(This blog is submitted by Mr. George Mathew, who is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details, please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

Vishal appeared tired and his eyes sunken. It was rather obvious he was troubled. His parents and grandparents constantly complained of his persistent negligence in studies, carelessness and diffident attitude.

As per his mother, Vishal spent most of his time in front of the TV. His friends were the characters that appeared in the cartoon channel. He behaved, spoke and acted like them. He ate, slept and breathed them every minute of his waking hours. Every school item was pasted with stickers and figures of these cartoon characters. It was something beyond addiction; it was obsession.

At an age when he ought to be talking about his classmates and friends, he spoke only about Ben-10 or Pokemon. At school he spoke only to those classmates who shared the common interest in terms of cartoon characters. Evidently, Vishal did not have any real friends. He only had virtual friends.

The situation is grim, and something that requires immediate attention. Vishal’s case is not unique. Sadly, we notice this story being played out over and over again all around us.

Is your child a member of virtual family?

Some parents seem to think that these tendencies will change over time while others accept it as a byproduct of the cultural and technological revolution our generations are going through. While urbanization and globalization taught us to limit ourselves to our own nuclear families, to become alone even in a crowd, are we not teaching our children to develop stereotyped virtual relationships with these cartoon characters from television?

10 to 15 years back we were not exposed to much of television. The biggest perceived problem back then was that sitting too close to the monitor would affect the vision. But today’s multimedia world makes the problem a lot more complex. It not only involves issues with visual acuity, but a range of behavioral problems stemming from over exposure to T.V. The series of behavioral problems include attention deficit, intolerance to real life situations, abnormal expectations from the friends etc.

The carefree moments that our children ought to be spending in sharing their lives with their friends, they live in an artificial world where their real life friends are aliens. The result is shrinkage of social-self and a lack of maturity in human emotions to meet the challenges of the world.

Does over exposure to TV produce attention deficit?

Excessive TV viewing can trigger many socio-psychological problems in the children. Children exposed to too much of TV in the early years might not develop the basic social skills required to survive and thrive in the complex world of multiple human characters. Such children can develop emotional blunting due to lower interaction with real people who exhibit a lot many more emotional and physical realms than cartoon characters.

The study reported by Dimitri Christakis, a pediatric researcher at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, suggests that TV viewing in very young children contributes to attention problems later in life. According to the study “Each hour of television watched per day at ages 1 through 3 increases the risk of attention problems by almost 10 percent at age 7. This results suggest that those children who watched at least three hours of television per day were 30% more likely to have attention problems at age seven, compared to those who did not watch television at an early age.”

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by the inability to focus, listen, and complete tasks and schoolwork at hand. Kids with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing. They may understand what’s expected of them but have trouble following through because they can’t sit still, pay attention, or attend to details. All kids especially younger ones exhibit a number of fidgety behaviors, particularly when they’re anxious or excited. But the difference with ADHD is that symptoms are present over a longer period of time and occur in different settings. This cognitive dysfunction can inhibit the intellectual development of the child thus impairing a child’s ability to function normal in the social, emotional and academic spheres of life.

Brain changes associated with TV viewing

The first 2 years of a child’s life are considered a critical time for brain development. Through exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, the child becomes a part of the large social world. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents should not allow children under the age of two to watch any TV, while viewing should be strictly restricted to two hours per day those over the age of two.

One of the biggest problems with TV is that it can over stimulate and excite the brain. It has been found that the more TV children watch, the more likely it is for them to be impulsive, restless and have difficulty in concentrating. The reason for this is that unlike normal life where actions and events have continuity, TV is fast paced and the time spans are greatly sped up. The rapid scene shifts observed in the TV is not natural. Exposing a baby to such sudden and unnatural shifts can cause changes in the neuronal connections being formed.

When the scenes flash swiftly across the screen, the brain works hard to comprehend them. Because the temporal sequencing is so unlike real life or real time, the viewer is focused but not actually concentrating or comprehending. This phenomenon can lead on to develop a state of child’s impatience towards the impossibly slow real world compared to the artificial world created by the television. Scientists tell us that the brain develops in completely unique ways between birth and three years through the use of integrative functions of all sensory systems. As a baby sits “mesmerized” in front of the TV, neural paths are just not being created.

This early over-exposure to electronic media can hinder normal social emotional development in a child. As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.

Most parents encourage TV viewing thinking that their children are gaining knowledge. Unless the programming is well thought through and designed to help your baby gain knowledge, this is not necessarily true. In most cases, programming is not designed to give the necessary and correct information to the child.

TV viewing and social behavior

Children who view violent acts on TV are more likely to show aggressive behavior. There are tendencies that these children imagine the world as scary and presume evilness to happen in their life. This leads to a situation where the children feel insecure and unsure about any new experience in life. This leads to a situation where the children will be scared and suspicious about new experiences that could affect the overall development of the child since he/she will not be able to assimilate the new experience in a way that will be useful to the child.
In TV, the “good guys” perpetrate many of the violent acts. These “Heroes”, who kids have been taught to emulate, paint a very different picture from what parents try to teach children. Even though the parents teach that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s OK to hit, or kick as a nature of good guy. This can lead to confusion when children learn to understand the difference between right and wrong.

Cultivate good TV habits
As mentioned before, the best possible solution is not to allow children under the age of two to watch any TV and viewing should be strictly restricted to two hours per day for those over the age of two. It will also be prudent to follow a few habits that will ensure that your child is not smothered by too much TV.

TV is NOT a family member:
Mealtime should be family time, especially dinner. This is the one meal where the entire family can sit together, discuss events and have a fun time. This interaction is crucial for the psychological development of the child.

TV time should be a privilege that is earned: Establish and enforce family TV viewing rules, such as TV is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.

Work while you work, watch while you watch:
Many times, parents would be watching their favorite programs on TV during the study time. What goes un-noticed is that children, instead of concentrating on schoolwork, spend their time listening in and watching the TV program. And if the child is “caught” catching a glimpse of the program, he is given a quick show down. But think of the child who is interested to explore the world suggests that the child is not to be blamed. It should be the parent’s responsibility to switch off the TV during study time. For most children, parents are their role models. So parents should be inculcating good TV viewing habits by setting an example of themselves.

Limit- a good start:
Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends and you’ll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week. Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing. Select quality programs for viewing.

Provide unique alternatives:
Along with limiting TV viewing hours, stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment such as books, kids’ magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time together through game, start a game of hide and seek, play outside, read, work on crafts or hobbies, or listen and dance to music.
Take time to get organized: Select programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family’s values). Choose shows that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.). Preview programs before your kids watch them. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (e.g., on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the “scheduled” program is ended.

Watch TV together
If you do decide to allow TV viewing make sure you do it together. If you can’t sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.
Lock down that channel: More often than not, there is a limit to how much a parent of guardian can control the viewing time of the child. Most children clandestinely view their favorite channels when parents are away. This is even worse because for fear of getting caught, they turn down the volume and sit as close to the TV as possible leading to additional vision related problems. Most TVs and DTH boxes nowadays come with facility to lock down individual channels and even set timings when they are open. Make best use of this facility.

Talk to kids about what they see on TV and share your own beliefs and values. If you don’t talk to your children about the programming on TV, someone else will (or they will form their own opinions/conclusions about something they see). Engage with them on a conversation on what they see on TV. Use it as an opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions such as, “Is it OK for people to resolve issues through violence or war?” Or, “Is it Ok for girls and boys to be out at night for longer than needed?” If certain people are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it’s important to treat everyone fairly, despite their differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics depending on the age of the child and what you think is appropriate for them to know at their present age on sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life etc.

The information that comes through TV gives us a multisensory stimulation. The visual and auditory sensory channels get equally stimulated during TV viewing. This makes for easy processing of information for the viewer.

However, when information comes readymade, easy to wear and easy to handle, creativity in thinking and learning disappears. Qualities such as aspiration and perspiration for continuous success may not develop in its natural form. Children should be provided with opportunities to realize their capabilities along with the information poured in through TV. In essence, the knowledge gained through TV will get stagnant if children are not taught to channelize it properly.

TV does have its benefits. But early exposure to too much TV can cause devastating brain development problems. As parents we should take the higher ground here and for the sake of our children and their development, Turn OFF that TV to Tune into your child and his/her wonderful life

(This blog is submitted by Mr. George Mathew, who is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details, please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

This summer, we plan throw open some fun filled communication building activity workshops for children from the ages of eight to fourteen years.

Young Performers(Drama/Theatre Workshop) – March 30 to April 10 (10:30 AM to 12:30 PM)

For the first time in Trivandrum, here is an exciting and interactive drama workshop for 8 to 14 year old kids conducted by Françoise Calvel (Layam Cultural Events and Training PVT LTD). As well as having lots of fun using their imaginations and creating characters and stories using costumes and props, drama activities can help children learn about emotions and will help build self-confidence, improve communication skills, and develop teamwork and stage skills. Class ends with a play or showcase on the afternoon of the last day.

Please click here to register
Register Online

Foresee (4C) Your Future (Public Speaking Workshop) – Apr 21 to 25. (10:30 AM to 12:30 PM)

“Foresee (4C) Your Future” by developing effective leadership and communication skills. Are you afraid to speak in front of a group? How effectively you can use floor space?. How can you introduce story to speech? This workshop will help you quickly organize your points and present effectively to your audience. This will help you to improve communication in all parts your life. The program will be facilitated by Mr. Rajesh (Raj) Nair PgMP, PMI-RMP, PMP, MPM, MBA (Raj is a distinguished toastmaster (DTM) from toastmasters.org)
The workshop is a five days session of two hours every day that covers following areas.

Confidence at Lectern
Conquer the Floor Space
Carry Away Message
Characters in the Story
Putting it all together by practice sessions
Provide topic to students on which they can develop and deliver the speech for a quick evaluation for improvement areas
Question/answer session to clarify your doubts

Please click here to register
Register Online

(This blog is submitted by Mr. George Mathew, who is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details, please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

Summer is just around the corner and that brings with it a big dilemma for parents with school going children – what to do with their free-spirited, active wards during the vacation time that spans 2 months? It is a dilemma that has no easy answers in today’s world.

For one, children nowadays are too worldly wise. They are too connected and know exactly what they want and do not want. What’s more, they are not afraid to speak their minds about it!

In the days of yore, (that is, when most of us reading this article were young) we used to wake up really early (as against schools days), rush out onto the fields or grounds surrounding our homes and spend the whole day playing to our heart’s content, many times skipping meals or just hogging on the hot snacks that one the mothers would bring out for us.

Ah… those were the days!

Secondly, many of us now live in crowded, concrete jungles where children have limited options. Even in the rare cases where they do have some space to play, elders of the locality will object to it due to various reasons like “The ball keeps getting hit into our compound”, or “They will break my window”, or “Kids scratched my brand new car”, or variations of all of the above.

One cannot blame them, for we live in communities where houses literally stick to each other or in flats where space is at a premium.

Thirdly, children have too many reasons nowadays NOT to play outside, what with all the distractions in the form of cartoon shows, movies, gaming consoles, internet, mobile devices, etc. These distractions bring with it a plethora of problems and issues associated with early child development (but that is a topic for a separate discussion).

So, this is where the concept of Summer Camps comes into focus. What are Summer Camps? Well, they are short-term “courses” run by schools, preschools, activity centers, sports clubs, etc., that aim to keep children engaged in productive activities thereby supposedly impacting children in a positive way.

Now, the effects of Summer Camps on children have been studied in detail and have been found to be net positive for children. Some of the benefits include:
– Making true friends
– Reconnecting with nature
– Developing life-long skills
– Spending their day being physically active
– Having free time for unstructured play
– Experiencing success and becoming more confident
– Learning social skills
– Learning independence
– Unplugging from technology
– Gaining resilience

So, if Summer Camps are so beneficial and fun, why is it that year in, year out,we keep hearing stories of how boring summer time was or what a waste of time it was, even from children who attended Summer Camps around the city?

Well, most often than not, it has everything to do with what is offered at these Summer Camps. If we look around, we will find that most Summer Camps are about music classes, dance classes, yoga classes, karate classes, skating classes, etc. Notice the pattern here?

Well, they are all some variation of “classes”. In our insatiable zest for “teaching” our children, we do not even leave them to themselves during vacation time. We heap another set of classes on their heads!!

The net effect is that children get thoroughly bored in the very first week of their Summer Camp!

What children need are not “classes”,but rather the opportunity to try new things, to experiment, to come up with ideas and to generally have fun. What our children need are real Summer Camps where children get to have lots of fun, where they get to make new friends, where they can participate in team activities, where they can go for trekking trips, where they can have a real, overnight camping experience.

The sad thing is many people do not realize the importance of free and unstructured play. Most see play as a “waste of time”. But in reality, it is the opposite. It will be through these experiences that children will develop a more outgoing and holistic personality. They will learn and pickup social skills that they might not get elsewhere.

So parents, what will be your choice for vacation activities for your children this year? Summer Fun or Slumber Zzzzzzz…?

(This blog is submitted by Mr. George Mathew, who is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details, please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

Blog posted by Mrs. Susan Mathew, of Friends PlaySchool and Kindergarten, Trivandrum

With the start of the summer holidays( some schools close as early as 1st week of March), parents may now be wondering how to organize and plan the day so their child isn’t at a loose end or glued to the TV. while it is important to see that they do join in some group play/learning, they should also be given some part of the day to do things on their own. How to get your child to play alone and quietly, without constantly begging you,”Play with me!”? It’s not only a teenager who needs his or her ‘space’; very young children too, need mental room.

Give them space. Even while you supervise their play and keep a constant eye on them, you can still afford them space. Allow your child time to think quietly and play alone. A child who can’t handle a second without outside stimulation needs to develop some attentive muscles, just as a less active child may need to exert himself or herself physically.

Creativity comes from constraints. Overloading our homes and yards with toys can have a crippling effect on our children’s imaginations. Set aside some time when they cannot use gadgets and PSPs – a “no screen day”. Allow them to dream and exercise their creative muscles. Let them to find ways to entertain themselves, rather than depending on you to suggest activities.

Don’t fuss about the mess. Hold your tongue when you see them trooping in the mud. There’s nothing a little soap and water can’t take care of. If you’re honest, you would be the first to admit that the best play usually involves dirt, sand, water and rocks.

A museum of everything. To gather objects is a natural compulsion. It’s not unusual to see children leave the kindergarten with something clutched in their hands or stashed in their pockets. Sticks, stones, dried leaves, bugs, and sometimes even sand can engage their fascination for hours. Collections kept outdoors are no big deal, but when they want to bring the outdoors, indoors- dedicate a shelf or tray to keep things neat and contained.

Dress them for play, not a wedding! Allow your children to wear clothes they can get dirty without worrying about grubby knees on pants, or ripped pockets. After all, would you go to the beach in a suit or a saree? Read this poem to revisit your childhood rambles in the long lazy days of summer.

The ability to occupy oneself is a life skill that is becoming less and less common and infinitely more valuable. What you do to encourage your child to acquire this skill would go a long way in giving him or her a lively interest in the natural world and an ability to balance an innate creativity with the demands of a technology driven world.

“The Wonder Years Preschool is back yet again this year with their super fun, super exciting and super groovy summer camp.

The Wonder Years Summer Camp focuses on bringing back fun and games into summer camps through innovative activities, science experiments, challenges, frequent outings, trekking and camping trips.

The basic idea behind their Summer Camps is for children to become independent, confident, pick up leaderships skills and work together in team exercises to develop collaborative skills.

The Wonder Years has been conducting their very successful Summer Camps for the last 4 years with more than 70% repeat registrations every year. Seats are limited to 20 at each of their centers at Pongummoodu, Kazhakuttom and Pettah.”

(This blog is submitted by Mr. George Mathew, who is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details, please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

STOP! This is not an article about the latest rage in Indian music. Rather it’s a call – a call to action… in fact, a desperate call.

Let me start with a story. This is about a friend of mine – lets call him John. He is a year older than me and now a very successful corporate executive with one of the leading credit card/travel companies in the world. But life was not so rosy till about a few years back.
His story goes back to the time when we were kids. John was the elder of 2 children. His younger sister was a good 6 years younger than him and a studious student. He was just the opposite. His father, a mechanical engineer, was a very intelligent contractor and a wealthy man.
Since childhood, John never understood science. He was wired differently. He could not even figure out which hemisphere the Indian sub-continent was in! That is not to say that he had any learning issues. No. He just dint care about things like that. But he could dole out any amount of statistics about cars, bikes, trucks, trains, planes… basically any thing on wheels!
And he was a great (and I mean insanely great) salesman! He could show you a rickety auto rickshaw and sell it to you as the latest model Benz S Class! I am not kidding here, seriously! Oh, the number of times he has talked me, a teetotaler, into driving him and his friends to clubs, waiting for them in the sidelines till dawn and then drive back home, all of them in total intoxicated state sometimes even vomiting all over the car.
Anyway, the point is,John was never meant to be an engineer like his father. He was of a different breed. But sadly, no one noticed or gave a damn about his feelings or about what he wanted to do in life. He was forced to opt for science stream so that he could take up engineering studies. To make matters worse, during his Grade 12 year, his father passed away quiet suddenly. At the end of it, Johndid not clear his chemistry paper in the final CBSE board exam and had to repeat the exam at a later stage.
As is expected, all this put a huge strain on John and his remaining family consisting of his sister in primary school and an unemployed mother. It took a lot of effort to rally around him when almost everyone gave up deeming him a failure and a virtually making him a social outcast. He did appear for the chem. Paper and finally manage to pass it.
As soon as this was over, John was whisked away to Bangalore by his maternal uncle and enrolled for the commerce stream. By this time, he had developed a fiercely independent nature and except for his college fees, he earned his pocket money. Times were tough, but he prevailed and earned more than money… he earned our respect as well.
After completing his B.Com degree, he took a great risk, much to the amazement, frustration and disagreement of all the elders in the family. He took up his AIATA studies. The only people to stand by him were us –his friends. By then, we had begun to trust and admire his free spirited will and judgment.
After successfully completing his first stage of the AIATA course and working for the mandatory 6 months in a travel firm, he migrated for 2 years to a Dubai based travel firm where he did so exceptionally well in customer service and sales that the company promised to send him for the further 2 stages, provided he give them an assurance by a gentleman’s word that he would stay with them a further 3 years after the courses.
What would most people have done? They would have taken up on the offer, and probably left the company when they got better offers. But he thought about the offer. He knew that without the training he was stuck at a certain stage in his career, but if he agreed to the training he would be morally obliged to the company for a lot more than just the 2 years that they asked for. He listened to his heart and took a bold step and resigned!!
Within 2 months he was back home without a job in hand. But as they say, “Fortune favours the brave”. He got a call from a leading credit card company to join their Business Travel team. He took up on the offer and has never needed to look back again! The first year of joining the company, John was selected as the Best sales and service executive in the Asia Pacific region, which includes Indian subcontinent, China, Singapore, Japan and Australia!
So why have I been rambling on for all this while? Well, even today, I find that parents want their children to be either Doctor or Engineers. The shocking bit is that these are parents, who just a decade or so ago were subject to the same type of mental torture that John went through! Luckily for John, things turned out fine mostly because of his sheer determination and hard work to break the mould and succeed. But there are umpteen untold stories of children whose dreams… and careers have been crushed due to this myopic view on life.Have we not heard so many stories of children breaking down or worse,committing suicide because of this pressure cooker mindset?
The world, and India in particular, has changed a lot in the last 2 decades. No longer is it nearly impossible for people in the arts and social streams to make a career for themselves. It’s still difficult, but not impossible. I believe that if that is someone’s passion, then they will go on to making a successful career out of it.
In today’s consumer driven world, it is not enough for a product or service to be functional, it is equally important how it is presented, the styling, the ergonomics. This is true in the case of automobiles or computers or highend electronic gadgets. Tell me, would any of you buy an Ambassador or a Fiat Premier Padmini nowadays (except for maybe antique buffs!)?
Take the case of movies or music or photography. A lot more critically acclaimed movies, music and photos spread thru the internet and are shot , believe it or not, on mobile cameras than the commercial flops that we see around us.
For a society, a culture, a nation to grow, evolve and flourish, it is not enough that it has doctors and engineers. Rather it requires a plethora of trades and careers to hold hands and steam ahead in unison. We need arts, commerce and socio-economic universities as much as we require science and engineering universities.
Please parents, open your eyes, open your hearts, open your minds…let your children decide what they want to be in life. Let them spread their wings and fly. Urge them, cajole them, coerce them but only to try and be the best in their chosen field. Trust that things will work out at the end… for that is all we have at the end of it… a trust, even if you force them to do something they don’t want to do in life.
So, Why this Kolavari (Urge to kill their dreams)… dear parents?

(Mr. George Mathew is the CEO of a new-age preschool chain based at Trivandrum called “The Wonder Years Preschool”. The author is a researcher on child development and can be contacted at george.mathew@thewonderyears.co.in. For more details please visit http://www.thewonderyears.co.in)

Every child has something to say, but how many are ready to speak out in the presence of others? How do we help children to overcome stage fear and express themselves freely in front of an audience? The key is to start slow and then build up the techniques as the kids learn the essential skills of public speaking through fun games and activities.

Mr. Rajesh (Raj) Nair is doing just that at Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library on saturdays. Raj is a distinguished toastmaster (DTM) from toastmasters.org and is passionate about working with children. His aim is not just help them speak well, but also to give them important life skills and attributes like confidence and self-belief.

It was an amazing experience for our children – to be able to express their thoughts and feelings without any fear. By doing less study and by doing more practice, children got more confident and excited about the whole thing. This is what our young participants had to say -“The classes are a lot of fun! We learned a lot about presenting in front of crowds and projecting our thoughts. We also enjoyed making new friends.”

Creative writing is something that kids should not be taught in a regular class, the aim should be to guide children on how to connect with their imagination and sense of wonder and put that into writing. That is exactly what Prof. Elsy Satheesan encouraged 8 to 14 year olds to do at Schoolkutti.com children’s library on Jan 31. The entire experience was open-ended and collaborative where children were given a chance to explore, experience and enjoy the art of writing rather than being just taught how to write well.

Of course, just one session cannot turn your child into an amazing writer. However, we hope that our 2 hour workshop would have got your child excited about writing.

As told by Smt. K.Uma, M.Sc., R.D (Registered Nutrition Consultant & Certified Yoga Trainer):

When taught in a fun way children enjoy , understand and accept things better, that is what we do in fun yoga classes. The world is going so fast and all are going behind it. Even children are also trapped in that. Here we teach children to become more aware about their body and mind, the precious gift from Almighty and our duty is to take care of it with healthy eating habits, active lifestyle, making our mind happy by doing good things.

When there is competition , fear comes to their minds which in turn spoils their creativity, imagination and their real talents. But through fun yoga classes we teach them yoga in a non competitive environment so that we help them discover their own potential and which in turn they develop self confidence.

Children enjoy doing yoga here because we do not force them to do anything neither we expect perfection. Children enjoy doing yoga through music, dance, stories and games.

Our wholehearted welcome to all loving children to experience the magic of yoga our age old Indian tradition.

Uma’s Nutriyoga is conducting a Fantastic Feb Weekend Childrens Yoga camp at Trivandrum on all Saturdays of February 2015 from 10 am-11.30 am. Fees is Rs. 500/- per month or Rs.150/- per session.

Contact : Mrs. Uma Kalyani 944 64 75 180

Visit us at Uma’s Nutriyoga

Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library is coming up with yet another workshop to give an introduction to children as to what is creative writing. The session will be led by Retired English Professor and poet Smt. Elsy Satheesan. She will explain how one writer or artist is basically different from another, how every one is unique etc. There will be tips and suggestions for pouring down ideas into paper followed by a writing session. It will be a kind of ‘free-for-all’ session, which means that the children can try any genre they like – poetry, story, essay, a day from their life, can be anything they choose. There will be evaluation or comments based on the language, style of writing and their overall performance. She will also read aloud from her own poems as examples of creativity.

Photo Courtesy: Smt. Kalyani Vallath (Vallath TES)