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What Is Connected Learning and How Does It Benefit Your Child
How fascinating it is to watch your child learn new words, actions, and gestures as he grows from a tiny fetus into a healthy child. All of this development happening in a being is as exciting as it is worth nurturing. Because of cutting-edge technologies coming into play, the standard of learning is slowly changing, and a child’s future is beginning to depend upon factors, like creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking, rather than on standardised academic knowledge. Therefore, learning requires new perspectives to make children more future-ready.
Young children are like clay. They take the shape of whatever they are moulded into via external stimuli and life experiences. Here’s where the parent’s role comes in. If more parents adopt ‘connected learning’, there will be more future-ready generations of children. But what exactly is it?
What Is Connected Learning? The Pillars of Connected Learning
Connected Learning is a concept of nature and nurture which reiterates the fact that LEARNING abilities of a child can be nurtured from birth itself if the child is provided with the right nutrition and stimulus.
Connected Learning is the interplay of the right stimulus, proper nutrition, and genetics. These three variables promote the child’s ability to learn and thrive in the competitive world. Since genetics are inherited and, to a major extent non-modifiable, it is the stimulus and nutrition that can be modified for connected learning. Nutrition is responsible for building the blocks of the brain and body of a child. Proper nutrition leads to improved mental, physical, and social and emotional development. Proper stimulus, on the other hand, is required to enhance the process of learning in a child, starting from birth.
How a Nutritious Diet Influences a Child's Connected Learning
Nutrition is directly proportional to a child’s mental, socio-emotional and physical development. It has the potential to influence the child’s academic performance and behaviour. Therefore, a diet rich in nutrients is said to do well in the context of the child’s growth. Nutrients, such as phospholipids (generally found in breast milk), lipids, folic acid, DHA, ARA, iron, choline etc., are important to be present in a child’s daily intake.
To summarise, children with better nutrition intake are said to excel academically, solve complex issues, and show positive behavioural outcomes, including empathy and self-control. And since nutrition is one of the modifiable factors for connected learning, parents and caregivers can take care of it by providing children with healthier choices.
Stimulus: Connected Learning Activities for Children
Children learn social and academic skills easier when they are in a connected and supported environment. This is because they get confident when they engage socially. The following activities are certainly fun and inexpensive and designed to boost your child’s motor, communication, and socio-emotional skills.
1. Counting in the Kitchen
Make cooking fun by including some mathematics. While you prep the meals, you can ask your child to count the number of ingredients or utensils you use while cooking. You can also get creative by asking your child to recognise the things present in the kitchen and name them or ask him to check whether all the plates have an equal amount of serving or not.
2. Creativity Corner
You can make your child enhance his imagination and creativity by giving him colouring books, colour pencils, markers, crayons, erase boards, blank sheets, etc. To boost his imagination skills, you can give your child a dedicated creativity corner, like a separate chair and desk in his room. When he sees new colourful objects, he will definitely want to use them.
3. Encourage Role Play
Role play has significantly proven to tap the creative side in a child. You can start a make-shift restaurant in your kid’s playroom and ask him to choose roles either of a chef, a customer, or a helper. You can also start a departmental store in the playroom using basic things at home like a comb, tissue box, and torch. You can ask him to choose a role and act accordingly.
4. Caregiving Play
Children can learn to care and nurture by focusing on their feelings and practising caring behaviour. You can set up a crib full of stuffed toys, water, toy food, etc., so that your child practice the exact behaviour of caring with his toys as he watches you caring for him. This will enhance his social and emotional skills.
5. Bedtime Fun
Storytime session is an effective activity to boost your child’s recognition skills. While reading a storybook or an ABC book, you can ask your child to recognise the images, letters and their meanings at frequent intervals. This activity will help him enhance his vocabulary as you name and define each letter and image in the book.
6. Set up an Imaginary World
Sit with your child in his playroom and ask him to pretend that he is a magical land, a zoo, school bus, underwater, or a beach. You can drive the participation by asking your child basic questions like what he sees in his imaginary world: “Can you see a zebra in the zoo?” “Can you see the fish in the water?” “What is it doing? Is it eating or playing?” “What are you? Are you a fish or octopus?” This way you can encourage his communication skills and see his capability of imagination.
Connected learning can be called the new paradigm as it customises education to the needs and interests of the child using a supported network. It incorporates values of social belonging, empathy, creativity, and participation for your child’s future-readiness.
If you have any questions regarding connected learning or your child’s nutrition, make sure you connect to your child’s paediatrician or a child psychologist.
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कृपया सर्तक रहें ! जानलेवा हो सकता है मूँगफली का एक दाना।
पिछले २ महीनों से मेरी बेटी की खाँसी का सिलसिला चला ही जा रहा था। हर थोडे़-थोडे़ दिनों में उसे खाँसी हो जाती । हम उसे डॉक्टर के पास लेकर जाते, डॉक्टर सर्दी-खासी की दवाई देते, उसे थोड़ा सा आराम मिलता लेकिन थोडे़ दिन बाद फिर वही सब शुरु हो जाता। उसकी साँसों मे हमेशा आवाज आती रहती। 26 जनवरी को उसका दूसरा जन्मदिन था। उसके बाद से उसकी तबियत ज्यादा खराब हो गई । खाँसी के साथ-साथ बुखार और उल्टियाँ भी होने लगी। हम उसे फिर से डॉक्टर के पास लेकर गए, डॉक्टर ने चेक करकर कहा कि उसे निमोनिया हो गया है और उसे एंटिबायटिक दे दी।
6 दिन का कोर्स करने पर भी उसकी खाँसी में कोई आराम नहीं मिला। बुखार और उल्टियाँ तो ठीक हो गई पर साँसो में खखड़ाहट की आवाज आती रही। हम बहुत परेशान हो गए। हम उसे एक बार फिर से अपने कैम्पस में स्थित अस्पताल में लेकर गए । वहाँ हमें एक डॉक्टर मिले, उन्होंने मेरी बेटी को चेक किया और कहा कि इसकी स्थिति ठीक नहीं हैं। इसके एक फेफड़े में तो साँस सही तरह से जा रही है पर दूसरे में कोई समस्या लग रही है। हम बहुत घबरा गए । उन्होने हमें सिटी-स्कैन करवाने के लिए कहा। सिटी-स्कैन में आया कि उसके दाहिने फेफडे़ मे कुछ फँसा हैं जिससे साँस सही तरह से नहीं जा रही है। उन्होने हमे ब्रोंकोस्कोपी करवाने की सलाह दी।ब्रोंकोस्कोपी में एनीस्थिसिया देकर बेहोश करते हैं फिर उपकरण की सहायता से साँस की नली में फँसी हुई चीजों को निकालते हैं। चूँकि मेरी बेटी सिर्फ दो साल की है और छोटे बच्चों में एनीस्थिसिया देना रिस्की होता है तो मैं बहुत डर रही थी। मेरे इस डर को दूर किया इ.एन.टी विभाग के एक डॉक्टर ने। वो मुझसे व्यक्तिगत रूप से मिले, उन्होंने मुझे बहुत समझाया और इतना तक कहा कि मैम आप मुझपर भरोसा रखें, कुछ भी नहीं होगा और अगर कोई डॉक्टर इस तरह कहे तो खुद-ब-खुद उसपर भरोसा हो जाता है। हमने अपनी बेटी को अस्पताल में भर्ती करवाया।
अब सबसे बड़ी मुसीबत ये थी कि स्कोपी से १२ घंटे पहले खाने-पीने को कुछ भी नहीं देते। चूँकि स्कोपी दूसरे दिन थी तो हमें १२ बजे रात के बाद उसे कुछ भी देने से मना कर दिया गया था। वो १२ घंटों मेरे जीवन के बहुत ही कष्टकारी थे क्योंकि भूख और प्यास से बेहाल मेरी बेटी बिल्कुल नहीं सोई और पूरी रात रोती रही। दूसरे दिन जब हम उसे ओ.टी लेकर जा रहे थे तो बेहाल होकर दूध और पानी माँग रही थी। माँ-बाप के लिए अपने बच्चे को भूखा देखना सबसे ज्यादा दुखद होता है। मेरी आँखों से लगातार आँसूं बहे जा रहे थे। ओ.टी के बाहर जब हम पहुँचे तब एक डॉक्टर ने आकर मेरी बेटी को गोद में लिया, मुझे ऐसा लगा कि कुछ छूट रहा है। मैंने कभी उसको अपने आप से अलग नहीं किया आज तक। वो ऐसी फीलिंग्स थी जिसे शब्दों में बयाँ करना बहुत मुश्किल है, बस उसे एक माँ ही समझ सकती है।
वो डॉक्टर फिर से मुझसे मिले, मैंने सिर्फ उनसे इतना ही कहा कि सर "आई ट्रस्ट यू" । उन्होने मुझसे कहा कि मैम कुछ नहीं होगा। फिर भी कहते हैं ना कि माँ-बाप का दिल नहीं मानता। ऑपरेशन थियेटर के बाहर हम दोनों खडे़ रहे और महामृत्युंजय मंत्र का जाप करते रहे। करीब १ घंटे बाद वो डॉक्टर ओ.टी के बाहर आए अपने हाथ में कुछ लिए हुए। अपने हाथ में एक छोटी सी पट्टी में वो, वह चीज लेकर आए थे जो मेरी बच्ची के फेफड़े में फँसी थी। वो मूँगफली का आधा दाना था। उस मूँगफली के आधे दाने ने मेरी बेटी को 2 महीने से परेशान कर रखा था। ऑपरेशन के बाद मेरी बेटी को थोड़ी देर आई.सी.यू में रखा गया फिर प्राइवेट वार्ड में शिफ्ट कर दिया गया। दो दिन उसे अस्पताल में ही अंडर ऑवजर्वेशन रखा गया फिर हम उसे घर ले आए ।
ये घटना अभी कुछ दिन पहले ही घटित हुई। अपनी कहानी के माध्यम से बस इतना ही कहना चाहूँगी कि मूँगफली, मटर, चना, सेब के छिलकों इत्यादि चीजों से अपने बच्चों को दूर रखें। हर पल छोटे बच्चों पर नजर रखें।
डॉक्टर को भगवान का रूप कहते हैं। ऐसा क्यूँ कहते हैं मेरे जीवन में घटी इस घटना ने मुझे सिखाया। मैं तहे दिल से डॉक्टर और उनकी पूरी टीम का शुक्रिया अदा करती हूँ ।
भगवान पर हमेशा विश्वास बनायें रखें क्योंकि हमारा विश्वास ही हमें उनसे जोड़ता है।
धन्यवाद !
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10 Tips to Make Solo Parenting Easier
Whether you are a mother or a father, solo parenting is tough. You will need to manage everything on your own; your work and an endless list of chores, and, there’s no such thing as an off on weekends. Many solo parents end up in this situation as a matter of chance, and they are seldom prepared for it. Here are a few ways to manage things if you end up being a solo parent.
What is Solo Parenting?
In general, the definition of solo parenting is almost the same as the definition of a single parent - a person who is bringing up a child or children on their own. But unlike single parenting, the term solo parenting is used under circumstances where one of the parents is absent for a period of time, leaving the other with the responsibility of caring for the children solely. Solo parenting is also a term used under circumstances such as if a relationship has ended and the other partner no longer visits the children.
How Different is Solo Parenting from Single Parenting?
Although the definitions of single and solo parenting overlap in some places, the experience of each can be different. Here is how:
Single parents raise their children alone as a matter of choice, while solo parents may not be doing so as a matter of choice.
Single parents do not have a partner to raise their children. Solo parents may be going alone for a brief period until their partner returns.
Why is Parenting Solo So Difficult?
Here are a few reasons people find solo parenting difficult
The circumstances of being a solo parent to many is not a matter of choice.
Children are a handful and if you have more than one, it’s that much more difficult.
Getting some personal or alone time is rare.
You will have to take up the roles of both parents to raise your children.
There is no tapping out. You cannot throw your hands up and say you give up and that you need a break.
You have no back up as there is no second authoritative figure to keep the children in line.
There are only so many things that you can indulge in. Solo parenting has a sacrificial element to it.
It often feels lonely, not having your partner to share your frustrations with or having a discussion over the right course of action.
There is a cultural stigma associated with solo parents as second best or inferior, and the creators of social problems.
Taking up the whole responsibility can be exhausting.
Solo Parenting Survival Tips
If you find yourself becoming a solo parent because your partner won't be around for a while due to unavoidable circumstances, here are 10 survival tips that will come in handy:
1. Prepare Yourself Mentally
Managing your household will get hard, and tougher if you’re working; therefore, be ready for whatever surprises may be thrown at you. If your patience can only last as long as your partner is scheduled to return, use a calendar to mark a countdown of the number of days. It helps.
2. Plan All Meals Ahead
Have a plan for what you want to prepare for the next meal, write it on a sticky note and paste it on the fridge. It saves plenty of time and frustration from uncertainty.
3. Stock Up While Grocery Shopping
If you can plan for more than two days, that’d be wonderful. You can then stock up on all you’ll need and don’t have to worry about running to the grocery store at the last moment.
4. Choose Your Battles
With one less restraining force, the kids will have more energy and room to release it. This may not be a good time to start a new discipline initiative. Instead of cracking down on them, being gentle and gracious works well to settle them down.
5. Plan a Special Outing Every Week
Be it a visit to the amusement park, a museum or the mall, plan a day off as an outing to break the monotony.
6. Reward Yourself At the End of a Hard Day
If the kids are in bed and the house is tidy enough, you’ve done a great job. Reward yourself with your favourite drink or snack, and settle down for some time of quiet and peace.
7. Don’t Stay Up Too Late
When you’re flying solo, you’re on duty 24/7, so try not to get carried away with your reward time. Sleep early and try to maintain a schedule. You will need all the sleep you can get.
8. Keep Your Expectations Low
You may not be able to keep up with everything you normally do when your partner is around to help. So, you may need to sacrifice some of your routines to ensure you have all the essentials covered. Let go of the rest for a while.
9. Ask for Help
If you feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek help from family or friends. It’s a great morale booster and gets you through the day.
10. Compromise Cautiously
It’s tempting to stock up on fast and easy foods for convenience or eat out often. But it can turn into a habit-forming pattern and is unhealthy. Therefore, compromise on healthy foods only when you absolutely must.
It’s no doubt solo parenting is hard, but being present every moment can help you appreciate the infinite possibilities for the future.
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15 Amazing Benefits of Fasting That Will Surprise You
They say history repeats itself and we’ve seen that happen on more than one occasion. Whether it’s fashion, lifestyle, or music, the best trends always make a comeback. One of those trends is fasting. Even outside of religious and political circles, people have started to adopt fasting to improve their lifestyle.
Health Benefits of Fasting for Whole Body Wellness
With gym memberships and dietary prescriptions becoming a regular thing these days, sometimes, the best course of action can be not eating at all. Here are few of the advantages of fasting.
1. Promotes Weight Loss
This is the reason most people incorporate fasting into their lifestyles. It reduces caloric intake and also forces the body to use up its fat resources to power itself. Ketosis or fat-burning is a state that is achieved faster through fasting than traditional low-caloric diets while preserving muscle tissue.
2. Increases Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is the hormone responsible for allowing glucose to enter cells. A healthy cycle involves the increase in insulin production after meals and the decrease during the time between them (4-6 hrs). However, snacking in between meals and erratic eating habits disrupt this cycle and force the body to secrete more insulin. Constant exposure to high concentrations of insulin promotes resistance to insulin, which leads to chronic and problematic conditions, like Type 2 Diabetes.
3. Fights Off Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural immune response to adversity. However, chronic inflammation is something that nobody wants any part of. Chronic inflammation is a factor in heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and even cancer. Studies have shown that fasting could decrease several inflammation markers and can even be used to treat some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
4. Promotes Greater Satiety
Hormones are responsible for a LOT of things in our system. The urge to pee and the feeling of thirst are also caused by hormones. Similarly, the feeling of hunger follows suit. The fat tissue produces a hormone called leptin that affects the feeling of hunger and satisfaction after a meal. Erratic eating habits and an increase in accumulated fat contributes to leptin resistance. Fasting and weight loss, therefore, greatly affect post-meal satisfaction. The more responsive you are to leptin signals, the more full you feel. This way, when you do eat, you can enjoy it.
5. Improves Metabolism
Metabolic disorders have increased in incidence over the last fifty years. Some of the reasons for such an increase include erratic eating habits, unbalanced diets, and stress. Fasting has been shown to boost metabolism by increasing norepinephrine levels, which increase the amount of fats for the body to burn. This also promotes weight loss. Leptin also promotes the production of the thyroid hormone, which, in turn, improves metabolism.
6. Provides Resistance to Oxidative Stress
One of the major causes of ageing is oxidative stress. The free radicals generated in the body are responsible for this damage. Though the response does have many functional applications, an increase in oxidative stress can cause premature ageing. Fasting reduces oxidative stress by improving hormone signalling and normalising blood composition.
7. Provides a Clean-up from Within
Our body is home to an immeasurable number of cells. Some of those cells are damaged or go astray from their intended path. Others are just old. When you fast, the idea is that you are denying the system fresh nutrients and forcing it to use up its reserves, which are primarily in the form of fat. However, fat is not the only thing the body turns to during a fast. Autophagy is the process by which a cell begins to digest parts of itself to meet the nutrient demand. This occurs at a cellular level. In short, the body not only breaks down the fat but also all the old and malfunctions cells. The healthy cells are selectively protected as they respond much differently to hormones and adversity in general. So what you’re left with is a body of healthy and well-functioning cells.
8. Protects Your Skin
As mentioned above, autophagy is responsible for the removal of old and malfunctioning cells. This results in much healthier and clearer looking skin over a period of time. It is known that a healthy diet is a very important factor when it comes to your skin. And this is how fasting helps it too - collagen is the largest protein, and it's found in many places and in different types. Collagen is affected by increased blood glucose levels and results in loss of fibre strength. Fasting causes a reduction in blood sugar, which greatly benefits your skin.
9. Lowers the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
People with metabolic disorders stand a high risk of cardiovascular problems. Fasting could help reduce those risks by mitigating certain contributing factors, like blood pressure, blood glucose levels, triglycerides in the blood, and cholesterol concentration in blood. The decrease in blood pressure is actually associated with the reduced salt intake during the fast and increase in salt output through the urine.
10. Helps Fight Cancer
Like metabolic disorders, the incidence of cancer has also skyrocketed over the last five decades. The reasons for this are the change in lifestyle, daily stresses and environmental exposure to numerous toxins and the general declining health of our collective gene pool.
In vitro studies have shown that exposing tumour cells to cycles of fasting had the same effect as chemotherapy on tumour cells. There was a reduction in tumour growth and an increase in the effectiveness of the chemotherapy employed.
However, it should be also noted that there is limited research conducted on this aspect and the current laboratory studies that don't involve human beings.
11. Improves Brain Function
Lots of laboratory research in mice and other animals show that fasting can actually improve both brain structure and function. There is an increase in nervous tissue generation and better brain health. Fasting promotes the production of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) that causes increased neuronal production and protects the neurones from damage from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
12. Stimulates a Healthy Stress Response
Stress is always made out to be a bad thing. However, mild stress once in a while is a good stimulant to the body to face the challenge and get stronger. Fasting induces moderate stress to the brain that activates signalling pathways that improve brain function and neural health while also protecting against damage and death.
13. Promotes Growth
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is a very important hormone that regulates growth and many other facets of your health like muscle strength and metabolism. Fasting could improve the body's HGH levels, according to many studies. HGH is a hormone that requires careful regulation and optimisation. Lifestyle changes could affect the cycle and have a negative impact on your health.
14. Helps Athletes
Many athletes are now incorporating intermittent fasting into their regimen. Intermittent fasting is a pattern of fasting where the athlete alternates between periods of fasting and eating. For example, on training days, the athletes fast for 24 hours and then on game days, they consume a high protein diet for fat loss and HGH boost. The athletes need to maintain a low body fat percentage and also build lean and strong muscle. Both these targets can be met by intermittent fasting. Lean muscle causes you to burn calories during rest which is very useful when it comes to shedding fat.
15. Helps Achieve a Lighter Body and a Clearer Mind
Fasting has helped many people develop a new outlook towards life. It provides a refreshing exit from the mundane and unfulfilling cycle of constant snacking where one feels the need to keep eating even though the satisfaction is hardly worth looking forward to, not to mention the guilt that follows. It acts as a periodic reset button to your body and gives you a taste of things you were missing. The brain also has more energy to work with as the digestive system (one of the largest “consumers” of energy in the body) is not hogging all of it.
Precautions to Take While Fasting
Take the following precautions if you are planning to fast.
Hypoglycaemic and diabetic patients should avoid fasting until their blood glucose levels have been normalised. They must still keep a close eye on the values.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women should NOT fast as it can have negative effects on the child.
If you have any chronic medical conditions or are under any medications, it is best to consult your doctor before drastically altering your lifestyle.
During the fast, stay hydrated. During your 'eat' periods, consume nutrient-rich and dense foods. Also, get plenty of rest.
Fasting is not for everyone. Go ahead with it if you are comfortable with it. Do not force yourself into it, it may do you more harm than good.
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Importance and Tips to Go Plastic Free with Your Kids
Plastics are one of the major sources of pollution on this planet. About 50 billion bottles of plastics are disposed of every year and many countries have already started banning the use of plastics because of the damage it causes. Now that adults have started taking steps to create a cleaner planet for the next generations, it is equally important for children to get involved in these processes. Creating more plastic free kids will only encourage eco-friendly habits.
Why is it Important to Teach Children to Be Plastic Free?
It might be tough for little children to understand the importance and magnitude of the pollution issues and why they must take some steps to reduce their use of plastics. Children should learn to get used to plastic-free environments because the future is in their hands. They must create a cleaner world for them to live in.
You can teach your children about plastic by making efforts to reduce the amount of plastic used around your home and you could involve them in activities that will help them learn about the problem and what they can do from their side to help.
Involving your kids in recycling efforts can help them understand about waste and the amount of trash we produce over time.
If your home is near an ocean or lake, then you could participate in a beach clean-up so they can learn about the impact plastic wastes have on our environment. They can also learn about the harmful effects it has on our wildlife.
You could offer to take a class on a field trip to a recycling facility to help the children learn more about plastic and pollution.
You could plan an activity in class that teaches students about plastic pollution.
When you go for grocery shopping, take your children with you and teach them how choosing less plastic packed items are good for the world. Make finding plastic-free alternatives a fun activity.
Teach the children the significance of reusing objects that are already available instead of buying new school supplies and toys.
Tips to Help Kids Go Plastic Free
These plastic free ideas for kids are a great way to reduce pollution.
1. Pack Plastic-Free Lunch
When you pack your children’s lunch, try to switch to non-disposable alternatives. This is an amazing way to teach your child to go zero waste when not at home and even involve other people. Therefore, instead of using plastic wraps and containers they can use reusable containers. This will save money in the long run though it might cost more than disposable options. These containers can be taken when they go for sleepovers, road trips, or camping trips making them a good investment.
To wrap snacks and sandwiches you can use reusable fabric wraps. There are varieties that contain a zip for closing to keep the loose snacks from falling or fold like a napkin. These wraps are washable and they have a lining that is toxin-free making it easy to clean.
Reusable utensils made of bamboo work well with salads, yoghurts, and soups and these are portable.
Using stainless steel container is a great option since they are lightweight. These containers come in many sizes and can carry everything. Your kids can take lunch kits which eliminate the need for taking lunch bags to carry everything.
For water and juice, you can give a stainless steel bottle to use throughout the day.
2. Zero-waste Presents
Almost every toy for children is wrapped in plastic or even made out of thick plastic. Refusing such toys is a good way to start teaching children. Instead of plastic toys, you can request the family members for books or heirloom gifts like wooden toys and teddy bears. If your child is going for a birthday party then request the family not to present your child with any party flavours because these are mostly made out of plastic. Your child might find this very hard at the beginning but you are involving your child in a zero waste learning process. They will feel empowered in the long run. When the child is giving gifts, remember to get something that can be kept for many years and not something that is easily thrown away.
3. Jars for Ice Cream Stores
Another great way for helping your child go plastic-free is gifting them little jars that they can take to the ice cream parlour. Normally, ice creams are given with plastic spoons and put into Styrofoam or plastic cups. Instead of this, your child can take their own Mason jars and metal or wooden spoons. This is a little lifestyle change that will have a great impact on our planet for the future. This is a continued interactive method that will help your child involve in steps to create a waste-free future.
4. Digital Assignments
If your kids are a little older then this is another great way to get rid of the waste. Assignments usually take a lot of paper and plastic files which will mostly end up being thrown away. Requesting the teacher to give digital homework will encourage the children to remain waste-free outside the home and solidify a lifestyle that is zero waste. Also, it is an amazing way to involve technology in a sustainable and responsible way.
5. Create a No Plastic Rule
This is one of the most important ways to help the child reduce waste though this is a very common method. The concept of “no plastic in the house” can become a strict rule. Though this might be very hard to implement at the beginning, when done creatively, it can become a very fun family activity.
6. Plastic-Free Birthdays
From decorations to party favours, birthday parties involve a lot of plastic. You will find many fun and convenient party options made out of plastic but you can swap these items with eco-friendly alternatives.
You can switch to paper bags instead of plastic party favour bags. These bags can be decorated with colourful scraps of fabric, drawings, or coloured paper. You could also create a fun activity out of it. Let the children decorate their bags with colourful drawings.
Instead of filling party favours with plastic objects, you can choose to fill it with coloured pencils, sidewalk chalk, homemade play dough, natural crayons, or homemade cookies.
You can make customised banners instead of plastic banners. These customised banners can be made out of recycled paper or cloth.
You can use coloured biodegradable straws for party ware, and compostable plates, cups, or silverware.
Balloons can be harmful to wildlife as the animals might ingest pieces of balloons. Instead of using balloons, use colourful papers for decorations or make something out of the natural elements found in your backyard to create an inviting and fun place.
Plastic is not just harmful to the planet, it is harmful to the health of your children. It is made of chemicals and dangerous ingredients which will have effects in the long run. Therefore, it is best when parents help to set an example for a plastic-free lifestyle. When the children have a plastic free childhood, it can help them build a world without pollution in the future.
Also Read:
Pollution Facts for Kids
Air Pollution Facts and Information for Kids
Water Pollution Facts for Children Read more
Dr Vandan H Kumar has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
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Dr Vandan H Kumar
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A. give nasal saline drops every few hourly to the child in the nasal cavity.
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