Parents and Teachers - Meet

On this 25th of Jan (well, the previous Saturday) to be precise, The Centre had their Parents-Teacher Meet.

In spite of the intense cold, most of the parents of students belonging to the school section came to discuss points related to their child's overall progress and needs. It was a fruitful day because interacting with the caregiver of a special child is always a delightful experience in itself.

During this PTM though, the Centre decided to try and reach out to the parents in another way too. Since the beginning of January, 2 young law students were regularly visiting the Centre and conducting research on various regulations and rules related to the the Disabled community in India. They were primarily here to complete their internship but were also given this task in an attempt to help parents understand more about their children's basic rights!

Diksha Pathak, the intern in concern and a student at the Nirma Institute of Law, Ahmedabad hosted a short, informative and very useful lecture on the basic rights of special people. A greater awareness of these rights will help parents understand how far they can go to help their children, fundamentally!

A Big Hug from The Spastics Centre, Kanpur

Tips to Keep your Special Child Warm This Freeeezing Winterrr

Every child needs a tad more special care and attention during extreme weather conditions. The intense cold that is a yearly guest to the North Indian regions can actually create more havoc than anything else, literally speaking! If the human body starts reacting to the cold in a negative manner, all sorts of health problems ranging from Tubercolosis, Intense Cold and Cough, Hypothermia and others can begin.

For children in general, staying warm is of utmost importance during the winter. Special children are not always in a position to express their discomforts with us. As a result, it is very important to take precautions from the beginning itself.

• As soon as the temperatures start dropping, irrespective of whether you think it's cold or not,  put on a jacket on your child before sending him to school.
• Cover your child's neck and ear area with a scarf or old cloth throughout the winters. These are sensitive body parts that can suffer from intense cold and subsequently once the cold settles in, it can lead to other problems. 
• Ensure that your child ALWAYS wears woolen socks throughout the winter. It is important to ensure that the socks are always clean though. Dirty socks can quickly lead to skin infections in the cold. 
• A woolen cap or hat is a must during the winters. Protecting the head will help prevent headaches, or intense cold from affecting the brain and more. It will also help keep the body warm. 
• Ensure that the child is kept warm when indoors. Use heaters, light small fires or use blankets and layered clothing to keep the child warm.
• Avoid allowing the child to go out too much in the Winter. The chill in the air can affect the body and cause severe health problems. 

While these essential tips apply to almost anybody, if you are caring for a special child, you have to be a tad more careful!

Celebrating The Festive December Spirit and Cheer

December is a month of cheer and celebrations the world over. The spirit of Christmas, the chill in the winter air and the oncoming New Year instills in every single body a spirit of fun, excitement, hope and above all, something new to look forward to.

Just like the festivities in the air create a cheerful ambience for all of us, the spirit of excitement in the air doesn't forget to miss our little children. Teaching young ones to understand the importance of every festival is just as important as instilling in them the spirit of tolerance and acceptance. This is why at The Spastics Centre here at Kanpur, we fondly remember to celebrate everything and in several ways - everyone!

To mark the Birth of Christ and the end of one year and beginning of another, the teachers and students had a small ceremony indoors. The severe cold in the air ensured that the ceremony was held indoors, otherwise we would have been more than happy using the natural cover of the Sun and Sky!

Shikha, the music teacher had taught the children to sing two songs, one each to represent the festivals that were being marked. The children stood in their cute little red and white outfits and held candles in their hands while singing to the rhythm of her harmonium.

One of the students was dressed up as Santa Claus and threw an array of sweets around the hall. No wonder Santa Claus is loved so much the world over. The music continued to play while the young teachers and their students slowly got up to dance to the tunes of a few songs. No celebration is complete without some dancing after all, isn't it?

Life is all about celebrating every moment, every thing that comes our way. If we only to live it simply, that would be so much more than enough!

Paroma