While an infant is not ready to talk at such an early stage, he is however equipped and ready to soak in all the things you want to tell him about conversations and language. These early interactions will help develop his language and social interaction capabilities. Most parents routinely talk or sing to their babies while attending to their chore...

Limericks to teach alphabet sounds to preschoolers is a good idea. This can be done with lots of gestures, fun and can be very enjoyable to young kids. One can use a props, pictures and actions to make it fun. I remember a child who was rolling with laughter when he heard Lion is licking lollipop I I i Monkeys are marching m m m Dum Dum the drum he...

Babies and toddlers love to play with their parents and other care givers, brothers, sisters and grandparents and even the maid. Young babies show their eagerness to play through vigorous kicking, cooing, wide eyes, and big smiles. Toddlers may tug at your clothes or the neck chain to seek your attention By around two years they may bring a picture...

Creative development and foundation for reading and writing starts with fun activities from as young as 6 months old child It involves supporting play with wide range of toys and other materials and providing opportunities and to sharing thoughts and feelings through variety of activities like music ,movement ,dance, pretend play and books. Here ar...

Temper tantrums are negative behaviour a young child indulges in when he or she cannot get what they want. It is usually seen in toddlers and young preschoolers who cry, yell, throw things, kick, punch and bite. Children often think these actions will help them to get what they want. This is because they don’t know how to get things done by negotia...

FEEDING GUIDE FOR YOUR CHILD It is advisable not to give solid foods till your baby is 6 months old unless your physician advices you to do so. Solids should not be started before 6 months for the following reasons: Breast milk or formula provides your baby all the nutrients that are needed to grow By introducing water, tea, glucose water and other...

Puppy Scorpio learnt to say “Thank You” Scorpio, the little puppy was always busy playing around the house. He loves to play with the pussy cat next door. They both were very good friends. The cat would come every day with its kitten to play with Scorpio. Both would have lots of fun together. One day little Scorpio’s mama was not at home to give hi...

Stimming can be a clue for you to watch out for developmental disabilities in your child Stimming is self-stimulatory behaviour which is also known as stereotypic behaviour in layman’s term. Even adults engage in stimming behaviour by biting nails, twirling hair, pacing around the room or tapping pen on the table. Sometimes the stimming behaviour c...

How to keep your toddler entertained and happy when you are traveling long distance Given a choice of taking a herd of wild bulls for grazing or traveling with one 3-4 year old long distance, I am sure many parents would go with the herd of bulls rather than the toddler. When you have two or more children to manage, chaos is all you can expect; but...

Games while travelling with a 2-3 year old Games that will keep your child entertained during long hours on road There is no boredom when a 2-3 year old child is running around, but boredom sets in for the child as soon as there is no chance of running around. All the hell can break loose when your toddler is bored, especially if you are spending s...

Importance of developing alphabetic awareness in your child to felicitate learning It is not enough for your child to recognize all the letters of the alphabet, in both capital letter and lowercase form, and to know the names and sounds of each alphabet before entering school. You should help your child to understand the alphabets, recognize them i...

When Namita tested positive in her pregnancy test just 2 years into marriage, she failed to identify her emotions. Though happy with the news, she was quite apprehensive about managing her career with the new arrival into her life. After thinking it over and a detailed discussion with her husband, Namita decided to put her career on hold for 4 year...

Tips to develop narrative skills in preschoolers At times you may find it very difficult to follow what your toddler is saying even when the words are coming out clear. What may have gone amiss here is that your child may not be able to tell you about the event as it has happened step by step. Narrative skills in children is the basic knowledge tha...

Early phonemic awareness will help your child to learn to read, write, and spell more effectively Spoken language is highly important for the success of the students in all areas of their lives. To understand the spoken language well, parents have to create phonological awareness in the early childhood of their child. It is highly important for the...

Many parents and grandparents who have made bedtimes stories a for their toddlers a habit have a reason to rejoice since knowingly or unknowingly they have established a routine which helps in development of the toddler to a great extent. Today, many professionals are pointing out to parents the importance of reading bedtime stories to their childr...

When 4 year old Aryan made bed for himself, his mom had to supress the deep urge she had within herself to smoothen them and make them tidy for her baby to sleep in. Thankfully, she was now aware that re-doing what her child has done was one of the biggest parenting mistakes she can do to discourage her child from taking up responsibilities around ...

How to make your weekend holidays entertaining for your family In today’s hectic and monotonous work life, more than children, it is parents who look forward to a good weekend getaway for rejuvenation and relief. Unfortunately, the getaway can become worse than the hectic Monday, if your toddler is bored and frustrated. It has become convenient for...

All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy. . . Those of you who have not paid much attention to above verse, better sit up and be serious now, since play is an important part of not just childhood, but throughout our lifetime according to research. All that little activities of throwing a ball, building blocks, pretending to be the daddy, or cooki...

In today’s hectic and monotonous work life, more than children, it is parents who look forward to a good weekend getaway for rejuvenation and relief. Unfortunately, the getaway can become worse than the hectic Monday, if your toddler is bored and frustrated. It has become convenient for modern parents to replace to fun sharing games with their chil...

Like every other milestone, children learn to speak at different time intervals. If a child has not spoken their first word until 18 months, then it is considered that the child has a language delay. A language delay can be classified as the following: Inability to speak first words or learning words Inability to put words together to make sentence...

Sleep is a natural need of our body and is crucial for the development of the brain during early childhood. Babies need 12-18 hours of sleep during the first few months after birth. Your baby's sleep revolves around being hungry, needing a diaper change, or your love and attention. However, they cannot remain awake for extended periods of time duri...

You hold your little bundle of joy in your arms and make yourself a promise to look after her for eternity. Well, the promise soon turns into a challenge that brings out the parents in us! Let us understand these immediate challenges you could face after bringing home your little one. Breastfeeding Woes! It is a natural way of feeding a baby the re...

MYTH My child doesn't need vaccines because no one gets certain diseases anymore. FACT These diseases still exist, even if they are rare. MYTH If so many other people are vaccinated, my child doesn't need vaccines. FACT Yes, they do. Relying on actions of other parents to protect your unvaccinated child only works if everyone else is vaccinated. If...

As we know it’s a daunting task to potty-train a child. Parents often spend so much time worrying about potty training and deliberating over the best way to do it. So have a look at a few training methods: Introduce the Potty: There's a wide range for the age when children have to start potty training, though it's typically between 18 and 24 months...

what age should a child start talking? As with other skills and milestones, the age at which kids learn language and start talking can vary. Many babies happily babble "mama" and "dada" well before their first birthday, and most toddlers can say about 20 words by the time they're 18 months old. But what if a 2-year-old isn't really talking yet or o...

Babies at this age express their feelings of comfort, discomfort joy and unhappiness in their surroundings. The following activities will help you understanding your child and help them manage their environment. Babies at this stage are trying to develop control over their head and neck. At 3 months if you put them on the tummy they will raise thei...

To begin with I have always found speaking loud, shouting, screaming etc generally makes the children or even adults to follow the tone. Keeping a check on the tone is very essential. One can be audible and yet be clear when in the classroom. For e.g., to bring back a child’s attention to the classroom establishing eye contact and a simple nod with...

A young child’s brain is a chaotic jungle of neurons getting "wired" together into intricate circuitry patterns. Early experiences have an enormous influence on children's brains and also strongly affect the way they mature. By providing everyday activities that arouse your child's curiosity, you’re helping to create neural pathways that will incre...

Ajay was a year and 6 months old was taken to a day care centre as his mom had to go back to work. His mother spoke to a lady in charge and left. Ajay looked for his caregiver who soon left him to see another kid. He was scared as he saw some older children screaming and pushing and pulling and playing. He wanted to go home but could not see his mo...

The foundation for learning starts from a very young age. The first point is to know that the child enjoys the activity. The second point is the activities should be age appropriate and the child should participate in doing this. Third child learns from adults whom they trust, these being the primary care givers as parents and may be grandparents. ...

This is perhaps the most debated question among doctors and parents today. It is alarming to see that many mothers feed their young kid as old as 6 months with either a mobile phone with some program; most mothers say they are playing educational nursery rhymes, or a program as chota bheem or a game in IPad. While the child is focusing on these dev...

INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS: As I have mentioned in my previous blog (No to Soild Food before 6 Months) transition to solid foods are appropriate after 6 months of age. I have tried to address some of the common questions families ask me about how to introduce solid foods. WHAT SHOULD YOU START WITH AND HOW MUCH? Rice cereal is a good first choice. It ...

Transitional Toys or Objects in your Child’s Life Infants and toddlers often have a comfort toy or blanket, which becomes a part of their body. It goes where they go, sleeps with them and the child may actually go through separation anxiety when the comfort object is taken away from them. What can be more frustrating to parents is that the toddler ...

Six Specific early literacy skills THAT WILL become the building blocks for later reading and writing for your child Parents begin to panic about academics when the child enters high-school and does not bring in good grades. But, that is not the right age or time to put stress on studies. The learning should actually start even before the child ste...

How to keep your 5 year old child engaged during travel? If you go back just a few decades, you would recall how children played in the neighbourhood with their friends, filling their surrounding with laughter. Today, we seldom see a five year old outside. Children are stuck either in front of TV or to games on tablets or phones. Some parents, intr...

How can you help your child overcome language delay – Tips and suggestions Sumitra was worried about her child. He was 3 years old, yet he spoke very little and hardly said few common words. She was advised by her Paediatrician that there was no need to panic. He could improve if she spoke to him a lot. She did just that. Every day, Sumirta spent a...

Typically, parents eagerly wait for their child to say the first word and learn communication. When it comes to parents who have a child with autism the learning has to be both ways. For the child to communicate back to them, the parents and caretakers of the child will have to learn the exact way to communicate with the autistic child. Unless the ...

I was at Nursing Home for my regular check-up for pregnancy when suddenly chaos set in without any warning. A Maruti Van skid into the parking lot with people rushing in wailing loudly. At first, I could not understand what was happening, but then I saw this lovely infant, laying still in the arm of a man rushing inside. For a moment, as the doctor...

Nipping teething problems in the bud Some parents wonder whether they should take utmost care of the milk teeth of their toddlers, since they fall off after few years. The truth is that parents should not even wait for the teeth to emerge before they start taking care of oral hygiene in their children. Expectant mothers in the second half of their ...

Making your child understand that those line on the page are actual words of communication With years of reading and understanding the print, we do not understand how difficult it is for a child to make connection between some scribbled lines in a book to actual things in real life. Imagine how complicated it is for a child to connect the some curv...

Stuttering is common in children aged 2-5. Do not panic. More often parents panic at the first sign of stuttering exhibited by their toddler. It would be a relief for them to know that stuttering in toddlers is more common than they know. Parents should notice that their toddler doesn’t has a huge set of words to form sentences from. He is just lea...

Why toddlers hoard obejcts When you have a toddlers at home, it is always safe to check all the pockets of their clothes before you put them in washing machine. You may never know what they may have collected that day. It could be a piece of small chalk from school or a beetle or frog on their way home or in the garden. You don’t want those things ...

Early language and literacy skills for infants and toddlers during their early developmental years Today, research supports the belief that it is important to help young children be ready for school with effective early literacy and learning skills strategies at home so that adjustment becomes easier. Reading skills are highly important since they ...

Many parents and grandparents who have made bedtimes stories for their toddlers a habit have a reason to rejoice since knowingly or unknowingly they have established a routine which helps in the development of the toddler to a great extent. Today, many professionals are pointing out to parents the importance of reading bedtime stories to their chil...

As mothers, you prepare for the rigorous process of childbirth, follow all types of do’s and don’ts, and then it hits you that your journey has only just begun with the birth of your little bundle of joy! As you admire your creation in your arms, a lot of questions pop in your mind. You say to yourself that you will guard your baby, watch and help ...

Hearing is a very important aspect of very child’s overall development as it helps the child learn and understand its environment. Hearing impairment of any kind can lead to lack of language skills. Hence is necessary to identify the problem as early as infancy. Hearing problems manifest differently, the extent and severity of which may vary in eac...

Motors skills are the ability of a child to use her muscles. Let us try to understand motor skills further, in detail. Motor skills are categorized into Fine Motor and Gross Motor Skills. Fine Motor skills involve the use of smaller muscle group like those of the fingers wrists etc. Gross Motor skills use larger muscle groups like those used for ju...

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influen...

A meltdown is a difficult situation to handle for most parents because they occur when the child becomes stressed out, upset or over stimulated. When a child with autism has a meltdown, it is equally stressful for parents. Therefore, it is important to develop an effective way of dealing with them and minimizing their occurrence. So here are a few ...

Many individuals with autism are talented and make unique contributions to the world. There are many famous people throughout history that have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnoses of ASD among celebrities have been recorded from public statements or personal reports, some of which may have surfaced following an individ...

Legumes - include lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts. Legumes are excellent plant-based sources of fiber, protein, iron, folate (B9) and calcium, all of which the body needs more of during pregnancy. Folate, one of the B-vitamins (B9), is very important for the health of the mother and fetus, especially during the first trimester...

Bonding is the forming of a mutual emotional attachment between the caregiver and the child. In a way it is giving unconditional love by the parent to the child. It helps in the child developing a sense of security and in establishing emotional intimacy and in helping children feel a sense of self worthiness and provides a sense of belonging. Early...

Parenting doesn’t end ever even when the children grow up. It is a continuous process. We have to devise methods to help our children attain their goals, in a best possible manner which is easy for the child and relaxing for the parents too. How can we achieve this? Here are few tips which can help in motivating the child to do those tasks which th...

The natural way for a child to learn is through play. For children play and learning go hand in hand; they will benefit from learning situations that are enjoyable. By using building blocks, working with jigsaws and threading toys, and matching colours, textures and shapes, children acquire essential skills, which enable them to learn to read, writ...

The family fabric in India has undergone a sea of change especially in the middle class urban society. There are more and more working women and no longer the luxury of having grandparents to look after the infant and toddlers are available. Therefore children are sent to baby care centers away from home or they are in the working place crèches. Ar...

Well begun is half done? How many of us realise that this holds good for how we nurture our children in their formative years of infancy. I am sure you want your child to grow up to be a confident, happy, responsible, and friendly, be good in studies, be innovative so on and so forth. Here are some ways to lay the foundation for these qualities in ...

GOOD NUTRITION FOR YOUR BABY Appropriate and healthy feeding of your baby is very important during the first year of life. More growth occurs during the first year than any other time in your child’s life. For the first six months, breast milk or formula is all that is needed. As your baby grows, starting a variety of healthy foods at the proper ti...

Malhar’s imaginary friends and how they help him to manage his emotions Malhar’s parents mentioned an incident, which, if looked into carefully, opens up a Pandora’s Box in Child Behaviour. One weekend they were enjoying a classical piano concert with a friend at home with Malhar playing nearby. After a while he said, “I don’t like this tan tan mus...

How much discipline is too much/too less? Toddlers are known to throw tantrums and dissolve into puddle of tears at the drop of hat, likewise they can wring out tears from their parents eyes as well. At times they can just be so irritating that the caretakers may have to bring out every ounce of patience to stop themselves from whacking the toddler...

Early Vocabulary Skills is the best available predictor of later academic success of your child Every mom and dad wish and pray thousand times that the first words that comes out of their baby’s mouth be their name. The joy of hearing the first ‘mama’ ‘dada’ ‘papa’ or ‘amma’ can be priceless. Even though we all love to hear our baby blabber, not ma...

Dear parents I’m sure you all have been travelling quite often, especially on the weekends when you are with your family and children. It’s obvious that children do not want to stay at home. I appreciate that they require and yearn your time and company to grow in a wholesome way. So, what do you do? Where do you go? Are your weekend destinations c...

Importance of understanding how children respond to rewards and punishments It was the American Behavioural psychologist B.F. Skinner who brought to the notice of the world the effect of both positive and negative reinforcement in children. Even though parents knew that children do respond to rewards and punishments, the consequences and results we...

One moment your toddler is an angel putting her dolls away after playing with them, the next she is drowned in the pool of her own tears for some silly reason. Welcome to the world of Terrible Twos. Children are demanding, whining, crying, frustrating and confusing throughout their lives, even when they are grown up adults with children of their ow...

Autism is not curable, but that does not mean it is not Treatable Parents are devastated when they hear the world autism, more than anything else the reason could be that they do not understand the term at all. We cannot blame the parents here, because, even though medical science has progressed in leaps and bounds, the causes of autism are still b...

What should every parent know about pacifiers Once the baby starts wailing out loud, people around will confuse the mother with suggestions that she should give pacifier to the baby, whereas others would suggest that it would be completely wrong to do so. The new mother, who is just getting adjusted to the most important role of her life, will not ...

Let your child enjoy reading for better learning Print Motivation, one of crucial early literacy skills, builds interest in and enjoyment of books and reading in a child. In today’s world of technology and multimedia, parents wonder whether it is necessary to create love of books in their children or not. The answer is ‘YES’. Even though a child ca...

Though there is something called separation anxiety disorder in children, not every anxiety, clinginess, tantrums or crying when the loved person is out of sight is abnormal behaviour. In fact, it is natural for a toddler to feel anxious when the caretaker is out of sight and respond with an attention seeking behaviour. Though, it is difficult phas...

Know when to help and when not to help your child Lev Vygotsky, a Russian socio-cultural psychologist observed that there is a fine line dividing the developmental areas of children, differentiating an actually achieved level performance and the one that can be achieved with the help of adults. He also stated that since a child spends most of their...

In today’s world where both the parents are working, parents are eager to send the child to pre-school as soon as possible. Some parents have a tough choice to make when the enrollment for the pre-school starts after the summer. Do we send our baby to preschool this term? Shall we wait for the next term? Is it a right thing to do to send our baby t...

Emotional need and learning of your baby begin as early as in your womb. The social and emotional development of the child begins at a very young age when they discover and experience different emotions and relations as they interact with the environment around them. Early childhood is a stage when the foundation of social skills, emotional develop...

As mothers, we prepare for the rigorous process childbirth, follow all types do’s and don’ts and then it hits you that your journey has only just begun with the birth of your little bundle of joy! As you admire your creation in your arms, a lot of questions pop in your mind. You say to yourself that you will guard your baby, watch and help her grow...

Imagine a situation when you are at a mall and your little one throws a fit out of nowhere? Sound familiar? Yes indeed, a temper tantrum is an inevitable part of childhood! It's a natural occurrence. The only thing you need to do is stay calm and try to understand why. It's not all about temper always. Mostly it is because she is tired, hungry, fru...

Thumb sucking is a common behaviour exhibited by infants. It is mostly an inbuilt reflex in infants that help them breastfeed. Other than breastfeeding, infants use this reflex to self sooth and make themselves comfortable. It starts mostly at birth and continues till age 4. In some cases even fetuses have been noted to suck their thumb. Babies suc...

Certain autistic children have stimulatory repetitive behavior known as stereotypic behaviour or stimming. In children with autism, this usually refers to specific behaviors that include hand- flapping, rocking, spinning, or repetition of words and phrases. Here are few concepts to overcome stimming in general, including hand flapping: Recognizing ...

Potty training for a 3 year old child should be a must because the child is old enough for preschool, where diapers aren't usually allowed. This would be a challenging task to most of the parents. So here are a few steps to make your child interested in potty training: Step-1: Firstly, your child has to know the benefits of it. So make sure that yo...

Knowledge is a powerful tool in the hands of man. Knowledge can both help and hurt people, build and destroy relationships and help determine right from wrong. Because of its power, children are taught to seek knowledge at a rapid pace, which could lead to both a revolutionary and destructive future if it continues. At the wrong time, this knowledg...