For our Kids  (English, Hardcover, Dr Kaviya Thamizhi)

Why this book? Mental health issues are on the rise and the children of today’s world are burdened with a lot more problems than their ancestors had in the past. The world that exists today did not exist before and hence this new world has its own new set of problems and solutions to which most of us are blind. Mental health disturbances have their roots deeply set in childhood and it is mostly the childhood traumas and thinking style that shows up itself in later years as mental illnesses. There is a saying, “A stitch in time saves nine”. A small word of care and support in kindergarten can prevent a major depressive disorder in the thirties. Children get to spend 6-8 hours of the day in schools and most of their productive parts of the day are in the vicinity of teachers and friends. I am here not undermining the role of parents but just trying to point out the fact that children tend to learn faster under the guidance of a good teacher. “A lucky student is one, he/she who has found a mentor for life”. A teacher has more time to observe the child and get a better understanding of what the child is going through because children tend to grow closer to people whom they are in proximity with. For example, most best friends are children who sat next to each on the same bench. Proximity is one of the factors that play an important role in making and building relationships. In this context, parents drop their children at school, feed them, and put them to bed. So, this amounts to only a small percentage of the twenty-four hours in a day. Bringing up children is not the sole responsibility of the parents alone, but also that of the teachers, political leaders and the whole society at large.