children, a person can take steps to help reduce their occurrence. These include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Treating allergies to prevent inflammation in the nose·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Using saline (saltwater) nasal sprays to keep the child's nose moist·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Running a humidifier or vaporizer in the child's bedroom to prevent the air from drying out·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keeping children's nails trimmed to prevent injuries due to nose picking·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Encouraging children to wear appropriate protective equipment during sports or other activities where injury to the nose is possible RememberIf your child has symptoms of any of above nose related issues/infection, see your paediatrician. Your paediatrician can properly diagnose and treat the infection and recommend ways to help alleviate the discomfort from some of the symptoms.

The nose is an essential part of our body. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer.

Nose related issues in kids

Intolerance means the child is not able to share his/her space and get comfortable with other kids. You can try the following to improve the situation:<ul><li>Tell your child that you love them and just like you care for them, others will care for them too if they allow others in their space.</li><li>Keep a track of whether your child is being rude or abusive when their friends visit him/her or whether your child just walks away when friends visit. If your child is being rude or abusive, it is not acceptable. Tell them that being rude will have consequences.</li><li>But if they are just walking away, make your child greet and talk to their friend(s) and then walk away politely rather than walking away in an aggressive manner.</li><li>Intolerance may have psychological reasons as well. It may be because your child has trust issues due to a past experience or something else.</li><li>Observe their behaviour with everyone. Are they being intolerant of everyone or just of a single person? If it is everyone, you should get a clinical psychologist's help to tackle this behaviour. If it is just one person, the child might have had some bitter experience(s) with that particular person. Talk to your child to know the reason. If they don't give in, a psychologist can help you and your child.</li><li>The reason behind intolerance needs to be figured out at the earliest and a psychologist might be able to help you and your child in this matter.</li></ul>

Intolerance is not the same as possessiveness. It might have underlying reasons.

Child does not tolerate others

Palak Vyas

Points to keep in mind while buying and using the stroller: <ol><li>Buy a stroller that is specifically designed for your child’s age, height and weight. Newborn babies should be able to lie down fully in the stroller.</li><li>Five-point harness: Shoulder straps, a strap between the legs and waist belts that connect together.</li><li>If the stroller has a hand-rest at the front of the seat, ensure that the opening between the hand-rest and the seat can be closed when the stroller is used in the reclined position. This means the hand-rest needs to be an adjustable one.</li><li>Check for strollers that have brakes which are easy to use and works as per required.</li><li>Ensure it doesn’t have any parts that pinch your child’s fingers or is some kind of a choking hazard.</li><li>A stroller should be stable. The wheelbase should be wide and the seat should be low in the frame.</li><li>It should not tip backwards while in resting position.</li><li>The leg openings should be appropriately designed so that the child’s legs don’t slip off.</li><li>The handlebars should be at your waist level or maybe lower than that.</li><li>Never leave a child unattended in a stroller.</li><li>Always use the safety harness while using the stroller.</li><li>Ensure to put on brakes when the stroller is not in use.</li></ol>

A stroller is a wheeled vehicle to transport children generally in a sitting up or semi-reclined position by a person pushing on a handle attached to the stroller

Selecting a stroller for your baby

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

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

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

The generation gap between kids and their parents:&nbsp;We can’t expect a five-year-old to understand you, so obviously, it is you who has to understand and make changes to bridge the gap. <ul><li>Always listen to your child carefully. Make him/her feel heard. Unless you listen to them, how else would you understand them?</li><li>Take an interest in their daily activities.</li><li>Involve them in your life.</li><li>Respect them and their decisions.</li><li>Love them unconditionally.</li><li>Don’t be judgemental.</li><li>Do not label them.</li><li>Accept and respect the differences.</li><li>We all have been brought up in different backgrounds and cultures. Our belief systems have been conditioned as per our surroundings, so to bring any change in it is a difficult task for anyone. It is not easy to accommodate people with different mindset and ideologies. So give time. And take time. The more you try and accept them, the easier it becomes to bridge the gap.</li></ul> The generation gap between kids and their grandparents:&nbsp;Most of the time, this is not a big issue as grandparents always show love and pamper their grandchildren when they are young. But in some cases, when the grandparents are strict and opinionated, this situation may arise. In other cases, the child may feel that the grandparents are not approachable due to their age difference. What you can do is:<ul><li>Encourage communication between the younger and older generations.</li><li>Give grandchildren and grandparents opportunities to learn new skills and methods of doing things together like gardening or reciting prayers. The child can teach mobile operations to their grandparents.</li><li>Encourage children to accept people of all ages.</li><li>Teach your children to respect their elders and their opinions.</li><li>Engage them in fun activities like storytelling and reading books.</li></ul>

The generation gap not only exists between parents and children but also between grandparents and grandchildren too.

sibling insecurity parenting concerns

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