Month: May 2019

It is said that the world is divided into two types of children, those who read and those who never found the right book to begin with. Igniting a love for reading within your kids is one of the best things you can do for them and for yourself. After all, a child who is reading will be too busy to get into trouble! But how do you go about raising a reader in today’s technologically driven world?

Books everywhere!

Fill their lives with books. Keep books by their bedside table, and get them their own bookshelf and fill it with books. By making books accessible to them, they can pick one up at any time and flip through the pages. When they pick the right book that interests them, they will be hooked.

Reading role model

Children copy the adults in their lives. What you do, they do! So, ditch the phone and tablet, and pick up a book and read yourself. When your child sees you reading, they will be curious and more likely to pick up a book and read as well.

Read aloud

From when your child is a newborn, read aloud to them. You will be surprised about how much of what you read to them, even at that age, sticks with them long after. Pick a variety of books and make sure to read to them every single day. When they are learning to read themselves, read aloud along with them. Be patient, and help them when they stumble. After all practice makes perfect.

Kid’s choice

You might have some ideas about what your child should be reading, but allow them to discover what interests them. Take them to the bookstore and library, let them browse and pick out their own books. As long as it is age appropriate, let them explore books from different genres and develop a love for reading.

Read, repeat

When your child is young, they might want you to read the same book to them over and over at bedtime. As boring as it may be for you, don’t try to steer them towards some other book. Young children thrive on and learn from repetition. Eventually they will move on to another book. Till then, hang in there.

Make reading fun

It’s only in the first few years of your child’s life that they will want you to read to them, so make it fun. Snuggle in at bedtime and read a book out loud. Do the voices of all the characters, get expressive and make reading time special. As they grow older and start to read themselves, create a cozy reading nook, a space where your child can read and relax. Make reading a pleasure, not a chore.

A child who reads will never be bored. Their horizons will be broadened, and the habit will serve them well throughout their lives. By putting in a little work during their formative years, you can raise your child to be a great reader, who is passionate about books.

Writing well is a craft honed over time, and it takes plenty of practice. By encouraging your child to write from a young age, you will help them develop a knack for writing. This has to be done in a smart and fun way though, so that they don’t find the process difficult and give up.

Show them

Kids love imitating their parents. Sometimes you would rather they not copy what you do or say, but that’s the way it is. When children see their parents write, they become curious and want to try as well. So write in front of them. Make grocery lists, type emails, fill out forms – write, write, write. When they have questions about what you’re writing, stop and show them. Take the time to explain what you’re doing.

Words matter

Writing and reading are very connected. A love for stories will ignite an appreciation for words. So read to your child often, read together, read a variety of stories. Always have books around for them. They will learn how to structure sentences and play around with syntax, almost subconsciously, while listening to you read or reading themselves. Pretty soon your kids will be writing stories of their own.

Mistakes happen

There will be plenty of mistakes when it comes to spelling and grammar when your child is just starting to write. It is all part of the learning process. Do not get frustrated and jump to correct them when they make a mistake. Instead, praise your child for their efforts and be encouraging. Over time they will learn to spell and punctuate properly, but for now allow them to enjoy the exercise of writing and sharing their thoughts.

Write everywhere

Alphabet-shaped magnets, chalk and a blackboard, pencil and paper, markers and a whiteboard, even a keyboard. Let your child have easy access to these tools. Let writing become second nature to them, a part of their environment and not a chore. The more practice they get playing around with words and stringing together sentences, the more their writing will improve.

Write together

Sit at the table with your child and write together. Is there a story your little one is fond of? Make a storybook out of it, you could even add illustrations. Do you have family living in another city or country? Help your child write a letter to them. Is your little one interested in nature? Put together a scrapbook of their finds, and let them write the names and a little description for each of the items they collect. Take what interests them and find a way to add writing into the mix.

Learning to write will open up avenues for your child. So, praise your toddler’s scribbles, read them plenty of stories and poems, and talk to them. They will learn to love words, and writing will come effortlessly from there. Not to mention, when they are older homework time will be that much easier thanks to their comfort with writing.

The summer holidays are the perfect time to tick off the things your family has wanted to do all year. Sit down together and ask your kids what interests them. What they would like to learn more about? What have you all always wanted to do as a family but never had time to? Jot the ideas down and go through the list. Narrow down the list based on priority, budget and time.  Remember to schedule the different activities through the summer. This cuts down on hearing the refrain, ‘I am bored!’ from your child during the long holidays.

It’s a good idea to write the final list out on a piece of chart paper and pin it up where the family can see it. As you go through the activities tick them off one after the other.

Here are some ideas to get you started on creating your family’s Ultimate Summer Bucket List.

• Watch a movie at a drive-in theatre. If you don’t have one in your city set up a projector at home and create a mini theatre for your family. Don’t forget the popcorn!

• Spend the day at the zoo or aquarium. Many zoos and aquariums allow you to feed the animals or even spend the day learning from the staff and experts there. Check out what programs your local animal sanctuary has on offer.

• Organise a make-your-own pizza night or an exotic dosa dinner, where everyone can choose toppings and experiment. You can make this idea your own whatever your choice of cuisine, the only criteria being that the entire family has to participate in the cooking and eat dinner together.

• Does your city have a local interesting museum? Maybe a natural history one, or a museum dedicated to locomotives.  Find out and take your kids to visit. It will be a fun learning experience for all.

• Spend more time outdoors. This could be in the form of a trek or a picnic. Take binoculars and drawing supplies. If you spot an exotic bird or find an interesting insect or flower, note it down or draw it. At the end of the day everyone can share and exchange notes on what they saw.

• Have a dance party at home. Decorate the room, invite friends over (both old and young), put on some fun music and dance the evening away. You burn calories and tire out the kids, all in one go.

• Learn something new as a family. This could be anything from origami or baking, to dance or magic. Find a class taught locally on something the entire family is interested in, and go for it.

• It’s important to teach your kids to value what they have and to help the less fortunate. Spend the day at retirement home, or volunteer as a family, at a financially strapped school. These are just some ways in which you can give back as a family.

The above are just suggestions. Make sure to put together a list that reflects you and your loved ones – have a mix of educational and fun activities, indoor and outdoor ones. This definitely has the potential of being the start of a great summer tradition for your family.

Kids shrieking with laughter while splashing water everywhere, attempting cannonball dives and seeing who can hold their breath the longest underwater – this is the scene that will greet you at most swimming pools on a hot day. With the summer holidays here, many kids will be attending swimming classes. Those who already know how to swim will be at the pool paddling in the water with their friends or practicing their strokes.

If your child is keen on learning how to swim this summer, here are some things to keep in mind while picking a swimming class. Yes, there are loads of advertisements for swimming classes and camps during the summer holidays, but you don’t want to put your child into the first one you find. It always helps to send your child to a swimming coach who other parents recommend, so ask around! Keeping in mind your budget, shortlist a few and make a visit. Check to see the child-to-instructor ratio. You don’t want to put your child in a pool that is over crowded and lacks enough adult supervision.

See if the class offers a trial lesson and sit in to watch how the swimming coach interacts with the kids and teaches them. Is he or she able to give each child the required attention? Talk to the coach as well and find out about their experience, make sure they are CPR and first aid certified. You can never be too careful when it comes to your child’s safety.

Before, during and after

Whether your child is learning to swim or already knows how, certain steps should be taken before they get into the water, while they are in the pool and once they are done. Most of us know that we shouldn’t get into the water on a full stomach. But how many of us apply sunscreen before swimming? Make sure to slather your child with sunscreen at least half an hour before they get in to the pool to prevent skin cancer and damage from sun exposure.

In each swimming pool rules are in place such as no diving, watching out for others, getting out of the water if you need to use the toilet etc. Inform your child about these rules. Let them know that the swimming instructor and lifeguard are in charge.

Chlorine and chemicals in the water can cause a lot of damage to hair and skin. So, have your child wear a swimming cap and take a shower before getting into the pool.

Once your child is in the pool, watch them. Even if they know how to swim, keep an eye out for them. An accident can happen in an instant. If your kid is using floating devices make sure it’s on them at all times. Many pools over chlorinate, so see that your child isn’t swallowing too much of the water. Sharing goggles is a big no-no as well, since this can spread eye infection from one child to another.

When your child is done swimming, dry their ears out well with a towel to prevent ear infections. Swimming coupled with the heat can be dehydrating, so give your little one plenty of fluids to drink post-swim. Of course, a bath and hair wash is mandatory after a swim to get rid of the chemicals and chlorine build-up. Follow that up by applying plenty of moisturizer to hydrate the skin.

Your child will definitely have fun in the water but safety and hygiene are very important, so teach them that from the very beginning.