Should exercise be used to discipline children ?

When I was in boarding school I remember that the girl's warden would send all of us on a 1 km run followed by squats if anyone of us were indisciplined or did anything which the warden did'nt approve of?

We all dreaded that one kilometer run and to this day cannot fathom how it helped discipline us? but it did definitely ensure that I disliked running. Using any form of exercise as punishment ensures that children develop a negative relationship with exercise.

This sort of physical punishment seems to be the norm in most schools. I see it today as well. I take my son for tennis and I see kids being sent on multiple rounds of the field if they have been indisciplined i.e(late for class,talking and not focusing, not playing up to the level they are at). I am not sure if this sort of punishment is really effective in sending the right message across to kids. 

It is very sad, that physical activity, particularly exercise is used my many PE teachers and coaches to discipline and punish kids but this has to stop! We have already created a culture of exercise haters. When we use exercise as punishment , we are promoting negative attitude towards exercising that carries over to adulthood.

 The other day my 6 year old missed hitting the target and he was sent on a couple of rounds of the field for not performing without being given a logical explanation, after the class got over he told me he didn't want to continue with tennis anymore. On speaking with the coach he told me that is how discipline is drilled into kids as far as sports is concerned.

I told him that it would work with older kids but not the younger ones who play for fun and don't understand or feel pressured about competition. They have their entire lives to compete but right now it's about them getting a good 60 minutes of play which would benefit their health. Especially since there are so many kids these days who are over-weight and who would rather be indoors than outdoors. The health of the future generation is the hands of these coaches. I think he understood and appreciated my point of view!!

But, why do these coaches and PE teachers want to take the joy of playing away from these young kids? I agree discipline and the spirit of competition is important but I am sure there are better ways of handling situations amongst kids so young. Most of our kids in any case get relatively less physical activity in comparison to the amount our generation used to get. So by attaching a negative consequence to any form of sport at such a young age would only drive the child away from that sport. Infact positive actions on the field should be highlighted and applauded.

A young child shows exemplary behavior on the field , have everyone clap for him. Think about it , even as an adult , would you work harder if your boss praised you for your efforts or derided you for your weakness? I would go for the former. So with young kids we should praise them for their efforts , praise them for being disciplined, reward them for good behavior but do not punish them physically or emotionally for doing the opposite.

There are a variety of ways kids can be disciplined on the field:

a) Communication is of key importance. Speak to the child and understand what has triggered the behavior? ( it could be fatigue, hunger , thirst, anxiety).
b) Give the child a warning before taking any action.
c) Give the child time out and explain to the child why he has been ask to do so.
d) Always reward and praise good behavior.
e) PE teachers and coaches need to speak to the parents so that they can counsel the child.

We need to help children develop healthy and positive attitudes towards various forms of physical activities so that they maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. There are so many kids who suffer from diabetes and blood pressure at such a young age because of the lack of any physical activity.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Chocolate Covered Date Rolls

My son has always been a big fan of pancakes. There was a phase when all he wanted to eat were pancakes , for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. I wasn't very happy about the amount of maida (refined flour) that was going inside him. I decided to give the regular pancake recipe a healthy twist. I wanted it to be healthy and yet be yummy because kids are pretty difficult to please in the culinary department.

So here goes - (recipe makes 4 small pancakes)

Whole Wheat Flour (atta) - 1/2 cup

Cooking chocolate (morde dark ) -  50 gms (broken into tiny bits)

Egg - 1

Baking powder - 1/4 spoon

Brown/Demerara sugar - 1 Table spoon

Milk - 20 ml

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Take a bowl and add the egg and sugar and mix. Add the milk and stir till the sugar dissolves. Now add the flour slowly and continue stiring till it is a smooth mix. Add the cooking chocolate and the baking powder and give it one final stir.

Add olive oil to a pan and pour in a dollop of the pancake batter. Watch the pancake rise and flip over when the lower side has turned a beautiful golden brown. Once the pancake is golden brown on both ends, take it off the pan. If your child loves jam. You can serve the pancake with some delicious strawberry/ raspberry preserve. You could also sprinkle some pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on top to add a crunchy texture.

Chocolate Date Rolls:

De-pitted dates 

Almonds

Cooking chocolate

Crushed almonds and chia seeds (you can use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds as well)

Remove the seed from the date and put an almond in its place. Melt some cooking chocolate in a pan. Once the cooking chocolate has melted and dip the dates in the chocolate till they are completely covered. Now roll the chocolate covered date over the crushed almonds and chia seed mix. Let this cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Both these treats makes for a great dessert and breakfast for the little ones. If your child is not a chocolate fan , you can replace the chocolate with cinnamon powder.

Do try this out and let me know what your little ones think! ❤️❤️❤️

How to make an easy to do rangoli with your kids?

Diwali is'nt always about bursting crackers but there are other amazing ways of celebrating Diwali with your loved ones. I am hoping that everyone in Delhi is going to be more responsible and will not burst any crackers.

The most fun thing that my son looks forward to every Diwali is to make a rangoli. You can do the same with your kids. Below I have given a step wise procedure. It's so easy to do that your kids can do it on their own.

1) First take any circular lid and place it on the surface you want to make the rangoli on.

2) Now put heaps of colour on all around the lid.

3) Lift the lid.

4) With a fork move the colour towards the center. It will start looking like a flower.

5) Clean the center of the flower with your finger by moving it in a circular motion.

6) Fill the circle with colour of your choice.

7) Place heaps of colour around and flatten with a smaller cap.

8) Make a hole in the center and fill with colour.

Benefits of making a rangoli with your kids:
a) Develops aesthetic sense in your child.
b) Pattern making improves logical and critical thinking.
c)Teaches your child colour sense.
d)Improves creativity and imagination.

Wishing you all very happy and prosperous Diwali.