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Parent Circle is published by Nalina Ramalakshmi, Director, Shri Harini Media Pvt. Ltd. All editorial material including editorial comments, opinions and statement of facts ap-pearing in this publication, represent the views of its respective authors and does not necessarily carry the endorsement of the publishers. Information carried in Parent Circle is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication of any advertisements or listings is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or service offered.

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For the Parent in youTo know, to understand, to connect

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In a New York Times article on fathers, Sara S McLanahan, a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton, is quoted as saying, “In the last 20 years, everyone’s been talking about how important it is for fathers to be involved. But now the idea is that the better the

couple gets along, the better it is for the child.”

A father definitely plays an important role in raising his children. A mother’s nature is to nurture and protect. Fathers, on the other hand, bring in a different perspective to child rearing. They tend to be more objective and logical in their approach, interacting with children in playful, active ways. However, it is important for a father not only to be an involved dad, but also to be a supportive husband. Several studies now indicate that the more closely a couple works together in the raising of children and the more love and support the parents have for each other, the more success they will have in raising happy, confident and independent children.

Today, it is heartening to see more dads getting involved in the lives of their children and sharing other family responsibilities with their wives. Our cover story, ‘Dads in Charge’, features several fathers who are not just the breadwinners of the family, but are great dads and supportive husbands.

Every child in India has a right to basic education. This is the spirit of the Right To Education (RTE) Act. However, there are several loopholes and a lack of clarity in the law that has led to a lot of confusion regarding RTE among educators and parents alike. Our article, ‘RTE Primer’, answers the most frequently asked questions regarding this law and its implications.

September 5th is Teacher’s Day. In honour of our teachers, our Centrespread features children talking about their favourite teachers. We also have a special article, ‘Parents & Teachers in Partnership’, in which both parents and teachers discuss how they can work together in the best interests of the child.

We value your feedback. Please give us your opinions about the magazine and tell us what features you would like to see.

Parents are the child’s first teachers. Wishing everyone a ‘Happy Teacher’s Day’!

NALINA RAMALAKSHMI

Parent Circle / August 20122

TEEN CIRCLE The Dangers of Teen Alcohol Abuse

DESTINATIONS How to Tame a Thunder Dragon in Seven Days

CIRCLE OF LIFE Home Green Home

CHECK IT OUT Fantasy Fiction: Movie Adaptations

PARENT CHEF Wholesome Wholegrain Foods

RESOURCES

FORUM

MINDSET “Telling lies? No, momma!”

LEARNING Make your Photos Tell A Tale

ROOTS The Qualities of a Guru and a Shishya

CENTRESPREAD Teacher’s Day Tribute

FEATURE Parents & Teachers in Partnership

HEALTH CIRCLE All About Antibiotic Resistance

REGULARS

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38 ON THE COVER HARISH KUMAR & ISHA HARISH

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARJUN DOGRA

contents

Dads in ChargeCOVER STORY 20 SPECIAL 10

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KALEIDOSCOPE

YOUR WORD

PARENT EXPRESS Staying-At-Home: A Dad Blogs

YOUR IDEAS Moms to the Rescue

DISCUSSION POINT CCTVs in Schools

An RTE Primer

Parent Circle / August 20126

As a parent, the first time your child lies to you, you are in shock. ‘How can my little one lie to me?’, you wonder.

‘I love her so much. Surely she ought to be honest with me.’ You are angry, baffled, and hurt. You shout at your child, “Lying is wrong. Always be honest.”

Most of us aspire to have a relationship with our child in which the child feels comfortable enough to tell us anything, no matter what she has done. But it is not enough to say “Don’t you dare lie to me”. This can only evolve by deeply analyzing the situation and asking ourselves questions like “Why did my child feel the need to lie to me?’ Maybe if I can understand and meet my child’s needs, then this situation will not arise.”

A few parents have shared their experiences about their children lying to them and what they have learnt by stepping back and reflecting on what had happened. Read on to see what you can learn from their experiences.8

Telling lies? No, momma!

mindset

BY KESANG MENEZES

Parent Circle / August 201210

BY CHITRA SATYAVASAN

RTEPRIMERRights and wrongs of the Right to Education Act

In the 83rd constitutional amendment of 2002, Article 21A was inserted into our Constitution.

It reads: ‘The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of

6 to 14 years in such manner as the State may by law determine.’ To enforce this, the Right of

Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 came into existence and in April

this year, the Supreme Court upheld its constitutional validity.

Since then, the RTE Act has been making headlines, often for the wrong reasons. In Chennai,

an IT couple, together earning `30 lakh per annum as salary, demanded admission and free

education for their child in a neighbourhood school under the ‘weaker section’ category as per

the RTE Act. In Bengaluru, children had their hair cut off by a school to identify them as RTE

students. As parents, the headlines on RTE may not have escaped your notice.

In our article, we demystify the RTE Act, stripped of the legalese, and take you to the heart of the

matter with the help of eminent lawyers, educationists and NGOs.

special

ANPavelSvoboda Shutterstock.com

Parent Circle / August 201220

BY KRITHIKA SUNDARAM

cover story

Parent Circle / August 201226

BY RANGASHREE SRINIVAS

By chance, while emptying an old closet, we come across old and brittle black and white photographs. In these pictures, we see our

grandfathers and great-grandfathers posing regally against Greek columns or standing against a painted vase overflowing with European flowers. These photos often have us wondering about the life and times of our ancestors.

Every household has photo albums that are decades old, predating the current era of digital

photography. How do we

preserve this treasure trove of family lore, immortalizing our predecessors and our own lives for the generations to come? We can try and relive their times by piecing together stories from the family heirloom of memories.

Today, digitizing photo prints and archiving them can be easily done, and it is an important aspect of chronicling family history. We can involve our children actively in this project. Their knowledge of technology can be put to use even as they learn about their roots and history. Here are a few ways of using technology to re-create your family history through these pictures.

MAKE YOUR PHOTOS TELL A TALE

learning

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