At West Marredpally, four-year-old Alyna is all dressed for her evening routine in a blue tee, capri and walking shoes. The sudden changes in weather have upset the toddler and she is reciting the ‘Rain rain go away’ rhyme. Ever since her summer holidays began, Alyna with her parents and grandfather have been following a routine of driving till AOC from where their evening walk begins. “It is a hilly place and she loves the walk as she gets to see peacocks and birds,” smiles her mother Caroline. Caroline talks about the benefits of walking and bonding with her daughter. “It is a family time that she never wants to miss, as she gets to see her favourite animals and clear her doubts. She is a curious toddler and frequently asks questions about the train, bogey and nature. It is a good place to learn and walking helps me remain fit and lose calories. Four of us walk for half-an-hour and then she returns home with my father-in-law while I continue walking with my husband,” she reveals. This summer holidays, as students keep themselves busy in summer camps, parents are painting, reading, singing, dancing and cooking along with their children to bond and help them learn new skills.
Television actress Haritha is often seen displaying her dancing skills on the small screen. At home, there is a young dancer giving her competition. Drop in during lazy afternoons and one can hear popular numbers belting out of their homes. Be it the SRK-hit Lungi dance or the romantic Dil pe titli uda …both mother and daughter Sanskruti dance out in joy. “Both of us enjoy dancing together. My daughter is very close to me and follows me like a shadow and always helping me,” smiles Haritha.
Children learn best while observing and interacting with adults around, observes Afshan Jabeen, counselling psychologist and dyslexia therapist of Ripples-Centre for Enhanced Learning. She adds, “The mere presence of the primary care giver (mother or father) and their meaningful engagement in any activity of their children creates a deep impact on the psyche of the child. Apart from the activity itself, the dialogue between them, tone of the conversation, associated body language and facial expression add to the complete experience. This will help children develop confidence and self esteem.”
Writer Nandini Nayar who bonds with her 13-year-old son Pranav while reading and cooking, agrees. “Over the weekends, he helps me in the house and I teach him simple dishes like a paneer sabzi and cakes,” she states. Nandini says this way children will learn empathy and also know the effort which goes into preparing a dish. With a plain sponge cake by his side, Pranav slowly applies the chocolate icing under his mother’s instructions. “Sometimes the dishes do not turn out the way we want them to and we repeat the process. I tell him it is the case when we write poetry or short stories and that first draft is not the final draft and one needs to constantly improve.”
Afshan says involving children in daily life activities is a best way of promoting life skills. “Reading with proper voice modulation and expressions with children is a great source of fun and knowledge. Taking them out for outdoor activities in evening will help the ‘digital addicted’ generation of today, get a ‘whole- body’ experience which is essential for their holistic development. And, summer is a good time to fill the vacuum created by hustle and bustle of modern day life. During this break these activities can be done at a leisurely pace, which brings in much needed fun, joy, laughter, happiness and a deep emotional bonding.”
