The Curious Case of Gifted Children

Many parents are blessed with gifted children of all sorts. Some are totally out of this world and start brushing with advanced mathematical or scientific concepts early on while some show their skills in sports or music or other fields. Whatever shape or size they come in, it puts a lot of pressure on the parents to ensure their talents see the light of the day and also that they stay grounded and evolve into a good citizen.


I have seen a few cases myself and heard about others and think it is very important for parents to balance things out. On one hand, you hear cases where gifted and talented kids commit suicide when they are not stimulated enough and have to undergo the boredom of 7 hours at school with kid who are same age but cognitively years behind. On the other hand, you hear cases of kids who are sent to these advanced classes to harness their cognitive abilities and in the process become socially awkward and not able to get along others when they grow up.


The key is to find the balance and may be sacrifice a little bit on both sides and raise a kid who is able to harness their mental energy but at the same time, developing socially as well.


Please leave your thoughts in the comments section

The Big Baby Experiment

A London lab is deploying every technology it can to understand infant brains, and what happens when development goes awry.


Read more here:


http://www.nature.com/news/the-big-baby-experiment-1.18701

50 Easy Ways to Be a Fantastic Parent

Parents magazine has gathered all-time favorite nuggets of their advice in one outstanding article that will have a profound effect on your whole family.


Take charge. Children crave limits, which help them understand and manage an often confusing world. Show your love by setting boundaries so your kids can explore and discover their passions safely.
Don't clip your child's wings. Your toddler's mission in life is to gain independence. So when she's developmentally capable of putting her toys away, clearing her plate from the table, and dressing herself, let her. Giving a child responsibility is good for her self-esteem (and your sanity!).


Keep reading here

The “3 Fs” of Effective Parenting

Discipline should be:

• Firm: Consequences should be clearly stated and then adhered to when the inappropriate behavior occurs.

• Fair: The punishment should fit the crime. Also in the case of recurring behavior, consequences should be stated in advance so the child knows what to expect. Harsh punishment is not necessary. Using a simple Time Out can be effective when it is used consistently every time the behavior occurs. Also, use of reward for a period of time like part of a day or a whole day when no Time Outs or maybe only one Time Out is received.

• Friendly: Use a friendly but firm communication style when letting a children know they have behaved inappropriately and let them know they will receive the “agreed upon” consequence. Encourage them to try to remember what they should do instead to avoid future consequences. Work at “catching them being good” and praise them for appropriate behavior.

Source: https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/how-to-be-a-parent/parenting/#.WPyxlmfruHt

Bully-Proofing Our Kids

I chanced upon Dr Borba's site and there are some great resources to read there ( a little too much, may be...prepare to be overwhelmed). She certainly is an absolute expert on the topic of parenting.


The one which caught my attention was this article on bully-proofing your kids. It's always a concern and it's never a bad idea to have this discussion with your child. Your child may or may not be telling you about someone bullying him/her in school or at play area but you should ask and if you do find it, this article will sure give you tips and tricks to pass on to your child.


Read it here (LINK)

Kids and Sports

Psychology Today had an extremely relevant article back in 2010 which stated that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids should not specialize in one specific sport before adolescence. And they should not overuse growing and developing tendons and ligaments by overdoing it at any sport that involves repetitive motion.


When your child is young, get those dreams of college ball and scholarships out of your head. Ultimately, your child might earn a coveted sports scholarship or a place on the college team. But for younger children, and even for very active teens, maintaining a healthy body and a clear perspective is key. Encourage kids and teens to strive for balance. Sports are great, but making time for friendships, and time to learn an instrument or pursue some other personal interest like, photography or gardening, is also important.


Washington Post ran a fascinating article which asks why do 70 percent of kids quit organized sports at 13 and what can we do about it? The author argues that most kids leave because we haven’t given them a way to stay. And perhaps more importantly, until we dismantle the parenting culture that emphasizes achievement and success over healthy, happy kids, we don’t stand a chance of solving this problem.


The problem, according to me, is perennial. Every parent these days is trying to turn their kid into this ivy-league wannabe or an olympian but totally lose the perspective along the way. Time for a reset? Let your kids enjoy their childhood and let them follow their passions in the way they want to and at a speed they can manage.

Is your child addicted to iPad?

In today's education system, iPad is becoming ubiquitous. Many schools have adopted iPad into their curriculum and it is not uncommon for even elementary / primary school kids to have multiple assignments across reading / mathematics on their iPads (or tablets).


Usage of pencil and paper is on a decline and students do not tend to write as much as we used to do. also, information is always available to them, quite literally, on their fingertips. It is very natural for today's kids to use voice search as against taking the trouble of typing the search. Anyway, they don't pay enough attention to remember the spellings :-)


Few people know that the late Apple founder Steve Jobs didn't let his own children have iPads. Recent research found 10 percent of children under four are put to bed with a tablet computer to paly with as they fall asleep. (source)


Not that there are no benefits. There are real educational benefits. Multiple apps have sprung up which seriously help with cognitive abilities and social skills development in kids.


American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has set regarding other screen time. The AAP recommends no more than two hours of screen time (such as TV, computers, and video games) per day for kids two and older, and ideally no screen time for children younger than two. (source)


It is fast becoming a necessary evil. But like everything else, moderation is key!