Online schooling advice plea

Though schools have reopened, I am hesitant about sending my children to in-person classes as news of a third pandemic wave triggered by the Omicron variant looms. But on the other hand, the children are frustrated attending online school for almost two years. It is also adversely affecting my children’s eye sight and posture. I’m also super stressed managing office and household and child care duties.

Many parents I know feel the same way. I would appreciate a story on how parents can effectively manage online schooling.
Reema Das
Kolkata

Devastating health impact

Your cover story ‘Health hazards of popular packaged beverages’ (PW November) was an eye-opener. I was shocked to read that excessive consumption of packaged drinks can cause a range of ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. My son is an aspiring football player and loves to buy sports drinks when he visits supermarkets with his dad. I didn’t think to probe their content and ingredients, until I read your story. I now realise that sports drinks in particular are laden with sugar and stimulants to give sportspersons quick energy.

Also junk foods such as chips and biscuits contain harmful chemicals, preservatives and colouring agents. Sadly during the pandemic lockdown with children confined indoors 24×7, junk food consumption has increased. And parents because of the many socialisation restrictions children have to endure didn’t have the heart to deny them food indulgences. But sadly this will have devastating impact on their physical health and well-being in the long run.
Disha Rishab
Bengaluru

Real issue

I read the special essay about parent alienation with interest (PW November). With divorce becoming more common, this is indeed a very real issue. Especially in case of a bitter divorce, one parent tends to bad mouth and speak ill of the other, harming that parent’s future relationship with the child.
Lima Avani
Mumbai

Useful advice

I always enjoy reading your Ask the Doctor and Ask your Counsellor columns. Parenting in pandemic times has become more stressful and the advice and counsel of experts will go a long way in helping parents cope with child care challenges.

Your Careers Watch column is also useful. This generation has so many more career options than we did. My ten-year-old son wants to learn robotics and coding. Please do a story on career opportunities in robotics.
Vimala Shabra
Gurugram

Refreshingly different

Congratulations on publishing a well-rounded, information-packed magazine that is very different in style and substance from other parenting magazines available in the market.

ParentsWorld offers many well-researched stories about the problems and pressures confronting contemporary parents in India. While most magazines cater to parents of young children, it’s good to see that you are addressing issues pertaining to middle years and adolescents. Kudos to the PW team!
Maria Shekar
Mumbai

Family under threat

The special essay on parent alienation in the latest issue of ParentsWorld was thought-provoking. The institution of ‘family’ is in jeopardy today. Children need to know the security of a complete home. I believe there will be more broken families, divorces, long-distance marriages and single parent homes in the future.

Please include stories and columns that advise how to build harmonious homes and teach children good values such as commitment and loyalty. In particular, children need to be educated that marriage is an institution that needs to be honoured and preserved over the years. At the same time, parents and children of broken marriages need advice to be able to cope with emotional trauma.
Chitra M.
Chennai