Screen-Free Meal Time | स्क्रीनशिवाय जेवण - एका आईचा अनुभव
लेखक : डॉ. रसिका ठोसर वाघोलीकर
आजकालच्या डिजिटल युगात...
Curious Copycat
Little ones in this age group are great observers. They learn by copying the elders. When a baby is born, it’s brain has a lot of unconnected neurons.
How does ChikuPiku help?
ChikuPiku has a treasure trove of Marathi Stories for kids. Our youngest subscribers start enjoying stories, colourful illustrations, and songs. These experiences of storytelling, picture reading and conversations with parents help create neural pathways in young minds.
How to use the Magazines and Audio Stories for Kids
- Recognizing characters, talking about what the characters are doing can be a great way of initiating them into reading.
- Meal time can be screen free.
- Bedtime routine can include listening to Audio Stories.
- Children can learn, enjoy and perform rhythmic songs with easy words.
- Picture reading can be a great activity to improve observational skills.
- Parents have conversations like - What is this elephant doing? Where is the fish going? Who is hiding behind the tree?
- Children can be given crayons and pencils and encouraged to do activities. Even if the children scribble something or tear the pages, it is okay.
Screen Time
UNICEF recommends that children below the age of 2 shouldn’t be given any screen time. Children enjoy cartoons because they have animated pictures that change every second. The brain simply receives information when exposed to extended screen time, it doesn’t think. The brain gets tired. Reducing screen time and replacing some of this time with games, stories for children, conversations, visits to the garden and other outdoor activities would help the child.
Nutrition and growth
Children grow rapidly in 1-3 years. Brain, digestive system, and immune system are developing. This is the right age to form a good relationship with food, taste, color, texture. A few tips….
- Omega 3 fats, if consumed at an early age, helps increase the number of brain cells. This number does not increase after the third year of age. Therefore, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, cow's milk, and linseed should be given to children regularly.
- Use of sugar should be minimized as much as possible.
- When giving milk or formula for the first time, it should be given without sugar so that children get to know its original taste.
- Be sure to talk to the children about what we are going to have for dinner today.
- If you want sweet milk, you can add dates or kharik.
- It's a great habit to involve children in choosing vegetables, peeling and chopping fruits.
- Let the whole family eat together at least once a day. .
- Let's encourage eating with their own hands
- Don't feed while showing the screen.
Importance of sleep
Children between the ages of 1 and 3 need about 12 hours of sleep every day. Enzymes necessary for the growth of children are produced during sleep. Babies can take two naps during the day and sleep straight through the night.
Healthy sleep habits
- Children should sleep early at night. Children shouldn’t be awake after 10 pm.
- Children should have a fixed sleeping place.
- Decide a suitable time to sleep and stick to it.
- Children should not be shown on screen at all while sleeping.
- Children can be lulled to sleep by closing the curtains, dimming the lights, and telling bedtime stories and soothing lullabies.