Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Have trouble with waking up kids in the morning and getting them to go to school? Maybe they aren't getting enough sleep.
Have trouble with waking up kids in the morning and getting them to go to school? Maybe they aren’t getting enough sleep.
Any mother would concur that there is nothing more upsetting or depressing than dealing with a bleary eyed cantankerous child early in the morning on a school day. I mean let alone the fact that working moms have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to cook and pack lunch boxes, put breakfast on the table, wake up kids and assist them to get dressed for school, get ready for work etc. But, when this mayhem is compounded by the uncooperative attitude of your child, then it is a surefire recipe for early morning blues, often leading to much unwanted yelling, and temper tantrums from both parties.
More often than not the major culprit for a bad mood in the morning is lack of sleep. Unfortunately, lack of sleep has pervaded the children of today far worse than any invasive pest. Our kids are not only sleep deprived because of a reduction in their sleep time (number of hours that they sleep) but also due to the quality of the sleep that they get.
Not just mood swings, but lack of sleep can also lead to a lot of other problems such as emotional issues like depression, mental break downs, inability to focus in school etc. This gradually starts affecting both: home life and school performance.
Admittedly, kids today are bogged down by academic pressure, and that in turn has also led to kids and adolescents sleeping much later at night than recommended. They are definitely unable to get their quota of 8 hours of sleep. Added to this is the addiction of screen time whether it is on the TV (watching a favourite show) or on the cell phone (on social media etc).
To ensure your kids are getting the sleep they need for their health and performance at school, a few simple steps can be followed. These are just a few simple home tried ways that can help you to ensure that your child gets adequate sleep.
Screen time should be limited to not more than 1-2 hours a day be it on the TV, tablet or even cell phone. Most medical professionals recommend this.
I personally feel that all screen related activities should cease 1 hour before bed time, at night. Watching your favourite programs or screen before bedtime is a mental stimulant so should be avoided. The hour before sleep should be devoted to de-stress activities or to family interactions.
Many children are habituated to using their phones before bedtime which can make it more difficult to fall asleep as they could be constantly checking for messages on social media from friends etc. Hence, instruments like cell phones, tablets, laptops etc should not be allowed on the bed and especially prior to sleep time.
The bed should be associated with sleep and relaxation only, and when this practice is followed, it is much easier to relax once you are on the bed.
All activities preceding the bedtime of the child should be relaxing and not stimulating. Participating in games and other strenuous activities either in the latter half of the evening or close to the bedtime would stimulate them mentally, and may be a deterrent to sleep. Hence, it is advisable to indulge in relaxing activities like a taking a bath, reading a book, tucking the child into bed, good night kisses, stroking the child’s hair while they try to sleep etc.
One of my fondest childhood memories till date is being tucked into bed by my father. Every night, he would tuck me and my brother into bed and would sit with us stroking our hair, till we fell asleep. The memory of my father’s soft touch still lingers and serves to bring a smile to my face, even today. Just the memory ofhis touch is enough to make me feel protected and loved till date.
This is perhaps the most important and yet the most difficult thing to do. However, it is vital that children go to bed at a reasonable hour so that they get their full quota of sleep. Sticking to good sleep habits will ensure that the child wakes up fresh the next day and is not only in a happy mood but also more attentive.
Most kids whether young or older, tend to stall before bedtime. They try to buy more time before eventually settling in for the night. However, as parents it is important to not encourage this behaviour. Children with both parents working long hours often get to see their parents only around their bedtime. In some such cases the parents allow the children to be up later than usual in order to be able to spend some time with them. However, this habit leads to a disturbance in the sleeping pattern and may affect child’s performance in school.
Hence discourage late sleeping habits and encourage waking up slightly earlier each morning. You can make it a point to have breakfast together in order to spend some time with the child when everyone is bright, refreshed and rested. This will lead to a better quality of interaction.
Image source: videoblocks
Sonal is a multiple award winning blogger and writer and the founder of a women-centric manpower search firm - www.rianplacements.com. Her first book, a volume of poetry - Islands in the stream - is slated read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address