Tag Archives: students

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.

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!

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.

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?

How To Stay Motivated To Study During The Vacations

The biggest question that both students & parents have is that while it’s easy to stay in touch during the academic year, how does one keep the ‘Nerd Mode’ on during the vacations?

Once school is shut for the break (like the Diwali break now), the books take a back seat, collecting dust as they sit on the topmost shelves of the study tables. Opening them after the holidays are over feels like you’re opening them for the first time, which means that all the effort spent before the break goes down the drain if you don’t manage to keep in touch. Sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it?

Well, it’s really not that hard and all you need is a little streamlining and planning with which you can have fun during the vacation as well as gain an edge above the rest of the students in the vacations in terms of staying in touch with the syllabus.

The method we’re going to tell you now is a top secret that most scholars have been using but never spoken about, but since you’re the lucky ones we’re going to be telling the ultra-successful mantra to staying motivated during the vacations – Pick one or two study partners and have a group study session every alternate day or every day for even an hour, and follow a timetable.

The good thing here is that you have no exam to prepare for so you don’t need to study under pressure. Pick one or two friends that are like minded or who’s company you enjoy so that study sessions aren’t boring or demotivating and treat the study more like a game, ask each other questions in a friendly quiz and set up a weekly score card where the winner gets ice cream or lunch from the loser. If you manage to make it fun and give just an hour of your day every alternate day or everyday depending on your schedule, you can easily keep in touch with all the subjects and revise what you know, forming a strong base for the coming term.

Try it, and study to learn more and not just for marks…you might actually end up enjoying it!