Experts In The Fields Of Music, Sports, ADHD and Sex Education Share Valuable Parenting Tips

Music helps children learn better

Anil Srinivasan, Musician

Music is considered an art and a science. It is what you would classify as art science. It is artistic and aesthetic and at the same time, it deals with the cognitive part of the brain. Music opens up the neural pathways in the brain and activates more than 80% of the brain. It helps improve children's memory, concentration and conceptual understanding. This is scientifically proven. So, children study better when they are exposed to music. I recommend This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel Levitin, which explains the connection between neuroscience, pattern recognition, and the artistic part of music very well.

In 2013 I started my dream project, Rhapsody Music and the Mind. It is a multi-skill, multi-genre curriculum that helps promote education through music. If we can weave concepts into a song for children, it becomes memorable, easier for them to grasp, and fun!

Anil Srinivasan is a popular Western classical pianist, well known for his pioneering work in music education in South India. For the complete interview, visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParentcircleOfficial/videos

Eat healthy fats for immunity

John Gloster, Physiotherapist

In the current situation where we are forced to spend a lot of time indoors, it is important not to allow physical activity to fall off the table. We know physical activity increases immunity and improves mental well-being and cognition. So, encourage your children to do indoor exercises, such as yoga, jumping, hopping, skipping, lunge-walking, and stair-climbing. Try to make it fun and engaging for them. Get creative. Your body is your gym.

Now is also the perfect time to reboot your children's nutritional habits. One thing that builds immunity is a good diet. Stay away from inflammatory foods, that is, processed and high-sugar foods. A low-carb, high-protein, healthy-fat diet is the best. Remember, healthy fats are the building blocks of immunity. Some foods rich in good fats are eggs, seafood, coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, yogurt, milk, cheese, avocadoes and nuts. Also important are fresh vegetables, particularly green vegetables, and high-fibre fruits, such as apples, oranges, sweet lime, papaya, and berries.

John Gloster is an international sports physiotherapist, who works with cricket teams. He was the physiotherapist of the Indian cricket team from 2005 to 2008 and is the head physio of the IPL team, Rajasthan Royals. For more health tips from John Gloster, check out: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParentcircleOfficial/videos

Love structure for a child with ADHD

Stephen P Hinshaw, Psychologist

Some people say children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are just a little fidgety and squirmy. So it's not a big problem. But children with ADHD are vulnerable in the three main areas that are good predictors of later success, academic success, staying free from accidental injury, and having a good peer network. There is no cure for ADHD, but there are ways of controlling and managing it. Children with ADHD can learn to manage their behavior better with consistent efforts from parents and the school, and with more rewards given to them than what typical children get.

Is there a correct way to parent a child with ADHD? The authoritative parenting style is the goal of most behavioral parent management programs, where parents learn to keep their emotions in check. And there is less shouting. We know from research that when a parent has a lot of love and warmth for the child, along with a reasonable amount of structure that is controlling in the right ways, children have good social and academic outcomes.

Dr Stephen P Hinshaw is an internationally recognized psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has authored over 350 articles and 12 books, including The ADHD Explosion: Myths, Medications, Money, and Today's Push for Performance. For more expert advice on how to handle children with ADHD, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgRKZTKdCYo

Talk to your child about sex

Niyatii Shah, Sexuality Educator

Many parents fear that talking to their children about sex may encourage experimentation. But when you explain the consequences of sex to children, most of them have the maturity to comprehend and therefore won't experiment with their peers. Parents should talk to their child even if its something as simple as a kiss, whom they can kiss, when they can do it, what to keep in mind, etc. Teenagers today are getting a lot of information from their peers and the internet. So, parents have to ensure their children are getting the right sex education.

The right time to start educating your child about sex is now. Choose age-appropriate information your child needs to know, and initiate talks. If he is young (2 to 3 years), you can explain sexuality in the form of stories or songs. If you have an 18-year-old and you have not yet had the talk with her, do so now. Ask her what her understanding of sex is. Pick up conversations from what's happening around us every day, and do not hesitate to talk about social issues, such as rape and domestic violence. Start today.

Niyatii Shah is a renowned sexuality educator, counsellor and parenting coach. For the complete interview, visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParentcircleOfficial/videos