Tag Archives: life lessons

Get Ready, Get Set And Go- Feel At Home In College

The time has come for the bird to fly out of the nest. School and board exams are finally over, with the feeling of freedom, excitement and feeling grown up. However, for both parent child, it comes with slight anxiety. The fear of the unknown is something that will always be present, and like all all things in life, the best approach is be as prepared as possible.
1. Research
Do some in depth research in terms of the course you are applying for, and if it matches with your abilities and interests.
If you are moving to another city, think about details like housing etc, in advance. If possible, try and visit the college, and ask people for feedback about the college, how they are liking things, nice places to hang out around etc. It’s never too late to change your mind, in-case you are really uncomfortable. Connect with your seniors!
2. Be yourself
The best and most important advice anyone can give you,is to be yourself. Do what you want, wear what you are comfortable in, you will soon find people who are like minded. There is no point trying to fit in by pretending to be someone else as that will never make you happy. Accept who you are, and be proud of your personality. Remember that everyone is nervous at some point or the other, it’s perfectly natural.
3. Take your time
Change is difficult yet inevitable, and no matter how excited you are to go to college, it’s always difficult to step out of the comfort zone and be thrown into new situations. Give yourself time to settle in, and don’t be worried if things don’t fall into place immediately. They will if you allow them to, let things sink in. Evaluate your situation after your first year, and if you still feel out of place act on it.
3. Try new things
The best way to get comfortable in a new situation is to get involved. Magic occurs when you step out of your comfort zone. Try things, go for different club and society meets. If people invite you to hang out, go. Some things you will dislike, and never go back to but you never know what you will enjoy and when the moment will come, where you realise you love college and don’t want the journey to end.
4. Trust your support system
There’s no harm in feeling out of place in college, or feeling low and down at any point. It’s important to make sure you stay in touch with your family and friends, and communicate how you are feeling.
This is also the time you as parents need to keep an eye out and make sure you have created a safe space for your child to talk to you freely, no matter what the issue is. It’s important to make sure you don’t jump to conclusions or judge your child. Remember you are your kids biggest support and you must make sure they can rely on you more than anyone else. Keep in touch, and ask gently how things are going regularly.
The best is yet to come, cherish these days and make the most of it!

DAILY HABITS TO IMPROVE YOUR STUDENT LIFE

Over the years, we’ve noticed that every student goes through their education in what we would like to call a messy manner, no matter how organized they may be while starting out. Don’t believe us?

 Remember that time you kept your books so clean and in ascending order of their height for the first few days of school, and were picking up pages and holding them together by the end of the term? What happens after the first term? We all know how that story goes.

Well, this analogy applies to almost all the students through their student life, regardless of what stage they’re in. Keeping this in mind we’ve compiled a small list of daily habits to help you guys make life a little more organised and a little easier to manage.

WAKE UP EARLY – This cannot be emphasised enough! We know that as a student, few things come close to getting in bed late and waking up at your own sweet time whenever you can, but there’s nothing like starting your day early. You get enough time to plan your day, organize yourself, and divide your time into things you WANT to do and things you NEED to do.

What happens as a result? You’re far more productive and go to bed satisfied. Try it, thank us later.

This is also a super important habit for life!

MAKE TO-DO LISTS – A student’s mind has a lot going on, we understand that completely. In all the mush going on inside the head, it is normal to miss out on things. Make lists, tick tasks off the list, and get things done!

EAT WELL AND REMAIN ACTIVE – Studies can sometimes take the forefront of your life, and you are going to be under pressure more often than not, In such times, eating healthy and getting enough sleep help keep your mind active and help you function well through the day with complete alertness. If you can take up a sport in your spare time or do some physical activity every now and then, it makes sure that your brain remains alert and is an ideal mind state to be in.

FIND A HOBBY – Reading, music, sports whatever it may be. Find a hobby that you can fall back on to blow off some steam and channel your creativity into, and who knows that might just open up new roads for you too!

Take it easy, don’t stress and just make simple positive changes that impact your life positively and clear up the everyday mess of a student life.

Coping With Failure

Failure is inevitable in everyone’s life. No matter how smart, focused or hardworking one is, a time will come where things won’t go the way we expected them to. While growing up, failures are a common occurrence.  The only way to battle this is to prepare your student or child, and be the support required when the time comes.
“Failure is a stepping stone to success” a common phrase we’ve heard time and again, but it must be noted that this is true only when one doesn’t get stuck on that stone, but merely uses it as a part of the journey he/she is on. Failure is good only if it means you’ve ended up learning something from it!
Here are a few tips, to make sure your child/student always is able to overcome and achieve the best!
1. Be supportive, and let your child take in the situation. 
Many times, as adults, it happens many times when we feel that failure could have been avoided and it was completely the child’s fault. This is a natural feeling, as most of the time you are right. However, at this moment the child is already going through some sorrow, giving him/her this information will only push him/her into a worse mental state. Let your child recover, tell them it’s okay and maybe share a story of your own failure from your childhood , and how today you barely even remember the consequences of the same. Assure your child that everything can be fixed, and you are always standing by their side to help them out.
2. Think of constructive advice
What is done is done, and the results can’t be changed. The only way ahead is to move on, stronger and more prepared. Look at the situation, reflect to find growth ideas and formulate a good plan to take things forward. Make sure to plan time to relax and de-stress too. Also, keep in mind what works for your child or student. They will only be able to keep up with the plan, if it works. Different people work in different ways, and true potential will only be achieved once you figure out the simplest and most efficient way of working.
The tone and manner of giving advice should also be taken care, it’s advice and help that is being offered, not a command. Take in the opinions of your child/student, and remember you have to be the support for them. You are a team.
3. Prep for the worst case. 
Make sure it’s clear to your child/student that failure is not a one time thing, it will occur in some way again, and there is no choice but to accept it. At the same time it’s important to understand that any failure is never as bad as it seems at the given time and can always be worked out of.
Failure is normal, failure is necessary, that’s all that you need your student/child to know. Reducing fear of failure will also reduce chances of failure, and help him/her cope better when required.

Reading during your vacations is the best investment you’ll ever make

Students need to add a new best friend to their friends list, especially during the vacations – Books! Everyone says reading is a good habit one must inculcate, everyone should read good magazines and books to learn more about the world, improve a language, stay updated, etc. But for students, this matters more than any other age group, especially during vacations, that part of the year when they have the time and mental capacity to involve themselves in whatever they’re reading to truly reap the benefits of the activity.

The benefits of reading are a plenty, but the student needs to be ready to absorb them. This is where the vacations play such a key role. The absence of exams and availability of free time must be used for fun learning, and one of the ways to make this happen is to pick up a book and read! Before you start, here’s a thing that you need to know- do not force yourself into reading something because everyone else is reading it. There are chances that you might not like a popular book at all! Spend some time experimenting with genres while picking up books and seeing what suits your fancy. If a book is interesting, you’ll know that within the first ten pages. Even the first ten pages have so much to teach you, see! For starters, you made a decision!

A lot of students look to books as an escape.  Mystery novels and science fiction are popular genres that transport people into a different world altogether. This not only helps keep the students stress free in a world that dumps expectations and academic pressure on students, but also helps broaden their horizons and enhances their imagination skills. Their mind isn’t limited to only one dimension anymore.

 Another key benefit of reading is that it unknowingly improves their career opportunities in the future by increasing their vocabulary and the usage of it. A lot of famous English professors, authors, content writers have evolved into doing what they do because they started reading at an early age. The immediate benefit of this will also reflect in their coming days, where they will find themselves using these words in their essays to explain their points.

Students that read a lot of Dan Brown, or Sidney Sheldon and other mystery thrillers develop into more analytical human beings. Yes, the choice of books also has an impact on their personalities! Research says that these students use logic and analytical thinking more often to deduce current situations and analyse possible outcomes. On the other hand, students that read more of classical literature and timeless novels like Anna Karenina and Tom Sawyer have a richer vocabulary and are generally more verbose and better at explaining themselves and putting points across. So not only is reading an important activity for mental health, but from an academic standpoint it has a key impact on the immediate as well as long term future of a student in a positive way.

So if you’re a student reading this, pick a genre, pick a bestseller and just get started! And if you’re a parent, you know just what to gift your kid during the next vacation.

Good parenting – Spend time, not money on your kids

We live in an era defined by technology, defined by its quick pace and by the financial status of every individual running the race. However, when it comes to parenting, all these three factors have a key role to play – Technology needs to be regulated, the quick pace needs to be slowed down for your kids, and the financial status can take a back seat. What your kid needs is not the latest gadgets and smartphones, or a heavy pocket money amount, what he needs is your time.

We understand it’s hard to spend time in today’s day and age when most parents are working long shifts and barely get time to see their spouses, but now that you’ve made the commitment of having a child, you owe it to your family to spend quality time with them to help shape your child’s personality and mould them into quality individuals.

We’re not saying that you need to spend your entire day staring into the eyes of your kids, and not letting them leave your sight, but you can spend time with them each opportunity you get. Did you know that there are only 940 Saturdays between a child’s birth and their leaving for college? That may sound like a lot, but how many have you already used up? If your child is 5 years old, 260 Saturdays are gone. Poof! And the older your kids get, the busier their Saturdays are with friends and activities! Movie nights, evening walks, word quizzes, grocery shopping, take every opportunity you get to spend time with your little ones, and make sure you’re living that moment entirely, making memories as you go.

But why is spending time so important? How does it help?

Remember that kid that makes a scene in the middle of the departmental store, or as they grow older do strange things to seek attention? That stems psychologically from kids not getting enough attention from their parents. Good parenting which gives kids enough attention ensures that they develop into sound individuals that don’t indulge in harmful and attention seeking behaviour.

Another very important reason is that it may be the only way you get to know your child and really connect with him. You want to be your child’s go to person to talk to in case they’re hurt or feeling low, and for that you need to earn that trust and spend quality time with them. Spending time with them ensures you’re a good friend, and helps build trust too.

This activity also is extremely important because it builds self-esteem and makes kids realise their worth. This holds true especially to shyer, less outgoing children that keep to themselves. It helps them get over social anxiety, if any.

Most importantly, this individual time that you spend with your child will strengthen your bond at a nascent stage and ensure that it is a long lasting, loving one.

Take some time off, work never stops but this time with your child will never come back. Live it, Love it!

Sound body and sound mind is the key to success and happiness

The clock is ticking, the pressure is building, not only do you need to work hard but also show results. The competition never gets less, and the stress only doubles as you grow older. So what do you do?
Here are a few tips to beat the anxiety this summer!
1. Talk to people:
The most important thing is to find a support system that helps you grow. They could be your parents, teachers or friends, or anyone else you feel will give you constructive criticism when needed and at other times will give you that pep talk that will motivate you. Teachers in school or classes know you as a person as well as your academic strengths and area of development and so can show you the gaps you need to cover and well as celebrate what you are amazing at. There is no shame in admitting you are not in the best mental state and need help. It is a normal thing that most people go through.
2. Find your stress buster
All work and no play…well you know how that one goes. Your mind requires a break at regular intervals, and not one that leaves you overthinking. The best thing to do is find a form of physical activity that you enjoy to release the stress. Even something as simple as playing some loud music and dancing can help take out any anxiety you face.
3. Listen to your body.
Sound body and sound mind is the key to happy and healthy life. Studying 20 hours a day won’t help you in the long run, but a good 8 hours a night of sleep definitely will. Studies prove that students academic performance is directly related to their routine of eating and sleeping. If you feel tired or mentally exhausted, take the break, whereas if you think you can push yourself, go for it. Nobody knows your body and self better for you. Don’t plan your life according to what anyone else says, just like we all have different personalities, we also have different learning styles. Figure out what you need to succeed.
4. Be practical
At the end of the day, your mental health lies in your hands alone. Obviously external help may make it easier but in the end it’s up to you to strike a balance in your mind. One of the easiest things to do is every time you are stressed think about how this will affect you in 10 years. Are these scores and examinations what define you as a person or what your success will be? They definitely will aid you and make things easier but it is not the end of your world if things don’t go exactly as planned.
However, mental and physical health is thin ice, once the downward spiral begins it’s hard to pull yourself out of it. Success is not measured by the wit of a person, but by the way in which he uses it.
Have a productive summer!

How to smoothly transition from school to college

While making the leap from high school to college, it’s super important to make sure that you land safely. It’s not just hop skip and jump, since college is a whole other ball game altogether. That being said, you don’t need to get nervous or jittery about taking the next natural step in progression, but rather embrace it with excitement. You know what they say, ‘Your college days will stay with you forever’. That being said, here are a few things that you should keep in mind when you’re starting your college life and that could be of help to you in this transition period –

  1. Master the art of Time Management – You can transition into college effortlessly just by optimally utilizing your time. A lot of students love the freedom, the hostel life so much that they end up wasting half the day in bed and get stuck in the vicious circle of trying to match the attendance towards the end of the semester, clueless of what’s been taught. Attend your lectures, participate in extracurricular activities and make time to blow off steam with your friends too. It’s all about the right balance.
  1. Don’t be afraid to fail – This doesn’t just limit to your grades or academics, and no we don’t mean that you don’t need to study. What this means is that you shouldn’t be afraid to try out new things. Hobbies, sports, subjects, try out whatever attracts your interest. You’re still finding your feet and you’ll never know what your forte is or could be if you don’t try. Take that risk, you never know what you might learn. 
  1. Find a Mentor – There’s nothing that smoothens the process of settling into college like having an experienced mentor to fall back on. Find a professor or teacher that’s passionate about the same subject as you, or a senior that you can relate or connect with and don’t be afraid to talk to them about your experiences and ask them for advice.
  1. BE SOCIAL – This cannot be emphasised enough! You can’t be in your shell and keep to yourself when you join college, it’s the easiest to make friends in the start. You don’t want to be struggling to enter groups that have already been formed later on and not know what’s up. Learn with each other and grow together, talk to your peers and find a group of individuals that you’re most comfortable talking to. Talk to everyone and maintain friendly relations with everyone. Help whoever you can, it comes back to you!

Stay in touch with your family and friends back home, share your day with everyone, and see how easy it gets to enter the world of college 🙂

How to best support your kids while prepping for exams!

The two years of tenth and twelfth are quite crucial in a students life, and in a parents life as well. They can be easygoing and smooth, or stressful and difficult for everyone depending on how it is handled. Then comes the time to sit for the entrance exams. These can really stress the children out! But don’t stress, there is a way to avoid it. Plan ahead for this time of your life, and make things better for both yourself and your child! Below are some tips to ensure a productive and happy year ahead-
1. Understand your child’s way of working.
Every child is different, and works in a different way. She/He will only be able to maximise her/his potential if they use the method that works out the best for them. Some people work well in the morning, others at night. For some reading it aloud helps, while others prefer to make notes. Sit with your child and see what learning style works out the best for him/her. Be attentive.
2. Set realistic goals.
When making a schedule or a plan, set a goal that is achievable. Even if it is a slower pace, it is important to allow a child to succeed at sticking to a schedule rather than rushing through it. This will also boost the child’s morale, and encourage him/her to study further. Nobody knows the child better than himself/herself. Allow them to create a schedule, set goals, and then reflect on what went wrong, where exactly there was a breakdown of understanding, so that they can re-do that specific topic. The goals could be aligned to the school/college schedule, but should not be bound to them.
3. Work smart, not hard.
The quality of the work done is more important the quantity even in an exam. The schedule should not be too tightly packed where the child is physically sitting and studying, but the mental intake is zero. Working 5 hours a day with full concentration and energy is more productive than working 20 hours with little energy or concentration. Allow your child to take breaks, go out and enjoy too. When the mind is not stressed is the only time it can take in information. Working throughout the year, in this manner is smarter than cramming right before the exam. The pressure on the child is also lessened in this way.
4. Support your child in the best way.
This time is scary and puts a lot of pressure on your child. Support your child in the best way and in the way required to your child. If you are putting your child in a tuition or coaching class, talk to the teacher before hand and make sure it is a healthy learning environment. Ensure you make it clear with your child that there is no competition with others in the class. Keep encouraging your child and try to find innovative solutions to the problems they face academically. Most importantly, touch base and talk to your child on  a regular basis.
5. Think about 5 years later.
As important as marks are in a child’s life, to open doors to better opportunities, it is not the end goal. Both the mental heath of you and your child is more important. Focus on developing and identifying skills that will help your child get opportunities. If you are stressed out, the child can sense it and it affects them as well. Every time you feel stressed or your child feels stressed, remind yourself or them, that these scores do not define them or you. There is much more to life. Aim at overall development.

How we stay connected with our students

At Vidya Mandir, we don’t just want to focus on coaching the children that seek our help in education.  ‘Help’ here at Vidya Mandir is not merely academic assistance but a lot more than that. We prefer to pick on the roles of counsellors and mentors that don’t just help them improve their academic performances, but also help them become better human beings and understand the small nuances that help an individual make it or break it in life.

Let’s break down the process simply. In most other coaching classes, there are just lectures or classes with a couple of calls for coordination or clearing of doubts. At Vidya Mandir, we follow a different culture altogether. We have the basic classes and lectures where we encourage student to student, and student to teacher interaction. We also incorporate emails and phone calls in our communication to share feedback, have one on one sessions with students that need extra attention, have dedicated social media platforms and blogs to address common doubts and issues and share valuable tips, and most importantly – Share a personal connect outside the classroom.

The teachers at Vidya Mandir take extra initiatives to talk to the student’s about life beyond studies, and are there to guide them in matters both academic and personal. They form a personal bond with the students by winning their trust so that they can come to them whenever something is bothering them and can help them tackle problems and guide them to the right path in life, shaping their character as time goes by.

In the early stages of life, a student has numerous dilemmas and obstacles that society expects you to tackle by yourself or with the support of your family, not realising that it is this age when children can’t be completely open to their parents, be it matters of studies or personal issues like bad habits, company, etc. We understand that, and aim to extend a helping hand to guide them onto the right path so that they go on to become individuals of substance that are not only learned, but well educated too and share a set of values.

HOW TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE VACATION

It’s nearly holiday time, and even though we’re in the middle of our exams, we can’t help but think about the summer vacations. When it comes to vacations you
don’t need a lesson or advice on how to have fun, but all play and no work isn’t the smartest way
forward in the bigger picture, don’t you think? After all life is all about striking the perfect balance!
So when you’re going to have a month or more of merriment, why not add a little productive
element to it as well? No, that does not mean you grill yourself with text books, or even necessarily
touch upon them unless you’re in the ninth or eleventh grades and have board preparations to
commence. Take it easy, have fun while learning, and we guarantee that you will have a superb vacation!
1 – Read a book – Whether you’re a kid or an adult, there’s nothing quite as productive as reading a
book. You can pick from several different genres and pick a book that expands your horizons and
teaches you something new or simply adds perspective. Reading books introduces you to a new world, and you’ll be amazed at how it gets you to be curious and excited about  what life has to offer in the form of travel, food, culture, history, religion, or even life lessons for that matter. A book can be your best friend.
2 – Pick a Hobby – We’ve heard this a million times, but hardly any of the kids act on it. Pick a hobby
at the start of your vacations and master it as time goes by! This can be anything, right from playing
football or basketball or any sport, to learning the guitar, or even collecting coins and stamps. Again, this
adds to your skill-set and molds you better as a human being. How? Sports teach you life lessons
probably no book ever can, and music and other hobbies also teach you various things such as the
importance of consistency or the need for patience in life. Yes, it’s true, life lessons can be found in the simplest of things.
3 – Start Prepping for next year – Once the syllabus and books for the next year or the remaining
term are out, spending around 1-1.5 hours of your day just flipping through and generally reading
the next few chapters will make life a lot easier for you in the assignments and tests to follow. You
essentially end up doing the same work over a period of time, but just under a lot less stress than
you would if you had to last minute learn everything and were looking at it for the first time! Instead, take out those books during the vacation, see what’s in store for the year, and prepare yourself mentally to face the new year.
4 – Learn a new language – Remember that one language you found so fascinating? It’s time to learn
it! What better way to make use of your free time than add to your language arsenal! Spanish,
German, French – take your pick! A new language will also be beneficial to your professional career.
5 – Volunteer – If you have a lot of free time on hand then an ideal way to spend a small chunk of it
would be to volunteer with an NGO in your favourite area of interest. Could be with old people, or
pets, or a rescue center, holds a lot of weight on your C.V. later on as well as you look to push for
further studies.
Sounds like a plan? So tell us, what are you going to opt for this summer?

Equality must be taught!

The  new age is here,and in many different spheres of life, roles of men and women are being reversed. The wave of empowering people to do all kinds of things is coming through in a strong manner. Yet, we hear and see children differentiating and saying things like ‘That’s for girls?’ or ” Only boys wear blue’. These childhood conversations and beliefs build up the foundation of the same child growing up to say things like, ‘Women belong in the kitchen’ or  ‘Men can’t cry’.
In today’s time, men and women are equally ambitious, successful and independent. They make choices of their own. It is important to teach your child the significance of this for 2 reasons- he/she will respect parents for their lifestyle choices, and will be confident in following his/her heart when it comes to choosing a career for themselves too. The only way to bring about change is to intervene early, and shape the child’s thinking when he is young. We have no idea what situation the child will have deal with when they grow up and what adjustments they may have to make. The best option is to give children tools that push their thinking to be open minded and progressive.  Below are some strategies that can help do the same :
1. Get your own beliefs straight and model them!
Children learn by doing. Things they see around and ape behavior. Think about the biases you may have first and think about it- is that something you would like to pass on to your child? Once you are clear with what you feel, you can consciously encourage kids to show equality. Encourage them to play all games and dance. Even the things you say, should not create any bias in their mind. Refrain from using terms that speak of a certain gender.
2. Give your children exposure!
It is not necessary that children see different situations around them all the time. You need to create opportunities for children to be exposed to different gender roles and situations, Take them out and talk about things they see, maybe a chef you is a man, a woman who comes home late. Let them ask people questions about how it works, in polite manner and discuss the opinions later. Try and at talk about it in different ways, things at school at home, something shown in a movie or cartoon.
3. Build ownership
Children will not never be able to be confident about reversing gender jobs or roles unless they are used to advocating it. If you want your daughter to stand up for equal pay or your boy to open to being a stay at home dad, you need to prepare them for it. The only way is to build ownership. Assigning chores to all your children, helps them take hold of their lives and pushes them to be independent. All household/school work should be done by everyone. Only them will they feel a strong tie to identity. When that happens, they will be open to other people and their sense of identity as well.
This is something that will govern their lives, and it is important for parents to make their children realise the changing roles of gender in the society. So what if you’re a working mom and the father stays home to look after the household duties? Teach your child to respect decisions, and to follow their heart.

Is education for personal or social use?

Remember those intense formulas that you learnt in school? Or those endless hours you spent studying the history of the world and always wondered, ‘This stuff has already happened! Why am I wasting my life studying this?’ Or “Will I ever really need this formula later in life?” Here’s then thing- the curriculum has been designed in a certain way for a reason. The syllabus aims at holistically grooming you so that you can grow and develop into knowledgeable human beings that can take rational decisions after being well informed and in the best interests of society as well as yourself. Sounds intense, doesn’t it? But what this simply means is that education is not just for personal or social use, but a well-balanced combination of both.

In fact, the history bit is so that you learn from man’s past experiences and the outcomes, so that you know ‘his’ story and make life decisions, big or small based on previous experiences so you have a vague idea of how the world works. Knowledge of history helps you understand the current affairs in the world. Why are people of 2 regions at war? Why are certain political parties more favoured than the rest? It all comes down to a good knowledge of history, geography and civics.

We look at the science formulae and think,” there’s no way in hell that this is going to be useful to us when we’re grown up”, but these subjects have daily applications and practical applications in our day to day life, and we’re exposed to it so much that we don’t even realise the science that’s going into simple things happening around us!

Remember that paper fight you’d have in the class room right before the teacher was going to enter? You don’t know it, but subconsciously you’ve used some practical physics right there. How? Let us show you. You took a flat sheet of paper, crumpled it into a ball and then hurled it at your mate. You didn’t throw it just as sheet because the sheet has a larger surface area, making the terminal velocity lesser. You crumpled up the sheet into a ball with less surface area,then hurled it so that the higher terminal velocity makes It reach your target with speed. Amazing, isn’t it?

This is just one instance! Changing a punctured tyre, lifting heavy weights, driving, designing a house/club/restaurant/fitness space, all these are other small examples of how everything that we learn in school matters.  Even simple concepts of biology such as Osmosis can be seen when you water different plants differently and just observe the many concepts and facets of gardening!  Opening the door uses force, breathing uses the concept of gases and volume that pushes out the CO2 from your lungs and fills them in with oxygen. Even exercising uses concepts of science- physics, chemistry and biology!

The point here is, that studies and subjects are taught for a reason, that may not be visible right in the beginning, but they have both personal and social use in your life and ultimately play a huge role in moulding you as a human being.

Ensure Good Parenting As A Single Parent

In today’s day and age, kids are more aware, progressive and vocal than earlier. They like to speak their mind and make their own choices. As amazing as that is, sometimes as a parent, makes the job a little more scary and in our heads difficult. Circumstances often lead families to be in situations where only one parent is available to take responsibility. At Vidya Mandir I have taught a lot of students who come from a Defense background. This means they’re used to traveling and changing schools every 3 years, making new friends and changing their peer groups, and usually growing up away from one of the parents due to postings. I have personally counselled a lot of parents on parenting in such a situation, because it does get extremely difficult for a single parent to manage the house, their lives as well as the upbringing of their kids all together, all alone. There is a lot of pressure put on the single parent in this case, and I have always extended my support during trying times. Today, I wish to share all that with you through this platform.
Whether you are a single parent, working mother or stay at home dad, here are some tips that will make your life easier and your child’s life happier.
 
1. Communication is key
The best people to understand each other are a parent and child. However, due to difference of opinion, many times we misinterpret or ignore the signs for need for attention or help that a child gives us. The best way to build a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and love, is to talk to your child and actually listen to what he or she is saying. Take out five -ten minutes in your day to make sure you are talking to your child, how he is feeling, what problems are happening etc. Be open with how are feeling too, communication is a two way process and your child will only open up to you if he/she trusts you and knows you trust and speak to him/her too. Even when you disagree, don’t bury the issue but talk about the rationale behind both opinions. It will help you and your child both, understand each other better.
Even involving yourself in activities/games with your child will show your investment in your child’s life. This will strengthen your relationship and encourage your child to share and be open with you.
2. Balance both ways
In every relationship there must be compromise. There will definitely be times that you don’t agree with your child’s choice or point of view. Look at it from a third persons point of view and if the rationale makes sense, give in. Let your child know that you will be open to being convinced sometimes and agree to things while other times certain things are non negotiable. When you are considering a situation, try to think of it from a child’s point of view.
Do not play the good cop,bad cop game or put responsibility on the other parent/ adult around. Take responsibility for your desicions and explain your actions to your child. Your hold should be constantly reminded that you care, and his or her best interests are at heart. All stakeholders will sometimes agree or disagree with the child, neither has more or less pull or power to decide. Even if your spouse is working away, or visits after long gaps, you need to be on the same page so that treatment is fair and equal from both parties.
 
 
3. Practice what you preach
Children are very observant. They base a large part of their behaviour from what they see around them. This becomes a conditioned response and a part of their personalities. Considering that as a parent you spend the most time with your child, most of your traits will be handed down to him/her.
Think of the values you are always lecturing your children about. What are the identifiable actions that directly correlate to those values. Think about whether you set a great example for your child. For example , if you would like your child to respect all, do you treat everyone around you including your child with respect? What are the different ways you show respect and do you explicitly call it out. Likewise when your child is respectful,  do you recognise the respect he or she shows and appreciate it? Your child will only take what you say seriously, if they see you applying it in your life too.
At the end of day, remember that your child cares for nobody greater than they do for you, just as your love and concern for them is larger than that of anyone else’s around them. Making sure your child knows this and actually believes it is the most important thing that will ensure a strong relationship and excellent parenting!!

How to deal with exam stress?

When it comes to studies, the biggest problem students face nowadays is dealing with exam stress. Well,
this stems mostly from the fact that they don’t really prepare for the exams when they’re announced and
probably wake up for the exam on the day before the paper, (well, all of us have done this, haven’t we?) Either way – Exams aren’t a joke and a
little bit of stress is bound to happen.
So how do you deal with it?
The first commandment of dealing with exam stress is staying away from your phones! The phones and
distractions of social media and texting make a 2 hour revision into a 10 hour revision that you can barely
recollect. We’d say the best way to reduce stress is tick things off your portion, and keep your phone aside
while you’re at it.
The next very important thing is to stay mentally alert. How do you achieve this? By eating right and doing
some sort of physical activity to bust some of that exam stress. Have an exam the next day? Try going for a
quick run the evening before, and shower and eat well after that. The study session you’ll have that night
will definitely be a good one, with you being at a 100% mentally! Try it and thank us later.
Again, to go with this you need to eat healthy too. Don’t binge on chips in the exam stress, the science
behind it being that the fatty foods in fact make you lethargic and sleepy. Instead eat nutritious home
cooked food and munch on some nuts in the middle to help fuel your body while you’re mentally alert and
absorbing as much of the portion as you can!
Figure out a well-planned study schedule that fits in the portion in definitive timelines and gives you a good
6-8 hour period of sleep. Thus, the next morning you’re wide awake and able to recall all that you’ve
studied the previous night. Remember, a schedule and good amount of sleep help optimize your studies
and bring the best out of your efforts.
Besides this, another great way of dealing with exam stress and making ideal use of your time is going for
group classes and revisions, where you get to learn through other people’s doubts and mistakes as well as
your own!
If you’re still feeling nervous or stressed, run your schedule by your parents and ask them for their inputs
and blow off some steam just talking to them about what’s going on in your mind. Getting out of your shell
and clearing your mind is again a hack that is rarely used but highly effective!
Good luck, if you’ve done your bit in the preparations then you really just need to stay confident during the
exams and the results shall speak for themselves. It’s a simple case of cause and effect after all!

5 resolutions you need to make as parents

It’s 2018 – A new year and a new opportunity for you as parents to pledge to bring your children up
exactly how you imagined to, and make sure that you do whatever is in your power to lead them
towards a brighter tomorrow. Of course, you can’t start a New Year without New Year resolutions!
When it comes to parenting, we recommend that you make a separate specific set of resolutions
towards your kids! To make life easier, we’re listing a few obvious ones down below –
1. Regulate emotions – This is very important when it comes to parenting. It’s the easiest thing
in the world to get carried away and lose your cool or get over emotional over different
instances, but much harder to be emotionally stable no matter what the situation is. Being calm
 gives your child a level headed approach to situations and something to
look up to so that when he/she faces adversity they can use reasoning and logic rather than
emotions to analyse and then act.
2. Be grateful – It’s good to be ambitious and want more for you and your child, but it’s equally
important to be grateful. Gratitude is a key attribute you also want your children to grow up
with, but more importantly it’s something that will strengthen your bond with them. Rather
than finding faults in their doings or counting their shortcomings, be grateful for their talents
and strengths and encourage them every day.
3. Don’t compare – Each child is different and special in his or her own way. As parents it’s your
duty to appreciate and embrace your child for who they are, and not bring their spirits down
by comparing them to their peers.
4. Give Freedom and Respect – You get what you give, and that holds true when it comes to
your kids. Give them love, freedom and respect and you will receive the same in abundance!
5. Inculcate Independence – Start training your kids step by step to be independent from the
very beginning. The easiest thing for a parent to do is do the tasks for their children, but that
isn’t in the kids’ best interests. Let them be independent and learn what’s good by doing
rather than seeing.
Have you got your list of resolutions ready? Share them with us in the comments below!

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?

Happiness transcends EVERYTHING

As philosophical as it may sound, the key to everything is happiness. Think about it, why do you
study so hard, do what you do, go forward with your hobbies, or even eat your favourite foods?
Because at the ground level it makes you HAPPY, it gives you joy and that’s why you choose to do what
you do.

At Vidya Mandir, we understand the importance of academics and marks but at the same time we
believe in a fulfilling life that gives you satisfaction at the end of the day, and we want to see our students smile.
We focus on marks and exams, but we focus more on learning, education and an overall sense of satisfaction. We want to
build a world where all that matters is happiness, and all those who are a part of the Vidya Mandir family will agree with this.

It’s for this reason that we encourage our students to strike the perfect balance between academics and extra-curricular
activities so that they can follow their passion and realise their potential in whatever field they
choose to.

We’re extremely proud to put forward some of our extraordinary students that were excellent in
Math and Science, securing 90% and above, and still chased after their dream of doing what made them happy:

Kamakshi Rai follows her passion for singing and music.

Chandana Phadkule is an extremely talented dancer besides being exceptional academically.

Natasha Gracias is a pilot! Soaring through the skies is her passion.

Maitri Ravishankar is another bright spark, having completed her degree from NID, Ahmedabad!

And these are just a few of the many multi-talented individuals that we nurture to get the best out
of them so that they can follow their passion and live life to the fullest so that they can be truly
HAPPY! These students could’ve followed the road most commonly taken and gone onto become
Doctors or Engineers, but they chose to do what makes them happy.

That’s our end goal at Vidya Mandir, to ensure the students are well equipped for the exam of life, so that they HAVE THE CHOICE to
do what they want, that could be engineering or even biking!