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!

Read More

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.

Read More

Holiday Snacking Made Healthy

Its finally vacation time and you have this inexhaustible to-do list to eliminate. And all that your ‘super-charged little monsters’ seem to be worried about is whether you have packed their ‘empty-calorie-loaded’ junk-box or not! The lard-laden, blubber-making, nutrient-less cookies, candies, waffles, potato chips, etc are all that our little ones have been conditioned to think of as yummy and toothsome snacks. Must holiday snacking always mean chomping cookies, cakes and candies? Why do the young minds perceive expressions such as ‘healthy-eating’ and ‘fun-eating’ as antonyms of each other?

The Reality Check: Holiday snacking does not have to be all about cakes, cookies, candies and the likes. If you involve your kids at the stage of shopping and preparation, holiday snacking would not only be fun, but healthy as well. Right now we are on a holiday to the exotic land of Sikkim and I am loaded with delectable yet healthy and homemade snacks right out of the my not-so-little-one’s (at least my 15 year old would cringe at the thought of still being addressed as ‘the little one’) list of favourites.

So, let me share this list of goodies along with their easy-to-make recipes with you while it is all still fresh in my mind.
1.
 
1. No-cook granola bars made of jaggery, honey, cinnamon, oats, puffed rice, wheat flakes, almonds, raisins and very little butter. Chop almonds and raisins. Toast the oats, puffed rice and wheat flakes until fragrant. Add the dried fruit to the toasted mixture. Boil the butter, jaggery, honey and cinnamon over medium heat. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture. Stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated with the butter mixture. Set aside to cool for a while. Line a dish with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan and press to level it. Place in the refrigerator to firm it for 30 minutes. Once firmed, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars. Wrap the bars with plastic wraps. Your yummy, healthy and homemade granola bars are ready to be gobbled-up.

2.

Foods, Snacks, Cooking, Junkfood, Health

Foods, Snacks, Cooking, Junkfood, Health

Foods, Snacks, Cooking, Junkfood, Health

2. Fruit chaat made of different coloured fruits such as red and green apples, red and green grapes, strawberries, pomegranate, cherries, kiwi, oranges etc. Let your children select their favourite fruits that have a decent shelf–life. Cut them in different shapes and arrange them creatively. Then add a little black salt, black pepper and a dash of lemon. Your delicious fruit chaat is ready to be devoured!

3.
 

3. Easy to make trail mix- Lightly roast together some puffed rice/wheat flakes, chana with shells, peanuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, some dried apricots, raisins, almonds/cashews/walnuts. Your tasty snack is grab-and-go ready!

4.

 4. Easy-to-carry chopped raw veggies like carrots, radish, cauliflower florets and cucumber make for a wholesome snack made in a jiffy. Serve with low fat dips such as yogurt, bean-curd or hummus. Vegetables taste yummier than they ever can!

5.
 
5. A simple multigrain toast served with peanut butter spread can taste like a heavenly snack which can keep your little ones high on energy for a long time.

6.


 

6. Sandwiches with a variety of fillings that are easy to make and easy to carry. The sandwiches can be a lot of fun to eat when there is a variety of fillings. Our personal favourites are-

a. hummus with a little olive oil with chili flakes,

b. yogurt herb spread (yogurt + fresh mint+ parsley + minced garlic + salt),

c. cheese and lettuce filling,

d. carrot and green peas spread (boiled and chopped carrots + boiled peas + grated low fat paneer to bind+ little flavoured cheese spread + salt + pepper),

e. mint chutney and cheese slice filling. You could make sandwiches more fun by using cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes.

7.



7. Pineapple cheese sticks are a great finger food that is extremely easy to assemble. Just take a toothpick and stick a piece of pineapple, a cube of cheese and a plum or cherry and your little tykes with polish off the plate before you even blink your eyes!


8.
 

 8. Chana dal/moong dal/besan chillas (Indian pancakes) are a great and healthy snack to carry along on a holiday. Just soak dal for 5-6 hours. Clean and add little water, ginger, green chilies, roasted & powdered cumin seeds and black salt. Blend in a mixer coarsely. Spread a thin layer of batter on a hot, non-stick tawa. Turn when crisp and red. Cut into halves and pack along. This snack is quite wholesome and keeps the growling little tummies gratified for a longer while.

9.


9. Mini sooji-curd idlis are a delightful snack for the young and the adults alike. They are quick and easy to prepare. Add 1 ½ cup curd to 1 cup sooji. Heat very little canola oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, little chana dal and curry leaves to it. Pour this seasoning into sooji-curd batter. Add chopped coriander leaves to it. Now add a teaspoon of regular Eno salt and a little table salt. Keep aside for 5-10 mins and then pour into mini idli maker dish. Steam for 10 minutes. This is a sure hit with the little ones.

 10.


10. Low fat bhelpuri is another staple for road trips or any other trip for that matter. You just need to get the green mint-coriander chutney ready in time. Mix puffed rice, roasted peanuts, corn flakes and carry along on your trip. Just before eating, add the tangy green chutney to the mix. Add a boiled chopped potato, chopped onion and tomato if easily available. Your savory and scrumptious snack is ready to be scrunched!

So, what are you waiting for?! You have 10 healthy, homemade and preservative-free snack ideas waiting for you to pamper your young ones with.

Happy snacking when your little one’s hunger pangs come a-calling!

Read More

Hygiene in Children - Step by Step Guidelines

The first part of the article on hygiene dealt with what personal hygiene means and the results of having poor hygiene standards. This part will gives a comprehensive list of various types of hygiene practices to be followed at various ages.

Oral:

Regular brushing, flossing and use of mouthwash is important for good dental hygiene.

Brushing twice a day has been widely accepted as the norm today. Children should be explained the proper way to brush and explained the importance of brushing twice daily. It would help to establish with them the connection between not brushing and tooth decay. Use of mouthwash may be encourages at least twice a day after meals. After having any food a child should be encouraged to swill water inside his or her mouth and spit in order to remove residual food matter from the mouth, to prevent tooth decay or bad breath. Take your child to the dentist every 6 months or so.

Here is how you may want to teach your child to brush:

With a good quality toothbrush, wash the bristles and put a pea size amount of toothpaste. Start with the front teeth and then the molars and inside surfaces of your teeth. The movements should be up and down and side to side. Concentrate on brushing one tooth at a time so that none is missed. Brush your tongue. Rinse properly. Change toothbrush when it looks frayed or once in 2 months. Brush for 90 seconds.

Hand wash :

One of the single most important ways to keep a lot of infections at bay is by keeping our hands clean and germ free. Hand washing should be a rule before and after meals, after using the toilet, after playing with pets or any animals or when coming back from an outing. Another alternative where water is not available can be hand sanitizers. A lot of brands are available in the market today. It would help to make hand washing a fun thing for kids.

Here is how to teach your child to wash his or her hands:

While washing, use water and soap or a soap alternative. Cover whole hands and wrists with soap. Use fingers to clean between fingers of both hands. Experts say washing for about 90 seconds would be good to kill germs. Dry your hands on a clean towel.

Nails:

Nails are just as important as hands for hygiene purposes. It is advised that children’s nails are trimmed once every week. It is also important to clean under nails, especially after playing in the dust or mud or with pets.


Bathing :

Bathing at least once on a daily basis is required by children in a tropical summer of India, especially if they are playing outdoors. If they take a bath in the morning, make sure they have a thorough clean up before going to bed. Show them from an early age how to use soap and shampoo. Help them use a clean towel to dry up. Teenagers may need to take bath more often.

Hair:

Washing and proper care of hair is required, especially for children with long hair. Washing regularly with shampoo will keep hair clean and dandruff free. You may want to check regularly for lice or lice eggs. In case they are found, use of an anti-lice shampoo helps.

Feet:

Feet can smell bad after wearing closed shoes all day. Toe nails need to be trimmed regularly, feet should be cleaned with soap and water after returning home from outdoors. Teenagers should be more careful because at this age feet may smell more due to sweating. A specialized feet cleaner can be used and good smelling feet cream might help.


Bad breath and body odor:

Two of the worst offenders as far as children of school going age or teenagers are concerned. Good dental hygiene and good bathing hygiene is often enough to deal with both cases but there are some more things one can do. For bad breath use of a mouthwash or home remedies like chewing on cloves or guava leaves (cleaned). Flossing may be necessary. Ensure that bowel movements are regular may help too. For body odor deodorants may be required for post puberty school goers. Using anti perspirant also helps.

Clothes and Shoes:

Clean clothes and shoes are essential for good hygiene. Clothes get sweaty and shoes may smell if remain unwashed or unaired for a long time. Same goes with socks. It is important to air out leather shoes and wash canvas shoes regularly.

Food hygiene:

It is important for health reasons to avoid food contamination. Children should be encouraged should eat food with clean hands. Keeping the cooking area clean may help to maintain the food hygiene. Don’t buy or eat cut veggies or fruits from a street vendor.

Blood and hygiene:

With AIDS being an epidemic in todays world, our children should be aware of how to handle any situation that comes their way. Cuts and bruises are common part of growing up.

Infections can be transferred through blood, so as parents we need to keep them informed and aware of the potential threats. Dry blood is usually safe. If someone is bleeding and needs help here is when you and your child should be careful about touching blood. Wearing gloves or using a plastic wrap is recommended. If concerned please check with a doctor immediately.

Post puberty hygiene:

Parents should make sure post puberty boys and girls know the changes that will happen to their bodies. They need to be made aware of the hormonal changes and what happens to them as a result. They should be encouraged to clean their bodies and their private parts to prevent infection.

The best way to ensure your child is following your designated path of hygiene and cleanliness is to establish a clear routine. This reinforces the habit and also teaches them discipline. Thus the first thing in the morning and last activity before bedtime can be made into a teeth brushing and hand soaping routine.

Always reward good hygienic habits with the same approval you show your child for good behavior. This will encourage them to believe and follow these habits.

Read More

Top 5 things to know about Nursery Admissions

“I want to get my girl a good school, never had I thought that it’s going to be so tough. This is turning out to be more difficult than any exam I ever took in my lifetime. These have been the only times when I have been really demanding of my little girl….This isn’t fair?”

Shivani lives in South Delhi and has been on phone calls like these with her family and friends over the last few days. Shivani got in touch with me and had numerous questions to ask around the nursery admissions process. During the interaction, she suggested that I write this article for all proparents looking for that elusive nursery seat for their child.

1. Why is the Nursery Admission state the way it is in Delhi NCR?

This is a case of Need v/s Availability equation. Delhi NCR has close to 1,250 private unaided schools with around 1.42 lac nursery seats. On the other hand, there are more than 1.70 lac children waiting to get a nursery seat. Over the last few years, a Point System for screening of applications came into being based on the recommendation from the Ganguly committee. This point system at best is a guiding mechanism and has been tweaked by schools from time to time. Clearly, a non-uniform implementation and lack of enforcement directive of this system has led to further chaos and confusion.

2. Is this situation going to change anytime soon?

More seats and more upcoming schools can definitely change this current situation. But, it doesn't looks like, it's happening soon. It will take some years for that to happen. In a recent ruling, Private unaided schools can now run a second shift after regular school hours. This is potentially a good step to take care of the impending worry. This shift, however, would have to be run as a separate entity with no common teachers from the first shift. There will be no transfer of first shift students to the second shift. The admission criteria in the second shift will be same as that of the first shift with 25% reservation for EWS category under RTE Act. The big question is, "Are schools implementing it?"...the small answer is "hardly; yet to be seen". I hope, they do, at least this year onwards.

3. What's the minimum age for admission into nursery? Is there an upper age limit too?

Delhi School Education Advisory Board (DSEAB) has taken some clear decisions, as announced on 19th Dec’12, followed by the high court ruling on the upper age limit for admissions. For admission into nursery, the minimum age has to be of 3 years by or before March 30 of the academic year in which admission is sought. And as per the recent Delhi high court ruling, there is now no upper age limit for nursery admissions.

4. Would the points system be followed this year?

Schools, which will be following the point system in the new admission season starting in the academic year 2014, have been asked to give maximum weightage to distance from school (neighborhood criteria). Though, all schools have been mandated in Delhi to follow this system,

schools have carried on to twist, tweak, change this to suit their own convenience. The other criteria for points are alumni, sibling, and single parent (includes widows as well under the same head). There may be a separate pointer for orphans this year. The point system has been criticized in the past by the parents for lack of fairness.

5. When will the nursery forms be available? How does it work?

The nursery forms will be made available beginning now. Some of the schools have come out with the nursery forms already. You may keep a track of these on the nursery admissions section on parentune as well. Schools will get a clear period to apply these, and then a time to process the forms and meet the parents. Schools would then come out with the first shortlist, followed by a second list.

In a recent poll on Parentune.com, 95% proparents felt that the nursery admission in Delhi NCR is unfair and lacks transparency. I would suggest you to perhaps start reaching out to fellow parents on the site, especially the ones with their children in the schools of your choice; seek their feedback, opinions. Refer the parent-only-ranking of schools in Delhi NCR . You may keep a close tab if you follow the site, check the daily round-ups and updates. Moreover reach out to the parentune education expert panel through the admission corner with all your queries and we shall try our best to address them in quick time. Signing off with best wishes.

“For the ones we want to make things better for, everyday, as a parent…. Our entire life is an ode to our children.” Parentune

Read More

Hearing loss due to wrong use of earbud headphones

Chances are all you know about ear buds is that they're easy to carry around and they sound good. Ear buds are useful little devices as long as they're used at low volumes. But they're basically a pair of tiny speakers that you wear inside your ears. And loud music playing that close to your eardrum can cause permanent hearing loss.

How Ear buds Damage the Ears

Believe it or not, ear buds can damage your hearing in the same way that things like chainsaws and motorcycles can. That may seem weird because ear buds are so small. But the damage is all in the volume.

Chainsaws and motorcycle engines create about 100 decibels of sound. That much sound can start to damage a person's ears after less than half an hour. An MP3 player at 70% of its top volume is about 85 decibels. Turning the volume up and listening for long periods of time can put you in real danger of permanent hearing loss.

Hearing loss from ear buds is an example of a condition called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). This kind of hearing loss is becoming more of a problem among kids and teens.

How Does Noise Cause Hearing Loss?

The ear is made up of three parts that work together to process sounds: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Part of the inner ear called the cochlea contains tiny hair cells. These hair cells help send sound messages to the brain. But loud noise can damage the hair cells. When this happens, the cochlea can't relay sound messages to the brain as well.

Unlike damage to other parts of your body, inner ear damage never heals. Over time, as more and more hair cells get damaged, your hearing will get worse and worse.

What to Do

Noise-induced hearing loss from using ear buds usually takes a while. Because it happens gradually, a lot of people don't know they have a problem until it's too late. Signs you may have hearing loss are:

    • ringing, buzzing, or roaring in your ears after hearing a loud noise
    • muffling or distortion of sounds

What should you do if you think you have signs of hearing loss? Call your doctor. The doctor may examine you and send you to see an audiologist. The audiologist will most likely give you a series of tests to determine how much your hearing has been affected.

The audiologist can also answer any questions you might have about using ear buds and about protecting your hearing.

Using Ear buds the Right Way

Noise-induced hearing loss due to ear buds is 100% preventable if you use them in moderation.You've probably heard the saying, "All things in moderation." Not overdoing things is true whether you're eating chocolate cake or using ear buds. The more cake you eat, the faster you'll gain weight. The louder the volume, the faster hearing loss can happen.

So what does moderation mean when it comes to using ear buds? Doctors recommend the 60%/60-minute rule:

    • Listen to music or play a movie or video game at no more than 60% of the maximum volume.
    • Limit the amount of time you spend with ear buds in your ears to 60 minutes.

Here's another trick you can use to find out if your ear buds are at a safe volume: Ask people sitting near you if they can hear your music. If they can, it's a sign that your hearing is being damaged. Turn the volume down until other people can no longer hear it.

Hearing loss isn't the only problem that ear buds can cause. Listening to music at a loud volume can make you unaware of what's going on around you. That increases your chances of an accident. If you're running on a bike path, for example, it's hard to hear a cyclist shout, "Heads up!" when your music drowns out all other sounds.

Are There Other Options?

It might feel like every phone or music player comes packaged with a tiny pair of ear buds. After all, they're cheap to manufacture and easy to use.

So what can you do? Go retro with headphones. There's a reason they're making a comeback. Sometimes old school is better.

Most electronics stores have entire sections devoted to headphones. The best headphones, noise-canceling headphones, help block out other noises. That way, you don't have to turn up the volume on your music as loud to hear it well. Noise-canceling headphones may be good for staying focused on studying or homework, but they're not great choices if you need to hear the world around you.

Headphones that go over your ears can also damage your hearing if you use them too long or play music too loudly. They're just not as much of a risk as ear buds are: Having the source of the sound in your ear canal can increase a sound's volume by 6 to 9 decibels — enough to cause some serious problems.

Ear buds exist because so many of us love music. So you probably want to protect your hearing so you can continue to appreciate music. That's why it helps to know about the risks of ear buds (and other noise hazards) so you can take steps to be safe.

Read More

Things To Do With Your Child Before They Grow Up

A child changes your life forever. We grew up in a community or in joint families where we were taken care of by aunts and grandparents as much as our own parents. Our parents were busy working and taking care of the family and we hardly had more than a few precious days in the year when we would be taken out for our yearly holiday or the book fair. However the world has changed today and the buzzword today is “quality time”.

So how do you spend quality time with your children, which will help you make the best of their childhood and also leave them with memories for their lifetime?

Here are some ideas:

Volunteer together for an NGO:

One of the most important lessons we can give our children is to be helpful those who are less privileged than us. How better to go about it than short list a few NGO-s and then volunteer to help out for a day. It might be a good idea to even to do this on the child’s birthday. Your child would feel extremely good having helped others and s/he will carry these memories and make a better citizen later on in life.

Visit an animal shelter:

You could also visit an animal shelter and volunteer there for a weekend. This will invoke in your child the values of kindness and empathy towards animals.

Clean up your street or neighborhood park:

This may be a good bonding Activity. Children are very good at understanding and learning from our actions not only will your child remember this as something that you did together but also be proud of your initiative to drive a movement for the betterment of the community.

Encourage them to write and read it:

This may sound simple but it is not. When I wrote my first poem and took it to my grandfather at the age of 7, he laughed at it. Sadly this put me out of writing for years afterwards. If your child writes an essay, story or poem you may want to encourage the child with praise. Even if your child just wrote- “Love you Mumma”, give her a big hug and kiss and put it up somewhere to be seen. Taking this route for appreciation may inspire your child to write more. And yes, they will remember your hugs and kisses for a long time to come.

Read together:

The joys and benefits of reading together cannot be stressed enough. We have had a lot of articles and blogs on parentune.com about this topic. I always believed that a family that reads together stays together. Not only is it quality time together, but also, it is an excellent way to bond with your child while, at the same time, teaching them the values of reading.

Learn a musical instrument together:

Have you always wanted to play the piano but never got around to do it? This is the time. Bringing up children is in many ways reliving ones childhood. So fulfill your dream while having your child learn at the same time. Then have impromptu concerts at home and either drive your neighbors wild together or get accolades as a team!

Learn a language:

A brain of a growing child can comprehend, understand and learn a new language much faster than an adult. Taking full advantage from this fact, you may want to learn a new language together. It will keep the grey cells working while doing something worthwhile together.

Discover science:

Childhood is truly the time of discovery.

• The best way to have them discover how a particular toy works is to take it apart. Don’t over react if they take a toy car apart to see “what’s inside”. It is very normal and healthy for a child to be curious about things. For older children it might be a great experience for them if you could give them a broken gadget or an appliance so they can take it apart (with supervision) and actually see the insides of the gadget for themselves.

• You could conduct you own science experiments with things from your kitchen like, Creating volcanoes out of soda and salt, make salt from salt water and many more
• You could teach your child about optics by playing with shadows. Next time you have a power cut, you could have a puppet show purely out of hand and finger shadows on the wall.
• My mum still has the pressed and dehydrated flower collection that I had made for her, a few years ago she had it framed to preserve it and to this date it is displayed in her bedroom. You could do the same with your child and then frame the creation and hang it somewhere, where it is visible for all to admire.
• Sleep on the terrace on a clear summer night and check out the constellations (but remember to put a great mosquito repellant ? )

Teach them a sport:

What is more wonderful on a spring or summer weekend than to splash about in the cool pool and have fun family time and see your child gain confidence and skill in the pool at the same time. Why not teach cycling to your little one, or throw a ball around. Teach them to play basketball or badminton, both of which are possible in any neighborhood park.

Play:

You could paint something together- a plate for your mantel, build a dollhouse with shoeboxes, make a model airplane. Have an indoor picnic. You could take your child to the beach or park and let go. Play in the mud… clothes can always be washed ( believe me you will only remember the fun you had with your child later on in life and not the dirty clothes that you had to wash ).

Discover nature:

You could go out really early one day and watch the sun rise or set. Go out to the park to hunt for bugs and ant hills. Find a pond and try to see what is in it. Turn over a rock and watch the amazing life which goes on underneath it. Try to catch a crab on the beach. Go for a nature walk in a nearby park at night. Visit your nearest botanical garden and sit in the shade of a banyan tree. Plant your own little garden, even if in a pair of bottles. Create your own bird house or bird feeder and wait for the birds. Camp on your backyard, or else on the terrace. Climb a tree, or roll down a hill, catch fish or just get drenched in the rain.

Cook together:

Try a simple recipe if you are a beginner, like chicken soup or pizza. Have your child assemble all ingredients. Have your child assemble the pizza before you put it in the oven to bake. If you are a good cook, bake lovely cakes and make good use of the extra arms to beat the mix!

Travel:

A well travelled child has a mind which absorbs more information and notices things more. Remember how train journeys were such great fun for us as children? Go boating with your children. Long distance driving with a child is a unique experience. Take lots of pictures which would enhance their memories.

Discover your city:

On a sunny winter’s day, you could make a date with your child and take a hop-on hop-off bus if your city has one. Or else, visit the museum, public library, the biggest temple or church, or market place- just to get a feel of the city.

Family:

We always went to the bakery Nahoums on Christmas Eve. It was a delectable experience which we sisters loved, the rich plum cakes and rum balls smelling mouth watering. Start your own family tradition. Grand parents balances discipline with pure love, studies with games. They are a treasure trove of stories too, and best thing is, they have time and the inclination to keep your children happy for hours, so your children could spend time with them.

Whether your child is a 4 year old toddler, or at the cusp of teenage, this is the time to try and build ever lasting memories which they will carry into their own parenthood. Not only will you create responsible creative adults, but you will create happy parents, who themselves will pass on this tradition to their own little ones when the time comes.

Read More