Walk Your Talk

A common refrain that I hear from parents and teachers is, ‘children don’t listen to us.’ And my standard response is, ‘do you model the expected behaviour?’ Most people mistake the wisdom contained in this question as a simplistic solution.

As I am, so is my child: that’s my simple mantra for parents and teachers. Most researches support this sure shot formula as what we adults do, shouts louder than words.

Let’s reflect upon some basic concerns:

We require children to listen to us, but how many of us listen to their spoken and unspoken needs or anguish? Forget children, how many of us listen to anyone else with our full being?

We insist that children must eat healthy. However when children are young and impressionable, we introduce them to chocolate, chips and sugared drinks. Not only that, we also give these out as rewards, indirectly reinforcing the concept that these foods are well-earned treats. Why don’t we consider giving a carrot or an apple as a treat?

We say today’s generation is hooked to their gadgets but many of us find it virtually impossible to survive without our daily gizmo fix.

We consider their behaviour bratty and impolite but how many of us talk respectfully and kindly to our elders, our support staff or the physically and mentally challenged?

We rue the fact that children are unconnected to trees, ants and the bees but our leisure time activities consist chiefly of walking through the mall and catching the latest Friday release. When was the last time you walked on the beach or visited a nature reserve?

We complain that children fib and fight but they find us lying through our teeth, holding grudges and plotting revenge on all and sundry.

We often nag our children to do their work on time, yet do they find us organized and efficient at all times?

If we roll down car windows and litter the street, they are not going to take Swachha Bharat Abhiyan seriously. Separation of kitchen waste and recycling will then be farthest from their minds.

We want children to read and grow in knowledge; are books merely part of our home décor or are they living and breathing entities that challenge our thinking and provoke dialogue?

How often are daily happenings swapped at dinnertime? Do we share uplifting human stories? Do we discuss art, literature, scientific breakthroughs and politics; or are these moments wasted in lecturing and moralising?

We expect children to be global citizens who will be at ease with people from diverse backgrounds; do we encourage deep and real relationships with those who are different from us or are our minds encased in ghettos?

Children will learn compassion when they see our random acts of kindness as well as engage with the socio-economic realities of our country.

Children will learn the meaning of gratitude when they see us expressing our heartfelt thanks to those who care for us.

Children will learn forgiveness when they find us seeking forgiveness or forgiving those who have caused us harm.

I must end with a disclaimer: children will be children and may sometimes do the wrong thing in spite of our exemplary actions; let’s learn to ignore the occasional misdemeanour. At the same time being human, we may not be the perfect role models; let’s learn to forgive ourselves and move on. As long as they see us striving to function from our most authentic self, the seeds we have sown will take root someday…

But remember, our thoughts, words and actions influence children more than we think they do; let’s walk our talk, starting today.

English movies that will inspire your teenager

For the teenagers of today, social, digital and entertainment media are slowly becoming absolute essentials. The parents are all concerned about the effect that this exposure will have on their child and their development.

But we can also use this technology to inspire them and teach them lessons about life. One excellent medium to teach the youth about the important things is movies. Watching movies not only takes the edge of what is a very hectic life for any teenager, it also gives you a chance to bond with your teenager.

Here is a list of movies you can watch with your teenager: Click Here

Parenting Tips

Parenting plays an integral role in the development of a child.  Research has revealed that correct parenting influences social, cognitive and psychological growth which affects children both in childhood years and as an adult. Here are some parenting tips which will help in forging a great bond with your children.

Be an Example for your own kids. Your children will become who you are; so be who you want them to be.

Put yourself in their Shoes. If you feel irritated by your child’s behavior, put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Haven’t you too as a child, also acted in the similar manner sometimes?

Give Attention. When spending quality time with your kids, avoid getting distracted by other things such as Read More

Family Meal

Gone are the days when the family meal was an everyday ritual – the symbol of shared family life. Lack of time, work demands, busy social lives, scheduled activities of the children and moreover increased opportunities for eating away from home are among the factors militating against the practice of family meals.

Family life often comes with a busy schedule. It isn’t always easy to put a meal on the table and get the whole family to sit down together to enjoy it; but Read More

TEACHING TOLERANCE – HARMONY IN DIFFERENCE

tolerance-02-768x436

In our society, we are surrounded by differences in ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, disabilities and many more. We love to be surrounded by a multicultural society and this mostly depends on our own exposure and attitudes towards our interaction with different people.

We all want our kids to feel relaxed and open to learning from different cultures – new ideas and Read More

Good Study Habits

We all know that good study habits are essential to educational success. We probably can diminish academic dishonesty by promoting good study habits among students, and letting the students know that how very important is it to inculcate good study habits.

The key to grooming an effective and sincere student is guiding them to study smarter. An hour or two of studying a day is usually sufficient to make it through school with good grades.

study-habits-768x512

Some guidelines for helping your child to study smart and achieve success. Read More

ARE YOU A TREND SETTING PARENT?

parenting-blog

As 2016 draws to an end, let’s review the 6 Biggest Parenting Trends that were popular in 2016. Were you a trend setter? Did you lead the way to new age parenting? Or are you a slow starter and plan to follow the trends before the year ends? Read on and decide for yourself if the trends are tailor made for your parenting style. Read More

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCHOOL TODAY

Right School Universal

A good school endeavours to inspire a passion and enthusiasm for learning by creating an enriched and entertaining environment that engages, excites and energises.
We believe that education has to be as flexible, creative and adaptive to the increasingly complex, ever changing and interconnected world we are living in. The school should always be on the lookout for opportunities to develop the strength and tenacity of the students, to go beyond the ordinary, to face any challenge head on and emerge winners. Such enriching experiences give education a totally different dimension.
A good educational system gives students the freedom to recognize their capabilities and individual potentials. Various co curricular activities at Universal, ensure the healthy physical and social growth of the students.Tie-ups with professional education partners ascertains that students are exposed to the right kind of training programme, which initiates the tapping of Read more

Call Us