An “Art of Parenting” workshop was organised by The Hindu in association with Shriram Panorama Hills at Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan. Addressing a large gathering of parents, psychologist Shalini Kocherla said that adolescent was a stage between childhood and adulthood, a phase when many biological, social, intellectual and emotional changes take place in an individual.
“The child becomes conscious of physical appearance, is susceptible to mood swings and tends to be ego-centric. Their decisions are influenced by the relationships they share in schools and colleges. This is also a time when they develop a sense of identity and there are moments of rebellion,” she said. Parents must understand these changes to effectively tackle the situation. Establishing a set of rules and limits, teaching children to develop self-discipline as well as setting positive examples are vital in handling adolescents.
Diet matters too
Academic consultant and nutritionist Dr. Suguna Kanan spoke on the importance of nutrition in the overall development of children. A balanced diet and proper intake of vitamins and minerals lead to better mental development.
“Nowadays, due to the impact of mass media youngsters are influenced from movies to advertisements which affects the young minds.
They stop eating in order to get a slim figure leading to severe nutritional deficiencies like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa,” Dr. Kanan said. She listed out a health chart highlighting the right doses of food intake.
Director of Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan Vasu Prakash, Chief Marketing Officer, Shriram Properties Ltd., Gan Bhukta and Regional Manager of The Hindu, T.V. Suresh, were present.
