The first edition of a kids’ expo, Jack & Jill, was held in the city. Riya Sharma checks out the innovative devices to keep a check on kids’ safety and recreational activities that can encourage them to connect with the world outside the digital
With many ongoing fashion-related events going on in the city, it was time to pay attention to the tiny tots as well. The first edition of Jack & Jill, a two-day event which focused on the holistic development of a child though tourism, wellness, knowledge and education offered an array of stalls from educational games, toys, tourism, wellness talks by calling doctors, painting and drawing sessions, magic shows, fancy dress competition and dancing sessions.
Amid all this, what caught our eye was a mobile-cum-safety device which is easy to use and can offer a solution to a lot of worrying parents.One problem that usually bothers working parents is that whether their child back at home is safe or notIJ Though we spend a lot of money in hiring maids or helpers but this problem constantly bothers a lot of working parents.
To offer a solution to this problem, Telesole Technologies has come up with a customised Airi software which can provide a sign of relief to worrying parents. The mobile phone with SOS key can be used to pre-set number for help. There are four other keys with one, two, three four written on them. The function of these keys is to contact the four persons during emergency. If the first button can have father’s number then the second one can have mother’s contact and so on.
The other issue most parents face is leaving their child with domestic helpers. At times, parents wish to hear the conversation that the help is having with the child. “For all those times, what you actually need to do is you can send a message on this device, and it will call you back and you can hear the conversation without letting anyone know about it,” says Reema from Telesole technologies.
If your kid has gone out for a class and is unable to respond, then you may simply send a message to the mobile and it will call you back. By sending a message, you can also know the location of your child. Seema, a parent at the expo informs us, “I have a daughter who is nine-years-old and I feel a constant need to connect her. With this device I can easily track her location which would really make me stress-free”.
The mobile has been designed for kids upto 12 years but “with increasing stress among parents for the safety of their little ones, they have been buying them for their children as young as one-year-old”. The price the device is `5,500.Another striking feature of the expo was Digital Detox stall. In this era of technology, kids are hooked mobile-phones. Video games are replacing outdoor games which eventually lead to children giving or taking up new hobbies.
“We are trying to bring back the lost hobbies and interests of our children. If you spend 10 hours a day on your phone, and continue for one year, your IQ will drop for 40 points; imagine that happening to a kid every year,” says Aman, representative of Digital Detox.Due to their interest in visual media, kids suffer from social anxiety, they don’t gel with people and feel more comfortable in the virtual world. “We are using the medium of drama therapy where a child can become anything his wants. The kids align their interests and hobbies with their thoughts which lead to their holistic development”, Aman shares.
He adds, “It is basically aligning themselves with their thoughts. So, there are times when, what a child feels, he is not able to share with his friends or family but in our drama classes they can become anything of their choice. We are organising workshops in Gurgaon and we have given a preview of it in this expo as well.”
like any other expo, which would otherwise focus only on one subject, Jack&Jill had much more to offer. The event featured many stalls for the overall development of a child. The icing on the cake for the little ones was getting clicked with their lucky mascots, Jack & Jill and Chota Bheem.
“I have seen parents treating their children with goodies and junk food. Initially, they forget the meaning of wellness and then they worry about their health. So, we have arranged wellness talks by calling out doctors so that children as well as their parents understand the negative impacts of eating junk food,” says Jyoti Mayal, CEO, Redhat Communications.
