What classes are your kids doing?” is a question I receive regularly from fellow moms. Our school WhatsApp group pings away day after day with information about the wide range of classes and workshops available to kids: robotics, music, phonics, handwriting, crafts, chess, and Rubix cube coaching to name a few. The parents who ask me what I’ve chosen for my kids do so because they find their children have “too much” free time after school, and classes seem like the ideal way to fill that time.
Last academic year, I felt this way myself, and made the switch from keeping a relaxed schedule for my kids to having something for them to attend six days a week. By the end of the year, I felt as harried as the executive assistant of a high-flying CEO, spending a great deal of mental energy managing their timetables, setting alarms on my phone to remind them to log into online sessions, fielding messages from teachers who needed to cancel and reschedule, and finding time slots for these make-up classes.
But this column is not about the parent’s burden (I have already written one called “Dear Mom, Do Less” that addresses this matter!). It is about what we are depriving children of by scheduling them down to the minute: free play, boredom, and the wonderful things that can develop out of both.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av PROVOKE Lifestyle.
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Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av PROVOKE Lifestyle.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CAKES, CHEER & CHRISTMAS!
THE CAKE-MIXING TRADITION IS A JOYFUL PRELUDE TO THE FESTIVE SEASON AND SYMBOLISES UNITY, HOPE, AND ABUNDANCE. WE WENT AROUND THE CITY TO CHECK OUT THE CELEBRATIONS THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER COMMUNITIES TO MIX DRIED FRUITS, NUTS, SPICES, AND SPIRITS INFUSING THEM WITH LAUGHTER AND LOVEA BEAUTIFUL RITUAL THAT PROMOTES TOGETHERNESS, AS HANDS STIR AND HEARTS CONNECT.
EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF TRANSMISSION
HERE IS AN INTERESTING PIECE OF INFORMATION. MARUTI PRODUCED INDIA'S FIRST AUTOMATIC CAR UNDER ITS MARUTI 800 BRAND. THE CAR WHICH WAS A THREE-SPEED AUTOMATIC WAS THEN EXCLUSIVELY RESERVED FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE. WE HAVE CERTAINLY COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN. CURRENTLY 30% OF THE CARS SOLD IN INDIA ARE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. PEOPLE CURRENTLY HAVE VARIOUS TRANSMISSION OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET WHICH THEY CAN CHOOSE DEPENDING ON THEIR DRIVE REQUIREMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE ARE GOING TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TRANSMISSIONS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET AND THEIR PROS AND CONS.
You Could Go Blind Rubbing Your Eyes
KERATOCONUS PATIENTS ARE GETTING YOUNGER! IS SCREEN TIME TO BLAME?
Sober Curious: Is Gen Z setting a new trend?
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DRINKING LESS THAN EVER BEFORE, AND MANY ARE EXPLORING THE BENEFITS OF SOBRIETY. IS WELLNESS-MAXXING OVERTAKING PARTY CULTURE? READ ON TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SOBER CURIOUS MOVEMENT AND WHY YOU MAY WANT TO JOIN IT.
Glow Safely: How to Avoid Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics
DR. HARINDER ARYA IS INDIA'S FIRST PEPTIDE SCIENTIST AND IS WELL-KNOWN GLOBALLY FOR HER RESEARCH ON SAFE FORMULATIONS FOR HAIR, SCALP AND SKINCARE. SHE IS A PART OF MANY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA INITIATIVES AND HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH PREMIUM RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN THE COUNTRY. SHE IS THE CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF-SCIENTIST AT INDUS VALLEY COSMETICS. SHE SHARES SOME TIPS ON HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM TOXIC INGREDIENTS.
Embracing Autism A Mother's Perspective
MY JOURNEY WITH MY AUTISTIC SON, WHO IS NOW 28, HAS BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE FILLED WITH UPS AND DOWNS.
GADGETS LAB Best of Tech 2024
THE TECH LANDSCAPE OF 2024 IS DEFINED BY INNOVATIONS THAT BLEND FUNCTIONALITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES, PUSHING BOUNDARIES ACROSS VARIOUS SECTORS. THIS YEAR'S STANDOUT DEVICES SHOWCASE IMPRESSIVE ADVANCEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AUGMENTED REALITY, AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, MAKING TECHNOLOGY MORE INTEGRATED INTO DAILY LIFE THAN EVER. ALTOGETHER, 2024'S TECH INNOVATIONS UNDERSCORE A SMARTER, GREENER, AND DEEPLY PERSONALISED FUTURE.
Adventure Trippin' in Kerala
BEYOND THE BACKWATERS AND THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES OF KERALA, THERE'S A WHOLE NEW WORLD WAITING TO BE EXPLORED. WHILE GOD'S OWN COUNTRY MAY BE A HAVEN OF TRANQUILITY AND PEACE, THOSE SEEKING AN ADRENALINE RUSH CAN TRY THEIR HAND AT ANY OF THESE ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FAST BECOMING POPULAR.
Trend spotlight: STYLES TO SHINE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
DECEMBER IS HERE, AND THAT MEANS THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. WITH CHRISTMAS BRUNCHES AND NEW YEAR'S EVE INVITES ROLLING IN, EVERYONE'S FOCUS IS ON PLANNING THE PERFECT OUTFITS FOR THAT HOLIDAY, PARTY-READY LOOK. I'M ALL ABOUT EFFORTLESS STYLING, SO HERE'S YOUR GO-TO GUIDE TO SHINE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH MINIMAL EFFORT.
MAN ON A MISSION - Dr J Radhakrishnan
DR J RADHAKRISHNAN IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR IAS OFFICERS IN TAMIL NADU AND IS KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT ESPECIALLY DURING TRYING TIMES SUCH AS COVID, CHENNAI FLOODS, KUMBAKONAM FIRE TRAGEDY AND SO ON. HE IS CURRENTLY THE ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY AND PRINCIPAL SECRETARY FOR CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, TAMIL NADU.