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Emotional Quotient- Foundational skill in education

    EQ- Foundational skill in education   Year is 1995 it is 5pm and all in my family were super anxious as my eldest sister’s 11 th grade result was about to be announced. Moment result was out my parents could not stop bragging about their daughter’s final score, she was State second rank holder and her score was…. 74%. Fast forward thirty years and score for a topper is 99.99%. Buzz word for last three decades was STEM. The reason behind this shift was the observation that education, being imparted at that time, was limited to data acquisition. Students were not guided to learn why and how of concepts, leave aside creating something new from knowledge they acquired. There is no doubt that introduction of STEM learning empowered children to explore, create and experiment new ideas. But question to be asked is ‘Is STEM ultimate shift in education?’ To answer this question first thing, we need to clarify is, ‘What is education?’ For me education is the bridge that enables
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Understanding Circadian Rhythm: A Guide for Parents

As parents, ensuring our children get the sleep they need is one of our top priorities. However, it's not just the amount of sleep that matters; it's also about the quality and timing of sleep. This is where circadian rhythm comes into play – the internal clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. What is Circadian Rhythm? Circadian rhythm is the body's internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle over a 24-hour period. It's controlled by the brain's hypothalamus, which responds to environmental cues like light and darkness. These cues help synchronize our internal clock with the natural day-night cycle. Why is Circadian Rhythm Important for Children? For children, a well-regulated circadian rhythm is crucial for their overall health and development. It affects not only their sleep but also their mood, behavior, cognitive function, and physical health. Disruptions to this rhythm can lead to difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and feeling rested. The S

Kindness- Nature’s unique hue

  Kindness- Nature’s unique hue  Life resembles a captivating canvas where our memories, experiences, and challenges blend to form numerous masterpieces, each infused with a unique hue of intention. Amidst these creations, some may not align with our initial expectations. It's in these instances that we require the sprinkle of kindness to enrich the composition. Regardless of the outcome, if our intentions were grounded in genuine love, they truly merit this hue. Pause for a moment and reminisce about an experience where someone extended kindness to you. How did you feel in that moment? Perhaps your heart brimmed with a spectrum of colors—joy, gratitude, love, togetherness, and more. While our hearts fill with a rainbow of emotions, if we were to revisit the person who showed us kindness, they might not even recall the gesture. It's this uniqueness of kindness that renders it the most precious gift of all. Kindness is nature's gift, allowing us to embrace every thread t

Power of Knowledge and Mirror neurons

  The theory of mirror neurons has been circulating for the past few years, providing a lens to understand how a child's neural networks take shape, profoundly influenced by their environment, especially their parents. For those encountering the concept of mirror neurons for the first time, they are brain cells that mimic behaviors and feelings observed in others. Consider actions you unconsciously adopted as you grew older, mirroring your parents—perhaps your walk or the way you hold a spoon. A lingering question arises: if we've mirrored behaviors or habits from our parents, how do we break free from them? Pondering this, considering the theory of mirror neurons, implies a continuous cycle of behaving like our parents, who behaved like their parents, and so on. In this scenario, are we truly living unique lives or merely replaying the same old song? My revelation on this matter occurred a couple of days ago. Since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I've explored various

The sticky-notes (Self-connect)

  Did it ever happen to you that you started reading something and you come across a very familiar word but you feel you only know dictionary meaning and you would like to go deeper into the potential of that word? Today happened to be one of those days for me, the word for me was ‘Attitude’.  What I was looking for was what is my attitude to life? Where it came from? How I go about changing it if it needs to be changed and most importantly how do I know what is my attitude?  While it was almost twelve hours in and I was still surfing online getting around few articles, but clearly heading nowhere. Right around that time I sat on my twelve-year-old daughter’s study table and happened to see her board with few sticky notes placed on it. It read ‘Family is a gift’ ‘Enjoy blooming in life’ ‘You can do it' ‘Everything is possible’ ‘Never give up’. And there it was in front of me an example what is her attitude towards life, towards things that happen around her, an example of what ex

Power Tool- Pause

  Power Tool Pause   When I was a child, I remember driving through rice fields where many times I saw these shooting small plants in steady water, and I use to wonder how much patience farmers have to keep for the whole process of growth to finish. Today when I look back, I can connect to the idea that the universal law of pause is one of the bases of life.  It is in these moments of pause that we become conscious of the beauty unraveling for us in each experience. But unfortunately, in our today’s world we are constantly looking for one thing or another. So much so that even for our children we constantly look out for things to keep them constantly busy. We try to keep them occupied with toys, activities or screens, constantly. As a result we build a brain that does not know how to pause itself. If a child says he/she is getting bored we start thinking of next thing we can bring for them to keep them busy. There is no doubt that our brain builds its software based on the envi

Preschooler's Snack Breaks: More Than Just Munching Moments

I can vividly recall the first time I left my three-year-old alone in his preschool. It felt like my heart sank inside me. A thousand questions raced through my mind: What if he needs something? Who will feed him? What if another child hurts him? Today, he's a 17-year-old young man who tells me, "Take a break, you need rest. I'll take care of things." It's amazing how parents grow alongside their children. When our children start going to preschool alone, they're confronted with new people, environments, and routines. For parents, it's one of the most anxiety-inducing experiences. Having been in the preschool environment for almost two decades now, I've seen that children take a day or two to realize they're safe and can have fun in this new environment. However, it takes much longer for us as adults to trust and have faith in the caregivers. Every moment in these environments teaches children something or lays the foundation for their future life.