Ans: Dear Anonymous,
A great way to be part of a child's/childrens lives is to support them. Playing games, teaching them a skill, even creating content as life lessons. A favourite uncle is a great position to have.
support in arranging picnics, birthday party help as a game event manager for neices and nephews also is another way.
writing stories for children or volunteering at local libraries will get lots of children to hear you.
Supporting children in NGO's is another way.

A suggestion to kindly consider is that parents are comfortable with 'trusted adults' who maintain 'personal bubble space' and follow 'safe and unsafe rules'. Go ahead and think of great fun games, children of all ages can and will connect if you have a playground near your home.

Ans: Dear Rashesh, keeping a priority to-do list, should be created. Check which activity takes precedence and do that in the order.
Create a whatsapp group with yourself, speak(leave a voice message) or write the important things and then accordingly do them so that you do not miss them.
Have a office buddy who reminds you of your tasks- it could even be a post-it on your desktop screen.
For weight concerns, kindly consult a nutritionist.

Ans: Have a word with him if he feels his studies are seeming difficult. Find out which friends he likes spending time with.
Teenagers work best when they can express themselves and keep your suggestions to 2. Take your son for a walk, and let him talk, and try creating a short plan for him that he can try, and be there when he asks fo support. Prioritise family time, eating together as a family and having daily conversations.

Ans: Kindly connect with a developmental paediatrician to rule out 'technology addiction'.

Ans: Dear Parent, find included a few suggestions:
1. Visual Schedule and Choice Board - Create a visual schedule and choice board for your son. This will provide a clear structure and routine for him, reducing anxiety and the need for escape behaviors. Include preferred activities and breaks in the schedule to motivate him. When he shows signs of wanting to throw something out of the window, redirect his attention to the visual schedule or choice board, allowing him to make a choice of what activity he would like to engage in.

2. Sensory Breaks - Provide him with sensory breaks throughout the day. This can include using sensory tools such as fidget toys, stress balls, or sensory bins. These sensory breaks can help the child to regulate his sensory needs and reduce the urge to throw things out of the window. Teach him to use these sensory tools as a replacement behavior when he feels the need to throw something.

3. Social Stories - Create and use social stories to teach your child appropriate behavior and alternatives to throwing things out of the window. The social stories should include visuals and simple language to explain why throwing things out of the window is not safe and the consequences it may have. Reinforce positive behavior and provide praise when your son chooses an appropriate alternative behavior, such as asking for help or using a sensory tool.

4. Communication Support - Implement a communication support system as a family, such as a picture exchange communication system (PECS) or a communication app on a tablet. This will allow him to express his needs and desires without resorting to throwing things out of the window. Provide positive reinforcement when he uses it appropriately.

5. Environmental Modifications - Make modifications to the environment to reduce the likelihood of your son throwing things out of the window. This can include securing windows with childproof locks or installing window guards. Ensure that your child's preferred toys or objects are accessible in a safe and supervised manner, reducing the need for him to throw them out of the window.

Ans: No means a no, for you as a parent and for your daughter. If you have said a no, please give her logic as to why you are saying a no. Her father will convey it to the family that if your kid goes to anyone, they should say let’s ask your mom/ dad. Both you and your husband need to be on the same page, both say yes or a no.
Habits take 6 months to be made , unlearn and relearn , please be consistent for the duration.
Crying needs hugs and conversations, avoid feeling upset. As the child is already upset.

Ans: 1. Try going out as afamily, where families have similar age children.
2. Enrol him for an activity/sports class, that he is interested in, around your home.
3. Try staybacks in school- which are after school activities.
As a family have family nights and evening, hearing music together, with everyone's choices, dance together, cook together, tell each other what you like about each other. communication starting at home helps a teen communicate outside.

Ans: Dear Parents,
Anger is an emotion which caters to fear and loss of control. Give a choice and not a command to let your son know that he has a choice.
Example- your son says “ I do not want to do homework”, you could say, “ would you like to do half now and half after play time” 2. Modelling helps- accept his emotion but essential agreements are needed for accepted behaviour. Showing as parents what you do to handle any strong emotions is needed. Talking to each other as partners in appropriate tones is also needed. Have family dinners where you discuss things each of you are grateful for and how you as grown ups handle tough situations.

Ans: Sentence starters where he can finish his sentences.
2. Graphic organisers which is a fun way to attempt work.
3. Word bank on the topic to support his writing
4. Short dedicated time for work with 5-10 minutes break after 20 minutes can help motivate your child to write.
After this has been achieved, keeping an alarm to complete his work for 20 minutes can be set.

Ans: Kindly do a learning difficulty assessment with a RCI registered clinical psychologist. The strategies and support would help.
Check sleep quality and connect with technology to rule off being too tired

Ans: Continue being there for him. Teens try to find themselves during adolescence creating an identity for themselves.
2. Find out about his friends- what are they spending time on to support safety of your child.
3. Monitor sleep quality- sleeping late affects cognitive functioning making teens cranky.
4. Avoiding sarcastic remarks, having family time at dinner table.

Ans: Connecting with a child psychologist will help. Being there for her as a family and supporting her when she approaches works too. It is tough for anyone to process so many emotions yet with therapy and support, children n teens find strategies to heal.

Ans: Hello concerned parent,
Your son hears everything you say but perhaps needs a short break. What you could suggest is for him to try his hand at stock market and other things but along with that also continue competitive study reading. Talking and discussing current affairs always helps. Conversations are important between parents and children when they are a two way method. Hear him, give your points but allow him his own mistakes and experiences. We all learn from them.

Ans: 30 min studies are great, take a break for 15 minutes( avoid the phone or any technology, try talking to family, friends or going for a walk)
Close eyes to revise the main points you studied, then, sit for a further 30 min.
Try it consciously for a week keeping and planning your off time.
Try studying with a friend, peer revisions really help

Ans: A school working with students will work at the pace of your child adapting and always keeping in mind his needs. All children miss their parents and that’s fine. Sending him communication by emails, telephones, audible messages are options in between your visits to keep in touch with your son. Skills are built over months, you could contact the school for his IEP and skill development plans. You can always give your inputs and trust the educators who are professionals to do best for your child.

Ans: Regular practice on word association with a picture and/ or real object/ activity/person is a way. Identifying emotions and their responses can be modelled by you, parents.
Connecting with a special educator who can support you with activities and a way forward plan is a way too. Attend sessions with the spl educator to work on communication is needed.

Ans: Dear Lakhbinder,
Marks support but not destroy a future. Find his interest and allow him to do a course in that interest. It will support him immediately. Motivation and family support helps a young person feel calmer and helps him work towards his interest.

Ans: Dear B, Kindly look into the following:
1. His friend circle
2. Have a chat to find out what's troubling
3. Take into account conflicts at home, family dynamics and his spending time with technlogy.
rue out the above and meet a developmental paeditrician or child psychologist for the root cause.

Ans: Dear Vishal, meet your developmental paediatrician and if he/ she feels, connect with a speech therapist.
If all milestones are at age level, speak of the concern to your doctor. sometimes a child takes time to demand his/ her needs if all is being done for them without asking.

Ans: It is trying as a parent to see your child grow and develop in so many ways. It takes a village to bring up a child. Parenting is an art and you learn on the job. Averagely schools build discipline, consistency and hardwork. Parents build social connectedness, and support a child to see the real world. Trust professionals and be there as parents to hug and be hearing ears. But you are a team with the school faculty so you could reach out and connect with them. Hear their views, state yours views positively, and work towards the betterment of your child, trust processes. Children are precious and entry into the real world is tough for any child away from the cocoon of home. You both are her trusted adults, support the teacher to be her trusted adult too. Positive words fun and play are wonderful additions in a child’s life. Revert back with your way forward.

Ans: Smile, a gentle pressure on his upper arm, no nails digging, and sit down with your child. Get to eye level, and say a ‘ no’. Again smile and say a no. Consistency matters, do get back with feedback.

Ans: Dear Parents, here are a few suggestions:
1.Find out the root cause- is it too much technology and that’s why the child cannot concentrate; or learning gaps and your child is unable to understand his studies. Or is he getting tired of writing? Or a focus concern?
2. Peer check: find out what he enjoys with his friends, and work in short periods to revise his studies, write in bullet points and then play. Come back, blurt his study understanding and do a little more studies.
3. Fear builds escaping attitude: once cause is settled, building on his basic knowledge can start.
4. Talk and express as a family: it helps to build relationships.
Do let me know the progress!

Ans: Dear Anonymous, Kindly try the following suggestions:
1. Regular Team activities-Have your son join a physical game, which is played as a team.
2. Discuss situations and hear him- let him express, keep essential agreement of all family members to be kind with each other.
3. Family evenings- where you all do things a sa family-go to an arcade, play a board game, watch TV together, cook together, dance to his choice of music,
Anger is loosing control, and grown-ups need to be in control, So, staying calm is being more in power. Your son is trying to find his identity and his hormones are acting up to.

Ans: A developmental paediatrician would be able to see the optimal developmental milestones achieved, kindly visit one, in your area.

Ans: Watching your child grow, do mundane activities is seeing your heart walk around. Being concerned is fine, being overtly worried is not, here are a few suggestions:
1. In and out of control- your voice, behaviour and actions are in your control, but others actions are not in your control. Teaching your child safe and unsafe touch, to tell you before going anywhere should be taught by you, but giving a little freedom to your child helps him grow.
2. Mindfulness- doing slow breathing, with tip of tongue to your palette will help you calm down. Gardening, going for a walk, following a hobby will support further.
3. Exercise- regular and at least 45 minutes as a sport will build calming and feel good hormones.
Every parent wishes the best for their child. Being over protective will hurt your child more. It will not allow your child to take risks, make responsible decisions or even make friends. Support your child to grow.

Ans: Dear Anonymous, Children are a blessing as well as a responsibility. Life is different for each one of us, and the mlestones are varied too. Adopting a child will have it's ups and downs, as every child comes with his/her share of emotional needs. You have each other for comfort, volunteering for helping areas with children gives a brief of all that may come. If you feel that your world will be better at home with a child, go ahead with your plans. If otherwise, picking a couple hobby,continuing with present work, visiting places helps !

Ans: Dear Sadiqulla,
Ways to ensure better sleep are:
1. Sleeping at the same time, daily.
2. Eat enough- do not be overstuffed or eat too little, in both cases sleep eveades.
3. Restful dark environment helps sleep.
4. Restrict all digital gadgets atleast 90 minutes before sleeping.
5. A tiny preparation for the next day supports you to sleep without a care.
6. Avoid all day naps, long walks help too.
Melatonin, a hormone supports sleep which builds with the above methods. Do revert on your progress.

Ans: Hello,
Every child is different and 'normal' is such a big range. The needs of every child are varied, first see his strengths, does he enjoy art, playing a musical instrument, cooking, editing videos, creating models, etc. Working on something he loves will strengthen his focus and dexterity.
A few suggestions:
Repeating the activities done with counsellor at school/centre; at home will support your child.
Audio notes and mindmaps for studies help, connect with his counsellor for that.

Lastly, do some fun activity together as a family. Painting, pottery, Yoga, singing or dancing, it will help him build physical strength further.

Ans: Silence is a beautiful and powerful language. Communication is both by talking and by our body-language. Home is his familiar place where he knows everyone and can talk. But school he must be trying his best behaviour, working on academics and observing everything by being silent. A few suggestions:
1. Connect with a few mothers from his class, meet for fun play in the park, perhaps 2-hours with other children at home as aplay-date.
2. Make him join an activity class where his classmates are going so that he builds friendship and starts to talk.
Do write back, on the progress.

Ans: Dear Arvind,
the most fantastic thing of having grown-up children is the world that they can show. Their world is the same as yours, just a different lens. Young adults when guilty shy away/keep to themselves/ or talk in few words. to bridge the conversations my suggestion is talking on neutral grounds. Both you and your child are viewing the world with different perspectives. A few questions that may start a conversation, on your next call, could be:
1.What is that fun app that I don’t have on my phone?
2. What music bands are you listening to these days?
3.Can you send me the link/ play me one of their best songs?
4.Who is your best friend right now? Which activity do you enjoy doing together?
5.Where would be an awesome place to go for a family vacation? Let me know your next break.
6.Did I ever tell you about how I met your (mother)?
Being a loving parent takes sacrifice, but he is an individual. sometimes inspite of being an adult he may not know how to bridge the gap. Do revert, I wish you and your family laughter and conversations.

Ans: Dear Basant,
1. One-on -One- take your son for a walk/cafe/a drive to help him talk. Forcing him to talk will feel like interrogation to him. Sometimes silence and your presence helps a teen to talk.
2. Ask his friends if anything has happened at school, or has he had a fight with a specific friend.
3. Give him space, show a lot of love but ensure that he is safe. So, no locking of doors, or going out without asking.
4. Switch on his favourite songs.
5. Ask for help from him to solve a problem you may be facing (does not have to be real). Teenagers like to be incharge and helping their parents.
let me know your progress!

Ans: Dear Parent, Visitation schedule are decieded by courts and financial support are also legal matters. A child would be supported with both parents support. Having a middle person, preferably in the legal profession and a friend/family to mediate the matter could help. Using emotions to bring about understanding of the child's needs could help. Kindly address the concern with your lawyer.

Ans: Pre-frontal cortex is part of the brain which helps us make responsible decision making. It gets fully developed by 25 years of age. Yours is developed and functioning and your boy's is in the process. Have faith, you have brought him up and he will mirror your actions, your words, the tone of voice soon. Adolescence stage a teen is looking to showcase his self-esteem and identity. Dressing up, looking a certain way is part of the routine and they love adventure. My suggestions: 1. Listen and then respond. Talk of things he does at college, ask him his dreams, help him set one goal at a time and help him to achieve them if he needs help. 2. Make visiting the native place an adventure: let him plan the journey, the time, the food to carry the presents to give everyone there. Even cajole him that he would be able to make some reels there and share with all. 3. Ask for help: be a human who has emotional needs, gets tired, needs help to finish house work. Your child would be seeing you as an established adult, who manages everything, and then imagine you are asking for help from him to do things at home. 4. Career counselling and meeting people from different professions will clear his mind to choose what he loves. 5. Attending college: Ask him about his favourite subjects, what he finds easy and difficult. Peer support and sitting with friends to revise helps to attend college. do encourage that.
Show your boy you love him but also demand from your son that he is responsible for his world. He is an adult in the eyes of law and his actions has a consequences. Money matters can be solved by giving him a fixed amount to run his week. There is a balance between discipline and respect, treat him like a young adult and not a child. You are a good parent, be kind to yourself and meet your friends too. Do revert with the progress!

Ans: Hi Gautam,
Seperation anxiety strikes at night too. Scare of darkness plays havoc with the thinking. When your toddler wakes to find they're all alone, they may react by crying or screaming uncontrollably. I can empathise with your disruptive sleep, this is a phase your child will grow out of with time.
A few suggestions:
1. Monitor (cctv/baby monitors/hidden) too the time that you are not with the child and find out details when child is spending time during the day without parents. Who's incharge of hima and his activities? A clear picture of scares, build up of seperation anxiety could help you with the trigger.
2. Boundaries matter: It is commendable that you have found about the temper tantrum bargains and have held yourself from giving in. Do continue that and behavior boundaries will fit in.
3. Peer support: Enrolling for play school is lovely. He will build friendships and be physically tired to sleep through the night.
Hug him tons, cuddle him, read bedtie stories, create memories of running after him, dancing on music whatever the hours you are together. Do let me know the progress!

Ans: Dear Piyush,
A dietician or a medical practitioner, would be able to support you on the remedy.
If you need support on emotional or social concerns, I could help. Good luck.

Ans: Dear Teenager, feeling all emotions is being human. Depression is clinically diagnosed. I suggest that having conversations with a school counsellor would help, as the professional would keep it confidential, give you strategies and see your progress. Imaginery friends are rarer as a teen but it is normal. Sometimes you may vent your feelings or do imaginary things. Yet having a social connect with real friends does support your emotions and general happiness. Do consider making stronger friendships.

Ans: Dear Anonymous, Relationships were made over years and they take constant work, throughout. Out of court settlements and the legal obligations of child support and alimony work out on a mutual acceptance from both parties. What I understand from your query is that the child is with your ex-wife. Supporting your child with his requirements would be handled in another household, if you both come to a concensus , maybe a joint doc on how your support money is being used for the child's benefit could be spoken as adults. Communication is key, be it verbal or while using technology. My suggestion is keeping in touch with your son through Zoom meets, letters and emails (if approved by court and concensus of both parties) to build a stronger relationship and indirectly being informed that all his needs are met. For further clarity, connecting with a legal professional would help. I am a psychologist and a lawyer's specialisation would support with the present laws.

Ans: Dear Divya, Hope and fear in my opinion are the strongest emotions. And we learn parenting on the job. Secondly, mirroring is a well-worked upon strategy. Technology, including screen time gives us 'dopamine' and increases our senses uses. On the contrary, a normal paced life seems no fun and 'monotonous'. Every child wishes to push boundaries and present their self-identity. This leads to arguments and tempers soaring on both sides, a parents and also from the child. Strategies that help: 1. Put down your device and talk of your day to the family. 2. Listening, and agreeing, discussions as a family while eating meals is a great connect. 3. Having no-tech zones as bedrooms and dinning tables is another. 4. Lastly, give the child half an hour during a weekday and an extra 1 hour during weekends helps. It's 'what should I do' 'I am bored' reasons that demand the 'dopamine fix. And Divya, inviting children of the same age who all play together with your child works. Family game nights, dancing together and bed time stories work too. Do revert, on what worked.

Ans: Dear Anonymous, I empathise with your situation. The finances depends on the school guidelines and the parent agreement at the school admission time. There would be some school health, safety and child protection policy and protocols, which would be provided as parent/student handbooks to you. Lastly the medical guidelines would mention the process. Even when the situation is so heartfelt, it does not legally ensure you as parents to receive compensation, if schools have made you sign indemnity bonds. Yet, conversations with the school management on a humanitarian responsibility may result in some help.

Ans: Dear Anonymous, I empathise with your situation. The finances depends on the school guidelines and the parent agreement at the school admission time. There would be some school health, safety and child protection policy and protocols, which would be provided as parent/student handbooks to you. Lastly the medical guidelines would mention the process. Even when the situation is so heartfelt, it does not legally ensure you as parents to receive compensation, if schools have made you sign indemnity bonds. Yet, conversations with the school management on a humanitarian responsibility may result in some help.

Ans: Hi Divya, the ideal situation would be for parents and children to have no concerns. But all emotions are important. And developmental skills are age related. A child who is misbehaving and throwing a tantrum is demanding attention. We all need attention. I would suggest the following strategies: 1. Stay Calm: when you and the child are both losing cool, it does not work. Staying cool is being in command. go down on your knees and talk in a slow base tone, after the initial tantrum is over. 2.Distraction technique: Show a child something pretty, the sky, a butterfly, ask your child to help you with something. Bribery does not work, like " I ll give you a sweet if you stop crying, now." That gives the child the power to affect you. 3. Carry a Bag: A bag of few favorite things like a comic, colours and book, a toy and something to eat and a water bottle, it supports a child to keep busy in a grown-up public world. 4. Familiarise: Show a photograph of the place and the people the child would meet, to help child get acclimatised to the space and people. 5. Lastly, let your child wear comfortable clothes, and have a full tummy.