Diwali Gifts Tradition in Present Times

Today, the tradition of exchanging gifts on Diwali has reached new heights altogether. In the present times, exchanging gifts is not so simple anymore. Greater importance is given to the fact that gifts need to be as per desired societal mores. People go out of their way to splurge for themselves and for their loved ones. This very tradition of shopping and buying gifts is very much harnessed by marketers today. 

This custom of exchanging gifts is not a recent trend. It has been followed ardently from ancient times. The only difference is that earlier sweets and decorative were produced at home and gifted. These gifts used to be not so expensive but were considered as token of love and good wishes.

However, even today selecting gifts for your loved ones require lot of brainstorming and head scratching. People are generally very confused thinking -what to buy and what not to buy? People remain dubious even after purchasing the gift; whether they have selected the right gift or not. One can choose from plenty of options available in the market but in the end they all tend to bewilder you. Some of the popular traditional gift items available in the market are - Puja Thalis, Lakshmi -Ganesh idols and coins etc. 

Buy Auspicious Gifts from NGO Sparsh 

The basic idea behind tradition of gifting is to accelerate the feeling of love, bonding, affection and appreciation. Gifts convey respect, good wishes, blessings, and love to our near and dear ones.

Therefore, on such propitious occasion, instead of buying expensive gifts from the market, one can opt to buy Diwali gift items from NGOs.  Sparsh, one such NGO which prepares unique gifts on Diwali. Special children from Savera Special School using their creative skills prepare beautiful decorative Diwali baskets which contains 6 beautiful Diyas, 6 Candles, special Touch of Heaven incense sticks, Goddess       Laxmi foot prints and other puja material.

Diwali is a religious festival and sending gifts on the occasion symbolizes one's prayers to the almighty for the prosperity and well being of the recipient. More than the gift itself, it is the love and spirit of Diwali that brings a smile to every face.

So, by buying these gifts from NGO Sparsh, you can help special children earn their livelihood independently. This Diwali you can thus lighten up the lives of these Children and make their Diwali really special.

How to Protect Special Children from Bullying?

Bullying is an increasing problem in schools and cannot be ignored. Though there is lot of awareness about it today, but lot needs to be done. The gravity of problem becomes grave when it is in concern with special children. Children with special needs are more likely to get bullied as they become easy prey for the bullies. Special children lack in social skills, verbal and non verbal cues and they don’t understand the ways to cope with the situation. They have trouble correctly interpreting the bullying situation and they fall easy as the  target. 

Children with Special Needs are at Greater Risk

They are vulnerable but can be easily provoked. Such children often find it hard to distinguish between socially appropriate and socially awkward behavior. They are not able to gauge what’s right or wrong.

Bullying can be termed as an aggressive behavior that is often repeated over many times. It can take many forms such as hitting, kicking, or shoving (physical bullying), teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying), intimidation through gestures or social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional Bullying) etc.

Children with medical conditions that affect their appearances like cerebral palsy, muscular Dystrophy etc, are more likely to be victimized by their peers. Also, there is higher risk of obese children for being bullied in the age group of 11-16.

Ways to Ward Off Bullying

Parents of children with special needs have hard time dealing with day to day challenges related to their special kids. Bullying is one such major problem and parents need to be vigilant about it. So what can parents do? How can they protect their child from being bullied?

Caution your Child: Teach your child, how to spot a bully. Tell your child exactly what he should do when bullying happens. Be very specific, even giving him the exact words to say, like, "Stop teasing me!" or "Leave me alone." Or, tell your child to say nothing and simply walk away.

Keep Watch: Stay in close contact with your child. Talk to your child’s special education teacher, school counselor and other kids in the classroom. Whenever possible drop your kid to school and also pick him up several times. Engage in frequent conversations with your child ask him – how are things going on and look out for signs like depression or negative feelings, if child fails to express or hesitant to share.

Altogether, Successful anti-bullying strategies require group effort from school officials, early childhood professionals and students involved in bullying as targets or aggressors. Teachers and other staff should also be trained on how to cope with to bullying, while victims and bullies need training in special social skills.