- Special session on effective parenting organised by Leon's World Centre for Holistic Learning and Development in association with 94.3 RadioOne
- Child development and mental health experts who conducted the session were Dr. Harish Shetty, Dr. Gangadhar Pathak and Ms. Tanya Valecha
-About 80 parents and 45 children attended the session and workshop, of which 22 families were not residents of Rustomjee Urbania
The Rustomjee Cambridge School at Rustomjee Urbania hosted a special session on effective parenting, which in essence would serve as a blueprint for parents to raise champions - kids who are well grounded, have a well-developed personality and have the drive and self-discipline to succeed in whichever field they choose. The session was organised by Leon's World Centre for Holistic Learning and Development in association with 94.3 Radio One.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622502/Experts_at_the_event.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622503/Dr_Harish_Shetty_at_Urbania_Rustomjee.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/622504/I_SUPERSTAR.jpg )
The session which began at 11 am on Sunday, 17th December, 2017 was attended by approximately 80 parents. They were very interested in knowing more about how to raise confident, self-reliant and successful children. Dr. Harish Shetty, one of the leading psychiatrists in Mumbai, set the ball rolling with a talk on the necessary parenting skills to raise responsible and mature kids. The parents had much to think about once he concluded the talk and segued into a panel discussion with the other experts present - Dr. Gangadhar Pathak, who is a renowned motivational speaker and international, inspirational coach and Ms. Tanya Valecha, the Founder-Principal of the prestigious Rustomjee Cambridge International School and Junior College. The discussion touched on a number of topics including not over-stressing the children, the importance of striking a balance between work and play, indulgent parenting, helicopter parenting, how to decide a child's true potential and the development of emotional intelligence.
The parents were very enthused to learn more and the experts were hard pressed for time to answer all the questions during the Q & A after the panel discussion.
Dr. Gangadhar Pathak then gave a presentation on 'Mind Programming of a Child' explaining one of the 'hot topics' in child development today - left brain and right brain concepts. He also emphasised that parents should avoid negative statements to the child which result in negative mind programming and erode a child's self-confidence.
Some of the parents had brought their kids with them and to keep them productively occupied, a fun workshop 'I SUPERSTAR' was presented by Psychologist Dr. Poonam Ganu Kage and early child educator Ms. Bhavana Ganu. In a very entertaining manner, kids were led through activities that would build self-esteem. They also participated in a Dream board activity to understand the power of dreams.
Percy S. Chowdhry, Director, Rustomjee Group, while speaking about the session said, "At Rustomjee we specifically are concerned with ensuring that the children who live at any of our projects are able to enjoy themselves to the fullest. For us 'Childhood's Available' is not just a tagline but a promise that every child in Rustomjee will have a childhood that they will delight in now and cherish the memories when they are older. The Leon's World Centre for Holistic Learning and Development is one such initiative by Rustomjee to give kids the opportunity to have a well-rounded childhood. Parenting today has its own set of challenges and we at Rustomjee try our best to encourage parents to bond with their kids. The session on effective parenting is one of the ways in which Rustomjee presents our residents with a wholesome living experience."
The parents unanimously agreed that the session on effective parenting was an eye-opener and looked forward to many more such activities that help build the family dynamic.
What the experts had to say about the session?
Dr. Gangadhar Pathak
"Parents were very interested and every parent had their own queries which they wanted the panel to address. I feel that Leon's World is actually helping parents by conducting different activities. When we speak of multiple intelligences parents should not only focus on academics. Parents are the greatest influence on children and every parent, who themselves have experienced negatively programming, is passing it on to their kids. Every generation is carrying it forward. Every parent wants their child to be the best often, out of love and concern they say negative things to the child which programs the child's mind negatively on the subconscious level. How you bring up the child is very important and unknowingly most parents are programming the child negatively and when we parents come to us for problems with their child, we recommend that they themselves should undergo counselling."
Dr. Harish Shetty
"There are three things I noticed at the session, firstly, there was a lot of involvement from the fathers and they comprised almost 40% of the audience. Secondly, each parent had questions they wanted answered. Finally, there was also a lot of angst in parents which I feel is a result of isolation - there is no family connect anymore, the home is more like a guesthouse, especially for the father, and the emotional contact has reduced. Everyone wants a prescription which is not possible for parenting - which is all about wisdom passed down through generations and also intuition. But on the positive side, parents are sensitive and open to change. Rustomjee Urbania has a community living set up and I feel that every complex should have an activity centre like Leon's World especially for children as then adults automatically become a part of it. The mental health of the entire housing complex improves."
Ms.Tanya Valecha
"As a principal, mentor and trainer I feel that parents while being more concerned about the development of their children, choose to be less involved in it themselves and prefer to send the children to various classes etc - in a way parenting is being outsourced. The children need to feel that the family is a unit and that can only happen when parents spend more time with their children, interacting and motivating them, more by example than just by lecturing them intermittently. It is heartening to see community living being fostered in township projects like Rustomjee Urbania and activity centers like Leon's World which plan events that are family centric rather than being limited to just children. The greater the opportunity for a family to spend time together, the more cohesive will be the bond amongst them."
About Rustomjee Urbania
Located in Majiwada, Thane (W), Rustomjee Urbania caters to almost every need of a resident. It is the only township in Thane (W) that has received Pre-Gold Rating from IGBC (Indian Green Building Certificate) and is probably one of the most awarded township projects in India.
Rustomjee Urbania houses the Rustomjee Cambridge International School, the first school in the integrated township. Affiliated with International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Program of University of Cambridge, it makes a global level of education available to students, at walking distance from their homes.
Rustomjee Urbania also houses 'Leon's World Centre for Holistic Learning and Development' which is a space developed in consultation with experts to provide children a stimulating environment. It caters to different aspects of growth and development. Mentors present at the center guide children in exploring various fields including arts, mathematics and science and language through play way learning methods. The centre regularly hosts the staging of plays, 'open mic' and cultural activities to get children to explore their rich heritage and unplug from the gadget syndrome. So far, the children have enjoyed watching The Legend of Lachit, Ramleela, Wizard from Far West amongst other plays. They are also introduced to Indian festivals and culture as well as other cultures through fun initiatives like Ravan Dahan and Halloween Party. In the past two years, Rustomjee Urbania has also organized activities such as a Summer Fest, Adventure Carnival, Urban Farm Fest, among other monthly workshops that encourage children and parents to come together and spend quality time.
A sizeable part of the township has green spaces with several trees and a sewage treatment plant which recycles used water for gardening, washing and sanitary purposes. With a view to being environment friendly, systems have been installed to harvest rain water; light reflecting windows help save energy and natural resources.
About Rustomjee
Rustomjee has carved a niche for itself in the ever-growing real estate sector, with a portfolio that includes 14.32 million square feet of completed projects; 12 million square feet of ongoing development and another 28 million square feet of planned development in the pipeline, spanning across the best locations of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Their portfolio currently includes two very large townships, residential spaces, office complexes, retail developments, spaces for healthcare and education spread across BKC Annex, Khar, Off Juhu Circle, Kandivali, Borivali, Virar and Thane.
Rustomjee lays emphasis on adding value to the lives of their homeowners through their core business, their CSR initiatives and philanthropy. They have strived to ensure that every blueprint includes child-friendly spaces for parks, playgrounds, and learning rooms and thereby encouraging families to spend quality time.
To know more about Rustomjee, please visit us http://www.rustomjee.com
Media Contact:
Udhayan Sasidharan Nair
[email protected]
+91-02266766867
Manager - Corporate Communications & Public Relations
Rustomjee Group
