Taking care of a child with special needs

Being a parent has never been less than a challenge for anyone who has experienced this phase, but we, who have perfectly normal children will probably weigh our worries a bit less, if we looked at those who have children with some kind of chronic illness or disability. When a child arrives, with an unexpected deformity or learning disability, it hurts parents, who have dreamt of bright, beautiful and perfect children. In such circumstances, it tends to be a big responsibility for both of the parents to not only handle their emotions, but also give special care to the child, which he/she rightly deserves.

There are several things that a parent of a special child should keep in mind. One should never compare the children. More than just taking care of the child, a parent needs to understand his/her child. One has to curb one’s dreams and adjust to the levels of the child. In these circumstances, independence can play a way of self awareness for the child, but at the same time discipline should not be overlooked. Another priority should be to communicate with the child in his/her own way of conversation, whether its slurred speech or hand gestures etc.

There will be times when the other siblings will feel left out, because parents will have no time left after taking care of the special child. Such cases test our tolerance, and stretch our limits to the fullest. But dealing with these negative energies and moving on is what makes a parent.

Disciplining the child

It has been said that when a child is born his or her mind is like a blank slate. Thereafter, it becomes the responsibility of parents to fill that slate with best of everything whether it be, education, manners, learning, sanskaras and so many other things. It’s true that, when a kid grows up he or she is destined to create his own destiny but it must not be forgotten that parents create that special foundation for the kids upon which they carve their future. That takes us to the point of laying a strong foundation. One of the brick of this foundation is discipline mantra. A child must be taught the importance of discipline since his childhood. Because this is one of those important things which make a huge difference in what the kid actually becomes and turns out to be as a human and as a professional once he grows up.

Disciplining a child is a tough as well as delicate task. It must be done with proper care and thoughtfulness. There is a fine line between oppression and over indulgence. But in general, most parents make a mistake in while treading the path of discipline. First and foremost parents must be disciplined themselves and probably more than that they must act disciplined in front of their kids. Parents must set an example for their kids by following disciplined life themselves.

Few guidelines for parenting in public

Explaining the rules to kids in advance. So often kids tend to get stubborn for particular things. They must be informed in advance about how many toys or books or things like that, they would be allowed to have. Any further demand and it will be totally rejected.

Children have this uncanny habit of wanting to have attention at all times. One of the tip to tackle this is to make them feel involved in the decision making process. For example, if a family is out on a vacation in a place like esselworld or wonderland, children must be asked about their preference for rides or swimming. It will make them feel special that they are being asked about their choices and those will be followed.

Parents are advised to observe any signs of boredom or restlessness in their kids. Kids normally have a short attention span for any particular thing. So the moment, they are found bored, it is suggested to take them out for a break or for a little bit of chitchat.

Just like every normal person, kids also love to be complimented. It pays to compliment for every small good thing, howsoever small it may be. This is not only good for their self –esteem but also for overall feel good factor in their fragile psyche.

Finally kids must be treated with a mix of care, caution and firmness as and when required. Rules once explained must be followed at cost.

Following these guidelines definitely go long ways in laying the good foundation for good parenting skills.

Parenting Manuals in Public

Parenting is a serious business. Probably one of the biggest responsibilities of a person in his/her lifetime is raising the kid in most appropriate and effective manner. A kid is said to be like clay and how you handles him/her, results into how he/she turns out to be as a person. It’s about molding the kids using kid gloves, literally! One of the major concerns of parents is how to handle kids in public place in case of their throwing tantrums.

To begin with, it does not take knowledge of rocket science to figure out ones’ kids’ psychology. Parents have more knowledge of their kids than anyone else. Knowing kids’ sleeping pattern, restlessness, his or her being stubborn about certain things, behavior in crowd are few things a parent must be aware of. While going out, parents must be prepared for any such eventuality.

Another method is to have the child entertained by giving him toys, books, colors and such things. This helps in keeping the kids occupied and proves useful in preventing any potential tantrums. Shouting and beating child in a public place is a complete no-no. It also pays to inform the kid in advance about the situations he would be most likely to face in public. Things like, noise, rush, pollution, temperature etc need to be explained to kids in advance. Child should also be explained things with utmost patience and care.

The Importance of Infant's Nutrition

I have seen a lot of mothers turning to goat or cow’s milk, or buying off formula milk packs from the market to feed their infants. Is it the right choice? That poses a debate as to the pros and cons of breast feeding versus other types of milk feeding.

A baby once born does not possess the strength in terms of his immune system, to sustain the outside world. He has lived all these months in the protected environment of a mother’s womb, where mother’s immune system was preventing the foetus from all sorts of diseases, and now this individual has to survive alone in the world. That’s where the function of breast feeding comes into play. After birth, for the first three to four days, the mother’s breasts release a yellowish translucent fluid called colostrum. A baby once born does not possess the strength in terms of his immune system, to sustain the outside world. He has lived all these months in the protected environment of a mother’s womb, where mother’s immune system was preventing the foetus from all sorts of diseases, and now this individual has to survive alone in the world. That’s where the function of breast feeding comes into play. After birth, for the first three to four days, the mother’s breasts release a yellowish translucent fluid called colostrum. This fluid contains specific antibodies important for the child. So no formula milk pack or any other animal’s milk can replace it. Similarly, in preterm births, mother’s milk is naturally modified and suited for the preterm baby who is not properly developed.

A mother’s milk contains a full nutrition supplement for the child. Some surveys and studies have shown that children who are not breast fed have higher deaths rates due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than the rest of the infant population. Clearly, science has progressed enough to design formula diets which can mimic breast milk, but they can never entirely replace the importance of breast milk