Category: Parental Involvement

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Why Do We Need A Superhero in Our Lives?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

“I am Captain Marvel! I want to help my dad who is a police officer to get the bad guys and make them dead” – 8th grader.

Recently I attended my niece’s virtual parent workshop arranged by her school. One of the attendees shared that her kid keep fascinates Captain Marvel (A character based on Marvel Comics). She even pasted posters everywhere in her bedroom. The mother seems really concerned that she asked whether her child’s behaviour is normal or does it hurt her child’s character development. The discussion went on, but I dived in a reflective mode and started recalling how I fascinate Superman in my childhood? Basically, the fictional character helped me to overcome some of the gruesome fears and anxiety in my youth. The question is, why we sometimes resonate with such fictional characters and how it impacts us?

Dr Janina Scarlet, a clinical psychologist who uses Super Hero Therapy at the CSAM, believes that we all experienced hard times in almost every phase of our lives. She suggests that identifying with fictional characters can actually be extremely beneficial as it can teach us empathy, remind us that we are not alone in our painful experience, inspire us to eat healthier, and allow us to better cope with difficult life transitions. Sometimes people who are more casual fans might think it’s strange to be so attached to fictional characters; however, it’s completely natural to have such an emotional bond with the fictional characters. Continue reading “Why Do We Need A Superhero in Our Lives?” →

How Teens Can Overcome the Imposter Syndrome That Haunts Their Success

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Why there are voices in my head that keeps telling me, ‘You’re not going to achieve it on your own’?

Earlier this year, I wrote about why students sometimes do not believe in their abilities and give all the credit to their LUCK? What makes them think as an ‘unworthy person’ and yet their ideas were just a result of copy and paste? This feeling where you consider yourself as an imposter or fraud. It means you somehow managed to bluff your way into the situation and in reality, you are not as talented as you showed. This feeling is called ‘Imposter Syndrome.’ Recently, I have encountered a similar kind of situation where one of my student’s parent asked me about the solution to this problem. She was so much concern about her kid that she believes that her kid’s progress and success is hindering due to this phenomenon.

Also Read | Why Do Students Feel Like an Imposter in Their Lives?

In this article, I will try to discuss some of the measures that help teenagers and parents to overcome that fear. However, it is essential to know why teens caught up with this syndrome in the first place and how you will know that you are struggling with Imposter Syndrome? Imposter Syndrome (IS) happens when we disregard our talents and abilities, especially when we are presented with a fantastic opportunity. For example, when Harry Potter was told that he is a wizard, his immediate reaction was to believe that there was some kind of a mistake, that he couldn’t possibly be magical or unique in any way. Continue reading “How Teens Can Overcome the Imposter Syndrome That Haunts Their Success” →

What Is Digital Dating Abuse and How It Impacting Today’s Teen?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Majority of the teens have become the target of cyberbullying due to online dating, with ‘name-calling and rumour-spreading’ being the most common form of harassment.

Nowadays, technology becomes an integral aspect of our daily routine, and our lives become more exposed to cyberspace than before. When there is a hope that in the era of social distancing, technology can minimise the physical distance and provide a sense of empathy, there is also a risk that the same technology may deteriorate individual’s privacy and freedom. Since March 2020, I received 2 cases of Cyberbullying and one case of Cyber-Dating Abuse. Moreover, a massive increase in cyber abuse cases in India and Pakistan has been seen since the Covid-19 closure. Alone Pakistan has a tremendous 189% increase in cyber-harassment cases since April 2020. There are loads of researches available on the topic of Cyberbullying, and you can Google it at your ease. However, in this short article, I will discuss two critical questions that, I believe, every teen and parent should ask before engaging in any sort of online social activity. Why and how teenagers around the world, including Pakistan, are becoming more prone to cyber harassment than before? What is Digital Dating Abuse, and how it affects me or my kid’s social development? Continue reading “What Is Digital Dating Abuse and How It Impacting Today’s Teen?” →

The Goose and The Golden Egg – Inspirational Short Stories Series (Chapter: 4)

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

How Can We Shift Our Teen’s Habits from Greed to Gratitude?

Recently, I engage in a healthy discussion with my students while teaching them on Google Classroom. The topic was to how we can contribute to the social wellbeing of our neighbours and our surrounding people. Interestingly, may students come up with creative ideas like calling them, try to talk to them, listening to their issues and concerns, through time and knowledge etc. One student questioned, why sometimes people feel reluctant to share their skills and goodness with others? This idea of demanding less and sharing more makes me think why sometimes destroy our chances and valuable resources to an unprofitable action motivated by our greed.

In a world driven by consumerism and worldly desires, teens are much more demanding than the previous generation. The demands can be of any form, from securing more marks in an academic paper than earning more money in an average job. Whenever the word ‘a little bit more’ comes in our mind, it means we are not happy with what we are actually having. The urge to possess more always leads an individual to an uneasy path of greed and stress. Resulting in losing the resources that we already owned. The story of goose and the golden egg is the age-old Continue reading “The Goose and The Golden Egg – Inspirational Short Stories Series (Chapter: 4)” →

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)” →