STAR DIARY

DO SOMETHING FOR THEM!

Winter is almost here and everyone around me is planning winter picnics and outdoor parties. When most of my friends were planning a camping trip, one of my friends thought of collecting used winter clothes and blanket for the underprivileged street children. At first we did not pay any attention to his idea, but he kept insisting that we would do something with the money allocated for our winter camp. Finally we agreed to his proposal and decided to cancel the trip. According to the new plan, we decided to spend the budget to buy warm clothes for them. We got surprised discovering our parents joining us. Now, we have turned into a big group believing the same cause, and have started collecting old but usable warm clothes from our relatives. Every day, we distribute the collected clothes among the children in different areas. We feel very happy when we see that our little efforts can bring smile on their faces. We have realised that it is not very tough to make them happy with our sincere effort.  

Nowshad-Ur-Rahman
Chandana Chowrasta, Gazipur

PHOTO: INTERNET

The Fussy Eaters 

Last month my cousin came from Chittagong  to attend another cousin's wedding. We were very excited as she decided to live at our place with her two-year-old boy. Everything was going quite well but every time when its his mealtime things become very difficult around him. For his fussy eating habit, my cousin gets very anxious about mealtime and can not keep her usual calm and positive attitude. She needs to get a number of distractions around her, Her toddler is healthy and quite active. My mother believes there is no reason to get worried as even if he refuses food at time, he gets enough food to keep him going. Later we told her about neophobia meaning the fear of new foods which most toddlers experience around the age of two which is a normal part of their development. This is a common problem with many deshi parents where they tend to force food into the children's mouth. But they should also understand the toddlers' eating pattern and habit. This is easier said than done and it's a losing battle for parents of fussy eaters, but engaging in a battle during every meal time does not help the situation either.

Nandini Chowdhury
Shahjadpur
Dhaka