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As a parent, you hold the key to unlock the potential in your child and lead your child towards success and happiness.

Welcome to ParentCircle, India’s leading parenting magazine. Both the print and online versions of the magazine provide rich content and bring you fresh perspectives to help you become a better parent.

ParentCircle is all about holistic parenting. It is about parenting to develop an positive growth mindset in your children to ensure their success and happiness. We understand it takes a village to raise a child. So, we bring together parents and experts to share ideas and information to support the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of your children.

We work with experts such as paediatricians, counselors, child psychologists, educators and teachers to bring you ideas, tips and solutions, and information on the latest research and best practices from across India and the World in the areas of parenting, child development and child psychology. We offer Indian parents of today solutions and best practices keeping in mind the Indian environment and conditions, culture, traditions and family values, and the globalisation trends of today.

With a keen eye towards holistic parenting, content in our magazine ParentCircle is segmented into 4 key sections:

Parenting

This section deals with how you as a parent can build emotional strength, social skills, core life skills, and ethical and spiritual values in your children to ensure their success, confidence and happiness now and in the future.

Wellness

A strong and healthy body and mind is essential for children to achieve their dreams and success. This section talks about ensuring a healthy lifestyle for your children, addressing a range of topics from fitness, and nutrition to understanding puberty, managing stress and dealing with addiction to name a few.

Learning

Academic success is something we all aspire for our children from the day they are born. This section deals with how you as a parent can help your children be successful in school, become learners for life and develop their passion in areas such as art, science, music and more.

Lifestyle

A caring family and a loving home atmosphere are essential to build a child’s emotional strength and ensure their happiness. Here’s where you’d find tips on a variety of topics including family vacations, simple and healthy recipes, taking care of the environment, our cultural inheritance, ideas for home and safety and more.

Subscribe to our monthly e-zine or print magazine for the ultimate guide to raising happy, confident, successful children and creating a family of love and togetherness.

A peek into our past issues

Whether you’re a first-time parent or have been through the journey before, the challenges of parenting are manifold. As your partner in this journey, ParentCircle aims to arm you with all the necessary information to help you raise successful, happy children. Here’s a look at our some of our recent issues, and a summary of what they offer:

December 2016

While it is only natural to show our anxiety and frustration because of our interest in our children, particularly when we fear they may not succeed, we must realize it only adds to their anxiety. Our cover story talks about you how you can manage your ‘anxiety’ effectively to connect with your teens and help them learn and grow despite the challenges. In this issue we start with the first in our series of super 10 to success – building a healthy competitive spirit in your child. This month all families are feeling the effects of demonetization. Get tips on how you can turn this situation into a learning experience for the whole family. We also bring you a special feature on what to expect from preschools. Our Wellness section discusses a range of topics such as introducing solids to your baby and why you should not give children aspirin.

November 2016

This is a special edition in celebration of Children’s Day. Eminent personalities from different fields tell us about the values and lessons they learnt from their parents that helped shape their success the messages they have for their own children. The esteemed list of contributors include industry stalwarts like Ramco Group Chairman P.R. Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha, Vellayan Subbiah, C.K. Ranganathan, Nawaz Singhania and Murugavel Janakiraman, eminent scientist Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, sports personalities like PT Usha, VVS Laxman and Harsha Bhogle, doctors such as KM Cherian, Alok Bajpai and Bollywood personalities like Sharman Joshi, Juhi Chawla and Atul Kasbekar. We discuss the Super 10 traits of success that we identified based on what these eminent people shared with us. In in coming months we will bring you tips on how you can help inculcate these traits in your children.

October 2016

Celebrate this festive season with ParentCircle’s Diwali special issue! Understand the true meaning of Diwali, and why it is the best time of the year to get your children to reflect and learn from the past, to light up good values and spark a positive mindset. A positive mindset is a major contributor to one’s emotional well being. This leads us to a discussion on why emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than IQ to set your child up for success. We explore the importance of paternity leave and how both Dads and babies can benefit from this. One cannot over-emphasise the benefits of reading the news, and in this issue we suggest tips to get your child to consume news – be it through newspaper or online. We then take you to Madurai to explore the connection between the 2500-year-old temple city and the Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

September 2016

Marking National Nutrition Week, ParentCircle’s September issue traces the eating habits of Indian children over the last few decades and how it has affected their health and fitness. In a ParentCircle exclusive, we talk to Olympic champion PV Sindhu and her mentors, her coach Gopichand and her parents, on what it takes to achieve success. Even as we dream for our own children, how do we motivate them to succeed in their field of interest? Find out if praising your child may actually be demotivating her. Keep your child healthy and shake away the blues. Get tips on some fool-proof, homemade recipes to help your child fight everyday ailments. In a ParentCircle’s travel special in honour of Teacher’s Day that falls on September 5th, we take you on a tour of four locations that are closely associated with the great Indian scholar and teacher, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

August 2016

As the saying goes, ‘Forgiveness is not something we do for other people. We do it for ourselves, to get well and move on’. This month as we celebrate International Forgiveness Day and Friendship day, we talk about the need to continue to reinforce the values of forgiveness in our children for their own sake. We list 5 fun activities to teach children forgiveness. Parenting is no easy job. Everyday you face several challenging and frustrating moments. Find out how your brain reacts during these trying moments and discover innovative solutions to manage these situations positively. In our Wellness section we talk about the benefits of adding fibre to your child’s diet and the importance of dental care for your children. Our learning section lists 10 pre-writing activities for your toddler that will ensure that your little one gets those perfect curves when he picks up the pencil to write.

July 2016

We are a generation of parents who have seen the awakening of the digital era and are increasingly dependent on technology in our daily lives. However, are our gadgets steering us away from our children? We discuss why it is important to take a pause from your gadgets, look up at your child and address his needs at that moment. Take a quick assessment of your child’s personality type and see how it affects his or her behavior. Peer relationships have a major impact on children especially teens Find out how to help your child interact and manage her peer relationships. Spoken language skills enhance your child’s ability to communicate his or her ideas, thoughts and feelings. Get 10 tips to help improve your child’s spoken language skills.

It’s all about your child’s wellbeing, success and happiness

The moment you hold your infant in your arms for the very first time, a rush of emotions surges through your entire body. You are now hooked forever. Your journey as a parent has just begun. Your mind is already racing ahead. You want only the best for your baby. You want to give your child the best education and help her develop her interests whether it be in sports on in music or arts. Above all you want to inculcate good values and make sure the child is emotionally strong. In short, you want to be the best parent ever so your child is happy and successful.

There are degrees and training for almost every other profession except parenting. Parenting is the most important job. Yet, there is no special training to develop those much needed parenting skills. Every parent and every child is different and there is no single manual for child rearing. Every parent has his or her own parenting style. Which is the best style of parenting? Should you be strict or should you give your child freedom? Which of the three parenting styles is best – authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting or permissive parenting? Which style leads to effective parenting? You have lots of unanswered parenting questions.

We at ParentCircle believe that you cannot do it alone. It takes a village to raise a child. So our aim is to connect you with other parents and experts such as paediatricians, counsellors, psychologists and educators to share reliable parenting tips and advice.

We at ParentCircle understand that every stage of a child’s development and growth brings with it both its own joy and challenges. When they are babies you are most concerned about the physical development and health. Soon as they become toddlers you begin to think of their intellectual development and education. You take for granted emotional development and social skills. But it is in this area you can make a huge difference by providing the right kind of support and guidance, encouraging their strengths and supporting their weaknesses. The kind of parenting advice and parenting support you need keeps changing at every stage. So we bring you tips and ideas for parenting children through various ages and stages.

Parenting infants

While still in the hospital, the baby is first given a complete physical health checkup, given the necessary vaccinations and given a health clearance before you can take the baby home. Your paediatrician will advise you on how to take care of the baby, how often to bring him back for health checkups and further vaccinations. Your baby’s doctor will give you tips on basic care for your infant – feeding the baby, getting the baby to sleep, bathing the baby and so on.

As soon as you reach home reality strikes. You are now completely responsible for the baby’s care. You have to ensure that the child is given proper nutrition, sleeps well and is healthy. As a parent of an infant you are most concerned about the physical health of the baby. As a mother the first challenge is breastfeeding the baby - is the baby latching on? Do I have enough milk? How often should I feed the baby? Can I bottle feed the baby occasionally? When should I start solids? The baby’s crying – Is he hungry? Sleepy? In pain? Is the baby getting enough sleep? How do I get him to sleep through the night? How do I get him to fall asleep easily? Through sleepless nights, you are seeking answers. You are reading infant care books, parenting books and surfing the net in search of good parenting websites and parenting blogs that will offer you parenting advice and solutions. You try to reach out to family and friends for guidance as you face the challenges of parenting an infant. That’s why at ParentCircle we bring you best practices in parenting and infant care.

Parenting toddlers

This requires a special set of parenting skills. We have reached out to nutritionists to give tips on healthy foods for this age and how to handle fussy eaters.Toddlers are beginning to assert themselves and a ‘No’ can often lead to tantrums. You begin to wonder how to discipline your toddler. Is she too young to understand? Am I being too harsh? We don't just give you parenting advice, we help you understand why toddlers throw tantrums thus empowering you to make the right decision on how to handle the situation.

Parenting preschoolers

Now the child can express himself better. You are anxious about his schooling and education. With so many options from Montessori to Waldorf to regular preschool, what kind of early education program is right for your child? We have articles that give you guidance on selecting a preschool for your child and what is the right age. This is also the age to start with positive discipline. Your child will understand simple instructions. For example if your child is busy playing you can set a timer and tell him that he can continue playing till the alarm rings after which it is time to eat. Introduce a variety of healthy foods and avoid giving junk foods.

Reading to your preschooler is a great way to spend quality time together. Find recommendations on a variety of books to read to your preschooler. We also offer suggestions for pre-writing activities that will develop your preschooler's fine motor skills preparing him for writing. This is a good time to introduce activities to build number sense, art and music – all in preparation for school. Preschoolers love to jump and play. Encourage free play that builds imagination and outdoor activities to get them physically moving around.

Parenting primary schoolers

Children at this age are ready to start regular school. It's important to understand your child’s learning style – auditory, visual or kinesthetic. According to Dr Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, every child is endowed with a unique set of intelligences. Being aware of your child’s unique capabilities and how your child learns. This will help you support your child to learn in the best way. This is when you need to teach your child to read and write and build a strong foundation in math. Look for child health tips to ensure your child is healthy and physically fit to be successful in school. This is when issues such as ADHD, dyslexia and other learning disabilities may be detected. When problems are detected early the right kind of intervention can you're your child make good progress. Schools may not all offer physical education. So it is important to encourage some kind of sports or physical activity to ensure your child’s fitness. Be proactive with your child’s healthcare and continue to see your child’s paediatrician for regular health checkups.

Parenting pre-teens

This is the pre-adolescent stage when a child is starting puberty. Physical changes and hormonal changes begin. The child is becoming more independent and can make decisions on his own. This is the time to talk to your child about his or her changing body. Give your child tipes on health care and hygiene so she can take care of herself. Building emotional strength and social skills becomes very critical as the child will start encountering challenges such as bullying, difficult subjects, exam pressure, peer pressure and so on. This is when abstract thinking develops. So it is important to encourage reading and to encourage creative thinking and problem solving skills. This is the age to encourage participation in competitions as the child is developing a competitive spirit and understands the meaning of competition. In the age of technology, get tips on how your child can benefit from using Internet, gadgets and social media and how to set limits on its usage.

Parenting teens

Raising teens is probably one of the most challenging times for parents. This is when the parent-child relationship is most tested. It is a time of contradiction – they want you to keep away, but it is when they need your support the most. As the teen brain evolves, the parts of the brain that is responsible for instant gratification develops first, while the reasoning part of the brain is completely developed only at the age of 25. Friends and peers have a larger influence on teens than parents. Both teenage girls and teenage boys battle body image issues as their bodies are changing and they sometimes go through an awkward phase. This is the phase when the teens are emotionally confused and most vulnerable as they begin to experiment and push boundaries. Teen depression, smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, experimenting with sex are some of the problems that happen during the teen years. Teens are also less communicative and want their own space. Hence during these adolescent years it becomes all the more important to remain vigilant to spot problems and get the help needed. You need to find ways to keep the channels of communication and trust open. Have open conversations on sensitive topics such as sex education, addiction, teen love etc. Setting limits and giving your teen the freedom within these set limits is important. This makes them responsible for their actions and they have clarity on what’s OK and what’s not. In subtle ways they continue to seek your guidance and help in all areas, be it academic, social or emotional. This is when you need to give them career guidance as they prepare for college and beyond.

Parenting in India

In India today, parenting is in transition. Joint families are giving away to nuclear families. Media and easy Internet access contribute to a lot of global exposure along with overseas travel. We are moving away from traditional parenting ways in which we always listened to our parents, no questions asked, to a more contemporary way of parenting. Sometimes this shift is too extreme in which parents are overindulgent and too permissive. A balance is what is needed for effective parenting. We need to give our children voice, but at the same time we need to set limits, set expectations and be consistent. In this age of technology digital parenting takes on a whole new meaning in which you need manage your child’s use of Internet, gadgets and social media, so it is beneficial to the child and not addictive or unsafe. More and more moms are working today. So how can working moms balance their work with taking care of families? Dads too are playing a bigger role in taking care of the children. How can moms and dads support each other to raise their children? We are also seeing more single parent families. We discuss single parenting challenges and how a single parent, mother or father, can manage the children and get the required support to be an effective parent.

A million ways to be a good parent

Good parenting is about ensuring healthy child development and child empowerment. As a parent, in the interest of your child you can get very anxious. If you have a child who misbehaves and refuses to listen you worry that you have a troubled kid. How can you get help for behavioural issues with your problem child? Often, it just means putting your anxiety aside and trying to understand why the child is behaving a certain way and communicating your concerns and listening to what the child has to say, even if you do not agree. Empathizing with your child often does the trick. Your child will start to open up to you and be more comfortable talking to you about her problems and issues. As the saying goes, there is no one way to be a perfect parent, but a million ways to be a good one. There are parenting books, parenting websites, parenting forums, parenting classes and other parenting support groups. We at ParentCircle, through our website, online platform and best parenting magazines help you make sense of this world of parenting by connecting you with the people you trust – experts, fellow parents, teachers, doctors – to bring you reliable parenting tips to empower you to be an effective parent through positive parenting. Finally it's all about loving your children for who they are and doing what it takes to ensure they are emotionally strong and resilient, confident and prepared to handle life’s challenges. It’s your unconditional love, care and support that prepares your child for a life of success and happiness.

So, what are you waiting for? Subscribe to our e-zine and enjoy your journey of successful and joyful parenting!

ParentCircle – Empowering parents to raise successful children!