Category: Daily Life

Building Immunity with Food During COVID-19

Posted on by amelioadmin

It’s important to ensure that your little ones eat a balanced diet filled with essential nutrients in order for them to build up their immunity and help their bodies fight off infection. We know that it’s not easy, especially since the festival season is just kicking in! When possible, limit access to highly processed foods that are high in calories but low in nutrition and try to introduce nutrient rich foods. There are a number of healthy but tasty recipes that you can try out at home!

Here are some key immune-boosting nutrients:

  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin D
  • Selenium
  • Beta Carotene
  • Protein

Getting these essential nutrients in doesn’t have to be a tough task!

Vegetable Pulao is a simple meal that you probably make at home already, which has a variety of ingredients with a high level of nutrients:

Green peas are rich in heart healthy nutrients like Vitamins A, B1, B6 and C. They are also rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and carotenoids which help in improving immunity. Besides, they are also an excellent source of protein, with 8gms in one cup of peas.

Green beans are low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol, and is a great source of protein and Vitamins A, B6, C and K. They may also support heart health by lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation.

Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fibre, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants, are weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.

Paneer is a great source of protein, Selenium, Vitamin B6, B12, Calcium and Zinc. Studies have linked calcium and other components of dairy to reduced weight and easier weight maintenance, especially when combined with exercise.

Preparing meals with ginger, garlic and turmeric have had a long history of boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation.

Pre and post-playtime snacks can be a nutrition bar or a fruit smoothie or yoghurt with berries that can provide daily requirements of immunity boosting nutrients. A handful of mixed nuts are the easiest to snack on too.

Stay safe, stay healthy!

Amelio Reach – Bringing the Amelio Experience to your Homes

Posted on by amelioadmin

Why pause learning when the possibilities are endless?

Struggling to find the right platform to continue your young child’s learning at home? Look no further! After weeks of research and planning, we are excited to launch “Amelio Reach”, our latest initiative to support families at home and engage with children in their early years through virtual child-engagement sessions.

We know that it’s not easy!

Families around the world are looking for the right programs to help engage and connect with their young children. When it comes to young children and their short attention spans, e-learning can sometimes be a challenge. Keeping in mind that a crucial part of their learning happens through activities, Amelio’s Curriculum team has curated unique learning opportunities using a blending learning approach. Tailor made and age-appropriate, our learning programs are designed for home environments, and we aim to help parents develop a new work-life routine at home that does not neglect the developmental and psychological needs of children – especially the younger ones.

Specially crafted learning opportunities

Inspired by Amelio’s award-winning World of Discovery Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, Amelio Reach offers a comprehensive activity-based daily routine that follows a weekly theme. Learning is brought to life in the form of live sessions, videos, written content, printable activity sheets and guided home learning activities. Every day, children can experience activities based on key areas of learning, including literacy, mathematics, language and communication, music and movement, expressive art and design, and more!

10-day free trial – for a limited period only!

To help you understand if this is the right program for your child, we are currently offering a 10-day free trial, to help you experience the program first-hand and make the best decision for your little one. Routines are important during this difficult time, and it’s important to help children express themselves and have fun, while learning and experimenting.

Activities for every child

Through this exclusive program, Amelio aims to support children in their early years in achieving their developmental milestones. Created for children aged 6 months and above, the program is specially curated by experienced Early Educators for each age group, to ensure that every child can benefit from the program. After all, learning has no limitations!

Learn more about Amelio Reach

Amelio Reach gives us the opportunity to reach out to families across cities. We are committed to supporting families, and in helping children continue their learning journey in the same manner that they would have at our centres. To learn more about Amelio Reach or to participate in our 10 day free-trial, visit our webpage, or call our Helpline at 9176024000.

6 Age-Appropriate Shows for Toddlers to Watch

Posted on by amelioadmin

Wondering how to manage your toddler’s screen time during the lockdown? More importantly, wondering what content your toddler should watch? 

We’re here to help, with some age-appropriate shows that you and your toddler can watch to make your quarantine screen time fun!

Little Baby Bum

Little Baby Bum is a fun and educational show for kids featuring classic and new nursery rhymes loved by children and their parents all around the world. Developed for kids but also loved by parents alike, Little Baby Bum supports social skills, strengthens the bond with parents through song, and stimulates vocabulary and memory.

Super Simple Songs

Music is key to engaging and entertaining your tiny tots. In Super Simple Songs, cartoon characters and puppets act out nursery rhymes and encourage kids to sing along. This is sure to be a favourite with your little ones.

Oswald the Octopus

Oswald is a safety-conscious but fun-loving octopus who lives in an apartment complex in Big City with his dog, Weenie. This program concentrates on Oswald’s experiences with friends, acquaintances, and neighbors, and his patient methods of coping with or tolerating different situations and dilemmas, along with his thoroughly optimistic outlook on life.

Beat Bugs

Josh Wakley’s Beat Bugs is an Emmy Award-winning animated kids series on Netflix, featuring music made famous by The Beatles. The story revolves around the lives and adventures of five best friends, charming and funny childlike bugs who explore and learn big lessons about the world around them – all from the safety of their own backyard.

Word Party

This show helps toddlers expand their vocabulary. With the help of a group of diaper-clad baby animals, they provoke interests in children to help them learn new words. It’s cute, quick, and easily digestible for toddlers. A must try if you are looking to improve your toddler’s vocabulary in this quarantine time.

Sesame Street

A longtime favourite of children and adults, Sesame Street bridges many cultural and educational gaps with a fun program. Big Bird leads a cast of characters teaching children numbers, colours and the alphabet. Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Grover are just a few of the other creatures involved in this show, set on a city street full of valuable learning opportunities.


We hope that you have a great time with your little ones at home watching these fun and educational shows!

Sleep Like a Baby – Creating a bedtime routine for your young one

Posted on by amelioadmin

As a new parent you quickly learn that while babies do spend a fair amount of time sleeping, they also wake up often. For a period of time during the early weeks they might sleep all day and be awake all night. They go through sleep regressions in their first year. And during growth spurts your baby might wake up more often in the nights than usual for feeds.  All this will make you wonder who came up with the phrase, ‘Sleep like a baby’?

Did you know sleeping is a developmental milestone? Like how your baby learns to roll over, or walk, or is ready to be toilet trained, in time they sleep through the night as well.  Some babies may learn to do this earlier than others, but that’s nothing to worry about.

But no matter where your baby is in the whole sleeping through the night development, try to set a bedtime routine from day 1. Babies thrive on routine and it will soon become a habit they find comfort in.

Here’s how to go about setting a bedtime routine:

  • Keep the baby’s room cool and dark and comfortable during bedtime. 
  • Give baby a bath and massage pre-bedtime to relax them.
  • Make sure your baby has a feed before bedtime.
  • You could even read a book to your little one before settling them in for the night.

Even with all this your baby might still wake up multiple times in the night and that’s okay. But try to stick to the routine so that in time they develop good sleep habits.

Naps matter!

Babies nap a lot. As they grow older they will drop naps, and once they reach the age of 3 they might only be on one nap a day or no naps at all. You might think by reducing the number or duration of naps, your little one will sleep better and longer in the nights. This is not true!

Your baby needs sleep to grow and develop, so naptime routine is as important as bedtime routine. A baby that naps enough will sleep better at night. So make sure naptime isn’t interrupted or missed.

Toddler bedtime routine

By the age of 2.5 years your child will be sleeping through the night but this is also the time they start play school, which can throw their sleep routine off a bit. They might drop their afternoon nap or be more exhausted by the end of the day due to all the physical and mental exertion at school and other activities.

At this stage, more than ever, it is important your child goes to bed on time and gets a good night’s rest. After dinner and some play time watch your child for sleep cues and accordingly set bedtime. Let the time before bed be a calm one, this means no television at least half hour before, no sugary treats and no over stimulating activities.

Have them brush their teeth, drink water and use the loo before settling in for the night. Read them a story before bed, and turn on a nightlight if needed and allow your toddler to fall asleep by themselves.

As a parent of a toddler, stick to a routine and keep things simple. Set healthy bedtime habits so that your little one gets all the rest they need and are recharged for a new day.

Whether you are a new parent struggling with sleep deprivation thanks to a baby who wakes up often, or the parent of a toddler who is fighting bedtime, there’s a parenting mantra, ‘this too shall pass’. So, hang in there! When a baby wakes up often there’s usually a reason (anything from teething or reaching a developmental milestone). Keep to a routine and know that all kids eventually do learn to sleep through the night. I promise you!

Kid- friendly activities to celebrate the day of love

Posted on by amelioadmin

February 14th is just around the corner. And you know what that means– Valentine’s Day! This day celebrates love and affection in all its forms. So, why not get the kids involved? From heart-shaped cards to creative crafts check out these list of activities to keep your little ones entertained as we approach the day of love.

  • Heart-shaped cards are a staple when it comes to Valentine’s Day, but you can get your kids to up their card making game. Try this heart symmetry painting, cut a piece of chart paper into the shape of a heart, fold it in half and then open it. Have your child add splotches of different coloured paints on one side and fold the card again and press. Open to see a one-of-a-kind artwork that doubles as a card. 
  • You know how kids love to collect rocks and pebbles, combine that with Valentine’s Day for this next activity. Have your little one go out and pick some smooth rocks, wash them clean, and allow them to dry. Apply glue on the rock in the shape of hearts, stars, etc. Have your child apply glitter or sequins in different colours where the glue is and shake of the excess to create a sparkly shape on the rock. You could also cut out fabric in the shape of hearts and have them stick it on the rock, this is a great way to upcycle old clothes and create something special. 
  • Valentine’s Day calls for sweet treats. So why not bake something with your kids. Heart shaped cookies are a great idea. Your child can help you make the cookies and also decorate it with everything from colored sprinkles to pink and red icing.  Another idea is to get heart shaped molds and make chocolates together, check out this easy recipe. Place the chocolates in little pouches and tie a ribbon around it to gift to loved ones.
  • Here comes the sun, why not make a Valentine’s Day inspired sun catcher with your child. All you need is a clear cellophane sheet, coloured cellophane, coloured chart paper and the craft must-haves glitter, sequins and glue. Cut out the outline of a heart on the chart paper and stick it on the clear sheet and remove the excess clear sheet to make a transparent heart. Cut out smaller hearts out of the coloured cellophane. Let your child stick the cutouts on the transparent heart and sprinkle glitter and sequins here and there. Place the finished product against the window and you have yourselves a sun catcher.
  • Check out these heart-shaped bookmarks. This is basic origami and you can use red or pink chart paper (maybe, even newspaper) and make a few. Gather some sketch pens, stickers, glue, sequins etc and have your little ones decorate the bookmarks. Finally, help them write little messages on it for their friends or loved ones. 

Not only are all of the activities mentioned above fun and interactive for the entire family, your little one can hand out the final products to loved ones on Valentine’s Day to show them their love and appreciation.

Teaching your child that it’s okay to lose!

Posted on by amelioadmin

Who doesn’t like winning? How wonderful it is to see our children winning at things. And when they lose it breaks our heart to see the look of disappointment on their faces.

Say that your child has been practicing for a race for a month, or been studying for days for a competitive exam, and they don’t get the place or grade that they thought they would. You might think that that would be the main reason the loss has upset them so greatly – all that hard work coming to nothing. But another major aspect that contributes to their disappointment over losing is that they feel they have let you, the parent, down.

Think about it. From when your child is young when they win a race, or score a goal or get top marks on a test, as the parent you can’t help but praise them. You celebrate their wins and they pick up on that. So, when they do lose, it hits them hard. They feel like they’ve failed you. This is why it’s important to teach your child that it’s okay to lose.

That losing is a part of life, and when they do lose you aren’t any less proud of them.

• Say that your child didn’t win the 100-metre race that they were so sure of coming first at. Or, your young one misspelled a word on a spelling test and got a lower grade than expected. Allow your child to express their hurt and disappointment when this happens. Make sure that they know it’s okay to feel bad when they lose.

• When your child is upset and wallowing in their loss, don’t tell them to cheer up and to get over it. What your child feels is natural, and when you brush it off you can make them feel worse. Let them work through their emotions and feelings and come out of it without being labelled as a ‘sore loser’ or a ‘bad sport’.

• Empathise with your child. Accept their losses. Talk to them about it, and share your own experiences with losing, so your child knows you always have their back no matter what. This allows the child to feel secure, and to heal quickly and move on.

When your child learns that it’s normal to lose at times, and that it’s a part of competition and life, they are better able to process the loss and take it in their stride.  They are also able to learn from their mistakes and try to improve themselves in a healthy and healing way. After all, we all have lost at some point, so let’s teach our kids from a young age that it’s okay for them to lose too.