Category: Child Development

My Readables > Child Development

The Story of Tortoise and the Hare – Inspirational Short Stories Series (Chapter: 2)

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

What can adolescents learn from Aesop’s classic tale of all time?

Our parents have always guided us that determination and self-motivation is the key to success, and yet we continue this chain by giving the same guidance to our kids. However, have you ever thought why motivation and self-determination are essential for a teenager who just starts seeing the world through their own perspective? According to Shelly D Mohan, self-determination is one of the most significant factors feeding teens ability to make healthy choices.  However, due to extreme competitive environment, peer and outside pressure, teens sometimes find it challenging to make healthy decisions.

Also Read |  How Does Peer Pressure Affect Teen’s Decision Making?

The tortoise and the hare are the Aesop’s one of the marvels among his collection of fables. The story stresses how determination and focus can lead you to success in your goals. The story has been told and retold over the ages in many versions. A race between the pride and the determination – who will win the race? Continue reading “The Story of Tortoise and the Hare – Inspirational Short Stories Series (Chapter: 2)” →

Adolescence and the Loss of a Close Friend

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

This article/reflection is a little bit different than the ones which I usually write on this blog. This article is based on actual events that occurred recently and the discussions I had with some of the people related to these events. To maintain privacy, the identities of people and places will not be mention in the article

How differently it felt when you lost someone beloved or even someone whom you just met for a while? I believe many will say that it depends upon the amount of time spending and engaging with each other. However, sometimes a person whom you meet in a while would have left an everlasting impact on you than people whom you know since ages. Most of us wish they could be so lucky to finds a best friend at least once in our lifetime. But the question is why a great gift when it occurs, becomes a significant pain when it is lost?

Last year, one of my students shared that she lost her best friend in a car crash, and she was devastated about that. She considers her as a family even they know each other for a couple of years only. I simply counsel her and start giving advice like don’t avoid the pain, remember you aren’t alone, remember all your great memories etc. When she left, I felt relax that somehow my words might ease her pain until recently when I felt the same pain. Whether it’s a friend, a sibling or even someone you just sort of know, the loss of their life can make you feel like you have an enormous hole inside yourself. Continue reading “Adolescence and the Loss of a Close Friend” →

Corona Closure: How Parents Can Cope Children During Quarantine

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Corona Closure: How Parents Can Cope Children During Quarantine

It’s been two weeks since the closure of schools and educational institutes resulting teachers to work from home and teaching students virtually. So far, the commencement of educational institutes is not certain and we also have been advised to stay at home to stop spreading the virus. Schools and teachers are scrambling to get their courses online so that students can continue their education without interruption. However, where teachers are struggling to keep the dice rolling virtually with their students, the parents, on the other hand, are burdened with their sudden responsibility of their kid’s homeschooling. Especially those parents who are also working from home, it becomes challenging for them to minimise the boredom of their kids while completing their office tasks on a daily basis. Last week, even some parents texted me sharing their concerns on how to cope with their kids’ boredom at home without disrupting their daily routine.

Whether you are a parent whose job is letting you work remotely, or you’re missing work entirely and have to look after your kids, the pandemic is likely disrupting your routine and leaving you with a young scholar to watch after and guide. However, situations vary as some kids would no doubt be more than happy to spend the entire day playing PUBG or CS: Go and watching TikTok dance challenges. And then some kids give a tough time to their parents asking questions which are difficult for parents to answer. Moreover, parents whose kids are spending the whole day in front of a computer screen are also concern about their health and routine. Continue reading “Corona Closure: How Parents Can Cope Children During Quarantine” →

Why Are Playgrounds No Longer A Priority for Our Kids?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Why Are Playgrounds No Longer A Priority for Our Kids?

It is almost the end of the final term and students are now working on their final projects. To complete their projects on time, students even prefer to work on weekends. Due to which, students usually spent their left-over time playing indoor games or chatting with their friend over social media. One such experience was shared by a parent last week when she comes to observe one of my classes. She started with her childhood memories where she was praising the time when technology did not exist in their lives, and people usually spent times meeting in places like parks and gardens. On that note, I started to wonder and even at one point, I asked the same from that parent, does technology recently took place in our lives like a decade or so? The technology was there even in the 50s or 60s, in a manner of high-end automobiles, media and even household items like microwave oven and refrigerator were commonly use by the individuals. If technology was not an issue, then why today’s young minds do not prefer to go outside and spent times in ‘REAL TIME’? Continue reading “Why Are Playgrounds No Longer A Priority for Our Kids?” →

Do We Really Know the Meaning of Paying Attention to Something?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Do We Really Know the Meaning of Paying Attention to Something?
By Ahmad Amirali

Recently I watched a movie ‘Sherlock Holmes (2009)’ starring Robert Downey Jr. as Mr Holmes and Jude Law as Dr Watson along with a couple of other Hollywood stars. The plot of the movie spun around a character of Sherlock Holmes who is a fictional consulting detective in London 1880-1914 created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (GoodReads). Holmes is a master of disguise, reasoned logically to solve mysterious cases through his remarkable sense of observation and analytical skills. However, I am not writing this article to share you with my reflections about the movie; instead, I started wondering what the true art of paying attention to anything is? Or to be precise, do we really know what it means when we say ‘we are paying attention to something’? Continue reading “Do We Really Know the Meaning of Paying Attention to Something?” →