Reading
10th November 2025
When your preschooler follows instructions, identifies the odd one out on a page, colors the biggest balloon, or crosses out the smallest, they are already preparing to read. When a child imagines, counts, and engages in picture talk, the foundation for reading is being laid. Long before formal instruction begins, the journey toward literacy has already started.
Next come the more structured stages, letter recognition, phonics, and the decoding of words.
Reading is not just important; it is vital. The human brain is wired for stories. The journey begins with adults reading aloud to children. Picture books are a wonderful starting point, and there is no shortage of them available today. Once a child develops an interest in books, the path to lifelong learning unfolds naturally.
Reading plays a pivotal role in a child’s overall development. It strengthens brain function, enhances language and literacy skills, and sharpens cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and concentration. Beyond academics, early reading fosters emotional and social growth, nurturing empathy, building stronger bonds, and helping children understand both the world around them and their own emotions.
In essence, reading enriches every dimension of a child’s development: it expands vocabulary, enhances thinking skills, supports academic success, cultivates empathy, encourages imagination, and builds confidence.
Every story a child reads opens a window to the world, and a doorway to their own limitless potential.
Discipline.
Café Marina hummed with early evening activity until a family of five marched in. Three kids bouncing like pinballs, parents smiling with blind confidence which said: they’ll settle down once the food comes.
The eldest immediately began sword-fighting with breadsticks. The middle child discovered the merry-go-round of the revolving door, restricting entry to bewildered customers. The youngest, barely tall enough to see over the table, dumped a saltshaker into his glass of water and announced, “Potion!” before offering sips to strangers.
When the waiter arrived with menus, the kids lunged at him like paparazzi, tugging his apron, demanding pizza, fries, and “ice cream FIRST.” One crawled under a neighboring table and emerged with a lady’s handbag. Another climbed onto the buffet counter, shrieking, “I’m king of the chicken wings!”
The parents, unbothered, sipped quietly on their soups. “They’re just… spirited,” the mother said proudly, as the youngest attempted to stir her soup with a fork and a straw simultaneously.
By the time the family left, the restaurant looked like it had hosted a food fight championship. Waiters leaned against walls, breathless, like survivors of a natural disaster. The manager muttered, “Next time, we charge them a cleaning fee instead of a service charge.”
***
Children thrive on discipline. It is more than correcting misbehavior, it sets boundaries that build self-control, respect, and responsibility. Consistent discipline teaches life skills like empathy, problem-solving, and sound judgment.
Parents must be role models, as children mimic adult behavior. Discipline helps them pause before acting, consider consequences, and make thoughtful choices, while fostering cooperation and respect. Accountability builds independence, resilience, and success in both relationships and academics.
Effective discipline is not harsh punishment but guidance: consistency creates security, positive reinforcement motivates, and communication makes rules meaningful. Discipline should match a child’s age and temperament, firm structure in early years, shared responsibility in adolescence.
Balance is vital: too much strictness stifles, too much freedom weakens self-control. With love and respect, discipline shapes character and prepares children for life’s challenges.
Start early. A toddler cannot dictate family rules—refusing showers, preventing you from speaking on the phone, or monopolizing your attention. If this sounds familiar, pause and reset. Children must learn boundaries while young and impressionable. It is our duty to raise socially conscious, well-trained humans.
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Mumbai, Maharastra
dheera_k@hotmail.com
