Martial Arts For Children

As her 5 year old leapt into the air screaming, in what looked like a karate kick, it instantly raised her blood pressure! Without panicking, my friend knew right away that it was time to channel her son’s energy by getting him to train in martial arts.

Childhood is one of the best times to train in any form of physical defence as a child’s bones are more malleable than an adult’s bones, thus reducing the chances of any serious injuries. Children are more likely to pick up complex skills as their brains are like sponges, soaking up any information put before them. The average starting age for both boys and girls is 4 years. At this age, training is more about fun and co ordination. The other aspects such as discipline and self-defence are gradually introduced at later stages.

Martial Arts is said to be as old as civilization itself. Over time the concept of primitive martial arts spread as civilizations grew and expanded and it became a way of self-defence. China was the home to martial arts and very soon it spread to the other Asian countries. Martial arts grew and evolved in the same form as concepts such as language, religion. It is now learnt and practiced the world over.

Styles of Martial Arts

There are numerous martial arts styles today. Most of them rely on the hand and foot combat technique. Let us take a look at a few styles in detail:

Judo:

Judo or ‘gentle way’ was founded in Japan in 1882. It is the most widely practiced martial art in the world. It is a combat style and develops self-discipline in the learner. In judo, it is learnt that nobody can be perfect at everything, but through training, weaknesses can be overcome and limitations can be broken. As an exercise, it promotes flexibility, develops speed and co-ordination, promotes muscular development and benefits the cardiovascular system. The stages in judo training begin with a white belt then follow a yellow belt, a green belt, three degrees of brown belt and finally a black belt.

Kickboxing:

Kickboxing involves a variety of kicking techniques along with those of boxing. Kickboxing requires a great deal of balance, flexibility and provides a good cardiovascular workout. In children kickboxing provides physical and mental challenges. While in some schools, the approaches maybe more on fun and fitness rather than strict training, there are other schools providing training for age appropriate tournaments. This is considered as a dangerous sport and a protective gear is a must when training.

Tae kwon do:

Tae kwon do, like any other form of martial arts, is known for training the mind along with the body. It involves a series of punching and kicking techniques. Children are taught complicated techniques which help them to learn to coordinate their movements and improve concentration.
Indian Martial Arts: India is home to a variety of fighting styles. Some of them are closely connected to yoga, dance and performing arts. The following are a few fighting styles still prevalent in modern India:

Gatka:

It is a combat sport and finds its origin in the Punjab region. The main weapon used is a sword, often paired with a shield or another sword. These days Gatka is showcased mostly during Sikh festivals.

Musti Yuddha:

It is unarmed martial art that uses kicks, punches and elbow strikes. It originated in Varanasi and is rarely practiced today.

Thang-Ta:

Thang-Ta is a weapon based fighting style that finds its roots in Manipur. A sword and a spear are the weapons used for this style.

Mardani Khel:

It is an armed style of fighting, which originated in Maharashtra. It is still practiced in Kolhapur.
Pari Khanda: This is a type of sword and shield fight and is prevalent in Bihar but originally created by the Rajputs.

Kalaripayattu:

This is the oldest fighting style in existence in India and originated in Kerala. This style uses strikes, kicks, use of weapons and healing methods.

Kathi Samu:

This is a sword based combat style of fighting from Andhra Pradesh.

Paika Akhada:

This style uses weapons and was formerly practiced by the warriors in Orissa.

Silambam:

This is a weapon-based martial art from Tamil Nadu.

Wrestling:

Wrestling is considered to be one of the oldest forms of martial arts. Numerous wrestling styles are still practiced in different parts of India.

Benefits of Martial Arts

    Self Discipline: Martial arts training teaches children discipline through emphasising on mental focus. This focus can be then applied to other aspects of life such as homework or even reading a book.
    Respect: Students are taught to respect their teachers, opponents and themselves. They learn to treat and respect others in a way they would expect to be treated.
    Benefits children with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Self-control and coordination are the two skills, which are underdeveloped in children with ADHD. Martial art teaches exactly those skills thereby greatly benefiting children with ADHD in the long run.
    Enhances self esteem: In most competitive sports a child needs to compete with a peer and if that does not go well, it could lead to diminished self worth. Martial arts, concentrates on encouraging and building on the inner strength of the Child.
    Fitness and coordination: Martial arts tones the body, improves flexibility thereby improving coordination. Learning the importance of being fit from a young age will help a child make healthy choices in the future.

Tips to consider before enrolling your child in a martial arts training:

    Choosing the type of martial arts: The choice for self defence classes is endlessUnderstanding the different styles in detail, keeping in mind your child’s skills and strength, will make it easier for the child to adapt to the techniques.
    Finding a good instructor: An instructor holding many credentials may not necessarily be a good teacher. A good instructor is one who takes the time out to answer your questions and addresses your concerns.
    Training costs: Enrolment in martial arts training is usually for a minimum duration. Finding out information on the courses offered by the different schools and comparing them will give a better picture of the costs involved as some schools may charge too much, which may not equate to a better training being offered than the schools with lower fees.
    Most Important : Going for a trial class: Attending a trail training class will give a better understanding of the technique and style of the art as well as of the instructor. Discussing the option with the instructor on letting your child join a trial class will give your child a clearer idea of what to expect and may make it easier for him/her to blend in from the outset.

Some parents may consider martial arts as promoting violence, but in reality, it teaches self defence, trains the mind by improving concentration and reasoning skills, which is directly related to academic success. Self-defence activities are a fun ways for children to achieve fitness and the other numerous benefits that these activities provide.

Any child will love to be able to kick and punch like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or the new hot favourite Kung Fu Panda!

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Hygiene in Children - An Introduction

While growing up there were two boys (brothers) in my school, one about 10 years old and the other was 6 years old. The reason I remember them 25 years hence, is their nails would always be too long, and caked in black, and often the younger one would have snot running down his nose. Even at that age children understood this was dirty and unacceptable and made fun of them.

At this age, with a child of my own, I realize how I took personal hygiene for granted at that age, but how my mother had grilled the clean habits into my very psyche that it became a part of my daily life. As parents, one of our major responsibilities is to keep our kids healthy and hygiene plays a very important part in this process or endeavor.

The major part of the work of a caregiver is to ensure our children stay clean and away from potential infections and illnesses. And that means day-to-day care about personal hygiene. What we teach our kids about hygiene in their formative years may go a long way to determine, how clean and disciplined they are later on in life. And since this is a subject that I feel, is too wide to finish within a few hundred words, I have divided it into two parts. The first part here deals with what personal hygiene means and the results of having poor hygiene standards. This part will also tell you age specific hygiene practices and how you may want to teach your child about hygiene.

What is Personal hygiene?

Keeping the body clean and maintaining proper personal appearance can be described as personal hygiene. This also would include the clothes children wear. Small children would not understand the importance of keeping their body and clothes clean unless we teach them and hope they will grow into hygienic adults themselves.

What happens if you have poor hygiene?

Usually it has been recorded, that children with poor hygiene practices become the center of negative attention and ridicule in school, much like the two boys from my school. Badly kept nails, unkempt hair, dirty clothes or body, body odor, greasy hands or hair, snotty nose, all this can be part of poor hygiene. This plays havoc with their self-esteem, something they take with them to their adulthood. It has been seen to affect performance in school. Poor hygiene in small children can also be a sign of parental neglect. It makes children more prone to illness, by being more exposed to germs or by reducing their immunity. Low dental hygiene results in tooth decay, gum problems and premature loss of teeth. Poor ear hygiene may lead to life-long ear trouble and infections.

Age specific hygiene practices

Hygiene practices can be honed into children from the time they are toddlers.

1. Children as small as 3 can be taught to wash their hands themselves and brush their teeth with proper parental guidance. They can be left to bathe themselves for some time, but taught how to use the shower and soap in order to clean themselves properly. Bath time itself can be fun, with toys and waterproof books, nice smelling children’s soap or bubble bath. Smaller children love bubble baths, and even if you don’t have a bathtub, a large wide bucket would serve the purpose. Please ensure proper safety of your child in any area that has water.

2. By the time a child reaches the age of 4, they should be able to bathe themselves and wear their clothes with some assistance.

3. From the age of 7, puberty sets in in many children. It becomes imperative that children of this age are well informed about the changes expected in their bodies in the coming years. Hormonal changes may make them moody while also bringing in problems like body odor. So they need to bathe frequently and change clothes often, especially if they play sports.
How to teach your child about hygiene.

4. You may want to set an example for your child. Making your child brush his/her teeth when you are brushing yours can be an effective way for the same. Cutting nails together or going for a haircut together may instill in your child the importance of Hygiene.

5. Having discussions around illnesses and germs and explaining to them why hands need to be washed or bodies cleaned is also a great teaching tool.

6. Children should be made aware of the importance of extra care after using the toilet or before touching food.

7. Providing the necessities; soap, toothbrush and paste that is age appropriate and interesting. (My child loves strawberry flavored everything) You can mutually decide on a favorite color or flavor.

What to do if your child refuses hygienic practices?

The refusal to clean themselves, bathe or brush has often been linked to depression in children. If by chance, you notice any behavioral changes in your child, which includes bad hygiene, poor performance in school, or even if just your child’s lack of hygiene is becoming a health risk, with your child falling ill often, or leading to dental issues, please take help of your child’s pediatrician. It might help to rule out any mental health issue before you tackle your child’s lack of hygiene.

However for most kids, this may be just a phase where they are just bored of cleaning and want to do something else more fun instead. For toddlers, it is up to you to make them maintain their own hygiene fun by using music, books, stories etc.

1. For a child between 4-6 year old you might want to explain the logic and guide them through the process of hygiene, brushing, bathing.

2. The ages 7-9 is a transition phase in children with puberty setting in. it is also a time when controlling children becomes harder as they develop strong likes and dislikes. Making them practice without nagging and giving them extra time and attention usually helps. Talking to them about the changes in their body and why it is important to keep their body clean because of over active sweat glands might have the desired positive impact.

3. If your child is not bathing or brushing without any reason you might want to have a talk with him or her. Be understanding and inquire the reason behind their behavior.

4. Setting rules that cannot be broken, while being accepting of certain things helps for example; if your child wants to bathe in the night and not in the morning you may want to indulge him/her .

5. Letting them know how much you love and respect them will make them strive towards excellence.

6. Your child may be shy or embarrassed to discuss certain issues with you, in such times you may want to respect their boundaries while making your point empathetically.

7. Name calling never works hence you may want to refrain from calling your child smelly or stinky as that would simply be reinforcing school behavior.

8. Motivating them through incentives, simple enough for them (preferably not money). For smaller children making a chart of days s/he has been good and marking it in front of them usually is a great motivating tool. Simple things turn out very effective in the long run. Make sure to keep changing your rewards to avoid boredom.

That said, we still have to know the different types of hygiene that one can follow starting from the time one is a toddler. The second part of my article will be on “Hygiene 101” – a comprehensive list of types of hygiene practices that will turn our clean children into disciplined and well-behaved adults.

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Right Nutrition and Diet For Your Child

Parent's Day Workshop 3: Right nutrition and diet for your child
"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." - La Rochefoucald

Feeding children with nutritious food and inculcating healthy eating habits in them is the top most priority for almost all parents. However, parents are finding promoting healthy eating with their children a big challenge. Many a times parents have to helplessly watch their child being pulled towards unhealthy eating options, which include their all time favourite varieties of junk foods, processed foods, eatables and drinks containing high sugar content to enlist a few. No wonder, health experts fear obesity as a new-gen epidemic.

With an intention to serve parents by spreading awareness around the core issues concerning healthy eating, importance of role-modeling in inculcating good food habits and physical fitness in children, Parentune, organised this workshop - on "Right nutrition and diet for your child" - on this Parent's day. This workshop was conducted by Parentune Nutrition+ Wellness expert Mrs.Tanuja Sodhi and Parentune Parenting expert Mrs. Bhavna Awasthy.

Those parents who missed the action may go through this blog to grab their chunk of healthy food for thought ;) I mean, some handy tips to make your kids pick healthy food as a choice.
The experts started by sharing the common food issues that parents are grappling vis-a-vis their children (of ages 1 to 12). They referred to various 'Parent Talks' (parent's queries on Parentune's website) about parents' struggle with their kids over healthy eating.
To add some zing to the show, experts called for parent volunteers for two tasks :
Task 1: Role-play - 2 parents were asked to enact the roles of a mom and a 4 year old. The parents wonderfully portrayed the mom and a 4 year old, fussy eater. Mother tries several healthy food options to feed the child but the child shows least interest in eating and does everything to resist food.
Parent's reflections - Many parents could identify themselves with the enacted situation and echoed the common concern that meal time is struggle time as kids don't wish to have regular food. They sometimes either resist food all together or many a times fancy the (not so healthy) food items marketed through the media.

A parent summed up, "my 2 year old child refuses food at the very sight of it and no reasoning works after that, I just choose to force feed as I can't think of any better option."
Expert's take - Experts endorsed that urban parents are facing feeding issues with their children so much so that it is causing a lot of stress to parents. In many cases force feeding is adopted to make sure that kids get some nutrition. However, it complicates the problem further as many children associate negative experiences around eating and choose to resist food altogether.
Task 2: Making a diet plan - A group of 4 parents were asked to make a diet plan of a 3 year old child keeping in mind the child's activity level and age. They were provided with a list of food items as options. Parents made a well calculated diet plan which included various healthy food items meeting the nutritional demands decently.

Parents' take - Parents acknowledged that, while they want to feed their children healthy and nutritious food however, it's easier said than done because of various reasons like lack of time, knowledge and creative ideas around healthy feeding.
Experts' take - Experts explained the nutritive value of each food choice in terms of calories and components like protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. They elaborated on the core issue of right diet.

Some key points extracted from the experts' on right nutrition and diet:
1.Our bodies need calories to function. Calories should be derived from foods containing carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
2.Besides carbohydrates, proteins and fats other basic nutrients needed by the body includes various vitamins and minerals
3.The calorie needs vary in children and it depends on factors such as age, gender and the amount of physical activity that a child does. So an active child may need more calories than a child who spends more time doing sedentary activities.
4.Research suggests that around 60 % of the diet should be derived from carbohydrates rich food groups. These include grains like wheat, rice, oats and more. Including whole grains and fibre rich carbohydrates in the diet is nutritionally better.
5.Vegetables and fruits forms the next major component. it is ideal to include maximum variety. Ideally 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2 - 4 servings of fruits should be included in a daily diet of a child.
6.Proteins are building blocks of the body hence children need them in abundance. Protein rich foods include Milk and milk products , eggs, nuts, pulses, fish and meat.
7.Good fats are also essential for growing kids. fats obtained from fish, olive oil, canola oil and other vegetable oils are good.
8.Water as it is the best health drink and children should be encouraged to consume as much as possible in a day.
9.Fresh fruit juices made at home are better than high sugar canned juices and soft drinks as they kill appetite.
10.Diet of a child should be planned according to the weight of the child: for overweight children, focusing on nutritive diet without adding calories while for underweight children focusing on calorie dense nutritive diet is ideal.

How to build good attitude about food?
1.All children follow parents and that is why it is crucial for parents to be an effective role-model who promotes healthy eating and staying active. Parents may avoid multitasking on the dinner table. Doing things like watching T.V, checking e-mails, talking over phone may during meal times lead to mindless eating since children as well as adults do not register when they are full leading to mindless eating and weight related issues as a consequence. Moreover, we may not appreciate the look, taste and texture of food while multitasking. When children see parents consistently enjoying healthy food sooner or later they will too.
2.Parent's may avoid to put pressure on children to clean up the plate. Children might feel overwhelmed by the size of the serving. Giving small serving at a time and second serving when they ask for it.
3.Positive strokes by a parents may go a long way in boosting healthy eating, so abundantly acknowledge and appreciate when they finish.
4.Set achievalble targets before the act like eating or behaviour in the market place and then pad it with appreciation and acknowledgements for effective results .
5.Be flexible and always justify your actions to your child. For example when you say no to noodles then explain. Banning unhealthy food may be too radical so being flexible and letting them have their choice of junk food in moderation may promote better understanding and compliance.
6.Force feeding may lead to food avoidance so it could be avoided.
7.Engaging children in the kitchen may develop their awareness around healthy food and they also might appreciate the food because of the effort that goes in the making
8.Avoiding force feeding and offering healthy (calculated) choices may do wonders.
9.It may help if parents think like a child to understand them well. It's natural for a child to fancy a food like pizza. A parent may choose to pleasantly surprise the child by making pizza role at home that may be something like steamed vegetables tossed in cheese and oregano rolled in a roti :)
How to introduce food to first-time eaters and how to make toddlers eat well?
1.Parents may introduce food one by one and watch for a day for any allergic reaction, if any.
2.As introducing food to toddlers is a transition time for them so resistance is normal. Patience is the key as on some days a toddler will avoid food completely and eat well on some days.
3.Make meal time special so that the child associate positive experiences with having food and avoiding force feeding may help
4.Every bite counts for small children so, feeding even a few spoons of nutrients and calorie dense food helps
5.Parents may watch the child preference towards sweet or salty and plan accordingly.
6.Providing finger-foods to toddlers may help, as it is attractive to chew and easy to handle . Toddlers may like to fiddle and experiment with food, parent's may allow that.
7.Parents may plan for small meals every 2 to 3 hours for toddlers
8.Parents may introduce food in yummy and visually appealing varieties and then choose to transition slowly to expand to more healthier options
9.Notice the pattern. For few days they might like to have some particular food item a lot and then they suddenly may not like to have it
10.Parents may slowly and slowly introduce more varieties of foods like fruits and vegetables in various forms
11.Parents are generally keen to make their toddler chubby, however, fat child is not the healthy child. Fat child face the danger of becoming obese and hence vulnerable to a host of diseases in the future .
Experts' Tips to establish healthy eating in children home:
1.Respect the meal times. Let it be a bonding time with no other distractions
2.Think like a child: to understand our children we have to think like them and only then can we connect and appreciate them
3.Patience is the key in achieving success with picky eaters.
4.Ensure that your child never skips breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day.
5.Serve 5 - 6 small meals per day rather than 3 big meals.
6.Ensure a balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates, good fats and enough fibre in the meals.
7.Add variety - which means variety in fruits, vegetables, milk products etc. as different foods have different set of nutrients
8.Be a role Model. Children mimic parents, so eat healthy to set an example.
Parenting Workshop ended on a note that nothing can stop a parent to inculcate values around healthy eating in the child except their own lack of enthusiasm, creativity and most importantly patience to enjoy the process.

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Aggression in Children

How does a parent tackle aggression in their child? Watch this video by Dr. Ann Simi John - Clinical and Child Psychologist on Parentune.com to know of handy tips on how a parent can handle aggression among children.

Click here to watch video - Aggression in Children

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Travelling With A Child

My husband and I are both road travel enthusiasts and we would any day prefer driving to a place rather than taking the train or a flight. Once we had our daughter we vowed that things would not change and we would continue with our road trips only now it would be the three of us. Sounds great no?? Ha ha, little did we know that this little bundle of joy would require a car full of things to facilitate her travel and then some more.

It began with a short 90kms trip when she was 6 months old and ended with me sitting on the back seat with my wailing baby who really wanted to be in my lap while I wanted her to be in the car seat, which was very important to me since we were on the highway. Finally after a lot of shouting and screaming ( all three were doing it) we got back home in the evening hungry and with a headache and decided we needed a better plan for the next time around.

Next time was when she was 10months old.. Ha ha.. We had a plan.. and it was called “Phenergan “(our trusted pediatrician had suggested). Two spoon full in the morning and baby was sleeping from here to Chandigarh and after a days halt we continued the same pattern and we were in the process of admiring the hills of Shimla when the baby woke up…. We thought that was it … we had cracked the travelling with a baby code… Well, not so much….

Then on, every time we travelled by road we realized that we were in some way not prepared for what was to come, and that each time the concern was different!! We did not let that get to us. We always carried all the generic medicines may be needed, a lot of her favorite toys to keep her occupied, a great car seat so she was comfortable and safe and last but not the least healthy and not so healthy snacks at hand.

The last road trip that we took was to Khajuraho which was 650 kms or so away. Our now 4 yrs. old daughter threw up so many times that we finally exhausted all the clean extra clothes that we had for her and I had to tell he the next time she threw up she would have to wear dadda’s t- shirt and nothing else to travel in; that did the trick and somehow the vomiting stopped.( I’d like to believe my daughter is very fashion conscious… ha ha ). We were not aware of her motion sickness as she had never demonstrated such symptoms before and were as usual taken by surprise.

We arrived at our destination and all the smelly clothes were given to the hotel laundry ( we even got a disapproving look for giving them puke filled smelly clothes… ha ha like I cared , I was in khajuraho…..

It took us 15 hrs. to get there but we did manage it, and had loads of fun in the Panna national park and the temples.

To this day my baby girl says “mama phir se Kajuraho jaenge… theek hai….!!!

Parentune - To Bethe best parenting website for parents, Parentune.com avoids generalised prescriptions, instead helps parents with quick & easy to use, parent-focused widgets & sections relevant to their specific parenting need. Parentune has interesting and exciting tools & applications, which are specific, relevant & useful for parents, also validated by parents & experts they trust

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Make your child ‘Safety Smart’- Tips on Personal Safety

Safety isn’t expensive, it’s priceless. ~Author Unknown

I recently came across the quote above and it instantly struck a chord with me. We are constantly bombarded by messages on the television about threats on individual safety, which makes us wonder at how safe our children are. Helping them understand the simple rules of safety, in a calm manner is something that works most of the time. A child may be explained to calmly about the existence of people who may want to hurt or harm them. While we are explaining to them our demeanour needs to be calm as If we sound anxious when talking about safety issues, they will pick up on the anxiety that could make them scared and ultimately lead to fear. The important fact of the matter is that instead of instilling fear within them, we need to create awareness.
My ever so friendly 3-year-old daughter will walk up and talk to anyone who smiles at her. This leaves my heart racing at times. It may be rather difficult for a child as young as her to understand that a stranger can harm or that a person who is dressed in nice clothes, stretching his/her hand out with a piece of chocolate can also whisk her away in matter of seconds. It makes me shudder to have a thought such as this, but it also makes me realize the importance of being prepared by educating my children.

Here is how I explain or answer my daughter’s questions about safety:

Child-Mummy, who is a stranger?
‘A stranger is anyone you don’t know- on the road, in the bus, in a party.’Children may think of a stranger as someone who can harm them. This mayscare and discourage them from talking to any unfamiliar person. ‘You know, strangers are not people who always harm; they are simply people we do not know.But there may be some strangers who may want to harm you hence you need to be careful’.

Child-How will I know if someone wants to hurt me?
‘Now that is a little tricky! You should never leave my or your daddy’s side and go to another person. If someone is calling you, then you must tell us. In case mummy or daddy is not around for example; when you are in a birthday party or an outing from school, then you must know the difference between the good touch and the bad touch’. I then go on to explain about theareas of her body, which cannot be touched by anyone. I show her how a casual hand shake, a playful pat on the back is friendly and finebut a touch around the chest area or around the thighs are wrong and she needs to run away immediately to someone safe. An older child may be encouraged to follow their own instincts and not trusting people, who they feel uncomfortable around.
However, research has shown that a child is likely to be harmed more by an acquaintance than a stranger, as it is easier for a child to trust a familiar face.

Child-Who are the safe people Mummy?
‘If you ever find yourself separated from me or your school friends in a public place, you can look for people such as security guards, cashiers or people in uniforms in stores, policemen and your teacher(if you are at an outing from school)’. If Children can be made aware of the people they can approach if lost, separated from an adult or if they feel they are being followed or watched by a stranger then they are much more confident of themselves (when they are not accompanied by their parents).

Child- why do you attach this small piece tag onto my clothes every time I go out?

‘I do this to ensure your safety when in a crowded public place.This tag has your name, address and my phone number and is attached to the inside of your dress/t-shirt. If you are separated from me or any adult accompanying you, you can approach the safe people I told you about and show the tag. They will get in touch with us to bring you home’.


Child- Can I take sweets or gifts from someone I don’t know?

‘It is better not to take something from someone you don’t know. They may give you magic sweet and if you eat it you may get hurt; remember snow white, she took the apple from an old lady who she did not know and the apple ended up hurting snow white. You must politely say no and walk away from that person’.

Children between the ages of 3 years to 7 years may not understand the concept of kidnapping and physical abuse. When explaining to my child, I avoid using words or phrases, which may frighten her. Some examples are below:
•They may hit/punch you,
•Pull you by your hair or drag you,
•Forcefully take you to a dark, lonely place.
I try to use the following gentle/reassuring words instead:
•They may try to hurt you,
•They will try to take you away from mummy
•Mummy / daddy will be very sad if someone tries to hurt or take you away,
•You are a very brave girl,
•You can shout and scream if someone tries to hurt you,
•Mummy/daddy will always look after you and listen to you.


Helping an older child understand the importance of personal safety.
5 years - Children as young as 5 years may be taught to memorize their home address, phone numbers and mobile numbers of their parents. An easy way to help them memorize is by adding a tune and teaching the numbers like a song.
7 years- Children beyond the age of 7 years may be explained to in more detail. They may be told that there are people, who may want to take them away or kidnap for some money or want to hurt them by touching their private parts, which is inappropriate and it needs to be reported to an adult immediately. Words of reassurance and encouraging them to share details about their activities on a daily basis will improve communication, increase self-confidence and create awareness.
8 years and over-In addition to knowing their home address and numbers, children above the age of 8 years may also be taught to memorize emergency numbers, such as 100 for Police, 108 for a medical emergency and 102 for fire emergency. They may save these important numbers along with the mobile numbers of their parents, neighbours or close relatives on speed dial. If ever they feel threatened or in danger, they may call the emergency numbers without hesitation.

Teenager-Teen years come with a whole new perspective to life and initial steps to independence. Most teenagers would like their own private space away from the interference of adults. But as parents, we need to ensure that they are aware on how to keep themselves safe. You may help your teenager understand the importance of sharing details of their whereabouts by keeping you updated with the following:

•Take permission from you before going anywhere
•Let you know as to who is accompanying them.
•Mutually agree to a time when they need to be back home by.
•Keep you informed with regards to any change in plans.

Keeping our children safe is our top priority. We may help them understand the importance of following the safety rules and knowing how to act if they feel threatened,instead of worrying or feeling scared. This will help in protecting them.Practicing personal safety skills with your child, will to help increase their confidence and competence. Games and role play to enact situations mentioned above may help children to get a clearer idea of what to do if faced with any of the circumstances. Reminding and reinforcing will only make things clearer for them
Let’s help our children stay safe!

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The Miracles of Music, as a Therapy For Your Child

Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes themind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul - Angela Monet

The connection between music and humans is known to begin in the womb. The benefit of music in a child’s physical, emotional and mental health is immense and this has been proven over the years by using music as therapy.I love to watchmy 10-month-old baby sway and move to the sound of rhythmic music. It makes me smile and join him in his ‘dance’. Babies seem to be able to distinguish music from speech and the most common example is when a lullaby can soothe a baby to sleep even when the baby is at his crankiest best.

Does music really have a therapeutic effect?

Music Therapy is a research based profession where in music is used to achieve therapeutic and educational goals. This therapy is based on the understanding that human beings possess an inborn ability to respond to music, which remains unaffected by impairments, injuries or illness. Therapy for children is designed to provide with individual or group sessions depending on the specific needs of the children.

Effects of Music

    Music is known to stimulate the whole brain.
    Music therapy helps in finding an individual’s personal harmony.
    Music therapy is an important tool is treating psychological or psychosomatic disorders.
    Music stimulates the nerves through vibration.
    Music therapy helps improve a child’s concentration level and attention span.
    Music brings about a sense of mental well-being.

Who Benefits?

Adults and children with special needs can greatly benefit from sessions of music therapy. This therapy is known to helpchildren in the following stages of life:

    In neonatal care- Music, with its components of sound and rhythm, can arouse a withdrawn baby, and can effectively calm anxious and crying babies. Music can also act as a sleep inducer, which can help soothe a baby to sleep.
    With Autism- Autism is a neuro-development disorder, symptoms of which include impaired communication, limited interest and repetitive behaviour. Music therapy for children with autism includes incorporating music which engages the children in dancing, singing, helping them with stronger speech skills and better eye contact.
    With learning difficulties- Children with learning disabilities are said to understand and interpret information differently than normal children. They usually cannot stay focussed and maintain concentration. With the help of music therapy, children learn to concentrate and focus and are also able to retain information. Slow and comforting music helps them calm down thereby channelling their frustration, if any, towards a more amicable direction.
    With Down syndrome- Children with Down syndrome often suffer from speech and language problems, short attention span and can get easily distracted. The rhythms and repetitiveness of music helps a child remember something more easily as compared to just being told about it.
    Who are hearing impaired- The main goal of music therapy for children who are hearing impaired is to develop and expand the residual hearing to the maximum and help with speech development by using the vibration effects of music.
    With emotional behaviour concerns- A child or adolescent with an emotional disorder may develop behavioural problems such as anger, aggression, suicide attempts, seclusion from family members, social isolation, academic failure, and alcohol or drug abuse. In such instances, music therapy helps improve self esteem, facilitates communication and self expression, and helps reduce tension and anxiety through relaxation techniques.
    With physical disabilities- Children with physical disabilities are helped in maintaining or restoring physical functioning by motivating movements prescribed in physical rehabilitation.

The techniques are used to develop and maintain joint and muscle function, increase control and muscle strength, improve oral skills, help in relaxation as well as provide an outlet for self expression, all by way of using the reinforcing nature of music.

How does a typical therapy session proceed?

    Once a child is enrolled, the therapist makes an assessment of the child’s skills and areas which need attention.
    In the first session, the therapist makes an evaluation of the child through his/her musical responses.
    Based on the assessments, the therapist determines objectives and goals for the therapy. This involves designing musical activities to address the goals.
    The child’s progress is monitored. The goals and objectives may be changed or adjusted from time to time if need be.

Where do music therapists work?

    Pre-schools, nurseries, centres for children with special needs
    Schools for children with learning difficulties and or visual and hearing disabilities
    Hospitals and care centres
    Centres for children with learning difficulties

Music Therapy in India

Music has been used as a therapeutic agent from the ancient times. The classical compositions or Ragas have been acclaimed to have healing effects by Vedic Science. The Raga is the basis of melody and has been found to cure many diseases. The original Raga or Shastrik Music is based on the harmonious consonance between the seven Swaras (musical notes) and the Chakras (energy centres in the body). Shastrik Music vibrates and soothes one mentally and also energises the organs in the body. The rhythmic sounds of temple bells and conch shells produced in temples or places of devotional practices, is also known to have therapeutic effects.

Enjoy some therapeutic music with your child at home!

Children are not all that carefree as we perceive them to be. They have their sets of worries- academic pressure, peer pressure, expectations from parents and the list can go on. You can help your child unwind and relax by making them listen to some soothing music at the comfort of your home. You may select a soft music or song, make your child sit comfortably and remove all distractions. Play music at a gentle volume or let him/her listen through the use of ear phones. You may also choose to sing a song with your child. Even getting down on the floor with your toddler with some pots and pans to create rhythmic music is a great way to relieve stress. Babies love lullabies. There is nothing more comforting for a baby than hearing his/her mother sing or hum a tune. Music taps into the residual hearing as we humans hear music through the vibrations. This stimulates a child’s kin aesthetic sense (awareness of the present), which will help them achieve academic, social, emotional, communication goals, as well as enhance risk taking, creativity and gross motor skills. We do not need to go to a therapist to benefit from the wonders music can do to physical and mental health of a child.

Where words fail, music speaks- Hans Christian Andersen.

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