The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

  In the 80s, many Indians pulled themselves out of the uncertainty of the earlier times and were living stable lives. In fact, the rise of middle class is evident in the significant developments in the intellectual sphere. The 80s marked the beginning of the rise of nuclear families in India. The average family had a father, mother, two or three children, and lots of love. Both the children and the parents were kind of heaving a sigh of relief. They no longer had to bear the pressure of joint families, but they were somehow missing them too. The parents were moral, but didn’t usually go out of the way to teach their kids a lesson. Last but not the least, within limits of decency, they allowed their kids to choose the clothes they wanted to wear and the food they wanted to eat. Father had a job that was usually good enough to take care of the household. Some of the mothers were working too, but they did so only in less time-consuming jobs like those of teachers. All in all, the parents

  The 70's were marked pronouncedly by the emergency! Not only was the economy struggling but then came sudden atmosphere of suppression and fear with the emergency.  As families worked and struggled to make ends work, a lot depended on the doles handed out by the government. Endless queues, may it be for getting milk, grocery from the ration shops or standing for tickets at the local movie theatre. With the declaration of emergency, things changed overnight. Uncertainty and fear would loom large all around. Things seemed better for a while, more punctuality at work, more efficiency in factories, but so was a sense of injustice. Children in the 70s witnessed all this, from being the helping hand in the house, from being carefree in the town to experiencing this suppressed restlessness and turmoil in the society. Their perspectives changed, from being blindly obedient to those in authority to questioning the right and wrong. Yes, it was true that one had to fight to get almost every

The 50s and 60s was an era of turmoil - recent independence, war with Pakistan. As a child of the 50s and 60s, one didn't have 2 parents, it was more like 20. Families, joint, extended, not only stayed together but worked together as well. There was no television but there was plenty of drama. As far as parenting was concerned, it was extremely strict. Keeping in mind the ever-present poverty, there was an air of miserliness all around. Kids rarely received presents of any sorts. There were strong emotional bonding in the family though. The entire family would gather over lunch and dinner. Isolation among children was unheard of. Traditional games introduced lot of useful qualities in children - patience, adjustment, focus, companionship and more.. Childhood was not all play and fun. Discipline, obedience and sincerity was expected of a child. 'To be respectful towards elders, to be honest and truthful, not be wasteful, to  control one’s greed, temptations and anger and to exer

  Emotional/Social Changes: Children in this age group might: Have more interest in platonic and serious relationships. Go through less conflict with parents. Show more independence from parents. Have a deeper capacity for caring and sharing and for developing more intimate relationships. Spend less time with parents and more time with friends. Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems. Thinking and Learning: Children in this age group might: Learn more defined work habits. Show more concern about future school and work plans. Be better able to give reasons for their own choices, including about what is right or wrong Positive Parenting Tips: Following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your teen during this time: Talk with your teen about her concerns and pay attention to any changes in her behavior. Ask her if she feels sad or depressed. Show interest in your teen’s school and ext

  Emotional/Social Changes, Children in this age group might: Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes. Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence. Experience more moodiness. Show more interest in and influence by peer group. Express less affection toward parents; sometimes might seem rude or short-tempered. Feel stress from more challenging school work. Develop eating problems. Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sexual exploration, and other problems. Thinking and Learning, Children in this age group might: Have more ability for complex thought. Be better able to express feelings through talking. Develop a stronger sense of right and wrong Following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your child during this time: Be honest and direct with your teen when talking about sensitive subjects such as drugs, drinking, smoking, and sexuality. M

  Emotional/Social Changes Children in this age group might:  Start to form stronger, more complex friendships and peer relationships. It becomes more emotionally important to have friends, especially of the same sex.  Experience more peer pressure.  Become more aware of his or her body as puberty approaches. Body image & eating problems start around this time. Thinking and Learning Children in this age group might:   Face more academic challenges at school. Become more independent from the family .  Begin to see the point of view of others more clearly. Have an increased attention span. Positive Parenting Tips: following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your child during this time:   Encourage your child to join school and community groups, such as a sports team, or to be a volunteer for a charity. Help your child develop his own sense of right and wrong. Talk with him about risky things friends might pressure him to do, like smoking or dangerous physical dares.  H

  Emotional/Social Changes:   Children in this age group might           Show more independence from parents and family.          Start to think about the future.          Understand more about his or her place in the world.          Pay more attention to friendships and teamwork.          Want to be liked and accepted by friends.   Thinking and Learning: Children in this age group might: Show rapid development of mental skills. Learn better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings. Have less focus on one’s self and more concern for others.   Positive Parenting Tips: Following are some things you, as a parent, can do to help your child during this time: Show affection for your child.  Recognize her accomplishments. Help your child develop a sense of responsibility - ask him to help with household tasks. Talk with your child about school, friends, and things she looks forward to in the future. Talk with your child about respecting others. Encourage

  As children grow into early childhood, their world will begin to open up. They will become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outside of the family. They will want to explore and ask about the things around them even more. Their interactions with family and those around them will help to shape their personality and their own ways of thinking and moving. During this stage, children should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, notice a difference between girls and boys, help to dress and undress themselves, play with other children, recall part of a story, and sing a song. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your preschooler  during this time: Continue to read to your child. Nurture her/his love for books by taking her/his to the library or bookstore. Let your child help with simple chores. Encourage your child to play with other children. This helps him to learn the value of sharing and fri

  Toddlers (2-3 yrs old) Because of children’s growing desire to be independent, this stage is often called the “terrible twos.” However, this can be an exciting time for parents and toddlers. Toddlers will experience huge thinking, learning, social, and emotional changes that will help them to explore their new world, and make sense of it. During this stage, toddlers should be able to follow two- or three-step directions, sort objects by shape and color, imitate the actions of adults and playmates, and express a wide range of emotions. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your toddler during this time:          Set up a special time to read books with your toddler.         Encourage your child to take part in pretend play.          Help your child to explore things around her by taking her on a walk.          Encourage your child to tell you his name and age.          Teach your child simple songs like Itsy Bitsy Spider, or ot

  During the second year, toddlers are moving around more, and are aware of themselves and their surroundings. Their desire to explore new objects and people is also increasing. During this stage, toddlers will show greater independence; begin to show defiant behavior ; recognize themselves in pictures or a mirror; and imitate the behavior  of others, especially adults and older children. Toddlers also should be able to recognize the names of familiar people and objects, form simple phrases and sentences, and follow simple instructions and directions. Positive Parenting Tips Following are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your toddler during this time: Read to your toddler daily. Ask her to find objects for you or name body parts and objects. Play matching games with your toddler, like shape sorting and simple puzzles. Encourage him to explore and try new things. Help to develop your toddler’s language by talking with her and adding to words she starts. Encourage your

  Infants - (0 - 1 yr) Developmental Milestones Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye-bye” are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (like crawling, walking, or jumping). In the first year, babies learn to focus their vision, reach out, explore, and learn about the things that are around them. Cognitive, or brain development means the learning process of memory, language, thinking, and reasoning. Learning language is more than making sounds (“babble”), or saying “ma-ma” and “da-da”. Listening, understanding, and knowing the names of people and things are all a part of language development. During this stage, babies also are developing bonds of love and trust with their parents and others as part of social and emotional development. The way parents cuddle, hold, and play with their baby will set the bas

  National Nutrition Week 2021 Think about it. Your brain is always "ON" . It takes care of your thoughts & movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That "fuel" comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the "waste" (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells. Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from "low-premium" fuel (such as what yo

  While so-called “helicopter parents” may end up restricting a child’s early independence, free-ranging families do the opposite. Taken literally, “free range” refers to livestock kept under natural conditions. While the free-range parenting definition varies between families, it essentially involves giving your kids responsibilities at a young age. These responsibilities vary based on the specific child’s capabilities. They might include, for example, walking to the park alone, riding bikes to school, or taking public transportation without supervision. It's important to note that free-range parenting isn’t detachment, since mom and dad are still very much involved. They’ll teach essential life skills, guide their children through challenges, and inform them about safety precautions. But when it comes to practicing these lessons in real life, free-range parents step back and let their children take the reigns. The desired result is an increased sense of independence, confidence,

  Helicopter parenting  refers to "a style of parents who are  overly focused on their children ". It simply means "over-parenting", being involved in a child's life in a way that is overcontrolling, overprotecting, and over perfecting, in a way that is in excess of responsible parenting. What are the causes of helicopter parenting? 4 common causes   are  -  Fear of dire consequences, feelings of anxiety, overcompensation and peer pressure from other parents Effects of helicopter parenting  -  Many helicopter parents start off with good intentions. The problem is that, once parenting becomes governed by fear and decisions based on what might happen, it’s hard to keep in mind all the things kids learn when we are not guiding each step. Failure and challenges teach kids new skills, and, most importantly, teach them that they can handle failure and challenges. The helicopter parenting effects may include these five factors decreased self-confident and self-esteem,

Authoritative parenting is a parenting style characterized by high responsiveness & high demands. Authoritative parents are responsive to the child’s emotional needs while having high standards. They set limits and are very consistent in enforcing boundaries. It is seen that preschoolers raised by authoritative parents​: Tend to be happy and content. Are independent and self-reliant. Develop good social skills. Have good emotional regulation and self-control​​ Express warmth and cooperate with peers​​. Explore a new environment without fear. Are competent and assertive. Authoritative parents are likely to have children who Achieve higher academic success​. Engage more in school activities. Develop good self-esteem​. Have better mental health — less depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, delinquency, alcohol, and drug use. Interact with peers using competent social skills​​. Exhibit less violent tendencies. Are well-adjusted Authoritative parents are: warm, attuned and nurtu

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the world , and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women. Smoking tobacco is one of the most common risk factors linked to lung cancer . Tobacco smoke contains at least 70 carcinogens that can lead to cancer. When inhaled, the smoke is believed to damage the cells that line the lungs. Repeated exposure over long periods of time can lead to respiratory ailments. Cigar smoking, pipe smoking, and exposure to secondhand smoke are also linked to increased lung cancer risks. Radon, asbestos, arsenic, nickel, chromium, tar, and soot are some known toxins that are linked to lung cancer. Symptoms include change in mucus, chest or back pain, coughing up blood and difficulty swallowing. Tests that may be used to diagnose lung cancer include chest X-rays, CT and PET scans, bronchoscopy and needle biopsies. Prevention Taking the preventative measures to keep yourself and your loved ones from developing lung cancer is ext

  Uninvolved parents make few to no demands of their children and they are often indifferent, dismissive, or even completely neglectful. They do not respond well to the needs of their children and provide little affection, support, or love. They also make very few demands on their children. They rarely set rules and do not offer guidance or expectations for behavior. Causes - It is important to note that uninvolved parenting is often not intentional. It may arise for a number of different reasons, including things like parental experience and stress. 1. Parents who exhibit an uninvolved parenting style were often raised by uninvolved and dismissive parents. As adults, they may find themselves repeating the same patterns they were raised with. Other parents who display this style may simply be so caught up in their busy lives that they find it easier to take a hands-off approach to deal with their children. 2. In some cases, parents may be so wrapped up in their own problems (i.e., be

Permissive parents tend to be very loving, yet provide few guidelines and rules. These parents do not expect mature behavior from their children and often seem more like a friend than a parental figure. Their motto is often simply that "kids will be kids." While they are usually warm and loving, they make little or no attempt to control or discipline their kids. Because there are few rules, expectations, and demands, children raised by permissive parents tend to struggle with self-regulation and self-control. Characteristics of Permissive parents: 1. Are usually very nurturing and loving towards their kids 2. Ask their children's opinions on major decisions 3. Emphasize their children's freedom rather than responsibility 4. Have few rules or standards of behavior, any rules they do have are inconsistent 5. May use bribery such as toys, gifts, and food as a means to get a child to behave 6. Often seem more like a friend, rather than a parent 7. Provide little in the

Sarcoma Awareness Month July 1st to 31st Sarcoma , also known as the ‘forgotten cancer’ , accounts for almost 1% of all cancers. Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the soft (also called connective) tissues. They can affect almost any part of the body.  In general, patients with a bone or soft tissue diagnosis tend to be younger than the majority of cancer patients and has non-specific presentations like a lump that can be felt through the skin that may or may not be painful, bone pain , a broken bone that happens unexpectedly, such as with a minor injury or no injury at all , abdominal pain, weight loss . The prognosis and treatment differs markedly between the histological subtypes. Fast histological diagnosis and grading are therefore essential for treatment decisions and improvement of patient’s outcome. People can survive sarcoma if their cancer is diagnosed early, when treatments can be effective and before the sarcoma has spr

  PTSD it’s not the person refusing to let go of the past, it’s the past refusing to let go of the person Post traumatic stress disorder is triggered after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying or life threatening event. It is characterized by emotional and physical reactions such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety. It is treated with medication and counselling. On PTSD awareness day, let’s have a look at what trauma and remnants of it can look like in different people after the acute crisis has abated. Difficulty in setting boundaries : They may have difficulty with saying no. Significantly porous boundaries can take up a lot of mental energy and affect mental well being. Difficulty trusting people : Trust can become difficult to come by with someone who has been through trauma. This can interfere with building close relationships and may appear as commitment phobia. Difficulty with emotional intimacy : With difficulty in trusting others and fear of bei

We had a elder brought by his son, with behavioural issues and sleep disturbances. The father's had black eyes, swelling below them. On enquiring further - the son did accept losing temper as the patient would just not follow instruction, interrupt his work from home and disturb sleep at night too. Out of frustration he had hit him. He said he didn't want to do it, but just couldn't control it at times. This is a recurrent theme - despite wanting to take care, look after the elders, physical elder abuse is rampant in many parts of the society, even in India - where elders are supposedly 'respected' more. Elder abuse is an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. Physical abuse is non-accidental use of force against an elderly person that results in physical pain, injury, or impairment. Such abuse includes not only physical assaults such as hitting or shoving but the inappropriate use of drugs, restraints, or confine