Storyscapes - Ep 1: The Disappearance

Episode 4: The CelebrationIn our final episode, Aadhya, Rudrakshi, Viran, Sitara and Dev look back at the week — from discovering that their storybooks have gone missing, to following clues, finding their books, and discovering all the different ways stories can be told along the way. They also recount the Character Parade, sharing who they dressed up as and the books their characters came from.But the real highlight? The library is finally ready for storytime again. Together, the children reshelve their rescued books and bring the library back to life.And with that, we close the first season of Storyscapes — a week of lost books, treasure hunts, characters, stories and plenty of imagination.But we all know… a good story is never really the end.Stay tuned to this space for everything else our children have to say :)

Episode 3: The Book HospitalIn this episode, Trinay, Kaaira, and Ridhira take us back through their Storyscapes adventure — from the day the books mysteriously disappeared to the day they finally found them again!But there was one little problem… the books weren’t feeling their best. So, off they went to the book hospital! There, the children learnt how to care for their books, cover them, mend their torn pages with tape, and give them lots of love.They also met a book binder and got a peek into the wonderful world of making and repairing books — discovering all the little things that help a book stay ready for a good story.With their books feeling better and ready to go home, the children are getting the library ready for the return of story time. 

Episode 2: The Great Book HuntThe mystery continues at Storyscapes — and today, our young Storykeepers set out to find the missing books!Armed with their own maps, Zhuri, Ishana, Aran, Rishi and their fellow explorers went on a treasure hunt across Amra, searching high and low for the books that had disappeared. Along the way, they discovered clues, explored different studios, and eventually rescued a whole collection of books.But the books had clearly been on quite an adventure themselves. Dusty, worn and a little worse for wear, they finally made their way back into the hands of their Storykeepers.In today's episode, the children piece together their adventure — where they went, how they followed the clues, what they discovered, and what they think should happen next.

Episode 1: Where Have All the Books Gone?Storyscapes has begun, and the children have a mystery to solve — the books have disappeared!In our first episode, Zoya, Daven, Rithanya, and Ishanvi share their theories about what might have happened to the books, where they could have gone, and what they think we could do without them. Along the way, they explore a different way of bringing stories to life: storytelling with puppets and props.From curious predictions to imaginative ideas, this episode captures the children's first steps into a week of discovering just how many ways there are to tell, share and experience a story.And this is only the beginning…

Navigating sleep during the early years can be anything but dreamy. It's a rollercoaster ride of sleep regressions and bedtime battles. From newborns who seem to have no concept of day and night, to toddlers resisting bedtime like champions of protest, each stage comes with its own set of sleep patterns. And just when you think you've figured it all out, a new milestone or developmental leap can tip the scales once again. As parents, understanding these ever-evolving sleep patterns is crucial. It helps anticipate challenges and adapt the strategies accordingly. On this podcast episode, we'll delve into the details about age appropriate sleep requirements, indicators of readiness for various stages of sleep and shed light on transition from co-sleeping to independent sleeping. Sleep is vital for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. In this guide, we explore age-appropriate sleep needs and readiness indicators to establish healthy sleep routines, nurture growth, and ensure peaceful nights for both you and your child. Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours of sleep per day, typically in 2-3 hour stretches, with frequent feeding. Newborns need frequent feeding and sleep cycles.  Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours of sleep per day, including nighttime sleep and naps. Nighttime sleep may become more consolidated. As babies grow, they might show signs of readiness for sleep training, longer nighttime sleep stretches, and established nap schedules. Toddlers (1-2 years):  11-14 hours of sleep per day, which may include one or two naps. Toddlers tend to consolidate sleep into one nap during the day and longer nighttime sleep. They may start showing an interest in bedtime routines and may resist going to bed. Preschoolers (3-5 years):  10-13 hours of sleep per day, with most children transitioning to one daytime nap. They may start resisting naps altogether, indicating readiness to transition to no daytime nap. Transition from co sleeping to independent sleeping: Transitioning from co-sleeping to independent sleep is a significant step in your child's development and a milestone in their journey towards sleep independence. Here are some dos and don'ts to follow while transitioning. Do:  >Create a calming and consistent bedtime routine that helps signal to the child that it's time to sleep.  >Pay attention to your child's daytime naps. Ensure they are age-appropriate and not too close to bedtime, as excessive daytime napping can interfere with nighttime sleep. >Bring familiar sleep associations from co-sleeping into the baby's new sleep space, such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. Don't:  >Rush the transition. Give your baby time to adjust to the new sleeping arrangement at their own pace. >Abruptly stop co-sleeping if it's been the norm. This can be distressing for the baby.  >Allow excessive screen time before bedtime. The blue light from screens can interfere with the child's ability to fall asleep.

Sometimes it might seem like the littlest kids have the biggest emotions. Emotions that come out in loud, unpredictable, and sometimes aggressive ways.  When big emotions are too much for our little ones, we can see tantrums, mean words, or impulsive behaviour. Some of the most common emotions children feel are: Anger, Sadness, Fear, Jealousy to name a few. While it would be wonderful if children were naturally equipped to stay calm and respond to disappointments or anger in a manageable way, that's not how they work. Young children lack the vocabulary to express their desires or articulate their emotions fully. The resulting frustration can make them susceptible to being overwhelmed by intense feelings. This is where children need adults to step in and help them constructively. It’s important to help our children learn how to talk about their big feelings. We can give them the tools they need to express how they’re feeling, before their emotions take over. Every outburst is an opportunity to steer them in a different direction and to strengthen the skills they need to name and manage their emotions in a way that works for them. We want our children to know All emotions are okay and normal, and want them to understand that it’s okay to feel whatever they are feeling. We also want them to know that emotions aren’t permanent, and if they ride that emotional wave it will eventually end. Big emotions and tantrums are NOT a sign of bad parenting or bad children. They are never that. Taking tantrums or wild behaviour personally can make it more difficult to use them as an opportunity to nurture valuable skills in a child. It can be easy to feel judged when your child choose the top of the escalator on a busy Saturday morning to throw themselves on the ground because you peeled their banana all the way to the bottom and nothing – nothing – can ever be the same again, but you are raising humans, and it’s hard and it’s important and the path is a crooked one with plenty of uphills, downhills, and hairpin curves. 

The first 3 years of life is the most influential period for acquiring speech and language skills. These skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others. This is when the brain is best able to absorb language. So, it’s a nobrainer to expose children to language in as many ways as possible in this critical period. Children vary in their development of speech and language skills. However, they follow a natural progression or timetable for mastering the skills of language. Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss, while other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder. Verbal communication is interpersonal communication that includes oral communication, written communication, and sign language. Nonverbal communication encompasses a whole host of physicalized nonverbal cues that convey emotional states and complement verbal messages Reading is one of the best ways to encourage communication and language development. As an infant, hearing words and seeing pictures helps a child understand the two are connected. This lays a foundation for speech, which begins around nine months and typically increases as a child grows. Parents and caregivers play a big role in a child’s communication and language development. Here are some suggestions for how to encourage this development: Answer when your baby makes sounds. This will help him/her learn to use language. Read to your baby. This will help him/her develop and understand language and sounds. Help to develop your toddler’s language by talking with him/her and adding words. For example, if your toddler says "baba,” you can respond, "Yes, you are right – that is a bottle." Encourage your child to tell you his/her name and age. Help your child develop language skills by speaking in complete sentences and using "grown-up" words. Help your child to use the correct words and phrases. Children who have trouble understanding what others say (receptive language) or difficulty sharing their thoughts (expressive language) may have a language disorder. Specific language impairment (SLI) is a language disorder that delays the mastery of language skills. Some children with SLI may not begin to talk until their third or fourth year. Children who have trouble producing speech sounds correctly or who hesitate or stutter when talking may have a speech disorder. Apraxia of speech is a speech disorder that makes it difficult to put sounds and syllables together in the correct order to form words.

Making informed choices during childbirth can be complex and multilayered. Understanding the various interventions in childbirth, pain relieving methods, common misconceptions and risks involved can go a long way in helping families understand the implications of every decision they make. Normal labor and delivery is the term used when the baby is born in head down position at full term (9 months) through the vagina (birth canal) after spontaneous labor pains. Typically, for first-time mothers normal labor may last anywhere from 6 to 18 hours. In low-risk births, a normal labor and delivery is safer for the mother and baby over a c-section. It allows you to breastfeed your baby sooner and helps you recover faster. Normal delivery process has the following three stages Stage I is when the contractions in uterus cause opening and shortening of the cervix i.e. the mouth of the uterus. Stage II is when the  cervix is fully open and the baby descends down the birth canal. The mother pushes and gives birth to the baby. Stage III is when delivery of placenta (i.e. the organ that supplies nutrients to the baby) occurs.  A pain-sensitive woman requires one of many pharmacological (using medications) methods using intravenous medications for short durations which have their limitations due to temporary undesired side effects during labor affecting both mother and the child. Inhaling (Entonox) Nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture relieves anxiety, helps to tolerate mild pain in the early 1ststage and during the 2nd stage of labor from second delivery onwards. Interventional techniques like spinal and epidural would give us maximum safety profile and comfort to the delivering mother. Spinal may be used in urgency when pain relief is needed for a short duration towards the end of 1st stage. Epidural is the gold standard and gives at least 90% pain relief.

The first 1,000 days of a human life also known as the Thousand Day Window of Opportunity- is the time spanning roughly between conception and one’s second birthday. More than 1,000,000 new brain connections are formed per second in the first years of a child’s life. 80% of brain development happens before the age two. This is a unique period of opportunity when the foundations of optimum health, growth, and neurodevelopment across the lifespan are established. While the human brain continues to develop and change throughout life, the most rapid period of brain growth and its period of highest plasticity is in the last trimester of pregnancy and the first two years of life. For the first 6 months, exclusive feeding is beneficial for both the baby and mother. Breastfeeding can be done until the baby is 24 months or beyond (dependent on mother’s choice and baby’s reciprocation). Breast milk is an important source of nutrients and energy for the babies. It can provide half or more than half of an infant’s energy needs between the ages of 6 and 12 months. And also provides one third of energy needs to babies between 12 and 24 months. Breast milk is very important to protect the babies from harmful infections and also reduces the mortality rate in case of malnourishment. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends introducing complementary foods (i.e., any solid or liquid other than breast milk or infant formula) to infants at approximately age 6 months. Although a consensus on ideal timing is lacking, most experts agree that introduction of complementary foods before age 4 months is too early because of infant gastrointestinal and motor immaturity. In addition, early introduction prevents exclusively breastfed infants from reaching the recommended 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and might be associated with increased risk for overweight and obesity. Many women decide on one method before the birth and then change their minds after their baby is born. And many women decide to breastfeed and supplement with formula because they find that is the best choice for their family and their lifestyle. While you're weighing the pros and cons, talk to your doctor or lactation consultant. These health care providers can give you more information about your options and help you make the best decision for your family

Developmental problems are unique in that within any single diagnosis or disorder, more than one body system may be involved. In addition, many developmental disorders—especially learning disabilities—embrace all categories and types of developmental milestones, whether social, language, fine or gross motor, or cognitive skills. This can make it impossible to categorize the symptoms of most developmental problems within just one body system or within one category of developmental milestones. Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD is a developmental occurrence that can be detected as early as 18 months. It impacts the development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Autism can cause children to experience difficulties with communication, distinct behaviour patterns like repetition (of words or behaviours); social withdrawal, lack of interest in relationships; and in some cases, speech impairments. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a spectrum which means that each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. The ways in which people with autism learn, think, and solve problems can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. While some people with ASD may require significant support in their daily lives, others may need less support or live entirely independent lives. The World Health Organisation states that one in every 160 children is Autistic. April is Autism Awareness Month and a time to celebrate and promote acceptance for the condition. Because acceptance along with kindness goes a long way in building an equal world where people on the spectrum can achieve their full potential.