Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Help kids deal with anxiety & stress during the pandemic
Excerpts from article by Anna Medaris Miller and Kelsie Sandoval, published in Insider.com
In late March 2020, just weeks after initial lockdown, experts said that a few weeks of isolation wouldn’t derail children’s social skills. Now, nearly a year later, parents’ concerns regarding their kids’ overall development are heightened – and with good reason.
A research showed how pandemics are linked to depression and anxiety in kids.
Pediatricians are also noticing developmentally abnormal weight gain in some children, as many are moving less, snacking more, and sleeping irregularly.
However, there are steps even burnt-out parents can take to support their kids’ natural resilience. Here’s what’s working in their families:
1. Check in with your kids regularly
Checking in with them regularly is the key. Ask them, ‘Are you OK? Are you feeling happy? Are you missing any particular thing about school?’. See if there’s anything else we can do to help out in those areas. Just staying connected and talking to each other is so important.
2. Get outside
Kids will be able to cope & bear through it if they get outside as it really helps their emotional health & resiliency. Research suggests kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than those who more often play inside.
3. Loosen up screen time limits, consider safe socialising
Even though kids are going to school in person, it’s still difficult to make friends with COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place. It’s really hard to get to forge bonds with anybody in masks and being six feet apart. But there are ways to help keep kids’ social muscles flexed. For instance, a virtual birthday bash, video music lessons and video chats with friends. You could also go on physically distanced playdates with masks at a local park.
4. Try to stick to a consistent schedule
A study found that kids who partake in daily family rituals, like eating dinner or reading together, tend to be emotionally healthier and better socially adjusted than kids with more unpredictable daily lives. The added anxiety of the pandemic makes routines, and their calming nature, particularly important for kids. Have a consistent bedtime routine, including turning off all electronics, brushing teeth, and reading at least one book before tucking kids in.
5. Give children ‘choices within limits’
Letting kids choose what to eat, where to do homework, or how to best dress for the weather can lead to better well-being for both them and their parents. When parents give them choices within limits – as opposed to making demands or letting them do whatever they want – children are likely to feel that their needs are being met. Over time, kids raised under this parenting style become more independent, confident, empathetic, resilient and intrinsically motivated.
6. Take care of yourself
One of the most important things is to have loving, supportive parents who are managing their own stress. Kids are reacting to how the parents are responding to this pandemic more than they’re reacting to the increase or decrease in activity level. That’s why it’s critical for parents to follow the cliche of putting their own oxygen mask on first. Try not to put too much stress on yourself to replace all the kinds of interactions your kids experienced daily pre-coronavirus.
Career
Boost your career with these up-skilling courses
Excerpts from article by the India Today Web Desk
In today’s era of digital technology, the survival of many organisations is contingent on how they leverage cutting-edge technologies to transform their workplaces into augmented environments. For this transformation to happen, organisations must make prudent decisions and avoid opting for expensive new hires instead of re-skilling or up-skilling the existing employees.
With technology causing a tectonic shift in the workplace and creating new possibilities that can be fully realised only by a modernised workforce, there is an ever-increasing need for students and employees to learn new skills and competencies that are required for the emerging job market.
Here, we have rounded up a list of up-skilling courses that can help you boost your career and job prospects:
1. Intellipaat’s Cloud Architect Certification Programme
This specialised course offered by one of India’s leading ed-tech companies, Intellipaat, equips you with proficiency in Cloud and DevOps. As part of the programme, you get to work on real-world projects in AWS, Azure, DevOps, Python, Java, Splunk, Linux, and much more. As part of this master’s course in Cloud Computing, you will also receive official course material issued by Microsoft for ‘Integrating On-premises Identity Infrastructure with Microsoft Azure’ and ‘Implementing Security in Azure Development Solutions’.
2. Simplilearn’s Data Scientist Master’s Programme in collaboration with IBM
This course introduces students to integrated blended learning, equipping them with expertise in both Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. This advanced course in Data Science will make students industry-ready and, therefore, job-ready.
3. Henry Harvin’s Content Writing Course
This course teaches you how to become a potential content creator and the skills to translate thoughts into words that can attract everyone. It upgrades your resume with certifications and industry experience, differentiating your profile from masses. It develops skills pertaining to creating, evaluating, reorganising, repackaging, strategising and presenting content. Taking the course helps in improving one’s persuasive skills & shapes you into a dynamic writer who can write on any subject at any forum.
4. UpGrad’s PG Diploma in Software Development (Big Data)
This comprehensive diploma programme offered by UpGrad is designed for those who wish to deep dive into the world of Big Data, its key processes and industrial applications. This course teaches in depth about concepts related to Big Data such as data warehousing, real-time processing, data processing and Big Data analytics. Students also get to work with tools like Java, Python, Spark, Kafka, Hive, etc. The programme includes 7+case studies and projects that will assist you in sharpening your real-world skills.
5. Suraasa’s courses in professional teaching
Suraasa is a leading teacher-growth-focused EdTech and JobTech platform, offers internationally-recognised UK Level 6 Teaching Qualifications in India. They empower teachers with the 21st Century teaching skills, crucial to engage the new generation of ‘Gen Z’ and ‘Gen Alpha’ students. It offers 2 qualifications – Professional Graduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning and Diploma in Teaching to help teachers accelerate their professional growth and be successful in creating a high impact learning environment in their classrooms.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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