Ways to make kids' life joyful and playful - All over again!

It is so obvious that kids these days are constantly running from one class to another and are not able to get any time for themselves. Education is a little overwhelming these days, as we all agree. We see a lot of depression, anxiety and gloominess set in with children of all ages. This certainly means that the younger generation is not headed for a healthy life. 

There is nothing much with education that can be changed by us. But, in their busy schedule, I think, we as parents, can do something now and then, which can make their day joyful and cheerful, as it should be.

We can certainly hear the kids whispering in our ears. "Study, study, study, ... Is that all that is to be done? Isn't there anything funny?" Of course, there is. Here are some tips for the parents to go about and get their kids back t normal:

1. Motivate your child by promising an outing once the study/homework is done. It need not be a place far away. It can even be a nearby ice-cream parlor or a bakery. Try doing this once in a while, and you will certainly feel the difference in your kids.

2. Arrange for a get-together of his/her closer friends, during the term holidays, and arrange for a little snack and a cup of juice. It gives your kid the time to socialize in the comfort of your home and a time to relax with friends. The child also really looks forward for that time with his friend. 

3. Organize a group study before the term exams and organize quiz competitions to make the study more interesting. You will notice that kids feel to get competitive to answer the questions ahead of others and get highly motivated to study, knowing that others know a little more than them.

4. Give your child a short break during his/her study time and play a small game with him. It can be a small board game or doing a crossword with your child or making a cake with your child... could be anything, I guess. That short break is all that the child needs.

5. Be patient and teach your child the difficult subjects yourselves. I know that it is easier said than done. It is hard for parents to be patient with kids. But, definitely give it a try. Knowing that their parents are there by their side gives the kids a lot of comfort and they tend to shine better.

6. Make some delicious food/drinks that your child likes and keep it ready when they come back from school. The smile in your kid's face is worth millions. It also gets your child in good moods and gets the evening going in a pleasant way.

7. During weekends, try taking a short break and play some game with your child or watch a movie at home with your child. Tell your child that it is just to take a mental break and he/she has to get back to the routines.

Obviously, there are many more that we can do for our own child. Let us get started with these simple ones and make our kids' day brighter and obviously it lightens your face as well. 

"Life is short. Let us live it better."

What has gone wrong - Education System or Parents' Mentality?

Life of kids these days isn't as easy as it was, when we were young. Stiff competitions, pressures from parents to stay ahead in class, too many classes, ... huff... and the piles of homework and projects! We can very well hear the puffing sounds of kids close to our ears. But, are we listening? Have we for a moment thought about them to see where all of this is headed.

Routines of kids have drastically changed. They are, in fact, busier than adults. Returning from school after a tiring day,  having a mild snack, getting ready for a class or tuition, hopping from tennis to keyboard/dance, coming home around 7 p.m. and staring at piles of homework left to be done. Some of them even have their dinner in the middle of homework, without even having time to enjoy it. By 9 p.m, when they are done with their homework, they remember about a project yet to be done and start on with it and wind up by 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. This has become the routine of the current generation. Where is the time to study and play?  No socializing, no fresh air, no relation... Is this all for good?

We see that, the pattern of education has changed to the core. Lots of pressure from schools on the education front... Do kids need to study so much and learn all the newbies that we learnt in our 8th and 9th Grade, as early as the 5th Grade. Do 10th Graders need Java Programming? Do 4th Graders need to know Microsoft Word? Where is all this headed? Think for a minute...!

Even as parents, we need to stop putting pressure on kids to stay ahead in class. Some are talented in studies and some in arts and some in music. Not all of them can perform well in all aspects. Parents need to understand a bit of psychology and use a bit of common sense to realize it. Yes, it is time for a change...

Give the kids what they need most for their age - quality time with family, play time which they use to socialize, and some time for themselves. It is okay for kids to learn something new here and there, but not the level of hopping from one class to another. Give them some room, which they rightly deserve! PLEASE! ... for the sake of a healthy future of our kids.

Life skills that no school teaches you!

Lessons, lessons, lessons, .... We all have hear\d that word a million times in our life. At some point of time, we even get bored of it. Some of us feel that these lessons are easy to handle. Frankly, most of us can learn the lessons that our school or college teaches us in the form of textbooks. Oh, My God! .. . The lessons that our life teaches us is just outstanding! It is always full of surprises...  twists and turns in every chapter of our life. The big question is do we ever learn anything from what had happened in our life? Think about it for a minute!

Every human being in this world makes mistakes. Some keep doing them over and over again... and some others realise them and correct them. For some, life is just a smooth sailing boat with the land at their sight. But, for others, the journey is never ending adventurous journey.

One should realise that the failures in life are the steps to success in life. The failures are just a phase of life and one should learn from it, correct it and move on, instead of repenting for it. It is like reading the same chapter over and over again. Always, be on the lookout for opportunities and find your strengths within yourselves. It is good to compare yourself with others. Do not use it as a measuring scale to measure you! It will only pull you down, from where it would be hard to get up. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Look for the positives and correct your negatives. According to me, that is the key to a successful life!

It is good to remember the past, but better yet to look for the future! Sometimes the miseries in your life gives you immense courage that nothing in the world can shatter! It makes you a wonderful person and a true being.

Do not try to come up in your life by pulling others down. Improve yourself to a level, where you can compete with them. Learn from your surroundings and not from books!

Be a good human being... Speak gently and politely... Be there for others... Be true to yourself... Admire the world around you.... And you will start to realise that life is not just short, but it is too short to be wasted.

BE A HUMAN BEING AND NOT A ROBOT!