Dr. Anup Kumar

While children can light up your life with joy and laughter, sometimes they can appear to be monsters with their temper tantrums and their stubbornness. Stubborn or obstinate children can be very difficult to deal with and could end up disrupting your life as well. However, there are a few techniques that mental health professionals have suggested that can help you deal with your stubborn and obstinate child. These are mentioned here briefly –

1. Hear Them Out: It’s often the case that children tend to be stubborn or obstinate and start screaming when they think they weren’t heard. This makes them feel helpless and thus forces them to bottle up and then take out their frustration by either not doing what you are telling them to do or doing exactly the opposite of that. The best treatment in this scenario is to hear them out and patiently try to resolve their problems.

2. Ensure They Follow Your Example: If one or both of the parents are extremely stubborn, then this would translate into a stubborn kid as well. Doctors have said that obstinacy is often in the genes. Also, environmental influence is a big deal for them as well. Ensure that you are flexible enough with your partner and the child picks up on it.

3. Teaching Kids About Give And Take: This is a very important lesson in life as it teaches kids to choose priorities. If you teach your kid to always give, then it sends a message that putting themselves second is the best option. However, if he or she is always fighting to take first priority, it may lead to too many conflicts later. Thus it is best to teach them that it is okay to fight for what is yours but also let others have their way sometimes. This attitude will help them develop a balanced attitude and lessen their obstinacy.

4. Give Them The Illusion Of Choice: Children are very malleable when it comes to their minds and you can use this trick to do certain things that make them appear they have some control when they actually may not. For example, if they are unwilling to go to sleep, you can say that you cannot make them sleep, but they have to stay in bed. Your child would then automatically fall asleep after some time due to boredom which would end up serving your purpose.

5. Use Scolding Or The Parent Card As A Last Resort: If any of the techniques mentioned don’t work, then you can scold or warn your kid with consequences which may result in capitulation. For example, if you child is not willing to come back and study, then try and stop them from whatever they were doing and make them sit with their books. This lets them know that certain areas you will absolutely not compromise on and they will understand the limits better. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

Research shows that overweight children have a higher chances of developing chronic health problems such as hypertension, asthma, high cholesterol, and even cancer as they grow up. Apart from these health conditions, being obese can cause severe self-esteem problems as well. In short, obesity in children, more specifically childhood obesity, can affect the overall physical, mental and emotional health of your child.

Here are 5 easy ways to prevent your child from falling into the perils of obesity.

1. Develop healthy eating habits in your child
Encouraging your little ones to develop healthy eating habits is vital for maintaining optimum body weight. Instead of high sugar and high fat foods, a child’s diet should consist of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods (such as oats, quinoa and wheat). Proteins such as lean meats, lentils, beans and fish should be included in his/her eating plan as well. Most importantly, serving food in the right portion sizes will ensure your child is getting the right amount of nutrients, while preventing him/her from consuming empty calories. Inculcate these eating habits in them right from the time they are toddlers so that it stays with them as they get older.

2. Make your child avoid calorie-rich foods
Getting your child to avoid fatty, sugary and salty foods can also prevent him from tipping over the weighing scale. Present before your child low sugar and low fat alternatives that he/she would enjoy eating such as apples, bananas, carrots, etc.

3. Encourage your child to pursue physical activity
Try to encourage your child to engage in some form of physical activity for about 60 minutes every day. From brisk walking, swimming, dancing to skipping - your child could opt for any of these physical activities. Having your child lead an active life can see him/her enjoying a number of health benefits like respite from stress, strengthening of his/her bones and muscles and decrease in blood pressure, to name a few.

4. Put a limit on your child’s TV time
When it comes to the time that your child may spend before the TV, computer or other gizmos, it should be not more than 2 hours a day. Instead, devise fun activities wherein your child as well other members of the family can take part in or ones in which your child does not need a company.

5. Ensure your child gets enough sleep
Lastly, a good night’s rest that lasts about 9-12 hours is vital for optimal weight maintenance. Studies reveal that children who slept for fewer hours were more at risk of being obese. This is because less sleep causes fatigue, leading to a decrease in physical activity and therefore, use of energy.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

What is suvarnaprashana?
The process in which swarna bhasma (ash of gold) with other herbal extracts taken in the form of semi liquid and given to the children through their mouth is called asswarnaprashana, suvarnaprashana, swarnamritha prashana or swarna bindu prashana.

It’s a unique method of immunization which helps the children to boost up the intellectual power and produces non specific immunity in body to fight against general disorders.

It is also helpful even to the special children with autism, learning difficulties, attention deficit, hyper activity, delayed milestone etc.

For what period it should be done:
Daily dose of swarna bindu prashana should be given for minimum of 1 month to maximum of 3-6 months.
Or
Monthly once for minimum of 30 months to maximum of 90 months on the day of pushya nakshatra (pushya nakshatra day comes once in 27 days)

Time and duration to give suvarna prashan:
Every day morning in the empty stomach or on the day of pushya nakshatra. The drops should be given by the parents to the baby in empty stomach.

Dosage of suvarna prashan drops:
Birth to 2 year – 2 drops
2 to 16 years – 4 drops

Age of children who can take suvarna prashan:
From birth up to the age of 16 years.

Ingredients of suvarna prashan:
Ash of gold, vacha, shankha pushpi, brahmi, guduchi satva, yashti madhu, ashwagandha, ghee and honey.

Benefits of suvarna prashan:-
1. Immune system towards diseases becomes stronger.
2. Increases physical strength. And growth of the baby.
3. Grasping power, analysis power and recall memory becomes sharper.
4. Improves digestive power.
5. Tones up skin colour and texture.
6. Protects the baby from different kinds of allergies.

Importance of suvarna prashan:-
Maharshi kashyapa says suvarna prashana improves intelligence, digestive fire and physical power. It gives long, spiritual, holy and saintly life. It gives rejuvenative effects and tone ups the skin. It improves immunity in a way so that the child is prevented from bacterial and viral infections. Regular use of suvarnaprashana helps in such a way that, the child gets best immunity to defeat diseases. Regular use of suvarnaprashana make child very intelligent and he can remember all heard by him.

Mode of action of suvarna prashan 
Gold is considered as very precious in ayurveda. When swarna is converted into swarna bhasma as explained in ayurveda, it would possesses following properties:-

• Swarna bhasma has moisturizing & unctuous effect on body.
• It is madhura, rejuvinative and immunity booster.
• Improves complexion and growth of the body.
• Does detoxification of the body.
• Has ability to treat different fevers like vishajwara, aantra jwara and general weakness.
• It has been proved that swarna bhasma possesses anti oxidants, anti depressants, anti cancerous, antibacterial anti rheumatoid property.
• It also acts as nervine stimulant.

As we know a human brain grows rapidly in 1 to 16 years of life. Swarna bhasma accelerate the growth of brain and boost up its utilization capacity if swarna prashana is done during this phase.
Other drugs in it help to build immunity of the baby.
Also it has many benefits like improvement in concentration, grasping capacity, digestion and complexion.
Swarna bindu prashana underwent series of clinical analysis by many ayurvedic doctors and other associated hospitals. And we have found excellent results in increasing immunity and general health in a normal healthy baby.

Presentation of suvarna prashana drops:
Swarnaprashana drops are available in 5ml, 10ml presentation.

How to store the drops:
Drops should be kept in room temperature and should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Note that it should not be stored in refrigerator. Swarna prashana drops can be used for 5 years when stored in shade and in room temperature.