Homeschooling tips for parents

Homeschooling during vacations doesn't have to feel like a core for you or your kids. With a little planning, creativity and flexibility, you can turn this time into a fun and enriching experiences. Whether it's exploring new subjects through hands on projects, incorporating learning into travel, or simply keeping a light but consistent routine, the key is to make education enjoyable and stress free. Remember, the goal isn't perfection, it's progress. Embrace the unique opportunity vacations offer to inspire curiosity, build strong family connections, and nurture a lifelong love of learning.

Create a proper learning space: Younger kids might not have their own room but that doesn’t mean parents cannot create a learning space for them to make them feel like they are in home-school. The learning space should be away from the TV, video games and you should keep mobiles away from there. Also don’t let your child eat at the study desk. If your child already has a study desk, make it more organized as that is where your child will spend the majority of his/her daily time. When your child is studying in his learning space, he or she should know that the area is meant only for studying.

Make a daily routine for your kids: When your children go to school, the majority of their time is spent in a proper schedule. During the vacations, kids are unable to maintain a routine in their daily lives as they don’t have to go to school. As a number one homeschooling tip, parents should ensure that they sit down with their kids and create their own routine to follow at home. A proper routine helps a child’s body clock adjust in a manner that their eating, sleeping, learning and playing times remain fixed. If the child gets bored with the routine, change it in a week again.

Don’t Spoon-feed your children: Since parents are not trained teachers (most of the time), they might not have the patience to teach children at home the right way. Parents need to allow children to come up with solutions on their own and struggle with textbook problems to develop critical thinking skills. Often, to save time, parents solve the answers in their children’s notebooks and ask the kids to learn. But this doesn’t teach them anything. So, don’t take the fun out of learning.

Follow the prescribed curriculum in school: Parents can coordinate with other parents of their child’s classmates at school to better understand how others are homeschooling their children and which topics from which subjects they are tackling and teaching first.

 

Doom scrolling affects your mental health

What is Doom Scrolling?

The exercise use of screen while scrolling through predominantly negative news is called doom scrolling/surfing. It is common to find yourself swiping past page after page searching for more details about a disturbing or negative news piece. 
Most of us can’t stay away from constantly reading/watching negative news. We keep checking different websites news channels to get new pieces of information. You will be surprised to know that phenomenon is nothing new. Our tendency towards negative news is more, as compared to positive news. But we all know that this is not good for our mental health. Here are few ways to reduce this habit and stay stress free:

Limit the time spent on social media: Smartphone have a feature where they can keep a record of the time you spend on each app. Keep track of this so that you are not lured into continuous use. Try to avoid scrolling before going to bed and right after waking up. The best way to do this is by keeping the phone away from your bed.

Keep track of your health: Regular exercising helps release neurotransmitters that have a feel-good effect. Yoga and meditation also help in de-stressing. Eat a healthy and balanced diet and avoid munching on sugar and salt laden junk foods while scrolling through your phone.

Practice mindfulness: Be mindful of any task that you are doing. Whether you are reading, writing or working out, you must pay full attention to the same. Make sure the news source you are reading from is genuine. Inculcate the habit of reading positive news and things, too and share the same with your friends and family.

Try the STOP technique: If you are unable to control the scrolling, you can try the STOP technique. If you feel you have exceeded the screen time and are unable to control your fingers, say STOP loudly and give yourself a physical stimulus at the same time, which can be a tap on the hand. When you do this repeatedly, your brain will get trained that it’s time to stop the current activity.

BesT IndooR PlantS WitH HealtH BenefitS

 ON EARTH DAY SPECIAL (Our Power, Our Planet)

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, indoor plants have become more than just decorative elements—they’re tiny green companions that bring nature indoors, creating a sense of calm and connection. Whether you're living in a city apartment or a suburban home, indoor plants offer a refreshing escape from the digital world and add a touch of tranquility to any space. Beyond their aesthetic charm, they improve air quality, reduce stress, and even boost productivity. From lush ferns to low-maintenance succulents, the world of indoor plants is diverse, inviting, and perfect for beginners and plant enthusiasts alike. Let’s explore how these leafy friends can transform your indoor environment into a healthier, happier haven. Plants give a great vibe to your home and help in purifying indoor air. If you are looking to place some indoor plants in your home for a new look, here are the best ones with great health benefits.

Aloe Vera: You can apply Aloe Vera to your hair, skin or even miss it in your food for better health. It not only treats skin allergies but also helps in maintaining clean air at home. However, it needs to be watered regularly and needs indirect sunlight to grow well.

Lavender: This pretty adds a pleasant aroma to your house. Lavender is known for its qualities to relieve stress; it is also a great plant to keep in your room if you are struggling with sleep as its fragrance, according to many studies, helps in inducing restful slumber.

Spider Plant: This is the best plant for removing toxic substances from the air. The impurities that enter through different mediums like shoes, fabrics, food, etc. are removed through this plant. Spider plant targets the carbon monoxide that is present in the air as well. It doesn’t require much care and can be kept in a place with less sunlight. It can grow in any type of soil and needs to be watered less.

Indoor plants do more than just brighten up a room—they breathe life into our homes and enhance our well-being in countless ways. Whether you're a seasoned plant lover or just starting your green journey, there's an indoor plant for every lifestyle and space. By bringing a bit of nature indoors, we create a more peaceful, vibrant, and healthier environment to live and thrive in. So, pick a plant, give it a little love, and let the green magic begin!

Five ways to keep your Liver Healthy

A recent study by the University of Michigan (US) revealed surprising findings. The study found that nearly 45% of children (global sample size of nearly one million students) in the age group of 9-16 years are suffering from liver-related ailments. More than 20% end up being hospitalized due to a liver issue at this young age. Why is it happening? Medical experts say, pollution and lifestyle are the main causes. Can it be helped? Yes, we Bring you a list to-dos. These little changes could help you keep your liver strong, healthy and happy. Try these:

Lose 10% of your body weight: Keeping liver disease at bay doesn’t necessarily mean a complete body transformation. In fact, experts say if you are overweight, shedding just 10% of your overall body weight gives liver function a significant boost and may help reverse non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The same simple approach has also been found to help prevent Type 2 diabetes in young children. This means somebody who weighs around 90 kilos to reverse the early stages of NAFLD.

 Add Garlic to your Diet: Garlic contains numerous health boosting compounds one of which is called S-allyimercaptocysteine. In tests, this has been found to protect the liver against diet related damage. One Study at the University of Hong Kong discovered rats with NAFLD suffered less injury to the liver, had lower levels of liver fat and reduced inflammation when they were injected with the garlic compound. Scientists said it appears to shield the liver against the worst of the damage and added, “Garlic and its derivatives could be considered as a potent supplement.”

 Go Swimming: Exercise is a great way to keep the liver healthy- but what’s the best type? One study involving mice found swimming to be effective at keeping fatty liver disease at bay. Scientists fed the rodents a high fat diet and then monitored whether regular swimming protected against the build-up of harmful fats. Mice allowed to swim regularly had significantly lower liver fat levels than those not given access to the water. Other research shows children who swim two or three times a week have healthier liver. Dancing and hill walking had similar benefits.

Tuck into Oily Fish: Oily fish such as salmon and sardines can lower fat levels in your liver if they are consumed on a fairly regular basis- at least a couple of times a week. That’s because they are rich in immunity-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. A 2016 study pooled data from 10 different investigations into omega-3 and liver problems. It revealed that those who were eating healthy fats regularly had lower levels of harmful fats in the liver, while at the same time bolstering levels of HDL.

Get more Sleep: It’s not just diet and exercise that can help keep the liver healthy. A research suggests getting proper amount of rest is also crucial. A study in Taiwan, involving more than 30,000 boys and girls, found those suffering with common sleep disorders like insomnia, sleepwalking or teeth grinding, were nearly 80% more at risk of fatty liver disease than others getting a good night’s sleep. The most likely explanation is that broken sleep interferes with eating habits.