Children (and in fact, all human beings) thrive in freedom. They develop at their own pace and they become confident and self-directed whole humans when they are in an environment trust and respect. So how can the caregivers be assured if we have done enough to create a safe physical environment and a respectful and trusting atmosphere? How much respect and trust and freedom are enough? And there is a clear answer to it. The answer is that if the environment is just right, the children will be seen showing, roughly, these 4 tendencies. The children will show: Long periods

This is tough and definitely takes some practice. So many times we find ourselves say No to our children. This NO habit can have some unintended consequences. Saying ‘No’ to a child (or for that matter anyone) invites disagreement or upset. And it’s a response best avoided. On the other hand, constantly saying no makes ‘No’ lose its power. Think of it this way: ‘No’s are to be reserved for extreme situations. In cases where safety of the child is in question, for example. Reserve your ‘No’s with all their power intact for situations where your child thinks s/he is

“I know you really want to that eat ice cream right now, and it’s fair to feel so because you saw it in the freezer but it’s for tonight’s party and we can only eat it then.” Said the parent with her / his calm and loving voice. This is such a game-changer. This is that magic, if you were looking for one. Even in a situation of meltdown, if this is done first, it’s like applying ice to a burn. If you are in a sticky situation with your baby or your toddler where you both have conflicting needs,

Think of why you are on this page reading things about ‘parenting’. Because you are aware that  you are a big factor on what your child is becoming and learning. As caregivers, we automatically become the provider of a physical environment for our child to grow up in. Our home, the school and parks we choose, the vacations we take and the markets we visit; all become, inevitably, the physical environments that our child belongs to. Similarly, we provide the psychological environment to our child, too. Our relationship with our child, the other relationships that we have around the child,

Work of the child leads to self-construction Think about your child. What do you see her doing? A myriad of activities – waving her arms and feet, pulling up and standing, rolling over the bed, trying to climb the sofa on her own, walking on a thin border of the jogging track with utmost focus, lying down on the grass and looking up at the trees… so many of such playful activities. This play is actually the ‘Work of the Child’. No one has to tell the child what she has to do. What the next milestone is for her

There are some parts to this one. Part 1: No need to use baby-talk Children in the first 6 years are absorbent minds. They can understand and can absorb language as it is. That’s why our babies, in their own time start speaking exactly the language that’s present in their own environment. Therefore, it’s highly beneficial that we reserve our clearest and purest form of language that we can speak, for our children. Think of it like this, if you intend to learn French and enrol yourself in a class. And on the first day your teacher starts talking to you