Kids - The Unsung Heroes of Corona Virus

This Corona Virus pandemic has left us speechless and helpless. The doctors, medical care workers, police and soldiers and essential service workers have been fighting on the front line trying to offer us services and help that we need. But in this testing times, we have to acknowledge our kids who have been patient beyond their age and understanding for all these days. It is not easy for those young minds to stay indoors throughout their vacation time when they could actually enjoy being with friends and travel places with their family. 

Vacation is a time when kids get to play in open spaces and visit their native places. But none of this could happen because COVID struck us badly. Everything changed overnight and everyone got stuck at home. It must have been hard on them being home all the time playing just with the toys or watching TV. They frankly don't deserve this as it is not their fault. The harsh world that we have created has affected them badly. They deserve an apology for our mistakes. But these young minds irrespective of their age have been patient, learning and wondering what would happen next. They have been a helping hand, who did not add to our problems but in fact their tighter hugs provided encouragement and a will to survive.

So, what we need to do is provide them with a space for themselves where they could have fun. Let them play with colors and crayons. Let them paint or draw. Allow them to investigate, learn and get answers. Allow them a space within the house which could be made dirty by their science experiments. Read them stories and spend time with them as much as you could. Consider this time to be a blessing as you can spend some creative time with your kids. Make them feel special at times and show them that they are appreciated. Make it a point to cook their favorite dish which brings smile on their face. Allow them to be part of your daily chores in anyway they could. As they are our heroes who should be appreciated for showing maturity at such a young age.

What are Snow Donuts

Snow donut image

Snow donuts are commonly referred as 'snow rollers', 'snowballs' or even 'snowbales'. This natural phenomenon occurs rarely in certain specific weather conditions. Snow donuts resemble donut shaped spiral that rolls the icy ground in unusual cold weathers. This happens when wind pushes snow, making it roll across the vertical ground of the hill surface. But these phenomenons are rare and requires the right mixture of climatic conditions including wind, temperature, snow and moisture.



The snow that rolls across the hill starts gathering in a shape of a hollow cylinder to form a snow donut. But not all of the snow lands to the bottom surface shaped as a snow donut. Most of the cylindrical balls get squashed up. Very few manage to roll on the icy surface down the hills leaving behind a trail.Once the climatic conditions are just right enough to successfully transform the snow clump into a snow donut, the snow doughnut resembles a cylindrical ball with a hole in the center. The shapes of snow doughnuts or snow donuts could vary right from small ball to big wheels.

Snow donuts are usually found in Canada, Poland and on the  Prairies of North America.

Expansion of Idea - Live and Let Live

Life is the best gift to mankind. Enjoying life and allowing others to enjoy so is the right thing to do. Making use of every opportunity available to us helps to make life better. Such opportunities should be enjoyed and allowed others to enjoy as well. Every person has the right to make the most of the opportunity provided to him to improve his standard of living and to develop his own skills. Man in his own greed at times, takes away such opportunity from others who too deserve to enjoy. By doing so, we destroy the peace and well being of others.

No one can predict the time allotted to them to make their presence on this earth. Hence one should make the right use of his time and allow others to do so too. But greed overpowers all the desires. Greed not just to have everything to oneself, but greed to peace, greed to fame, greed to power and greed to success makes man cruel and selfish. In such cases, we destroy lives of others and bring harm to innocent people. We should allow each and everyone the opportunity to live and enjoy life. Every one has the right to do so. No one is less fortunate than other. 'Live and let live' indeed should be the prime principle of every individual's life.

10 Funny Phobias One Cannot Believe Existed

Phobia is an extreme fear of something. One could get anxious or extremely upset or even fear persistently about any object or certain situations. Phobia is one such situation which an individual would go to lengths to avoid. But not all phobias may sound serious to us. There are certain phobia which we may at times find too weird or funny. Here are ten such funny phobias which one cannot believe existed.

1.  Ablutophobia

Ablutophobia is the fear of bathing. With this phobia an individual may persistently fear bathing or cleaning oneself. This kind of phobia is more common in children and females. Wonder whether it is this phobia that keeps dogs away from bathing!

2. Arachibutyrophobia

Peanut butter lovers would never imagine, someone would have a phobia related to it. Well not entirely about eating peanut butter but arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

3. Chrometophobia

Chrometophobia is one such phobia one may find funny, as it could affect one's life at a great extent. Chrometophobia is the phobia where a man fears money. Now money is used by us in our day to day life to buy commodities, and also to live and make a living. A phobia as such can affect an individual vastly. How can one survive like that, I wonder!

4. Chronophobia

Now even this phobia is weird! Chronophobia is a phobia where an individual suffering from it fears of time passing. Such person may fear watches and clocks. Existence of such phobia can really put an individual's life in great trouble, I must say!

5. Lachanophobia

Meat lovers won't mind this at all! Lachanophobia is one such phobia where an individual may have great fear of vegetables. A  person suffering from this phobia may suffer panic attacks at the sight of certain vegetables, for example say peas, potatoes, cereals. This phobia could relate to one or two such vegetables or many. Now, vegetables is one such thing that provides us with nutrition and good health, but some people may indeed be afraid of them.

6. Peladophobia

Now how can one survive with such a thing! Peladophobia is the fear of bald people or baldness. Being bald or having bald people around cannot be helped. But imagine some people actually getting anxious around bald people or fearing the thought of becoming bald themselves. 

7. Photophobia

This phobia I wished never existed! Photophobia is a phobia where one is afraid of light. This fear resembles a condition known as light sensitivity where a person could get over-sensitive around light. He or she may feel that light is hurting their eyes and would prefer remaining in dark.

8. Pogonophobia

Pogonophobia is one such funny phobia where an individual may take extreme dislike for beards or even fear the presence of someone who has beards. Though we may find such a phobia silly, but for those who suffer from it it is not funny at all. Such people suffering with pogonophobia can get extremely upset around people with beards.

9. Syngenesophobia

Maybe I have this phobia! Syngenesophobia is a phobia where one individual may get extremely afraid or upset around relatives. This fear could be about being around relatives or even siblings. In such condition a person may really get anxious about meeting relatives - either all or some of them. For example this fear could be related to fear of aunts, fear of cousins, fear or uncles or anyone else in particular. Such person may get extremely anxious in such people's company.

10. Tonsurephobia

Tonsurephobia is a phobia where a person can be extremely upset or afraid  about getting haircuts. The existence of such phobia in an individual could really affect his or her physical well-being. But such phobia does exist, however weird it may sound.

Why Do We Have Lines on the Palms of Our Hand

The lines that we have on our palm are known as the palmar creases or palmer flexion. These are the tiny ridges on the palm surface which depend upon the bone structure and the arrangement of muscles on an individual's hand. These tiny ridges are strong where the fingers and the thumb meet. These lines that we have on our palm help us fold and stretch our skin, when our hands bend. This folding of skin calls for a better grip and also prevents in the skin from tearing easily. These lines on our palm also help us to hold things firmly.

The lines that we have on our palm differ from person to person. Though Science is yet to figure out why patterns of the palmer creases differ from one individual to other. Yet it is said that the creases start to appear right when the skin starts forming. This process takes place within the womb, as the human hands develop the lines on the palm at around the 12th week of gestation and are present on a infant's hand right when it is born. The few factors that may affect the thickness or the presence of the number of lines on an individual's palm could be family history, race etc.

It is believed by many that the lines on the palms of our hand can tell our future. Many people believe in the practice of Palmistry. Fact to be told, no way one can predict the future of an individual by reading the lines on the palms of our hand.

What is a Sinkhole

Also known to be a swallow hole, shake hole, sink or even a doline, a sinkhole is a depression caused in the Earth's surface. These sinkholes that form on the earth's surface do not usually form due to natural process. They can be natural or even man made. These depressions formed in the earth's surface, are due to the dissolution of carbonate rock. And this process is also known to be the Karst process. Sinkholes either could form gradually or may appear sudden.

When water flows underground and starts dissolving the rocks, slowly and gradually sinkholes form. These rocks that dissolve are mostly limestone, salt beds, gypsum or clay.  When rocks start dissolving, small caverns form within the surface. This process carries on over a period of time and the land later caves in. This sudden collapse happens when pressure hits on the earth's surface. Small cracks may emerge to show the beginning of the sinkhole. These small cracks are not dangerous in the beginning. But as the cracks keep expanding and forming a hole, a weight of certain object would make the land cave in.

Sinkholes can differ in size and at times could be big enough to swallow even a house or a swimming pool. The process is so dramatic that it would not give out a warning at times, and suddenly would break out into a big, enormous hole creating chaos. 

Why Do We Feel Itchy

Our skin is the largest organ that we have, and we put it through several potential irritants knowingly or rather unknowingly. It just happens! With so many pollutants, toxins and irritants in the air, our skin comes in contact with daily. No wonder we are bound to itch. Itch is also known as Pruritus. Itching is a built-in mechanism of our body which alerts us about a potential threat that is bothering us or being harmful to us.

 At times, itching could be nothing much severe, but this won't be the case most of the times. Some type of external stimuli which could include a bug, dust, a clothing fiber or even a hair can trigger itching. Moreover an allergy to certain thing or food or smell can trigger itching. So when external objects such as dust, mosquito or bug land on our skin, they bother it somehow and result into itching. It does not have to start immediately, but the rubbing or an allergy could trigger out itching.

And then there is food allergies which can trigger itching and redness of your skin. A person who is allergic to a particular food, or dust particles can experience severe itching. Once the dust layer scratches your skin area the receptors of the skin will become irritated. These receptors send signal through fibers into the skin to your spinal cord and then to your brain - the result you start itching.

Why do we scratch a itch is really a wonder. Scratching the itch makes us feel better, and that is our first response to the itch. Once we scratch the itch with our finger nails we feel much better and get some relief. Very often scratching helps relieving itch by removing the irritant as soon as possible. When the itching is triggered due to an allergy, we need certain medications to help us solve the problem.

Importance of Encouraging Curiosity in Children

Children often challenge their parents and teachers with ideas or thoughts that are beyond their understanding. We as parents are exhausted with the countless question attack such as," But, why mom?" or "But how does it grow?" or "What does it mean?" directed towards us by our children. There are times when we don't even know the answer or don't know how to answer some of their questions. Few children can be too curious and answering some of their questions may be too embarrassing for parents. But should that be a reason for a parent to stop attending to a child's curiosity?

Nowadays with the exposure of media and internet, kids know too much for their age and at times could come up with doubts and questions which may have nothing to do with their age. But they just want to know - why, what and how. These why, what and how could be little too much for their age and may be beyond their understanding. But still it is our job as a parent to answer them and nurture their curiosity.

Why is Curiosity Important

Curiosity in kids is often a good thing. Some can be naturally curious about a variety of things. It is said that throughout his life, Einstein wondered about relationships between gravity, space and electromagnetic radiation. The present curriculum most of the schools have today, leaves little scope of arousing curiosity in children. The syllabus and teaching methods implemented, calls for rote-learning. Hence very few kids try to go beyond textbooks and look out for more information on a topic. And hence that should be the reason why parents and teachers should nurture and encourage children's curiosity. The thing is when we encourage our child's curiosity we allow them to grow and become creative. The natural tendency to be curious allows a child be more creative and self-learner. Curiosity stimulates their brain and reasoning abilities.

10 Ways To Encourage Curiosity in Children

1. Parents and teachers can nurture a child's curiosity by supporting and encouraging it. Live experiments, nature walks, science exhibitions, open discussions and group studies help out children to diligently work towards dealing with false hypotheses and coming to their own conclusions.

2. The curriculum should be made such to arouse an intense curiosity among children. This can be done by fragmenting the topic and allowing a child retrace their steps around the topic collecting more data and coming to their own solutions which satiate their hunger.

3. Allow the child to live in their own thoughts to think it through. Do not answer in the first glance and satisfy their curiosity. Instead try and allow them to explain and explore their point of view and thoughts on the same.

4. Be supportive of their curiosity. If you consider your child's thoughts to go in a wrong directions, provide hints here and there, but do not reject his idea all at once.

5. At times, curiosity could lead your child to gain new knowledge or a whole new meaning. It would shape up his thoughts and allow him to learn something new.

6. Supporting your child's interest is the best way to deal with his or her curiosity. For example, if your child wishes to experiment on something, and even though you know that it is going to be messy; yet provide him with the opportunity to conduct the experiment, with a promise that help could be expected from him while cleaning.

7. Open discussions on certain subjects your child is curious about could turn out helpful.

8. At times you may not support an idea that your child finds curious about. But instead of making this point clear to him, if you allow him a chance to realize this on its own it would be a better learning experience for the kid and he would never forget it. This way a child does not feel rejected and at the same time is happy to find the reality of certain situations or things.

9. Engage your kids in activities that can stimulate their curiosity.

10. Curiosity plays an important role in your child's learning and hence never let it dull out. Keep asking questions to your child which allow them to think about a particular topic and come up with answers that encourage their curiosity.