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Time of India
28-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Raising emotionally stronger kids starts with THIS one habit most parents often overlook
Each year on May 15, celebrating the International Day of Families reminds us of the essential role families play—not only in our social fabric but also in the emotional development of individuals, especially children. An often underestimated aspect of this influence is the power of family conversations in building resilience in children. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. It is not a trait we're born with, but one nurtured through experiences, relationships, and communication. Research increasingly shows that everyday parent–child communication plays a key role in helping children cope with stress, process emotions, and adapt to life's inevitable challenges. Communication within families does far more than pass information. According to Theiss (2018), families are fundamental in helping children build personal coping strategies. Through conversation, parents model how to navigate distressing events, teaching children not only what to think but how to think and respond during adversity. These verbal and non-verbal exchanges serve as templates for children to understand and regulate their emotions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en San Antonio De Areco (ver precio) Verisure Undo Two important psychological frameworks help explain this further. Gottman's Emotion Coaching theory (2001) emphasizes that when parents acknowledge and guide their children through emotional experiences, they promote emotional intelligence and resilience. On the other hand, parents who dismiss or criticize emotional expression may inadvertently teach children to suppress feelings, often resulting in poor coping mechanisms. Baumrind's parenting dimensions (1991) add another layer. They show how responsiveness (warmth and support) fosters emotional regulation in adolescents, while excessive control can lead to impulsivity and emotional volatility. In other words, resilience is more likely to flourish in an environment where children feel heard, validated, and supported rather than controlled or silenced. Beyond individual interactions, the family unit as a whole also plays a significant role in cultivating resilience. From a systems perspective, as Patterson (2002) outlines, resilient families adapt together to crises—be it financial hardship, illness, or other disruptions—by maintaining strong connections, open communication, and a shared sense of purpose. One powerful method families can use to foster this collective resilience is storytelling. According to researchers like Saltzman et al. (2013) and Robyn Fivush (2022), families that openly share stories—both joyous and difficult—tend to create a 'co-constructed family narrative' that helps children make sense of the world and their place in it. These stories become emotional anchors, building identity, empathy, and a deeper understanding of intergenerational strength. Even if adolescents seem disinterested, they are often absorbing more than we realize. As Fivush notes, teens frequently recall family stories and find them meaningful. These narratives help them understand their lineage, values, and the resilience embedded in their family's past. So, on this International Day of Families, let us reflect on the conversations we have at home. A simple story at the dinner table, an honest talk during a difficult time, or a shared moment of reflection can equip children with the emotional tools they need to face life with confidence and courage. Let us celebrate the power of conversation. By fostering dialogue that is supportive, responsive, and rich with shared narratives, families can raise children who are not only resilient but also equipped to face an unpredictable world. Keep talking. Keep listening. Keep telling stories. Resilience grows one conversation at a time. By: Dr. Vishal Ghule, Associate Professor of Psychology, Dean, School of Liberal Arts, MIT-WPU, Pune. How to ensure your teen's emotional well-being One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Everyday people: the parking wardens, estate agents and more who inspired classic songs
Last week Joe DePugh, a star high school baseball player from Freehold, New Jersey, died aged 75. It made headlines because he was the guy who 'could throw that speedball by you / Make you look like a fool, boy' in Bruce Springsteen's 1984 hit Glory Days – one of the numerous ordinary people that have proved inspirational in pop. The old crowd from the Jersey Shore still make their way into Springsteen's songs: the centrepiece ofhis huge stadium shows these last couple of years has been a solo acoustic number called Last Man Standing, which appeared in his 2020 album Letter to You. It was written following the death of George Theiss, in 2018. As a teenage boy, Theiss had been courting Springsteen's sister Virginia, but ended up instead in a band with the young Bruce – the Castiles. When Theiss died, it left Springsteen the last living member of his high school band, and he composed a requiem for his friend: 'Faded pictures in an old scrapbook / Faded pictures that somebody took / When you were hard and young and proud / Backed against the wall, running raw and loud.' It's no fun being a traffic warden. In Liverpool they've been given bodycams; in Essex there is a campaign to raise awareness of the human cost of abuse for those who give out parking tickets. So Meta Davies got away lightly when she penalised Paul McCartney. 'It was in the spring of 1967 that I ticketed Paul's car,' she said. 'He was on a meter showing excess, so I gave him a 10-shilling ticket.' After noting her unusual name, McCartney asked if he might use it in a song. When she heard the song – in which the singer 'took her home and tried to make her' – Davies admitted, 'it makes me blush.' 'For over 35 years, Sharona has held a coveted position in the upper echelon of Los Angeles area real estate,' observes Sharon Alperin's website, She gets to call it that because she was the Sharona written about by Doug Fieger of the Knack. He wrote the song about his infatuation with her – she was in her late teens, he nine years older – though they also had a relationship and she appears on the cover of the single. Fortunately, there were no recriminations – though they went their separate ways, they remained friends until his death in 2010. Back in 1962 Vinicius de Moraes would see the same girl pass by the Veloso cafe on the Ipanema beachfront in Rio all the time. She was 17-year-old Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, and when De Moraes and Antonio Carlos Jobim were asked to write for a musical, she became one of their subjects. She was, De Moraes said, 'a golden teenage girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of light and grace, the sight of whom is also sad, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of youth that fades, of the beauty that is not ours alone.' And what did she think? 'It's eternal. Whenever I listen, I remember my past, my younger days,' she told the Guardian in 2012. 'Ipanema in 1962 was a great place. You never saw aggression. Everyone wanted to fall in love.' Tom Higgenson of Plain White Ts met Delilah DiCrescenzo when she was a student at Columbia University. Besotted, he told her would write a song about her – even though she had a boyfriend – which he did. Several years later, in 2007, Hey There Delilah became a huge hit. By that time, DiCrescenzo was a star in her own right as an international athlete. The experience didn't seem to scar her: she attended the Grammys in 2008 as Higgenson's guest. The irony is that these days Higgenson doesn't have a Wikipedia page, but DiCrescenzo does. Fame is fickle. At school in south London, Mick Jones had been friends and co-conspirators with a lad called Robin Crocker. One of them went on to join the Clash, and the other went on to rob banks. On the second Clash album, Jones wrote a nostalgic reverie for his pal, and his joy on hearing of his release from prison: 'And if you're in the Crown tonight / Have a drink on me / But go easy / Step lightly / Stay free.' Croker was moved. 'Somebody once said to me it's the most outstanding heterosexual male-on-male love song, and there is a lot of truth in that,' Crocker told the Guardian in 2008. 'Unfortunately, I didn't Stay Free. I did a wages snatch in Stockholm and got banged up again.' Danny Nedelko moved to England from Ukraine, aged 15, ending up in Bristol and befriending Joe Talbot, who would co-found Idles. When Idles released their second album, Joy As an Act of Resistance, they were still a cult band, and Nedelko was their mate in an another, less successful band. By the end of that album campaign, he was the subject of lines roared by thousands of people at every Idles gig: 'My blood brother is an immigrant / A beautiful immigrant.' Fortunately, he was not disgruntled by being made a political poster boy, pronouncing himself 'very flattered and humbled'. Perhaps the most double-edged song about a real person – but that's Ray Davies' writing for you. The Kinks' staple – later recorded by the Jam – was named for a promoter in Rutland with whom the Kinks had dealings, and who had a crush on Dave Davies. Hence David Watts being 'so gay and fancy free'. But it's also homoerotic in itself, and Ray later said it was also inspired by a real-life schoolfriend, whom he wouldn't name because they were still in touch. And the envy, the desperation, to be that boy is palpable: 'And when I lie on my pillow at night / I dream I could fight like David Watts / And lead the school team to victory / Take my exams and pass the lot.'
