Q: My son is 7 years old. He studies in one of the best schools of the city. He gets up by 6.30 in the morning and we drop him at the bus stop. After school, the bus drops him back at the crèche. He takes his breakfast in the school and lunch at the crèche. By 6 PM, we take him home from the crèche, while returning from office. Both of us are working. Keeping in mind his tight schedule and his age, will he develop a negative attitude? Is he is in any kind of stress? Will this affect his health, because he is taking two meals outside? By what time should he go to bed at night? How can we make him happy and more active?

A:You seem to have got the child adjusted to a good routine. I do not see any reason for him to develop a negative attitude. Going to a crèche is not necessarily stressful. Everything depends on the quality of the crèche i.e. whether there are trained adult caregivers to attend to the needs of all the children, whether there are play materials available to them and whether there is a friendly feeling in the crèche. Eating two meals outside is not bad for health, provided the food is nutritious, tasty and made for young children. Children tend to pick up good eating habits when they are with other children He should be in bed by 8.30 p.m. to get at least ten hours of sleep. But if they make the children sleep in the crèche for an hour or two, you could push the bedtime to 9.00 or 9.30 p.m. Having adequate rest and sleep is essential for the child's growth and well-being. If you have any reason to feel that he is not happy ask him. Talk to him and listen to him. Let him tell you about how he spent his day and his friends. Have some special routine for him: stories, music or games, which he can enjoy with his parents. Give him lots of cuddling and be playful with him. In many ways, a crèche is better than having a maid or ayah take care of him at home. One would not be sure of what is happening. Check at with the crèche if your child is happy and if something extra needs to be done.