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