Top 8 reasons why alone time is crucial for a child’s growth and development.

For children alone time would refer to the time the child gets to his disposal to use how he pleases. During alone time, the child seeks at spending time on his own without the aid of his parents, peers or friends. It is not the same as being lonely; rather, it is an opportunity to be with oneself. Studies indicate that children that know how to fill their alone time learn to engage themselves and rarely feel isolated and lonely.

What are some of the important skills children learn from being alone ?

1.Creativity is enhanced- Being on their own leads to enhance the imagination of a child.

2.Children learn not to complain of boredom- Since we live in a world of instant gratification and low attention span, children complain of boredom often. As they learn to spend more and more time on their own, they will put an effort to find out what they can do with their extra time. As they learn to fill their time with more interesting activities, acting out their imaginations, learn something new or explore their surroundings, the child learns never to feel lonely. As a result the child learns healthy independence.  This teaches them to have fun independently

3.Quiet down time – “Time out”, is a non- violent punishment strategy used by many parents to discipline their children. The child is forced to stay in a room alone for 10 minutes, without any distractors, as a punishment forWhile in the room, the child gets enough time to evaluate and think what caused this consequence. The likelihood of misbehaviour is therefore reduced due to the negative consequence of staying alone.

4.Emotional stability- Spending time alone encourages calmness in the child. The child learns to soothe herself. As a result, the child may not seek continual emotional and peer support.

5.Value of companionship- Alone time satisfies a child’s need to sometimes be alone. Once they have spent enough time on their own, they will now seek out to play in groups comprising of peers or others. It helps them develop their social independence.

6.Decision making and responsibility- Spending time on his/her own would further make a child more aware of the actions and consequences. The child may understand better about how responsible actions lead to a positive consequences.

7.Problem solving and self- discovery- When a parent is not constantly coming to the rescue of the child on every front the child is then forced to address the problem at hand and discover ways to approach and resolve it. This helps in the mental dvelopment of the child to a large extent.

8.Prepares them for school- Studies show that children who were comfortable spending alone time at home, had fewer adjustment problems when starting school, going to school refusal or separation anxieties. They were found to be less insecure in new environments and showed curiosity in exploring new places and activities.

Most Important: This allows the parent to have some down time too.

What are some of the steps to independent play?

Parents should ensure that their home is child proof.  Ensure your home is organized. Everything has a place and everything in its place. Ideally the quiet time could happen in the child’s room that has been child proofed already and contains all the necessary opportunity as well as material for a child to spend quality time by themselves. Yet there are a couple of measures that you may want to take care of before you encourage the alone time, these are as follows:

1.Provide a safe place- Making sure that the area where the child is going to spend the alone time is safe and devoid of any unsafe things of toys may be a great start.

2.Drowning- Make sure that bathrooms are locked and tubs are empty. Placing covers over tanks and other large containers that hold water may ensure the childs safety.

3. Strangulation / Fire & Electrical accidents- Making sure that any kind of wires , pipes or ropes are not lying around to entice a child resulting in damaging circumstances is the right way to go.

4.Safe and secure furniture- The parents could make sure that the furniture in the room is secure and not loose and ill fitted to avoid any harm coming to the child due to the same.

5.Chemicals/ Medication& Plastic bags- The child could be made aware of the harmful effects of playing with a plastic bag or the cleaning supplies that may be stored in the Bathroom; this would make the less anxious about leaving the child to play on his/her own.

 What are some common tools to encourage Independent Play?

 Providing a safe environment is a crucial necessity for of a child’s alone time but making sure the child also has enough stimulation and tools to have an effective and productive alone time is also important. The key steps that a parent may take in order to achieve the maximum results are as follows:

1. Provide fascinating materials: Creative outlet is very important and for that a parent may ensure that art supplies like colored paper, glue , paints are all provided for the child. Even puzzles and story books can be provided so a child could engage his/her own self.

2. Provide ample opportunities and encourage your child to play alone: Appreciating the end result of each time that the child spends on his/her own may be a great way to build a pattern with the child where the child is not forced to spend time on his own but to spend on his own.

3. Respect the child’s time: A parent neeeds to respect the value of the alone time,  interrupting the child when he is engaged in independent play may defeat the purpose of the act.

4. Making yourself less available: This just might be the key to having a succesful alone time of the child. Making the child aware that though the parent may be around yet , the child needs to manage and make the most out of his alone time is very important.

5. Follow a schedule: It is important that a schedule is made in advance on the timing of the alone time and followed to the hilt. It makes a child aware of the importance of designated time and also instills a sense of discipline in the child.

Age of the child is not the defining factor when a parent should start alone time for a child yet I would encourage parents to start alone time for their children as early as possible to instill fine qualities like self confidence, healthy independence and emotional stability. This are the qualities that go a long way in raising a Happy Child.

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Reflections of an Urban Mum

Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant, who is terrible at Math- Unknown

The day I realized I was pregnant, I was walking on cloud nine. When my doctor cautioned me to sleep as much as possible since as per her wisdom, once the baby was delivered, I would surely be sleep- deprived, I totally ignored her worldly wise words (to regret later) thinking how hard could it be to make a child sleep.

Ask me the above question now (after 1.5 years) and my answer would be – the baby’s growth is directly proportionate to the number of reasons for NOT sleeping.

It has been a year and a half and I still have sleepless nights though now the earlier simple issues of hunger and diaper change have been replaced by colic, bad dreams, “just want to play” time (the last being invariably at 4am).
This begs me to wish; whoever coined the term “sleeps like a baby” should be made to take care of one, especially in the night!!!!

There are days when I get a moment to myself I wonder about how dramatically my life has changes since my son,”Vivaan” came into our lives and that is what prompted me to write this article. Prior to Vivaan’s birth, I was the sort who loved to sleep and eat on time, and when deprived of either, I used to become like the “Dementors of Harry Potter” fame sucking the happiness out of everyone around. However, now after his birth Vivaan’s smile is enough to take me out of the cranky mood.

Through this article I realized the tremendous growth curve that I have gone through (and I am sure many of you out there will agree with me) and funnily some of them are just unbelievable ( yes, even to me).

• My fears: Before vivaan was born Cockroaches, lizards and moths would make me shriek and scream so loud that the entire colony would wonder who got hurt!! But now I am a superwoman in my son's eyes for bravely shooing away the nasty insects and reptiles of the world.

• My fears now: My fears are now more on the grounds of self doubt - Will I be able to keep Vivaan from hurting? What if I end up being a bad mother? How do I teach him the good from the bad, how do I save him from various monsters and bogeymen?

To that my wise hubby answers - No mother can be a bad mother and if you think good, good things will happen, if you think bad, bad things will happen so be positive (even if that is not your blood group- oh yes! my husband has a sense of humor)

• Me/ Us time: Before vivaan was born, I would sit comfortably on our couch with coffee at hand distance and Read, Read and Read as much as possible as many fictions as possible. Every weekend watch a movie in the theatre with hubby dearest no matter how pathetic they might be. Catch up with school friends, college friends, family, distant cousins on phone (monthly bill was never less than Rs5000, and I did not apologise for it) and last but not the least all the saas-bahu serials found an ardent follower in me.

• Me / Us time now: Reading time (when I do manage to squeeze in) involves books on good parenting, blogs on various parenting methods, Baby related sites to see if the milestone of my son is proper ( I really believe, with the kind of research I have done I would surely acquire a PhD in parenting methodology). Now we manage to see one full movie in an installment of 6-7 sittings that too only if its DVD is released. I barely have time to catch with the world on phone as a result the Phone Monthly bill is hardly more than Rs1000 (now that is good saving)

• Shopping and going out accessories: Before vivaan came in to our lives my Handbag ‘must-haves’ included house keys, wallet, tissues, lipstick, and comb. Shopping was done at leisure and that included window-shopping and trying out various garments before actually choosing one.

• Shopping and going out accessories now: Handbag 'must haves' include house keys, wallet, 4-5 diapers, wipes, milk bottles, snacks for Vivaan, extra dress for Vivaan, Small towel for vivaan, hand sanitizer and basically any other thing that I think vivaan may need. Shopping trips Going to malls and shops happens only if required and that too with a list. Rest of the shopping is done online and home delivery (the shops that do not home deliver are struck off the list). While one of us shops the other is constantly ensuring that Vivaan does not cause catastrophe in the shop!!

• Travelling out of town: When we travelled without vivaan earlier, we would reach airport with one hour to spare, check in all the baggage and have one handbag comprising of the must haves. I would enjoy listening to music while we waited to board the flight or be happy just window-shopping. I would generously give my seat in the bus to mothers with kids and senior citizens. There was one time, my seat was continuously kicked by a joyful 18 months old, i scowled at the obvious apologetic parents( I am not so proud of that; now).

• Travelling out of town now: It is almost funny now, we reach airport with more time to spare (though I always end up feeling hurried), running behind Vivaan takes most of the time and keep an eye on him (what if he gets kidnapped or lost or hurts himself bad by falling down the escalator -I am paranoid like that, can you blame me, I am a mum) The slight upside however is that I end up getting seat to sit but now I am the proud recipient of scowls from ladies because of my vociferous child is joyfully kicking-the-seat. I apologies meekly and whisper into Vivaan's ears "I love you sonny boy -keep shouting and kicking hard as much as you want for once you grow up you just wont get to do so ;-)

So yes if one asks me; would I do that all over again? - 8 hrs of labor, sleepless nights, packing suitcases just for a trip to the mall, the paranoia ... then my answer would always be Yes, yes and yes because at the end of the day, after all the mess, histrionics, screaming and tantrums I also get tight hugs, laughter and a house which is now a home:-)

Finally I would like to share something that I read and it has reassured me on more than one Occasion-

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” ? Benjamin Spock

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Top I-Pad Apps for children

A couple of days ago, we were invited for dinner to a friend’s place and when my 7 year old got bored they handed her their I pad. Usually, I am very careful about the content that my daughter is exposed to on the computer, TV or the I pad but here it took me a minute or two to realize that she was playing a game that was way too violent for her age. Instantly, I asked her to get off the I pad and gave her paper and pencil to entertain herself (that is another issue that she loves to draw and instantly made it onto a game by drawing a caricature of everyone around) but it got me thinking. Though the I-pad belonged to a couple with no children yet, I could not find any games on it that could engage my child in a meaningful fashion

The last blog that I wrote around the gadgets was on, “How to introduce a new gadget to a child” but this blog is all about the interesting games that are available, those not only engage a child but also foster development. These games are brain stimulating and do not have a violent undertone hence may be appropriate for children across age groups. There are many versions of each of these games available on the Internet and most of these can be downloaded for free.

So here goes the list of interesting I-pad apps that I found during my search for non-violent games for my daughter.

1. Language:

a) Scrabble:

This is a timeless classic, I remember playing it together with my parents as a board game and having endless fun, sometimes it went on for hours because we’d have vowed that we would use all the tiles in the box. (It was an exhausting fun day)

b) Hangman:

I love this game and so does my 7 year old, we have been playing this since the past two years and since the game has an option of either playing against the computer or playing against another player she can play this on her own. One can choose the category and the level of the difficulty of the words and this is the reason the age spectrum of this game is a wide one.

c) Word search:

Another word game with endless versions available on the Internet. It perhaps is an app, which may be beneficial in developing spelling abilities of a child. Again it can be played by the child alone or with an adult.

2. Fun and Entertainment:

a) Tomato pop:

As the name suggests, this is an app where one needs to pop a ripe tomato and it has to be calculated since each exploding tomato may or may not pop another one next to it. Since the numbers of moves are predefined one cannot be randomly be pressing any tomato. There are hints available when one gets stuck on a level. It is fun and may help in developing the interpretation and reasoning of a child.

b) Balloon Rock:

This game also is one for the younger children. All you have to do is pop the balloon; the only catch to it is that one needs to be super quick while popping. This game may help in fostering fine motor skills and agility of a child.

c) F18 /lite:

This is my Achilles heel, as hard as I try to land the fighter jet on to a huge ship (a carrier) I usually crash. As many have explained to me, I need to work on my landing, my approach and what not. I just really have fun flying an F18 Jet. This game really needs concentration and control, I am still working on mine ha, ha. It is a game for slightly older children of age 6 and above.

3. General knowledge

a) Movie quiz:

This is a general knowledge based game where one has to guess the movie based on four picture clues. Many versions of the same are available on the Internet where one could download the game according the age group that one wants. Ideally, these quizzes may be more fun for children aged 10 and over.

b) Logo quiz:

This is a popular one and is available in numerous download options on the Internet. My daughter started watching the billboards on the road with such intent whenever we were in the car since she wanted to locate all the logos that she had guessed and looks at all the logos that may come up in the game.

c) City quiz:

This game is for the well travelled or looking to travel, children and adults. The clues are picture based and one really needs to brush up on their geography while playing this game. Ideally these quizzes may be more fun for children aged 8 and over.

d) Pics quiz:

This is a game where one needs to find a common word that may relate to all the four picture cues given in each level. A fun brainteaser, it is a favorite with my daughter. Sometimes, I have to help her with the word and on other times, her simple thinking helps me get the right word.

4. Brain Teasers

a) Tic tac toe:

We have all played this game while growing up and it makes the child think and plan his/her next move. I used to let my daughter win sometimes just to keep her interest going but over the last couple of years, she makes me think my moves. This game is good for children over 4 years of age.

b) Four sight:

Now here is a game that is a natural progression to Tic Tac Toe. This game is slightly more complex and one has to think about not just how to align your own chips in a row but also how one could make sure that the opponent is not in a position to make a row of their chips. Made me think on my feet and after a few rounds, my daughter was able to anticipate my moves. It may be appropriate for children of 7years and above.

5. Concentration and melody:

a) Piano:

Even before I got my daughter to take piano lessons I downloaded this app for her. This perhaps was the stepping-stone in her journey to be inspired to learn how to play the piano. She now takes actual piano lessons and played the “happy Birthday” song on the I-pad when it was her father’s birthday (we were travelling and so she did not have her synthesizer to play it on) and it ended up being a very touching moment for all of us as a family. Appropriate for a child over 5 years of age.

b) Guitar:

Same goes for the guitar app. My daughter chose to stick to the piano for her formal training, though, that definitely does not stop her from trying her hand with the guitar app.

c) Baby Piano:

The baby piano app, is specially designed for younger children to play on an iPad, for early music learning and exploration. Colorful interface and cute animal icons are eye-catching to children and stimulate their interest in music. It also has a 2-player mode, which allows the parent to play music together with the child, side by side on the I-Pad screen. Any notes that a parent plays will be highlighted on the opposite side of the I-Pad screen so your child may follow and learn to play songs from/with you.

6. Art:

a) Layers:

This app packs in everything one needs to be creative on the go. It features lots of tools to help a child create a masterpiece.
As the name suggests, layers comes, as standard, with the option to add up to five layers to a drawing. In addition to a paintbrush and eraser, Layers also includes a smudge tool with adjustable texture, size, and pressure. The standard version completes with 5 brush options, with an upgrade to the pro version offering 15 brush varieties. The app also incorporates an easy-to use color picker and eyedropper, giving the user access to a full range of colors. It is appropriate for children above 10 years of age.

b) Doodle Pro:

Here is an app for children of 3 years and above, a child is able to finger paint with their favorite color and drop in playful stamps at the same time. Funny sounds paired with the stamps are a blast and keeps the child engaged.

c) Sketch up:

Google SketchUp is free software, which, both children and adults can use to create a variety of homes, skyscrapers or even entire towns and cities. The program also allows the user to animate the final creation. This may be appropriate for children of 12 years and above.

7. Strategy:

a) Chess:

There are many versions available of this classic game and I don’t think I can even begin to talk about the many advantages of introducing this game to a child. Chess Free app supports both 1 and 2 player game play so one can play against friends or accept the challenge from the computer. Although many researches prove that there is no set age to introduce a child to this game but the popular scientific belief is that almost all children begin understanding the game by the age of 6 years.
b) Sudoku:

This is yet another example of an age-old classic game that has engagement for a child. The computer app lets one choose from one of the four difficulty levels suitable for players of all age groups.

8. Edutainment:

a) Maily:

Maily is a parent-controlled email account that makes it easy to create images and messages and then share them. Though it might still be a while until your toddler needs to send emails, it can be a nice way for them to keep in contact with family members.

b) Endless alphabet:

Endless Alphabet used to be a huge hit in our house, especially first thing in the morning. It sees users learn the alphabet by sliding "talking" letters into place to spell various words. The user (child) is then rewarded with an amusing animation illustrating the definition. It can be an interactive way for a child to learn words while at the same time they spend time on their own (this is in fact a handy tool for the overall growth and development of a child.

9.Presicion Games: The following three apps are a fine example of children enjoying games on the I-pad that have no violent connotations. All the below mentioned games are available for free downloads and are suitable for children above8 years of age. Touch hockey can also be played by children as young as 4 years old.

a) Virtual Pool

b) Carrom

c) Touch Hockey

10. Must haves: Below mentioned couple of apps are somewhat of a must have on the I-pad

a) Atlas:

We have a big world map in our daughters room but since the text is so small it is tough to find places sometimes and there are many versions of the atlas app available that can find places, chart routes and tell a little bit of information about a place. One can zoom in and also see the detailed map of a particular country. It is also handy when planning a domestic or an international trip.

b) Dictionary:

Another important tool that each child should have access to. Many versions are available on the Internet and these can be downloaded for free.

c) Bamboo paper:

This one is my daughter’s favorite, she really loves to make up lists and stories and she uses this extensively (as do I), to document the stories that she makes up, and list of things that she wants to have. It was most helpful when we took a road trip, we did not have to carry a whole load of notebooks and stationary as she documented most of the trip on the I-pad and also clicked pictures with the I-pad to support her documentation. Many versions and kinds are available for free download on the Internet.

There is a parallel world out there with endless number of games available at the click of a button but the key perhaps is to get the most out of your family tablet/I-pad so as to monitor which apps are for their entertainment value, while which ones are to be avoided for inappropriate content or violent undertone.
In our house, the I-pad is a boon, it acts as an entertainment device, a library, an educational tool and stores a lot of fun memories in the shape of stories, pictures and videos, most of which are made by our daughter.

Hoping that this blogs is helpful to all my fellow parents and in case you are aware of some cool apps for children, please do mention them in the comments, so that more proparents may benefit from it.

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Parenting Expert

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 favorite 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, organized Parenting 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."

Nutrition and Parenting 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.

Nutrition and Parenting Expert's 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.

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Admission nursery

While we parents are busy coordinating the dates and time lines keeping our patience in check, it may happen sometimes, that we as parents may forget to prepare the child for the nursery admission interviews. Preparing a child for preschool or nursery interaction is important. Realizing that this time is crucial, here are some tips to help your child deal with the preschool and nursery admission interaction.

What is being observed?

In a Admission nursery interaction, a child is usually observed along the following parameters:

•  A child’s ability to follow basic instructions.

•  Interactive skills: A child’s vocabulary and ability to express.

•  A child’s ability to match shapes and sizes.

•  Behavioral Attributes: ease of interaction with the child

What may I do as a parent?

1. The best way to help your child is through creating similar situations. Help your child in understanding that s/he needs to listen carefully and follow instructions.

2. You could begin with simple conversation and gradually extend this activity time by including oral and writing skills.

3. You could initiate the learning process by helping your child observe and then follow it up by a number of questions. You could take the help of educational toys and books but at the same time encourage the child to ask questions and observe in a neutral setting, like when outside, you could ask the child to identity the colors on a hoarding or ask the child on the shape of the traffic lights. This will also make your child’s outing fun-filled.

4. Communication skill and Confidence: Asking open-ended questions may enhance your child’s communication abilities.

5. Allow and encourage your child to stay with trusted adults for a few hours at a time before the interaction, this will help him/her get accustomed to staying with people other than his/her parents.

6. To make the child feel secure and comfortable, it may be a good idea to let the child carry his/her favorite toy or book to the interview. The special item brought from home then becomes the comforting medium and makes the child feel safe in a new setting.

7. If possible, take the child to the school once before the interview day so the child makes some connect with the place and is comfortable on the day of the interview.

8. Making sure that the child has a water bottle, a healthy, light snack and a change of clothes in his/ her backpack might come handy if for some reason the interview gets delayed and then your child is hungry and cranky before the interaction.

9. Just before you step into the school, take a moment to reassure your child that you are there to have fun and see a great school and nothing more. You love your precious little one no matter what is the outcome of the interaction.

10. An important point for parents to note while you prepare your child for the interaction is that you need to be extremely patient and not evoke a fear in the child about the interaction.

Preparing a child is perhaps the most important stage in the admissions process and also a great opportunity as a parent to prepare your child right in the formative years.

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Bone Health in Children

Osteoporosis, a disease which used to be associated with old age is affecting more and more children now. Utmost care for your child’s bone health should be given during his/her formative childhood years. This will go a long way to build a strong framework of bones benefiting the child in later years. If the dietary intake of calcium/vitamin D by children and adolescents is below the recommended levels of adequate intake, the children will be unable to develop their optimal bone mass, which can put them at the risk of osteoporosis.

What exactly is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is sometimes referred as a paediatric disease with geriatric (old age) consequences. Osteoporosis is a condition where the density of the bones decreases resulting in brittle and fragile bones which make them prone to fractures. Your child’s bones mature gradually as they grow, with childhood and early adulthood being the prime periods for bone development. Whatever bone mass your child has attained in childhood and adolescence is a very important determinant for his/her lifelong skeletal health.

What are the main fallouts of undernourished bones?

It’s alarming to know about the increase in incidences of fractures in otherwise healthy children, reflects the unhealthy changes in lifestyle in the past few decades.

1.  Low bone density

2.  Brittle Bones/ Fractures

3.  Avoidance of dairy products/calcium deficiency leads to individual vertebrae becoming out of shape resulting in hunch back appearance.

4.  A distorted and damaged spine is painful, disabling and disfiguring.

5.  The distorted bones can compress other organs like the lung and abdomen leading to breathing problems.

How can we Boost Bone Health?

1. Calcium Rich Diet

Milk is rich in calcium and it is an easy way to get the required calcium your child would need. But for those of you whose child is not open to milk there are other sources of calcium too. Whatever the case it’s always better to understand from your paediatrician the recommended calcium intake for your child per day at various stages of his growth.

1.  Apart from milk, dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese are a great source of Calcium.

2.  Include plenty of Green Leafy vegetables, Fresh Green Peas, Broccoli, Beans and legumes in the diet

3.  Tofu (The calcium content of tofu varies, depending on how it's processed so please check the nutrition label.)

4.  Replace soft drinks and colas with milk/dairy based smoothies/milkshakes as this will contribute to a significant amount of calcium intake.

5.  Almonds are a rich source of phosphorus , Calcium and vitamin –E contributing to strong bones and teeth. {20 – 25 almonds( approximately one ounce) contain as much calcium as ¼ cup of milk}

6.  Check for Calcium fortified breakfast cereals, fruit juices and soya milk.

2. Vitamin D – The Sunshine Vitamin

Sometime ago a popular children’s health drink TV commercial highlighted the importance of Vitamin D for better bone health in children. It sent out a message how Vitamin D is helpful for the absorption of the calcium in the milk you give your child. According to the latest research ,vitamin D deficiency can not only cause rickets (a disease that can lead to bone deformity and fractures), it can also keep a child from reaching her genetically programmed height and peak bone mass.
Sources

1.  Your child’s skin can make vitamin D from the ultra-violet light in sunlight. So exposure to sunlight even for a short while as ten minutes without applying sunscreen is useful.

2.  Dietary sources such as certain fatty fish and egg yolks have abundant Vitamin –D.

3.  Vitamin D fortified cereals and dairy products

4.  You could consult your paediatrician to prescribe necessary Vitamin D supplements if you are unsure about your child’s adequate intake of vitamin D.

3. Bone Building Physical Activities

Any kind of physical exercise is great for your child but the best ones for their bones are activities like walking, running, hiking, dancing, tennis, basketball and gymnastics. Children who tend to play outside will also have higher vitamin D levels. Any physical workout or activity for one hour everyday will not only help your child in keeping fit but will also help in strengthening his/her bones.

4. Discourage carbonated drinks

Studies have showed that regular/ excessive intake of carbonated drinks is directly associated with lower bone mineral density.We need to encourage our children to have soya milk / milk and juices fortified with calcium and vitamins.

Prevention of osteoporosis begins in childhood. A healthy lifestyle and nutritious diet can be vital in promoting your child’s healthy bone health. Proper care in your child’s bone health will reap him rich rewards of strong bones later in life.

Parentune is a best parenting websites in India from where you can obtain many such information or tips that how parents can maintain a better relationship with their child and nourish them with a specialist guidance.

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Parenting Workshop in India

The Parentune Expert Panel was a part of the recently held World Children Expo (WCE ’13) where they undertook a unique parenting workshop in India on, “Raising happy children”. Parentune café and workshops are in line with the parentune mission of empowering parents to tackle real time parenting issues. The parents were unanimous in admitting the unexpected parenting challenges thrown at them. There is perhaps ample around us to reflect the phenomenal changes in terms of work culture, technological advancement and Internet boom. All this and more have pushed joint-families to give way to nuclear families and have more and more working mothers. Urban parenting today needs an approach updated with today’s time.

Driven by the awareness around the challenges faced by the urban parents the Parentune expert panel - Dr. Ann Simi John, Clinical and child psychologist, Ms. TanujaSodhi, Nutrition and fitness expert and Mr. NitinPandey, Founder CEO of Parentune, Child development and education expert, conducted the parenting workshop “Raising happy children” at WCE. The parenting workshops offered insights to strengthen and smoothen out the parent-child bond by addressing several important areas covering nutrition and fitness, handling aggression in children, how role-modeling is no longer a choice and more. Here is a crisp assortment.

1) As a part of ever growing abundance in urban lifestyle we find ourselves over-feeding our children offering them calorie dense foods and empty nutrients. Moreover, with all the safety issues and time crunch we find ourselves and children doing less of physical activities. So, as a consequence more and more children are fighting dangerous side effects of the likes of obesity and juvenile diabetes. In such a scenario the importance of healthy eating and active lifestyle cannot be over- emphasized. 

2) In case you notice the aggression in your child, watch out for the root cause like insecurity, frustration, unexpressed anger, some recent change at school or home, death of a pet or of someone in the family and avoid curt reactions to child’s anger. Parents can perhaps help by offering acceptance and by being firm in letting the child know that it is not OK. 

3) Educating children about the importance of being assertive rather than aggressive, by leading by example in person. Role modeling can do wonders in this area. So think before you abuse in mid of a traffic rage or an argument with a friend or a colleague over the phone.

4) Children are good copycats and they learn crucial behavioural lessons from their own parents, so parents can definitely help by consistently displaying a behavior in action that they would wish their children to emulate.

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