Category: General

Finally, the much-awaited summer holidays have started! Whether you are preparing to join a coding class to hone your programming skills or planning a vacation to your favorite place or just loafing around the couch for countless hours, one thing is for sure, summer holidays give you ample time to relax, unwind and enjoy your temporary hiatus from school.  

If your children are not interested in reading textbook stories, here’s a list of the best 10+ amazing best films and TV shows that not only entertain your child but also propel some light-touch learning from the comfort of the couch.  

But, why TV shows? What role do movies play in a child’s education?  Of course, these questions must be popping in your brain. Let’s learn the importance of making your kids watch TV programs, movies, or web series.  

Benefits of learning English through movies  

Television has the power to influence a child’s personality and build a new perspective towards life.  From superhero stories to real-life war documentaries, the immersive experience offered by television makes the child open the windows of his/her creativity and imagination.  

Entertainment

From Dora-The Explorer animated series to the Harry Potter series, the movies and TV shows imbibe a lot of skills within a child such as communicating and interacting with peers, handling emotional stances and getting through difficult situations. This is indeed the best way to teach kids new skills, stimulate their imagination and keep them busy.  

Language skills

Watching TV shows and movies in their native language helps the kids learn the proper pronunciation and usage in real-life scenarios. The kids are super quick in picking new words, phrases and try to implement that in everyday life. It boosts their listening as well as speaking skills. 

Learning a foreign language

Most of the language tutors express their positivity towards learning a new language with audio/video aids. The prime reason is that children can pick the right accent as well as it helps to build their vocabulary and grasp colloquial phrases easily. Watching language-specific TV shows and movies also helps to learn about the culture of that place which is an invaluable part of learning.  

Improved Academic Performance

Responsibly consuming television accelerates the emotional and mental well-being of the child. The children get aware of so many things happening across the world. It’s a human tendency that visual information has a more significant impact than non-visual one. Children watching informational and educational shows have been seen to outperform their peers on multiple platforms.    

Sparks Creativity

If you closely watch Kids’ shows, whether it’s art, craft, drawing, cooking, or music, everything they show encompasses creativity. This encourages bringing out the hidden talent of the child and encourages him/her to excel at it.  

Uplift mood 

Informational documentaries and educational movies act as a healthy emotional dose for the kids who remain stressed at school or homeschooling. This not only uplifts their mood but also mitigates any stress that can impact him/her badly. 

Stay in touch with the latest trends

With wide access to content on television and the internet, children come to know about the latest technological trends and advancements that help them to stay updated on all grounds.  

Personality development

By watching educational movies, kids start thinking out of the box. These skills are of prime importance in the real world that fosters independent thinking as help the child to see a problem from different perspectives.  

So, here are  

10+ Best films and TV shows to keep teens learning in 2021 

1. The Apprentice 

• Age: 12+ years  
• Stream on: BBC iPlayer
• Genre: Television Series / Reality show  

Literally, an apprentice is a person who learns a skill from a professional employer and is often agreed to work for a fixed period and at low wages. Sir Alan Sugar – a highly established businessman tests the brains of aspiring entrepreneurs in the business world as they fight a battle to win a huge sum of money for their business venture with him.

Real business situations are curated and it’s worthy to see how participants use their decision-making skills and leadership abilities to get through the situation. 

This series is best suited for students having an interest in business studies. 

2. Dream Big: Engineering Our World 

• Age: 7+ years  
• Stream on: Vimeo.com 
• Genre: Documentary 

This amazing documentary encourages the students to start dreaming big by sharing the stories of young engineers coming from various backgrounds and their global impact. The series focuses on various life-saving projects for mankind such as earthquake-proof structures to footbridges over rivers in developing countries.’ 

This documentary is sure to hit a spark in the curious minds and give wings to their imagination. 

3. How to Train Your Dragon

• Age:  6+ years 
• Stream on: Netflix 
• Genre: Animated Film 

This movie is simply not just about training a few magical tricks to your pet but eventually teaches many valuable lessons of life. The story revolves around Hiccup, son of a clan chief, and his quest to prove himself as a true Viking.

His life changes when he encounters an injured dragon named “Toothless”. The story teaches the children to be themselves and uses their wisdom rather than trusting someone blindly.  

4. Money Heist  

• Age: 16+ years 
• Stream on: Netflix  

This popular series on Netflix is gaining popularity amongst teens. The plot revolves around a group of robbers who plan a robbery (heist) at the Royal Mint of Spain. This series is a must-watch for students who aspire to become an entrepreneur. The story emphasizes the importance of perfect planning, teamwork, and leadership. This is a perfect pick for Spanish aspirants.  

5. Apollo 13

• Age: 11+ years 
• Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, iTunes 
• Genre: Movie  

This Sci-fi movie was a box-office hit of all time and was nominated for nine academy awards. If you think you have problems, then this movie is a must-watch. The plot revolves around the survival story of astronauts who boarded Apollo 13 from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970. Facing technical glitches and being stranded with the shortage of food, water, and power, this inspiring tale of survival is surely gonna inspire you.  

6. Human- The World Within 

• Age: 14+ years 
• Stream on: Netflix UK 
• Genre: Docu-series 

This captivating documentary series discusses the working and responses of the human body in different scenarios. Unfold not only how our bodies work but also visualize the power within us that propels every action we do. Narrated by Jad Abumrad, this series explains our bodily functions by taking real-world personal stories across the globe.  

It’s a perfect pick for students interested in biology and satiating the curiosity of young brains on how a human body works. 

7. Explorers 

• Age: 7+ years 
• Stream on: Amazon Prime UK 
• Genre: Movie 

This is one of the best sci-fi movies from the 1980s where three curious and smart high-school kids stumble upon a way to make their dream come true. This stargazing adventure of space travel and how the kids encounter extraterrestrial life is worth a watch. Students who love to unveil the secrets of space should add this to the list of their favorites. 

8. The Imitation Game 

•  Age: 7+ years 
• Stream on: Netflix 
• Genre: Historical Drama  

Based on the real-life events of the famous British mathematician Alan Turing, this movie takes us through his journey of building a machine that was capable of deciphering the German Enigma code during World War II.

Alan Turing is largely recognized as the father of computer science. Here the students get to know about various cryptographic terms that are very helpful while studying computer science courses. 

9. The Social Dilemma

• Age: 13+ years 
• Stream on: Netflix 
• Genre: Docu-drama 

This is a worth-watching movie for both teens as well as parents that unfolds the creepiness of social media into our real world. The tech experts around the globe warn humans on the vulnerable impact of social networking. This is best suited for computer science lovers as it helps them to get a sneak peek at computer algorithms and digital communication systems.   

10. Underwater Dreams  

• Age: 10+ years 
• Stream on: Amazon Prime 
• Genre: Documentary  

Underwater Dream is an inspiring story about a low-income underdog high-school robotics team. This team managed to get through a National Underwater Robotics Competition and surpassed various teams from other colleges including a team from M.I.T. This story teaches children the importance of technology and science education as well as how teamwork and perseverance can lead to achieving phenomenal heights.  

11. Abstract: The Art of Design 

• Age: 10+ years 
• Stream on: Amazon Prime 
• Genre: Docu-design  

This documentary is best suited for budding designers, architects, and artists. Abstract steps into the mind of designers and try to explain what designers do, think and how they impact every aspect of life. This docu-design helps the aspiring designers to get a holistic approach to understand both the behind-the-scene designing process as well as visual comprehension.  

So, start making your list and unwind yourself in these informational and educational web series and movies before your school begins. Want to get an edge over your friends? Enroll in our extra-curriculum courses today and feel the difference with our tutors garnering your way towards success. 

View More – Useful links for Your Child’s Development 

It is indeed intricate to choose the correct career path for your teen but never too late. Once they have a clear idea of their strength, passion, and future career path, they will never regret their chosen path. But this certainly requires significant guidance from the parents as well as experts.  

The truth is that the teens who get healthy and productive guidance levels and support from their parents adhere to much better chances of making a better career choice. So if you, being a parent, are also worried about your teen’s career, then using the strategies mentioned below can be the savior for you.  

Apply the below-mentioned strategies and help your teen successfully navigate their career path maze.  

How can you help them to plan their career?

Are you looking for some successful and working strategies to help your teen to plan their career pathways? Here are a few ways that can help you be a part of your teen’s career selection.  

1. Be patient and encouraging

Remind your teen that what they love to work as a career path is a long process of self-experimentation and discovery. It requires a lot of patience and encouragement. With time they may change their course due to lack of interest or navigate their career path.  

Even the teen and parents need to be patient throughout the process of self-discovery and experimentation. Encourage your teen to explore their potential and help them choose the right path for them. The decisions are indeed complex, and a little encouragement from you can help them grow and transform them into the unique person they are meant to be. 

2. Set a great example

Your teen watches your every move. So, work on being an excellent example for them. Never let them think that the work you are doing is a burden for you.  

When your teen sees you choosing and building a career that you love, they will know that they can find the right career path for you. Also, don’t forget that you are never too old to spend more time doing what you love. So, explore what lights you up and do more of what you love.   

3. Always encourage their interest

Even if your teen is interested in something that you don’t understand or something that is not even academic, it is still essential to encourage their interest. Cultivate their interests and fan the creative flames so that they can do it better, whatever they love. 

You can encourage them to think about how they can earn money from their passion or guide them in a way that involves their passion.  

4. Self-discovery is the key

Even if your teen is directionless, there is nothing to be panic about. Whether later or early, they will find their way to self-discovery. Chances are there that you teen will carve out a real vision for their way to the future this time.  

The best thing you can do for your teen is encouraging them to enjoy doing things, and a fulfilling career will undoubtedly follow.   

5. Try the seven stories method

Career development professionals frequently use the seven stories method to facilitate teens to discover the jobs of their interest that make them fulfilled and happy. All you need to do is ask your teen to tell a series of stories about the times when something they did of their interest and enjoyed it simultaneously. 

Read Also – A Must-Skill Set for Children’s Growth and Learning!

Also, try to draw some patterns throughout the stories to figure out what things create a meaningful experience. This way, they will be able to open their heart in front of you, and you can also help them attain success in the fields of their interest.  

6. Talk openly with them

Effective communication can be essential for you to guide your teen to the right path. But, unfortunately, teens often do not even realize their strengths and what they are good at.  

7. Listen to what they have planned

One of the easiest and helpful ways you can choose to help your teen is by listening carefully to what they have planned. Despite pushing them to a path of your interest, please help them by encouraging developing an independent way. 

Explore their interest by communicating with them, sharing resources, and showing them diverse qualifications that will set your teen on the correct path to discover their career path.  

8. Please direct them to the available resources

As a parent, you are their first career expert. Encourage their interests and guide them with the right resources available. Get some external help from academic professionals or online tutors who can teach you the right career path. 

9. Please encourage them to be proactive.

The best way for your teen to discover the career that suits them is to work for it themselves. Teenage is a stage where the teens do not even know about the right career path for them. Asking a teen about their future goals is more like asking them to think of a color that does not exist.  

At such a stage, asking the right questions and encouraging them with their interest can be the best way to find a career option. If not, you can seek some external help from the experts to guide your teen to choose the correct career path of their interest.   

10. Resist treating your child as an extension of you

Every teen is unique, and so does yours. The things that might work well for you and drive you crazy may not show the same impact on your teen. So resist your urge to tell your teen to follow a particular path just because there’s something in it that doesn’t interest you.  

11. Help them discover a suitable mentor.

If your teen has an interest in a specific field, then it would be great to learn more about it and discover the right path with the same. Help them connect with a mentor in the same field who can guide them to get the correct path and vision for the future perspective.  

12. Empower them to explore their passion and strength

A few teens are not much familiar with strength and passion. However, choosing the right career path must not be shot in the dark, and sometimes you have to be the light to show them the pathway to a bright future. 

If your teen is having trouble discovering their passion and strength, you can be the shining light to guide them with the same. Once they explore their power and passion, the path to their future career path will be more transparent and more accessible. So identifying them is crucial, and that is what takes a lot of time.  

Help them lookout for the things that will come out to be a fantastic lifetime opportunity to them. 

Bottom Line! 

Helping teens to connect their school studies to a longer-term with a future perspective is indeed challenging. It requires day-to-day motivation and the desired interest in the particular subject study. However, it is intricate to execute.  

Leaving the teens in the middle of nowhere cannot be a reliable solution. Instead, guiding them with the correct career path that is not even a burden to the teens is required. So be a part of choosing the right career path for your teen, apply the strategies mentioned above in real life and witness the excellent yet shining future ahead. 

Generating interest in studies is challenging. And that is where TEL Gurus comes into the picture. TEL Gurus platform can be a savior to all your worries concerning your teen’s future career path.    

Read Also – The Importance of Online Education In the Coming Future

The best thing you can give your children is your time – the saying that got so much attention and indeed adhering to the profound logic.  

Let us accept the fact that life is very busy. And everyone is stuck with their work and other responsibilities that they usually find it hard to spare time for their children. And this is the reason that they prefer caretakers. But can the caretakers do the care the same way as the way you can do? Obviously, not! 

 According to a study, most families spend 12 hours a week on average. They often end up with family members watching TV in silence or sitting separately in their rooms, or busy on their social media accounts—such lack of parent-children bonding results in several behavioural issues and other insecurities that may affect the child.  

Some parents cannot find time, and however, some feel guilty for not spending time with their children. Whatever the case is, the ultimate sufferers are the kids.  

Why spending time is essential and how it affects your child, both the questions need to be answered, and here we have compiled everything you need to check on. Go through it and decide how your busy schedule affects your child in many ways.  

Why is it essential to spend quality time? 

Life is hectic for parents as everybody has their set priorities. Some have to achieve their goal, and some struggle to get the best economic status for families. Even if you are caught up in a hectic whirlwind of activities, sharing some quality family time with your child does make a lot of difference.  

Quality time refers to spending time with children and giving them undivided attention by performing the tasks of their interest. It doesn’t require your whole day but sparing a few minutes a day will also work.  

According to a study done by Jones in 2017, children who spend more quality time with their families are less likely to indulge in risky behaviours like alcohol consumption or drug intake. You undoubtedly love your children but making out time for them can make a huge difference.  

Showing your love, care, and affection to your children and giving them the undivided attention, they deserve can help keep them mentally and emotionally strong. However, on the other end, not giving them time or not spending quality time can result in an entirely different picture. It can affect the children’s overall development.  

Wondering what impact, it can create? Read out the subsequent paragraph, and you will get your answer.  

How Not Spending Time with Your Child Affects Them?  

Not spending time with your child can affect them in several manners. A few of them include:  

Family Bond’s breakdown  

Lack of conversation with your child may lead to erosion of family values. When children and parents start leading their lives separately, lots of secrets are left untold. To maintain a stronger bond with your children, you need to perform some activities to improve the conversation.  

Emotional Distress

A child’s psychology is much more complex and challenging to understand than it seems. When parents are not available at home, and nobody is there to share and express their feelings, it may hurt them. Such children may feel unloved and unnecessary to their parents anymore and may suffer from insecurity, unstable esteem, and distrust.  

Negative Behaviour 

Such adverse effects may not be visible at a very initial phase, but the children’s negative behaviour speaks a lot. However, specific ways of coping with loneliness may be harmful to the child, including bullying and aggression to vent out the feelings.  

Social Media Dependence

Children who are deprived of the desired attention from their families are often inclined towards social media platforms. To find an escape from their loneliness, they choose to spend most of their time on a social media platform and indulge in virtual relations. This may affect their overall mental and physical development.  

Academic Performance

We all want our kids to score well in exams, but nobody tries to figure out why their performance is degrading. How their studies are affected and your busy schedule is also a vital ingredient in degrading their performances.  

But yes, a child’s overall academic performance depends on several factors and emotional and social well-being are two crucial parts. And lack of attention to the kid’s studies at an earlier age can drastically affect the overall academic performance. 

Risky Behaviour

Although the reasons mentioned above were strong enough to prove that parents’ attention matters the most, here comes a solid reason to get out of the busy life and help your child get a bright future ahead. 

According to the research studies, children who do not have strong bonds and effective communication with their parents are likely to indulge in antisocial and risky behaviours, including delinquency, aggression, illegal drug use, and many more. 

However, many of these factors can be prevented by choosing the simple act of spending some quality time with your child. Some simple ways of spending time and a little effort can save your child from suffering from some substantial medical condition, including depression, stress, and anxiety. Are you looking forward to some exciting ways to spend time with your child? Here’s all you need to do.  

Essential Tips for Spending Quality Time with Your Child 

Here are some fantastic ideas that will take the parent-children bond to the next level. 

Fix things together

Is there something that’s broken but can be fixed? Or do you need to paint the kid’s room wall? Whatever is the task but children love to fix things. This encourages them to do more and generates their interest as well. Interact with your kids by choosing such tasks and enjoy the weekend together.  

After-dinner walks

After a family dinner, going for a walk where the whole family accompanies you is a different type of delight. Spend 30 minutes going for a walk with them and let them share how their day was. 

Make short outings with kids.

We all understand that it is hard to find time and go for long trips on weekends and then back to work on Monday morning. But how about spending some quality time with your child by planning a short family trip, whether it be a nearby picnic, camping, or a visit to a water park. Every effort matters and provides you with the reward of spending some quality time with your kid. 

Share family stories

Not even communicating with kids and expecting them to learn about family values is indeed an unfair demand. How about sharing some family stories with your kids so that they will laugh with you, get to know about their family affairs, and several other interacting talks. It will undoubtedly give you plenty of time to spend and have a healthy conversation with your child.  

You can dig into some old photo albums and then look through them with your kids. Add up some new pictures to your family albums with the help of your kids. You can make this a regular activity, and your kid will stay connected with everything.  

Step into your child’s world

Do you know you miss out a lot about your child when you go for your job on working days? But don’t miss out on everything as you can still get to know about it on weekends. Participate in your child’s interesting activities. Play with them, learn about it.  

Participate in an activity of your child’s interest and talk to them about it. They will share a lot when the point is about their interest, and you will get great facts and their perception about it.  

Get to know your child’s friends.

Want to know about your kids? Start talking to them about their friends, and you will see an endless discussion over it. Kids have a lot to share, but due to busy schedules, it is difficult for them to share about their day, their friends, what they did, and how they felt.  

Share it all during weekends. Try opening up to your child and welcome their friends to get to know them better.  

READ ALSO – Tips For Helping Your Kids To Manage Stress Successfully

Cook the favourite recipes together.

Kids love trying new items, and when it comes to their favourite meal, nobody can stop them from showing excitement. When you can get such reactions when you offer them to eat, imagine how excited they will be when they’ll get to cook the same. Check out their cute expressions while saying, “I helped Mumma too”! 

Engage your kids with you in cooking some recipes of their choice and let them serve them to the other family members. The charm you will get to see on their face while serving and expecting some comments after a meal will be precious and irreplaceable at the same time. Grab the opportunity to click pictures and capture the moments. Don’t miss out on a single expression.  

Spend dedicated time together

Whether it is dinner time, Saturday morning, or Sunday plans, every effort to prioritize the quality family time counts. Create an opportunity for something that will make your kids feel excited about and do it exclusively together.  

Learn something new

Learning never goes out of style. Pick up a new hobby and try learning about it with your child. Kids are indeed smarter these days, and you will see them telling you how to do it. Whether it be a new hobby or a language, learning it together will open up new communication ways and bring life back into the conversations. 

Exercise together 

Exercising alone is undoubtedly a tedious task if done alone. Spice up your exercising with your teen, and you will see an inspiration to do more. Enhance your physical activities by involving your teen in them. Go for a jog, a long walk, yoga, or Zumba, do it all with your child. Spend quality time and improve your health at the same time.  

Celebrate and appreciate each other

Keeping track of all the upcoming events, including family birthdays, anniversaries, job changes, and other achievements, can help you spend quality time on weekends and enhance your conversation.  

Recognize the events and appreciate your kids for their accomplishments. Make them feel like every small achievement matter, and even if something of their desire doesn’t happen, there’s still a long way to go.  

Plan a treasure hunt

Did your plan get hampered due to terrible weather? Plan a scavenger hunt at home then. Hide a bunch of things around the house, make clues for every hidden thing and tell your kids to find out. Transform a tedious day into an extremely adventurous weekend. 

Final thoughts! 

Childhood is special—no matter whether you work or stay at home. Adding up a pinch of family entertainment every weekend will encourage your child to wait for the weekend to spend more quality time with family.  

Spending quality time with children is an essential step towards their overall growth. It will also bring you closer to your child. So, you have to be in your child’s lives today to be in their memories tomorrow. Start making memories today.  

READ ALSO – How to Set Up a Remote Learning Space for Your Kids