Monthly Archives: December 2017

YOUR CHILD NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION

Every parent wants to raise successful children, and we are all constantly trying to find newer and better improved ways of doing so. Today, we are here to give you the answer. We are here to tell you that the largest success booster there is, that’s is the presence of a parent. 

To a child, the most important people in the world are his or her parents. Typically, a child spends 6 hours at school, a few hours at classes or playing with peers which still leaves the maximum time in the day with his/her family. At home, is where most of the learning takes place. The child depends on this place for his emotional well-being. 

A trait common to all human beings is seeking attention. Whether the child actively asks for it or not, trust that he or she needs it. As a parent, one needs to show active interest in academic and school progress, social peers and buddies as well as in the emotional state of mind of the child. 

Studies have shown children who come from an open flow of communication in the home space are more likely to participate and succeed at various activities. Similarly, children who are termed as badly behaved or troubled, usually are trying to attract the parents attention. 

A few ways a parent can consciously help a child are : 

  1. Set aside time – in our daily lives, we don’t always get time with our loved ones as everyone is caught up in their schedules. There could be a structure set of having weekly or daily family time, whether the parent and child bond or talk to one another and share. 
  2. Small everyday actions make the largest impact – Don’t wait for your family time to bond with your child. A passing smile, pat on the shoulder or even a compliment can go a long way. Remember your child is never too old to be told how amazing he or she is, or to be given a bear hug. At first, it may seem awkward for both parties but eventually it will become natural. 
  3. Have the hard conversations too -The harder it may be to have conversations that make you uncomfortable or that you think will make your child uncomfortable, the more important they are too, as nobody else will have these with your child. The answers and reactions to these questions will also give you an in depth idea of the company, mentality and habits of your child. 
  4. Address with love – While bonding or giving attention to your child, there may be certain topics you may not be comfortable knowing, or that make you angry. It is important that you do not show this anger at that point but deal with it calmly as otherwise your child may never confide in you again.

The bottom line is great parental investment leads to satisfied and happy children! In all and every situation, remember you are in this together and no matter how old, mature or independent, your child always needs you!

GROWTH THINKING AT VIDYA MANDIR

At Vidya Mandir, our mind set is very different to other educational institutions. We do not believe in comparing students, but simply focus on imparting education to each of our students in a way that is comfortable for them. Here, we believe in promoting Growth Thinking and broadening the horizons of the minds, so that our students can tackle any situation at hand and face whatever comes their way.

 

The training methodology is such that it challenges their brain at every step, forcing it to evolve and take their thinking to the next level through rigorous tests, revisions and discussions that reinforce the topic in the student’s mind without making it a tedious task that requires last minute studies and mugging up, like most pre-exam scenarios.

 

We promote Critical Thinking and analysing the situation to take the best possible route to get to the solution. For this purpose, a lot of the learning at Vidya Mandir happens through group exercises and group projects. Why does this help? This helps mainly because when you’re working in a group you learn a lot more as compared to when you’re going solo. You have a broader outlook to the problem at hand, because it’s not just your analysis of the situation that is considered, but that of your teammates too. You interact, discuss and then take action after weighing the pros and cons.This is a practice that is also very helpful in daily life, since it ensures that you’re on the best possible track! Not only this, but through group activities, you learn through your doubts as well as the doubts and mistakes of your teammates.

 

Here there’s no limit to learning, we harbour an environment for positive thinking where mistakes are encouraged and seen as opportunities to learn rather than something to put students down for. They should keep learning through trial and error and keep progressing, since stagnation is the enemy of growth!

 

Our method of teaching has proven to be successful, and so many names on our success stories are proof of that. At Vidya Mandir, your child is well taken care of, where his mistakes are not only corrected, but also encouraged, where positive thinking is the only way of thinking, where group studies form relations and also lead to better understanding, where critical thinking not only prepares the students for an exam, but for life.

 

Are you ready to be a part of our ever growing family?

Life on Social Media – Take off those rose tinted glasses

Today Social Media has changed the world phenomenally and it has taken over our lives in such a way that things are never going to be the same again. Social interaction may have increased by ten-fold, but how much of that is human face to face interaction is a question that is best left out of the equation. People might be in the same room today, but still living the moment through their smartphones and viewing the world through their screens, not their eyes. You might be wondering how this is relevant to education or parenting in today’s times. Well, the fact of the matter is that social media is harming your child’s education and no one is aware of it. 

Let’s start with the basics- validation! Social Media validation is something that has become of prime importance in the millennials mind and has reduced his attention span drastically. Today a child is exposed to social media from a very nascent age, because smart phone exposure almost directly results in social media exposure where being on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram is seen as a necessity and if you aren’t on at least one of these websites then you’re titled a ‘Loser’ or an ‘Outcast’ in society. From the age of 10 and 11 children get into the habit of browsing through their smart phones and scrolling through social media platforms, not realising that they’re conditioning their minds to something that is going to affect their academics and life state in a very negative way.

Today’s generation wants instant gratification in every sphere of life, whether it’s food delivery, mobile recharges, buying clothes, shoes or even social life. Why take the trouble of calling up a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while and asking how they’re doing, when you can simply scroll through their profile and stalk them or just drop a simple ‘Sup’ in their inbox within a few clicks? While this may sound a lot more convenient at first, it isn’t really human if you think of it. I mean if the person does matter that much then why not take the effort and time to connect properly? The same extends to different spheres in their life especially education.

Now what this conditioning for instant gratification does is that it reduces the attention span of a student majorly, and he’s so used to reading a couple of words and scrolling through that sitting down to read and study an entire paperback text book seems almost impossible for him. And while that’s extremely necessary at that point in his life, you can’t blame the student for not being used to this old fashioned format that our generations have been following since the beginning of education.

Also, life looks extremely perfect on social media. Children are exposed to fabricated lives of celebrities and famous people on social media. This makes them have unrealistic expectations in life, and these rose-tinted glasses are extremely tough to take off! Research also suggests that social media exposure is a leading cause of depression and other mental health issues among youngsters today. 

Here is where the role of us as parents comes in. While it is important to keep our kids safe and provide them with the best we can, a filter needs to be there as to what is good for them and what isn’t. A smartphone is necessary considering safety since today almost all the kids have tuition, and extra-curricular activities to attend. But there needs to be a constant check on their activities and limiting their usage of the smartphone so that it doesn’t consume them completely, nor hamper their ability to pay attention when necessary and affect their ultimate potential.

Social media also exposes children to activities and occurrences from around the world, breaking boundaries. This is both good and bad, since a child’s mind is a blank canvas and can very easily be painted in any way depending on the kind of news it is exposed to. Here again it becomes absolutely essential to monitor and check what kind of activities the children are partaking in so that the balance is maintained and they stay well on track.

With a little bit of effort and guidance from the parents, the best of social media can be absorbed by the kids, and the worst can be averted. While you cannot escape social media, you need to make sure the use of it is controlled, at least while your children are in school/colleges.