
NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2023
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK
Dear Parents,
We have pressed all the right notes in January for a beautiful symphony of learning experiences for our learners. We had seminars conducted by the Rajasthan period society for our middle and senior learners to improve their awareness about periods in a conducive and respectful environment. We had a wellness seminar for the middle and senior learners to handle the examination stress and guide learners to make positive and progressive choices. Our senior students graduated this month and the grade 11 students had planned a wonderful farewell event for them. The rest of the month went in the preparation for the whole school's annual sports meet with learners putting their best foot forward for the march past and other displays, house spirit was on display in the various events, and kudos to the sports team ably supported by the entire staff team for a well-conducted event. Practical exams for our CBSE students have started along with the speaking component of the final Cambridge examinations. In February our senior students will write their final examinations and teachers have planned an excellent support class plan along with a tutorial system where every learner will get an opportunity to write an exam-style paper and receive feedback on the same. We are in the last month of our current academic year and i personally thank every member of the bodhian family for supporting us in all our initiatives. We are putting together an enriching sequence of activities for the next academic year and would urge you to encourage your acquaintances to consider Bodhi for their further education, my admission team is all ready to support you. As a mark of respect to the sacrifices made by the armed forces, Bodhi has curated a special package for armed services personnel seeking admission in Bodhi, please contact the Bodhi admissions team for further details. I request you keep our senior learners in your prayers for a wonderful performance in their final examinations. Await the exciting news of all the admission success stories in the next edition of the newsletter, till then I urge you to be happy in all your worthy pursuits.
Brahmam Bodhi.
Mr. Chander Dev
Principal
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MONTH
Vivaan Mirdha has made it to the top of AITA Ranking by securing his place at #No. 1. Bodhi Family is proud of his achievement. Congratulations Vivaan.
GUEST SPEAKER SERIES
Master Lakshay Bothra
Bodhi's portal welcomed Master Lakshya Bothra, an Alumni from the first batch, currently graduating from University of Southern California, as a guest speaker in Alumni Speaker series-2023.
He shared his experiences from school life and also about college application processes he went through for his entry to USC, with the students of Grades 10-12.
He encouraged them to explore multiple options as per their interest and search a college accordingly in India or abroad. Master Lakshya also assured an end-to-end support from his side for the same. The students were motivated to connect and grow through reaching out alumni. Students interacted with the Alumni and cleared their doubts towards the Q&A time.
Bodhi Family feels elated to see our Alumni becoming successful in their chosen areas and feel honoured when they return to the school and share their experiences with the learners' community.
Ms Anusha Tyagi
Dept. of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences
Fortis Hospital, Noida
Ms. Anusha conducted two separate sessions with Bodhians of grades 6-8 and 9-12.
The topics of interaction being 'How to stop bullying' & 'How to protect oneself from Substance Abuse', were very knowledgeable and engaging for the learners. Young learners interacted with the speaker and cleared their doubts too.
Team from Period Society of Rajasthan
Team from Period Society of Rajasthan conducted two days workshop for all learners from grades 6 - 12 around the theme “Put a period to the Period Stigma”. The objective was to normalise period conversation and raise awareness about all aspects of menstruation including products available, hygiene & safety, myths and facts. By the end of the workshop learners not only developed a clear understanding about the subject but also a responsible attitude towards this very fundamental biological process. Three learners from Senior School volunteered to join the initiative and take it forward. We are happy to share that Period Society, Rajasthan has a Bodhian as their first male volunteer.
SPORTS ACHIEVEMENTS
Priyanshu Bishnoi won Doubles under 16 championship series organized by Devyani Jaipuria Tennis Academy DPS Jaipur.
Bodhi's Family is proud of his achievement. Congratulations Priyanshu.
CO-CURRICULAR EVENTS OF JANUARY
Graduation Day 2022-23
Emotions ran high at Bodhi International as the School witnessed yet another landmark celebration that is now added to its glorious history. With valedictory speeches, citations, yearbooks, dances, and a motley of colourful presentations by Grade 11 students, the Graduation Ceremony 2023 evoked a strong sense of solidarity among the Bodhians. The academic procession was followed by the customary invocation and lamp lighting. Administration of oath was done by the Principal and the citations were awarded to the graduands individually by the Executive Director, Mrs. Nitu Bothra. It was a watershed moment when the students were taken down the memory lane through a series of pictures and videos. The event concluded with dinner at the Bodhi Greens.
ANNUAL ATHLETIC MEET 22-23
Bodhi International School celebrated the 74th Republic day with éclat. The students of Kindergarten to Grade 12 took pride in glorifying and celebrating the spirit of unity through the Annual Athletic Meet. The National Flag was unfurled by the Hon’ble Guest, Mr. Narendra Kumar Jain, President, Jodhpur Cluster and Innovation Centre, IIT, Jodhpur. The highlight of the day was the National Anthem which was presented in Sign Language by the Grade 2 students.
Our esteemed Director, Mr. Namit Bhandari received the Guard of Honour along with the Chief Guest. The marching contingents, divided according to their Houses, marched in tandem where the House Captains took their lead.
Coordination displays, patriotic songs, parachute drills, football drills, etc. were some of the activities along with the races. The zest of winning and the pain of losing were echoed louder while the parents cheered their children as they tried to uphold the honour and integrity of the institution and the nation.
IH SCIENCE QUIZ COMPETITION (GRADE 6 TO 9)
The science quiz aims to inculcate in the minds of young students a spirit of scientific enquiry and analytical thinking and provide a platform to the budding scientists for exchanging thoughts.
An Inter-House Quiz competition was organized by the Science Department with the aim of increasing students' interest in science and making them think deeply about its interesting concepts. It was held on 12th January, 2023 for the students of grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the school’s AV Room. The students were provided with the links for preparation and the screening of the contestants was done in their class to have a fair competition.
The four houses Agastya, Aryabhatta, Chanakya and Drona were represented by four participants each. We also had an enthusiastic audience of class 6 to 9 as they watched the participants try their intellect. The quiz consisted of three rounds i.e. General Science questions, Audio-Visual round and Rapid-Fire Round covering all streams of science like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Environment and Technology. The rapid fire round was very exciting for the students and audience both. All the teams were well prepared. The questions put forth to the teams were captivating, exciting and made the audience applaud excitedly when the teams answered correctly.
The competition was very tough but in the end the most exciting and thrilling battle was won by Agastya house and the second position was achieved by Chanakya house. It was a very informative and knowledge enriching competition for the participants along with the audience.
ACTIVITIES GRADE - WISE
Seedlings
UOI - Individuality of expression is the beginning and the end of all arts, according to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Under the umbrella of Seedling's transdisciplinary theme, "How we express ourselves," and the central idea, "We express our feelings in many ways," students of Seedlings learned about the different emotions they have and how to cope with them. They have learned that there are multiple ways through which we can share our feelings and thoughts with others and understand the emotions of the other person, for example, through dance, music, painting, drawing, verbal communications, and gestures.
-You learn best when you are comfortable and in your own environment. Seedlings students chose Bodhi Greens as their learning venue for a session and participated in a variety of interesting activities there. It was indeed a fun-filled day.
Harvesting festival - You learn best when you are comfortable and in your own environment. Seedlings students chose Bodhi Greens as their learning venue for a session and participated in a variety of interesting activities there.
Buds
Sports Day
As a rich tribute to 74 years of Republic, the Opening Ceremony,focusing on the Tricolour, was a brilliant composite sports programme.
Thus, on the 26th of January 2023,Bodhi international school, organised the Sports Day.The Annual Athletic Meet embodies the zeal, talents and spirit of sportsmanship of the students.
The Sports Day started with the march past of the four different houses. A large temporary sitting arena was constructed for the parents and students to sit and enjoy the day.The students of Buds have prepared different types of fun races and performed well in the field.
Blossoms
Story telling session- Under the Transdisciplinary Theme of “How we Express Ourselves” the students narrated a real life incident from their own life. It was interesting to listen to those sweet little stories of their life and what was more exciting was to see the way learners are showing improvement in their communication skills.
Lohri Celebration- Life is all about celebrations. The students in an inquiry way were talked about the festival of Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal. As these are the harvest festivals, students were also told about how the food reaches from Farm to Table. Later in Bodhi greens all the students gathered where they were told about the significance of the festival, followed by enjoying folk music and a Bonfire.
Sports Day/ Republic Day- This year the school had its Sports day on the Republic day. As all the students were excited about their races, their makeover in the Tricolour added a flavour to their Fun race.
Learning about 3D Shapes- Shapes are everywhere. The real world is all about 3D shapes. The students are learning about identifying the basic 3D shapes in their environment. This young generation is growing so smart that their examples take us to another level of amazement.
Grade 1
Field trip:
Field trip: School field trip is an exciting and educational opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and learn about the world outside of the classroom.
To gain hands-on experience and learn about the world outside of the classroom, the school organised a field trip to Rajputana Agrico.
Learners got firsthand experience to learn about different processes and channels of distribution. It was a great opportunity for learners to understand how products are made and distributed.
Navrasa
Navrasa: Navrasa is an ancient Indian concept that describes nine emotions. These nine emotions are the foundation of expression in art and literature. They represent a range of feelings that can be expressed through various forms of art, from music and dance to paintings and sculptures.
Learning about these nine emotions helped learners to engage with their learning in a more meaningful way. It helped learners to express in a better way in their artwork, as well as to gain an appreciation for the different forms of art out there.
Navrasa’s nine emotions - surprise, fear, anger, disgust, courage, love, joy, sadness and peace - provide us with a greater understanding of our own feelings and those around us. It is important to recognize these emotions and learn how to express them .
Grade 2
Field trip
Field trip- To provide our students with the opportunity to learn about various landforms, symbols, and signs present in our environment the school organised a field trip to Rao Jodha Desert Park. Where they gained a deeper insight into 2 of the transdisciplinary themes of the IB PYP curriculum – "Where we are in place and time" and "How we express ourselves".
Creating clocks
Creating clocks- A hands-on activity on creating a clock was done in class to practice telling time to the hour, to the half-hour, and to the quarters. Here students were divided into teams which enhanced their Social skills as they collaboratively worked together. Further, a quiz was organised where the students had to show on their clocks the time that appeared on the spin wheel.
Grade 3
Sports Day
Train like an athlete,eat like a nutritionist,sleep like a child and win like a champion!
Sports day is celebrated annually and it is one of the most loved events of the year.The event was organised by our PE teachers .A wide range of activities were chosen for the students including mass drill,races ,etc.It was an amazing day,full of fun and excitement!
Educarnival 2022-23
Multiplication challenge-
Multiplication is used day to day throughout adulthood, whether it’s working out price reductions, doubling recipes or splitting bills!
Recalling times tables improves memory skills, which is a transferable skill that will help children throughout school and into adult life.Children find it easier to solve maths problems and to do mental arithmetic if they have already memorised their times tables,keeping this in mind multiplication challenge was organised in which students were given a sheet to solve puzzle by multiplying the digits and finding the correct answers to reach the destination which gave students challenges that encourage their problem-solving strategies and logical-thinking.
Gk & Current affairs quiz-
It is important to give learners proper exposure towards General knowledge and Current Affairs to help develop their semantic memory as well to help develop a general awareness about what's happening around them, express their view on the same and confidently be a part of any general discussion. In an attempt to make that happen, a current affairs quiz was organised to foster interest in students to know more about the world we live in.
Grade 4
Show and project activity
Show and project activity- Students engaged in show and project activity where they projected their communication skills and social skills.
Board Activity
Field trip
"Giving is the greatest act of grace" .Keeping this thought in mind students combined their action with joy of giving and visited "Mother Teresa Orphanage". Students learnt through acts of kindness to give hope to those who think they are all alone in this world.
Dear week
"He/she who loves reading has everything within his/her reach". Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.
UOI
“Yoga is essentially a practice for your soul working through the medium of your body”. Students learnt different yoga poses and built their resistance and liberated their mind.
GK and Current Affair quiz
“Knowledge isn’t power,applied knowledge is power” .To recognise the power of the students their knowledge was put to test through Gk and current affairs quiz.
Sports Day
Sports day event is the most awaited event of the year where students display their strength and endurance. The spirit of enthusiasm was amalgamated with patriotism to bring out the best in students
Grade 5
Unit- Sharing The Planet
It is a rare occurrence when we hear about the concern toward our mother earth and its worsening condition. The Central Idea was, ‘children worldwide encounter a range of risks, challenges and opportunities’. The Unit was started by tuning in into the LOI ‘challenges, risks, and opportunities that children encounter and how they respond to them’. Learners engaged in various activities and came to know about the innumerous organisations that extend aid to countries in need. The UN & UNICEF were the two organisations that were majorly focused upon.
The Summative Assessment was the highlight of the unit where the learners grouped themselves and worked upon a SDG they selected. They took up a country and explored the condition of that country with regards to the particular SDG and the contributions made by various organisations towards the betterment of the future of children.
Sports Day - Grade 5 celebrated Sports Day on 26th January. They practised regularly for the same. Students were very enthusiastic to take part in the race and various drills.
Current Affairs Quiz - The students were provided with a handout that touched upon various topics pertaining to India and the world. The genres that were covered include ‘Countries and their capitals; Indian states and their capitals; Famous Authors and their works; Sports, etc. ’
Times Table Quiz - In order to ensure that our learners do not lack in any skill, grades 1-5 appeared for a quiz based on ‘multiplication tables’. The learners who excelled were provided with certificates of excellence.
TEACHING - LEARNING ENGAGEMENTS - DEPARTMENT WISE
ROBOTICS
Code.org
Code.org is a non-profit organization and eponymous website aims to encourage learners to learn computer science. The website includes free coding lessons, sounds, and many more things used to help students code fluently.
In January month our learners from grade 6th to 8th designed and coded in 'App Lab' some projects named as Sound of Animals , Multiple Screen and Calculator.
Here are some glimpses of the code.org ,coded by students..
ENGLISH
GEMA International Story Writing Competition
To some, creative writing is a fun hobby that can serve as a time sink. To others, creative writing is a vital way of expressing oneself. Such writing helps improve thinking skills, and it also helps develop creative problem-solving skills. Looking at the benefits of creative writing, we encourage the kids to practice different styles of writing with details and emotions.
25 students of Middle and Senior Wings shared their narratives in the GEMA International Story Writing Competition in November 2022 wherein children from all around the globe participated. It’s a pleasure to report that Garvit Tatiya, a Grade 10 student, has been adjudged as the ‘Best Story Writer in School’ with his story ‘The Twins’ Friend’.
This will continue motivating burgeoning writers to pursue their writing skills.
The Twins’ Friend
"Get out of bed; Sam and Dan are waiting for you outside," screamed Mrs. Spector.
"I don't want to go to school," Tom said politely from beneath his blanket. "And I want a million dollars!" Mrs. Spector sarcastically whispered in Tom’s ears. "But that's not going to happen right now, so young man, off to school right now."
Still, under the blanket, Tom said, "Mom, I didn't do my homework."
"You care to tell me why?"
The subject was "My father is my hero." Mrs. Spector’s face became pale.
Tom tried remembering the last time he saw his dad, which he failed to do because he never saw his father after when he was barely a year old. Mrs. Spector explained to Tom that moments like these would always come, but instead of hiding like a coward, you needed to stand up like a hero. This motivated Tom, and he quickly grabbed his backpack and his bike’s key.
"Did you guys complete the assignment?"
"Mr. Spector! Despite several warnings, you still haven't completed your homework. "So right now, you tell me what I should do, huh?" Professor Lipshitz exclaimed.
"Professor Lipshitz, you have my word; I'll give you the assignment first thing tomorrow morning."
"Good, and you better stand by your promise, or I'll have to call your parents."
"Tom, today we're going to party like there's no tomorrow because our parents are away for a few days," Sam exclaimed, "so make sure your speaker is fully charged."
"Man, didn't you guys see what happened in there? If I don't complete my assignment, I won’t be allowed to sit in class tomorrow."
"Come on, man, we have homework every day, but our parents only go out once in a blue moon," Dan persuaded.
"Nah man, I cannot." "Try to understand."
The brothers joined their hands together and said, "Please?"
"All right, I’ll come, but after I finish my assignment, I’ll do it quickly, so I’ll be there in around an hour, and try not to finish everything before I reach."
The brothers shouted as if they'd won the Olympics. Tom left on his bike with a smile on his face, and with even bigger smiles, he left Sam and Dan. Tom smacked his backpack on his bed and took out his eraser, sharpener, and pencil. He thought about what he would do when he became a dad and wrote it down. Tom thought to himself, "This is good; I think Prof. Lipschitz is going to like it very much." More than he was excited about his assignment being completed, he was more excited about the fact that he was going to Sam and Dan’s house to party.
Finally, Tom arrived at their house, and as dull as his face could have been, it was right then that he noticed all the cans on the floor. For the first time in his life, Tom shouted like his mother, "What the hell, guys?" "I thought you were going to wait for me!"
"Well, we couldn't help ourselves, man."
"Yeah, we had like fricking twenty cans of beer right in front of our eyes; it was like heaven, dude."
"I hate you guys, but it's fine as long as we're going to play PS."
"Yeah, we’ll play, but before that, we saved one can for you, and don't worry, Dan and I are going to get one more pack of beer." Until then, enjoy this one and set up the music system.
Sam and Dan went to the supermarket, and Tom was sitting there thinking, "I don't want to drink this." "I was only excited about it because my friends were drinking it with me; I’ll just wait for them to come." Tom was sitting there, waiting for his friends.
Tom heard the car's engine turn down, and he thought, "Let's do a prank." He slept on the floor, facing his head downward, looking as if he had passed out. As soon as both of them entered the basement, Sam whispered, "I think it worked," which brought relief to Tom’s face, and he said, "We need to get rid of the body." Tom thought they'd caught his little prank and were enacting a counter-prank, but little did he know. Sam and Dan went ahead and tied his hands and legs and lifted him.
Tom, however, convinced his mind that it was still a prank until the unexpected happened: Tom was thrown in the trunk of the car.
At this point, Tom was ready to believe that it was true and not a stupid prank anymore, or in any other way, that's what he was willing to believe because he had put all the pieces together: drinks getting finished, both of them going out on the same day Tom had to complete his assignment, keeping behind one can that he didn't drink, but they both don't know that because all that Tom cares about is that there was something mixed in that can of drink.
They drove Tom to a dump yard near the town and dumped him. As soon as they dumped him, Tom got up and untangled his knots with the help of some objects nearby. He walked his way to his town. The sun had risen, and Tom wanted to know why his friends wanted to kill him, so he went to their house. She was hiding near the bushes, and he could see Sam and Dan opening a bottle of champagne.
Sam toasted, "Now you can finally rest in peace, Garry and Amy, father and mother." Tom was so confused that he wasn't able to connect the dots. He went to his mother, who was so pissed at him for not returning home. But when he told her what happened and asked her what his connection was to Garry and Amy, his mother was speechless. She went inside her room, unlocked the locked drawer, and took out a newspaper dated 17 years ago. She gave it to her son.
The headlines were, "Jared Spector murdered Garry and Amy and left behind their twins to grow without the love of parents."
By:
Garvit Tatiya
CAIE Grade 10
Let's Spread the Awareness
Learners of Grades 6A and B presented an informative presentation about 'Plastic Pollution'. Informative writing requires a learner to understand the audience, select appropriate information, and present it without any bias, while keeping it interesting. Many learners went a step ahead and prepared models along with their presentation.
Each learner got an opportunity to show their research and presentation skills.
ART DEPARTMENT
“Art is too important not to share”
Romero Britto
The G-20 conference will be organised from February 2 to 4 in Jodhpur for which preparations have already started. It was our privilege and honour as the department of Fine Arts to receive the invitation from the Airports Authority of India to display and showcase our Art and Design student work at Jodhpur airport. We selected 4 artworks, representing varied genres and subject-matter, created by our AS and A level students.
PHOTO GALLERY
Ruins - Aadityalekshmi
Silenced- Gauri Kohli
Flavours of Jodhpur- Vishala Chouhan
Trapped Memories- Kaanchi Daga
SCIENCE
Chemistry Practicals
Lab work is an integral part of the chemistry experience. It allows students to explore chemical concepts, view changes in matter, and acquire scientific skills in an atmosphere that mimics a professional scientific environment.
Chemistry is a laboratory science and cannot be effectively taught without a robust laboratory experience for students at both the middle and high school levels. The identification, manipulation, and general use of laboratory equipment are integral parts of the subject. A school laboratory should have equipment to conduct meaningful demonstrations and experiments. The laboratory environment must be accessible to all students and maintained with safety in mind. Teachers should use safety measures to protect students and themselves during any investigation. With appropriate accommodations, students with limited strength or mobility can participate in the laboratory experience. Instruction that is student-centered and emphasizes the role of laboratory demonstrations and experiments is the best method to ensure students develop the essential skills of science.
HINDI
FRENCH
We learn the best when we are with our peers. As a part of their group activity Grade 8 learners wrote about "Notre Prochaine Visite" in which each member was asked to write sentences using Future simple on a piece of paper related to their next vacation. Post which the learners had to combine their answers and form a collaborative paragraph which mentions all the details of their vacations. This activity not only helped them learn forming sentences in Future simple but also assisted them in bringing out best results as a group.
COMMERCE
My dear Champs
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
This is the moment, transition you are all about to experience in coming months and years ahead has no meaning if you are still in love with your comfort zone.
It’s time to stop looking at all the obstacles & start looking at the opportunities.
Dear all that reminds me about the story about Ricky Ponting, one of the Greatest Cricketers to have ever approached the game.
The trait that made 'Ponting' different from other cricketers was his sheer attitude towards the game. It was his never-say-die spirit. It's a revelation of that attitude.
Someone once asked him the secret to his ability to find the gaps in the field.
His answer was simple, yet revealing.
He said, "Every batsman surveys the field before taking strike, and usually the fielders get imprinted on his mind. They can almost see every fielder in their mind's eye.
But in my head, I don't see the fielders. I only see the gaps!"
And that as his tally of runs shows made all the difference.
We could all take a leaf out of Ponting's book: Don't focus on the obstacles. Look for opportunities.
Focus on your ability to solve the problems.
Life in many ways is like a game of cricket. There will be fielders out there who will stop you from scoring those runs.
There will be an opposing captain who will try his hardest to place the fielders in a manner that will make it difficult for you to score those runs.
Your job is to find the gaps.
Next time, you see a problem or an obstacle, think the Ponting way and see only the gaps!
No matter what, success will be yours.
To be in the top one percent, you have to be willing to do what the other 99 percent aren't. Your efforts are sure to win. Keep up the spirit!
The best is yet to come, Work for your goals, find the gaps, achieve your goals & stay Blessed forever!
Mr Girish Singhal
HOD Commerce
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
It has been an exciting year for the learners of IGCSE and Senior Cambridge Economics. After a great reliance on blended learning, flipped classrooms and multi sensory approach to learning - our learners of Grade 9-12 are all set to prepare and write for their Segment 2 and Board Examinations. The learners performed several activities like Flash Card Quiz for Money and Banking, Group Discussions on Trade Unions, Workers and Households. With extensive research and blended learning mechanisms, learners explored about the different strata of the economy with reference to Case Studies and current updates.
The Learners from grade 9 have conducted an in-depth research on Vertical Mergers and Horizontal Mergers by taking Google as the pivotal point of their study.
MATHEMATICS
In January month, we all are racing towards our syllabus completion and revision marathon across all grades. We shared the ideas and tricks to get good grades in their exams. The tips for good revision practices can be:
Make a realistic revision schedule
Make sure you understand everything.
Look at past exam papers
Take regular short breaks
Plan how much time you'll need for each question.
Grade 6th learnt about chances, probability ,real life graphs, geometreical aspect of area ,volume .
Grade 7th learnt Construction of different triangles SSS, SAS and perpendicular bisector of line segment using Compass. They learnt about different types of data representation using histograms and stem leaf diagram, mapping diagram.
A mapping diagram consists of two parallel columns. The first column represents the value of x (input) of function (f) , and the other column for its output (y). Lines or arrows are drawn from x to y to represent the relation between any two elements.
Grade 8th learned about elements of design such as shape , symmetry, elevations, map scale and use bearings to solve problems involving distance and direction. They also understood the importance of profit, loss, discount, tax and interest when dealing in nay business.
Senior grades are all packed up in revision with full swing solving past papers and clearing up their doubts at regular interval of time.
Ms Nisha Mathur
HOD Mathematics
New Age Parenting
I believe that there is only one role of human beings which is mostly positive and is played best by all and that is of a PARENT.
My motto in life is, “As a parent, we have no right to be wrong”.
Parenting is a responsibility and a blessing as it opens the world of innocence and life. The feeling of you being responsible for a life is so wonderful that cannot be expressed in words.
The life of your child will be shaped by the decisions you make daily. From the food you serve and the environment you provide to the values you consciously, unconsciously, or subconsciously inculcate in him or her, you are inculcating the values in them. So, parents need to be models of the person they want their children to be.
Trust me; there is no manual or rule book which can list the dos and don’ts to teach parenting for the best upbringing. Each one of us learns through our own experiences and I’m not giving any knowledge or information, just sharing my journey if that could be of any help to anyone. The intention is to help others avoid the mistakes I made.
Again, each one of us has our journey and no two journeys are the same. I was blessed to have the best of parents. Their values and morals were so high that I kept that as my bar. I always desired to give my daughter the kind of childhood I had. My father was a disciplined, honest man and my mother was a very soft-spoken, polite, and a God-fearing person. It’s my upbringing that made me the person I’m today.
Times have changed. In the modern era, childhood is lost in the world of mobile phones and electronic gadgets. Kids hardly realize the importance of spending quality time with parents and family. Even when there is a power outage, children prefer to sit outside in the park and wait for the electricity to be resumed.
Waiting for the school bus and sweating on the playground, and falling and getting hurt while playing are important experiences for growth. Pain and fear are the emotions that need to be felt so that children prepare themselves for challenges and learn to overcome them and grow.
Sadly, parents don’t want their children to experience any discomfort these days. That’s the reason children neither recognize nor understand their emotions and those of others. Believe me, facing these difficulties and resolving them with optimal solutions will help them evolve and become better human beings.
I would like to share the following tips on parenting which may be useful:
- Lead by example: Don’t try to teach those values by telling them but just remember that they are observing you each second, so practice what you want them to be.
- Spend your time with them: The kids don’t need anything more than your time - the quality time where no gadgets or mobiles around. It’s just you and your kids.
- Share your story: If you want your kids to share their experiences with you, start with your stories first. Also, treat them as an individual and not as a child. Talk to them as a person and have real conversations.
· Mother nature is important: Make them aware of the importance of nature as the kids near nature are better human beings and for that spend regular time in the lap of nature. (Have faith that sleeping in the night under the open sky and gazing at stars or moon on the full moon night are the experiences your child needs to have.)
- Let them play in sand and mud: Gross motor skills and fine motor skills can be developed best while playing in the sand. Also, the sensory development of the students playing in the sand is much better.
- The feeling of belongingness and responsibility: The child needs to know his or her inheritance and legacy. They should be proud citizens of the country they belong to and also should realize their duties towards it. To develop this, you need to start at home by involving them in the major decisions for the home.
- Importance and value of meditation or spiritual practice: Spirituality has nothing to do with religion. We need to introduce them to having faith in a supreme power. For the same, they would practice what we do as they are observing. Remember that.
- Sit and eat with them, also hug them often: Give them a hand and have skin contact with them once in the evening when you are relaxed to allow the positive energy to flow. Eat at least one meal in a day together. Also, hug them and show your affection quite often even if they have grown up.
- Make them realize that they are precious and will always be despite their performances: “Your children need your unconditional love and nothing else” has been recently told by one of my close friends and guide. I do believe in every word of this statement. They just need faith that our love will be the same despite their performances or results or actions.
- Lastly, don’t own them; it’s their life, let them live their way: They are your kids, not your possession. Just guide them, don’t try to own them. Let them learn from their own experiences; you just facilitate them.
- Be their friend and confidante: Try to be their friend and confidante and it is possible only if they develop the trust that you will not judge them.
Children are our future; they are the leaders of tomorrow. This generation is very smart and intelligent; they know what they want and how to get them. We don’t have to do anything more than just support them in what they do. So, try to give them an experience every day which is worthwhile for them to grow in the right direction.
Mrs. Prakash Rathore
Head of Administration