Thanks to technology we have more means of communicating and staying in touch today, yet it is ironic that we don’t seem to have enough time to do just that – ‘stay in touch with loved ones’.  Call it the perils of urban life or simply a problem of plenty but it cannot be ignored that loneliness is a large contributor to depression, especially amongst senior citizens.

While senior citizens are slowly getting accustomed to the spare time that comes with retirement and grown-up children and their families busy with their own lives and often living in different parts of the world, what often has an irreversible impact on this second-life that they painstakingly create is the death of a partner or spouse.  Often, this loss leads to depression and severely impairs the senior person’s ability to lead a fulfilling life.   » Continue reading “22 Feb 10, Monday: Mumbai Mirror, page 3, Sunday, 21 Feb 10 – ‘knot for seniors’”

Would like to start this series with tales that help children understand rational concepts; this way, as we go along, you (the reader) will soon be able to identify the kind of fiction that your child would benefit from.

The first ‘must-watch’ in my list is the animation film ‘Ratatouille’.

Short synopsis of the tale: would you even step into, let alone eat a meal that is cooked by a rat? This story is just that:  a heart-warming tale of a rat who wants to be a chef against all odds (family disapproval, failures and heartache and his being a ‘rat’).   » Continue reading “19 Feb 10, Friday: fairytales and children – part 2.”

First of all, children with learning disabilities are normal and if not more, then as gifted and talented as the rest of the kids out there; having understood and accepted this truth is perhaps half the battle won for parents of children with LD.
Raising a child with LD has its fair share of challenges and heartaches but ask ANY parent and they will tell you that raising a child is literally no child’s play (no pun intended). » Continue reading “18 Feb 10, Thursday: Learning disability (LD)”

A seemingly ‘light’ read which talks about how children who are looked after by grandparents are at a much higher risk of obesity as compared with those in the care of nurseries or other caregivers.
However, the root of this problem is much deeper and more pervasive: the problem of indulgence.   » Continue reading “17 Feb 10, Wednesday: the Times of India (‘ToI’), Tuesday, 16 Feb 10, page 21 “doting grandparents can make children obese”.”

We human beings have this innate tendency to categorise; we swear by our generalisations – this is perhaps where our deep-rooted and often unfounded views on communities, people and places originated.

Sadly so, because if there is one truth, it is that people cannot be categorised; agreed that our culture and experiences mould who we are as people but generalisations take away from us a vast, second-to-none chance of discovering people and cultures. » Continue reading “16 Feb 10, Tuesday: The UTV Bindaas full-page print ad. Bombay Times, Tuesday, 15 Feb 10, last page.”

Victims of tragedies such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters (tsunami, floods etc) require time and care to recover not just from the physical wounds but from the emotional pain and loss that such incidents cause.
Survivors and families of the deceased often go through what is called ‘survivor’s guilt’ and if overlooked or ignored, this overwhelming remorse of having survived when a loved one lost his life can severely impair one’s ability to lead a normal life.   » Continue reading “15 Feb 10, Monday: Pune: the German bakery bomb blast.”

A few days ago (9 Feb 10), we ran a blog on sexual harassment at the workplace and stressed on the need for employers taking on a much larger role and making the working environment safe for its most valuable resource – its people.

While it is an employer’s legal and moral responsibility to ensure safety of its employees, what would one say about the scope of that responsibility when it comes to law makers and enforcers themselves?   » Continue reading “12 Feb 10, Friday: Mumbai Mirror, Thursday, 11 Feb 10: page 8 – “harassed female PSI cries foul against senior””

A welcome step in the right direction; one only hopes that the officials attending callers are well equipped to handle the stress that the students and parents face especially when the exams are around the corner.
A long term goal for the Board should be to have professionally-manned, counselling centres for students and parents all year around; this can go a long way in preventing students from succumbing to exam and other pressures.   » Continue reading “Mumbai Mirror, Thursday, 11 Feb 10: page 3 – “Board opens helpline for SSC, HSC examinees, appeals against misuse””

Being a keen reader and lover of children’s fiction, I have often wondered their impact on young minds and this very thought became an idea for my new series of blogs – fiction that promote rational and irrational thinking in children – presenting the introductory chapter to this series.   » Continue reading “10 Feb 10, Wednesday: fairytales and children – part 1.”

While our country has made significant economic progress over the years, it continues to remain way behind when it comes to sexual harassment policies and laws at the workplace.  Agreed that the apex court has framed laws that punish sexual harassment at workplaces but that’s not enough; most employers continue to have a lax attitude towards this issue.

In most reported cases, the perpetrator is either let off too easily or if he or she is a good performer then matters are often even overlooked, what is worse is that the victim is made to believe that it was perhaps his or her doing that lead to the sexual misdemeanour in the first place.
The need of the hour is not punishment; employers need to take up this issue more seriously and take concrete preventive measures to ensure the safety of its most valuable resource – the human capital.   » Continue reading “Mumbai Mirror, Tuesday, 9 Feb 10: page 4 – “Bank may sack staffer over sexual harassment charge””