Aradhana Vashista | ParentsSquare

The ‘NO’ Years

You ask your two-year-old to come to you. Instead she looks at you, shakes her head, and shouts “No!” You tell your 18-month-old son to stay out of the cabinet. Looking right at you, he opens the cabinet door. It’s a challenge every parent faces. But one needs to remember that this is just another… [ Continue Reading → ]

The Spontaneous Party

A long weekend, no birthdays coming up, bored children jumping with nervous energy. Does this sound familiar? No reason for you to be stuck in the rut, here’s how you can have a blast with your children at home. The best part about organising these activities is that it helps you realise your child’s varied… [ Continue Reading → ]

Taming The Temper

My friend Rohini keeps talking about how different her two children are from each other. While five-year-old Sneha has a fairly mild disposition, three-year-old Rahul exhibits frequent bouts of temper. Sometimes when Rahul gets angry he wags his finger at his mother and lets out a stream of babble. He does not “behave” at the… [ Continue Reading → ]

Season’s Greetings

The festive season is about to begin and there is an excitement in the air. Your household is a mess as children scurry around revelling in the freedom from the chore of going to school. You could help your child enjoy his holidays better: Stick to focussed activities Instead of racking your brains about all… [ Continue Reading → ]

Getting Ready for School

Your first contact with your child’s teacher is probably the most important. You have to build a rapport and develop a relationship of trust with her. Therefore, the time and setting are important. It would be a good idea to meet within a week of the school’s opening. As the teacher may not have had… [ Continue Reading → ]

The Disability Census 2001 – A Battle Won?

For India, the year 2001 is synonymous with a mind-boggling exercise called the Census. It literally means taking a head count of the number of people there are in the country. Done every 10 years, the arrangements for this are made on a war footing by the Government of India. The 14th National Census commenced… [ Continue Reading → ]

The Making of Father

One of my favourite family pictures is that of my father astride a black stallion with me as a young child, sitting with him. The picture was taken during a visit to a hill station. What is very evident from the photograph is my adoring face looking up at my father from layers of jackets… [ Continue Reading → ]

Stay Fit During Pregnancy

When my sister was carrying my nephew, all she did was look in the mirror and complain at the amount of weight she was putting on. Although she did go for walks in the evenings, her efforts were half-hearted as she was afraid of over-doing the exercise routine. She thought it might harm the baby…. [ Continue Reading → ]

Ideas for the Lunchbox

When I was in school, I used to look forward to the lunch break. The lunch box my mother used to pack for me was always tempting, and the aroma used to fill the classroom. With great anticipation I would open my lunch box and be thrilled to see something new and delicious to eat…. [ Continue Reading → ]

Staying Involved with your Child’s School

My neighbour, Suniti, is totally engrossed in her child and her school activities. Despite the fact that she works, Suniti makes it a point to keep in close touch with her daughter’s school teachers. She is also a regular presence at almost all school functions and an enthusiastic volunteer on such occasions. How does she… [ Continue Reading → ]