CHILDREN

It was a magical morning at Puttenahalli Lake on 7th September. The occasion was a nation wide story telling event promoted by Pratham Books to celebrate International Literacy Day. PNLIT signed up to engage children in the locality with Surabhi Herur, a young and versatile theatre person who lives in Elita Promenade, Priya Ramakrishnan, carnatic music teacher and her daughter Sukanya a budding story teller from Brigade Millennium.         The children and their parents began assembling a good half hour before the programme began and whiled the time by walking around and seeing the Coots and Cormorants in the…

It was a magical morning at Puttenahalli Lake on 7th September. The occasion was a nation wide story telling event promoted by Pratham Books to celebrate International Literacy Day. PNLIT signed up to engage children in the locality with Surabhi Herur, a young and versatile theatre person who lives in Elita Promenade, Priya Ramakrishnan, carnatic music teacher and her daughter Sukanya a budding story teller from Brigade Millennium.         The children and their parents began assembling a good half hour before the programme began and whiled the time by walking around and seeing the Coots and Cormorants in the…

Children from three branches of a play school visited the lake today, 26th Aug. 2013. They had been learning about birds and flowers from books and had come to see them in real.     The first excitement was an insect in the gazebo and then the walk began.      As if flowers in our garden, butterflies flitting everywhere and birds in the sky and water were not enough, the sight of the chicks of the Common Coot made the three year olds open their eyes even wider. A couple of slugs and a wriggling earthworm added to their…

Children from three branches of a play school visited the lake today, 26th Aug. 2013. They had been learning about birds and flowers from books and had come to see them in real.     The first excitement was an insect in the gazebo and then the walk began.      As if flowers in our garden, butterflies flitting everywhere and birds in the sky and water were not enough, the sight of the chicks of the Common Coot made the three year olds open their eyes even wider. A couple of slugs and a wriggling earthworm added to their…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

“My son doesn’t drink milk,” “My child doesn’t eat vegetables,” “My daughter won’t eat anything other than biscuits..” - sounds familiar? A common complaint that most parents have is that their child doesn't eat (enough). There are even instances of parents requesting the pediatrician to prescribe some supplements or health tonics that will increase the child’s appetite. Most of the times these are not required as parents just wrongly assume that their child isn't eating enough - just because the portions children eat are too small. Keep in mind that they are kids and will not be able to eat…

“My son doesn’t drink milk,” “My child doesn’t eat vegetables,” “My daughter won’t eat anything other than biscuits..” - sounds familiar? A common complaint that most parents have is that their child doesn't eat (enough). There are even instances of parents requesting the pediatrician to prescribe some supplements or health tonics that will increase the child’s appetite. Most of the times these are not required as parents just wrongly assume that their child isn't eating enough - just because the portions children eat are too small. Keep in mind that they are kids and will not be able to eat…

People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), as well as lower odds of being overweight, than their non-gardening neighbours and siblings. This is according to a study by Dr Cathleen Zick (Professor of Family and Consumer Studies) and her colleagues from the University of Utah, USA, published on April 18, 2013 in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). The study concluded that "Community gardens may be a valuable element of land use diversity that merits consideration by public health officials who want to identify neighborhood features that promote health." More details of…

People who participate in community gardening have a significantly lower body mass index (BMI), as well as lower odds of being overweight, than their non-gardening neighbours and siblings. This is according to a study by Dr Cathleen Zick (Professor of Family and Consumer Studies) and her colleagues from the University of Utah, USA, published on April 18, 2013 in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). The study concluded that "Community gardens may be a valuable element of land use diversity that merits consideration by public health officials who want to identify neighborhood features that promote health." More details of…