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How to get your child ready for school on time?

Parentree-editors' blog, Sep 21, 2009 10:02 AM

Is your child "slow" in getting ready for school? Is the school van sounding their horn every day, outside your door? Are you always rushing out with your child leaving a half-eaten breakfas...

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5 simple rules for teaching your child disciplineDiscipline is at the very top of Indian parents wishlist for their children. The definition of discipline varies widely, but everyone wants it. In general, there are some common facets of...
Is it safe to take medicines during pregnancy?Short answer: You should always check with your doctor as to what medicines are safe to take, when, and in what dosage during your pregnancy. Many times, women do not have a choice and really...
5 memorable "things to do" with your kidsAs parents, we are all trying hard to do the best for our children. We make sure they eat well, study well, become all rounders, are well read, buy them the best things etc., etc., But life is a...
Placenta PreviaIn placenta previa, the placenta (organ providing oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby) lies low in the uterus and covers (or partially covers) the cervix (narrow opening that connects...
For fans of Thomas the tank engine - a must-see in ChennaiMy kids are huge fans of Thomas the Tank Engine and I must confess, so am I. When we heard about a railway museum in Chennai, we knew we had to go there. A web search brought up a website with...
Things to do with kids in DelhiSome on our list. Please share your favorites so we can check out new things... India Gate At night, even in summers is cool Vast green lawns for kids to run...
Tips to prepare for childbirthThese tips describe some activities that can help you prepare for labour, delivery and childbirth. Once you reach the third trimester, you should talk to your doctor about labour and...
Practical money skills for young kids (under 8 years)Children, even at a very young age, learn about money by observing parents. Besides through observation, parents can teach young children essential money skills by following some of the tips...
Iron deficiency in children - AnaemiaAnaemia caused by iron deficiency is very prevalent in India and in Indian children. Various studies have shown prevalence between 14% to 88% (!!) even in urban upper-middle class children1....
Namaste Hong kong!My husband and I love to travel. We covered most parts of Europe, before we had our brats. Post parenthood, we had drastically cut down on travel. Last April, we decided to explore Hongkong with...
Helping young children with their fearsAll young children experience fears at some time or the other. As they grow up, what they fear may change too. Here are some tips that parents can use to help their children. Common fears Some...
Raise a book loverAs parents, we often focus on teaching our children to read. It is undoubtedly an important skill, but we parents should focus on a more beneficial goal - a love of books. A book lover will...
Ideas for rewarding young children for good behaviourAs parents, we are often quick to punish or take away privileges from children, for bad behaviour. But how about rewarding young children for good behaviour? In general most of us recognize...
Teaching your child to accept "No"Many parents say their children do not listen to them. Often this is because their children do not accept when parents say “No”. How do we get children to accept “No” from us? Ensure the...
Selecting a paediatricianA paediatrician is part of a child's ecosystem. Due to the vital role they play, parents must select one carefully. To locate a paediatrician, ask for referrals from parents in Parentree groups,...
Strollers - Buying guideStrollers (often referred to as prams) can be a useful accessory for Indian parents. Here are some tips on how to buy a stroller. Types - Umbrella strollers This is a simple stroller which...
How to make your children remember their good manners?The age old adage ‘Strike when the iron is hot’ is very apt when it comes to the development of good manners in children. Good manners can greatly help the social success of the child. But getting...
Massages for babiesIt is an old cultural tradition for Indian parents to massage their babies with natural oil. It is also a very beneficial one, if done right. Benefits of massaging Massaging increases the...
Maternal Serum ScreeningMaternal Serum Screening is also called multiple marker screening test, triple screen, quad screen or loosely called AFP. It is a blood test that is given to all pregnant women. Typically it...
Our trip to Malpe and Ooty - kid friendly vacations!We did Malpe and Ooty this year in south India and both were big hits with my kids. Here is a review. Malpe: Malpe is a sleepy coastal area near Mangalore, which we visited last summer. The...
MiscarriageIn medical terms, miscarriage is the term used for a pregnancy that ends on it's own, within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Most miscarriages occur during the first 13 weeks of...
Sadras Fort - Day trip - ChennaiSadras (Saduranga pattinam) is an old Dutch fort that is located just past Mahabalipuram, near the Kalpakkam atomic power plant. It is next to the beach and is a nice place to have a small picnic...
Pregnancy - Visits to the doctorDuring pregnancy (even an easy routine one) you can expect many doctor's visits and and tests. A typical schedule of prenatal doctor appointments About once every month during the first...
Immunization schedule in IndiaImmunizations are critical to protect babies and children from various illnesses. Here is some basic information on Indian immunizations and schedules, that Indian parents can learn from....
Should we "let them win all the time"?As parents we often play games and sports with our kids. These require skills, effort or luck for winning. And when the little one runs into trouble, we often contrive to let them win. We let them...
Raising a creative, imaginative childLook around you. Some of the people you admire the most are creative and imaginative, whether it is artists like M. F. Husain or maestros like A.R. Rahman or directors like Steven Spielberg. How...
Common skin conditions during pregnancyAll women experience numerous bodily changes during pregnancy and one of the most explicit change is the one that is witnessed on the skin. Here are some of the common skin conditions that...
Childhood obesityLifestyle and environmental changes are increasingly bringing childhood obesity to Indian children. A study done in Delhi using BMI (Body Mass Index) criteria among affluent adolescent children...
Children - snoring, sleep apneaSnoring in children is a fairly common phenomenon that parents report. In one study conducted in Chandigarh, India for children between 3 - 10 years, 6% of parents reported this problem in their...
Pre-schooler development - 30+ to 36 monthsYour child is now two-and-a-half years (30 months) old. Preschoolers reach a number of developmental milestone between 30 and 36 months. There is also very wide variance in when they reach...
Dads - 11 tips to remain a great husband even after kidsWhen Indian men become a dad, there often is a transformation that happens. Many husbands seems to lapse into the old stereotypical daddy model. This often results in a growing gap between...
Teaching children through intrapersonal intelligence (multiple intelligence) -...Intrapersonal intelligence is how we understand ourselves and our emotions, moods, desires, being conscious of who we are, what we want to do, how to react, what not to do and more. For a child,...
Diet for a healthy pregnancyThis information has been updated. For the new version, please see Pregnant Indian women - Healthy Foods
Mast Indian Baby Showers - Bollywood StyleHosting an Indian baby shower? Have you thought of organizing it with a Bollywood/filmi theme? We have some fun ideas. There are many themes - ethnic, bollywood, western etc., You can also mix...
TimeoutsChildren need a whole lot of love, to blossom. But it is also our responsibility as parents to help them learn acceptable behaviour. Parents should always try to use positive parenting methods...
Travel journal - great way to keep memoriesThe summer would have been a time that many of us travelled with our children and showed them new places, new people and new things. It would have been accompanied by oohs and aahs at the time we...
EpisiotomyAn episiotomy is a surgical cut made by the doctor during vaginal birth to enlarge your vaginal opening to help deliver the baby. The cut is made between your vagina and your anus. In India, as in...
Common fertility problems - men and womenInfertility is typically defined as failure to conceive after 1 year of unprotected sex. Contrary to the common assumption, infertility affects both men and women equally. It is also a reasonably...
Autism - OverviewWhat is autism? Autism is a neuro-biological developmental disorder which usually appears in early childhood and continues throughout someone's life. It is characterized by three primary...
Teaching children about money - the basicsRich or poor, big spenders or not, all Indian parents know that teaching children about money is one of the most critical skills we must inculcate in our children. As in many other cases, the...
Pretend play - importanceYoung children learn a lot through pretend play, By pretending that their doll is a firefighter or their hand is a tennis racquet or that their crayon box is a spacecraft going to the Moon, they...
The 6 commandments of parentingThere are a few things that are an absolute NO when we become parents. While kids bring loads of happiness and a sense of fulfillment in our lives, they also come with a list of do’s and don’ts....
How to talk to kids about their art or workHere are some tips on talking to children about their “work” - their painting, writing, lego or playdoh creation, whatever they create. These tips can help Indian parents further develop the...
Computers and Internet - 1st to 5th standardPondered and fretted about what websites and web activities are appropriate for your primary school going child. What if they bump into undesirable adult web sites while researching for a school...
How much protein do Indian children need?Indian children have differing protein needs based on their age. 1-3 years: 22 grams/day 4-6 years: 30 grams/day 7-9 years: 41 grams/day 10-12 years (Boy): 54 grams/day 10-12 years (Girl): 57...
Packaged fruit juices and drinks - Juice for thoughtFruits are an important part of eating a balanced meal. However, more and more parents think that packaged fruit juices and drinks are a substitute for fruits. These packaged products are...
Pregnant Indian women - Healthy foodsIndian women need to maintain a high quality diet during their pregnancy. This article provides a list of healthy Indian foods and meal planning tips to eat well during a pregnancy. Remember, the...
Teaching children through spatial intelligence (multiple intelligence) - Activities,...Spatial intelligence is how we visualize and represent a spatial world in our mind, using concepts like form, shape, colour etc. and manipulate it or understand how things will impacted in a...
Chennai - Fort St. GeorgeFort St. George, one of the earliest British settlements in India can be an interesting trip for kids of any age. Its a nice way to spend a couple of hours. For older kids, it can be a great...
High chair - Buying guideA high chair can be useful for parents, when babies can sit on their own and want to try eating on their own. They can also serve as a secure place to seat your child with a book or a small toy,...
Pregnancy - 7th month celebration (Godh Barai, Valakaapu, Seemantham, Dohal Jevan,Baby...7th month celebration – diverse ways of celebrating universal joys! – showering mom-to-be, baby and not to forget the dad-to-be with love and blessings. Most cultures the world over, have...
Toddler - Home safety checklistThese tips are general guidelines that Indian parents can use to help you protect your toddlers. However, please remember that there is no replacement for the constant care and attention that you...
A Vacation to RememberThe summer vacations are the worst time to go on a holiday. Every place is crowded, tickets are hard to get, and no matter where you go, you encounter the Indian Summer at its worst. Yes, even at...
My child complains about his teacher. What do I do?Often children come to parents and say "I don't like my teacher" or "My teacher doesn't like me". What should today's involved parent do? Don't ignore what your child says A healthy conversation...
Twins (or multiples) - PregnancyCongratulations! You are carrying are a couple (or more) bundles of joy. A time of joy and also a time of special caring for you and your babies. Having a pregnancy with one baby causes enough...
Ferber method for child sleep trainingMany parents struggle with good sleep for themselves and their child. You might have heard the term Ferber method for sleep training for babies or ‘ferberize’ your baby at night. Here we have...
Teaching children toleranceOur children are growing up in an India that is a country of many cultures, religions, languages, castes, and practices. While new media has helped increase the exposure our children have, it is...
A trip to AurovilleAuroville is the "experimental" township that is located near Pondicherry (Puducherry). It can be a pleasant day trip from Chennai, and a good place to go even if you are not from Chennai, for...
Ultrasound scans or sonogramsUltrasound scans are also called sonograms or "scans". In this test, sound waves are bounced off the baby's bones and tissues to construct an image showing the baby's shape, size and position in...
7 ways to keep your patience when dealing with childrenFrustrated. Angry. Ready to react in a nasty way. Don't. Tons of research shows that nothing is gained by becoming angry, shouting at or hitting your children and it has a very detrimental effect...
Besant nagar beach - a favourite hauntElliott's beach at Besant Nagar is one of my favourite haunts with my children. My kids love the place and as always, the ocean calms us all down. We love to go on Saturday morning or Sunday...
What Indian foods should we eat for folic acid during pregnancy?A number of Indian foods have naturally occurring folic acid but the percentage is very small. Indian women who are pregnant or planning to have a baby must have atleast 400mg of folic acid every...
Dealing with whining childrenThere it is again, a high pitched whine from your child about "Why can't I have orange juice at night time" or "Why does my sister not have to take a shower now" or "Why do I have to do all this...
Preeclampsia or Pregnancy induced high blood pressurePreeclampsia is the occurrence of high blood pressure during pregnancy. It usually occurs more in first pregnancies. In one Indian study, high blood pressure was seen in 5 - 6% of...
Common pregnancy discomfortsPregnancy is a life changing experience. But it also causes a lot of discomforts to the mother. In this article, we provide pointers to a number of smaller articles that cover these...
Helping your child reduce tension, stress and anxietyChildren also have deep emotions and often feel tension, stress and anxiety just like adults do. This is a worrying sign for their health in later life as these emotions contribute to significant...
Is it safe to use insecticides or pesticides or sprays during pregnancy?Short answer: Stop using insecticides and pesticides and sprays. Or stay as far away from them as possible. Some common pesticides used around the house are mosquito spray (BayGon etc.),...
Saying YES when we mean NOOften, as parents, we are faced with situations where a difference of opinion is about to arise between young children and us. When necessary, a firm NO, can and should be the appropriate...
Playdates - What to do when children fight?Playdates for children are a great opportunity for children to interact and learn social skills. They are also a great way to bond with other parents. But what do you do when the children fight...
10 fun, healthy and easy school snack ideasHow to make snacks fun and healthy and easy for your kids’ tiffin box? We are talking about the mid-morning (10-11 am) snack that you pack for them for school. Of course, if your school provides...

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