Young parents are enthusiastic and constantly seek answers on parenting. Understanding this, a workshop on “Identifying milestones at the right age and the holistic development of the child” was conducted by Principal Brni. Rekha on August 31, 2019 at the school auditorium. Ms. Priya Menon, Coordinator for pre-primary welcomed the Principal, School Counselor Ms. Gayatri Nathani Patil, and Senior KG parents of Amrita Nursery to the workshop.
The focus of the workshop was on identifying milestones at the right age, parenting skills, hygiene and nutrition, and open communication with teachers about the strengths and weaknesses of children. The workshop began with the video of a child with autism; parents enthusiastically observed that it was a child with special needs and that the parents in the video were very patient in dealing with the child on a daily basis.
Principal Brni. Rekha spoke at length, stressing upon the need for parents to be cautious during the developmental stage of the child as the formative years are very important for their holistic development. She also highlighted the fact that parental involvement is absolutely necessary for the positive development of a child’s mental and physical well being; she also stressed the importance of grandparents in a child’s upbringing.
Ms. Gayatri Nathani Patil’s input on ‘slow learning’ which includes the child’s eating, speaking and writing skills helped parents to become aware that these were interlinked and causes delayed growth compared to other children of the same age. She senstised the parents about the drawbacks of bribing a child to get things done, as this would adversely affect the child’s personality, thereby hampering his/her social growth. Inculcating practices such as balanced nutrition, home cooked meals, proper sleep pattern and strict hygiene as part of their child’s daily regime and sensitizing them to their body parts were discussed.
The one hour workshop was very well received by our parents and a lot of questions were answered. The workshop came to an end with the chanting of Shanti Mantra.
