Month: June 2019

What should I pack in my child’s lunch box today? This question runs through the mind of every parent, every single morning. The snacks have to be nutritious, tasty, easy to handle, should have variety and most importantly, your child must be willing to eat it! Such an overwhelming task.

Maybe we can help!

Crunchy treats

Most kids love biting into something with a crunch. But this doesn’t mean you have to send unhealthy, deep fried foods. Instead try flavoured makhana or popcorn. Swap regular French Fries for Sweet Potato fries. Air-fried mixed veggies are another crunch-filled healthy snack as well.

Hide the veggies!

Having a tough time getting your little ones to eat their vegetables? Worry not. Stuffed parathas (think cabbage, grated radish or even potato) and cutlets filled with peas, carrots and beans, are a great way to get your child to consume their veggies. Another way is to blend all sorts of vegetables to make a pasta sauce and serve over spaghetti or penne. You can even add zucchini to a muffin or beetroot to a cake. There are plenty of options, and tons of recipes available.

Grazing platters

We’ve talked about grazing platters before, and we bring it up again, because it works! Fill your child’s snack box with a variety of eats in small portions – along the lines of sliced grapes, cut carrots, cubes of cheese and maybe a hummus dip. You could also add crackers, dried fruits and nuts and even apple slices with peanut butter as a dip. They can try different combinations of food and will get their nutrients in, without even realizing.

Fun Foods

A great way to get your child to eat is by making their food interesting to look at. Star-shaped rotis and animal-shaped oatmeal pancakes are a good idea. You can turn a simple open toast sandwich into a funny face—halved boiled egg for the eyes, slices of avocado for the mouth, grated carrot for the hair. Another option is banana slices for the eyes, strawberry pieces for the nose and peanut butter for the mouth. Get creative!

Presentation is key

Pack the snack in a colourful lunch box, and separate foods from one another by putting them in tiny containers. Include cutlery that your child can easily hold. Add a little note or drawing inside. This will get them excited to open their snack box and see what awaits them.

There will be days when your child won’t eat as much, and days when they will eat everything you send. It’s normal. But make sure that the snack you send to school has a good mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. This way each bite your child eats is filled with nutrients!

Whether your child is going to school for the first time, or heading back to school after the long summer break, or even joining a new school, there is bound to be some amount of tears and anxiousness!

Here are some ways in which you can prepare your child (and yourself) for the first day of school:

• Talk with your child about the fun they will have in school, the new things they will learn to do and the friends they will make and get to play with. This will help them look forward to going to school.

• Plan a day out with your little one to buy school supplies. Let them have a say in choosing their stationary or backpack, if possible. They will be excited to go to school and use their new supplies.

• Discuss your child’s new schedule with them ahead of time. Let them know what time school starts and when and who will pick them up. Tell your child that there will be a snack time and playtime and when to expect that.

• Have your child help pick out their outfit and pack their snack box for the first day of school. Does your little one love cheese sticks or sliced strawberries? Include that as part of the snack. Write a little note or make a cute drawing and put it in their bag for them to find later. This is a great way to make them feel special and comforted.

• Make sure your child knows that they can come and talk to you if there is any problem at school. Let them know that it’s okay to be nervous and that other kids will be going through the same emotions.

• If your child has a friend going to the same school arrange for them to go together on the first day. If that isn’t possible, maybe they can meet at the school gate so they can enter together. This way they will have each other for company.

• Make sure that your child and you go to bed on time the night before the first day of school. This way your little one will be well rested and ready to tackle the day ahead, and you will be in the right frame of mind to prepare them for the day.

Change in routine, change in place, change in any form is hard. There will be an adjustment period, so give your child and yourself time to settle. Pretty soon your little one will be enjoying school, and you can look forward to hearing all about their day and the new experiences they are having.

The short answer is that this is a very personal choice, and completely depends on the parents and the child. There are daycare centers for babies as young as 3 months old, and this makes sense if both parents are working, if they don’t get enough maternity and paternity leave, and if they are unable to afford one-on-one childcare for their baby. There are also parents who choose to wait for their child to reach toddlerhood before putting them in daycare. This works if one parent is able to stay at home until then, or if they can hire childcare. It all depends on the situation.

Ideally, the first 6 months of a baby’s life should be spent under the care of their parents and caregivers, because at this stage a baby needs one-on-one care. It is also recommended by doctors and medical organizations that the baby is solely breastfed for the first 6 months.

After 6 months of spending day in and day out with their baby, it’s probably time for parents to get back to work. A parent might be wary of putting their child in daycare the first time around. Isn’t my baby too young to be away from me? Will the daycare be able to take care of a baby this young? What if my baby catches an infection from other children? These worries are completely normal, but many daycares are equipped to take care of infants in a safe environment and have trained staff just for this.

Here are some things to look for when planning to put your child in a daycare center:

Infant stage

Post 6 months of age, your baby will be on the move – turning over, attempting to crawl. At a good infant daycare center, the staff will engage with the baby and help them develop these skills. They will also interact with the babies in a positive way and introduce them to music and books. There will be some amount of personalized care – as naptimes and feed times may differ from child-to-child. Look for a center with low caregiver-to-baby ratios, and spend time getting to know the people who will be taking care of your child. It is also important to check that the caregivers are certified in emergency medical care.

Toddlerhood

Once babies discover they can walk, they are never still welcome to the toddler stage. This is the age when your young ones are discovering themselves, learning constantly from the people around them and their surroundings. This is also the age where a child is learning to communicate their feelings, and temper tantrums are normal.

Find a daycare center where the staff and caregivers are patient and equipped to take care of kids this young. There should also be plenty of engagement and activities to help your toddler develop their fine and gross motor skills, as well as meet speech, social and cognitive milestones. Within the safe confines of the right daycare center, your toddler will be able to explore their surroundings and build confidence and independence, thereby helping them become better prepared for formal education.

Older kids

From ages 3 and above, children are adding to the language and other skills they already have. It is advisable to put your child in a daycare/after-school program center, which have plenty of activities on offer. Storytelling sessions, outdoor playtime, music and art will not only keep your child occupied, but also help them acquire new skills and open up their world. Daycare is also a place where your child will get the opportunity to socialize and play with other kids, this bonding is very important to their social and emotional growth.

Remember, no matter how old your child is, the daycare center you put them in should be clean, hygienic and safe. Every child is different in their own way, and has different needs. A daycare centre’s Admissions Counsellor should be able to answer all your questions and ease any worries you may have about your child adjusting at daycare.