A doctors reflection on the habits we pass to the next generation
- Written by Dr. Sreelekha R S, Senior Consultant at UWAY Health
त्रय उपस्तम्भा इति—आहारः, स्वप्नो, ब्रह्मचर्यमिति।
Traya upastambha iti—āhāraḥ, svapno, brahmacaryam iti.
The Charaka Samhita describes food, sleep and a disciplined way of living as three supporting pillars of life. (Sutrasthana 11.35)
I was reminded of this verse when I read about a recent decision in Dubai. On Mother’s Day, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed directed the Community Development Authority to use the title “Generation Shaper” in place of “housewife”. I’ve never head anything like this before.
I was touched. As a mother and as a doctor. The new title is interesting because it recognises something we see regularly in medical practice. A mother’s influence on health does not stop with caring for a child during an illness. In many families, she sets the rhythm of the home. She decides what reaches the dining table, notices when a child has not slept well, remembers the complaints that others overlook and understands small changes in behaviour before they become obvious.
Over time, these ordinary decisions become the child’s habits.
Ayurveda has always paid attention to this everyday foundation of health. We have detailed descriptions of medicines and treatment, but as you know, Ayurveda does not begin with medicine. It begins with how a person eats, sleeps, moves, digests, thinks and lives through the day.
For a child, the first lessons in these matters usually come from home.
Children learn the rhythm of health at home
When a child comes to us with poor appetite, constipation, disturbed sleep or frequent tiredness, parents naturally ask what medicine should be given. Sometimes treatment is required. But we also have to understand the child’s day.
What time does the child wake up? Is breakfast eaten in a hurry? Are meals taken while watching a screen? Is there enough outdoor play? What time does the family finish dinner? Does the child go to bed with a phone or tablet?
These questions may appear very basic. They are important because a medicine cannot permanently compensate for a disorganised daily routine.
Ayurveda calls an appropriate daily regimen dinacharya. For children, this should never become a military timetable. A reasonably steady pattern for waking, eating, study, play and sleep is sufficient. Regularity helps the body recognise hunger, remain active at the appropriate time and settle down for rest.
The pattern followed by the adults matters. It is difficult to teach a child to eat without a screen when everybody else at the table is looking at a phone. It is equally difficult to insist on an early bedtime when the whole household remains active late into the night.
Food is more than a list of nutrients
Mothers are often under considerable pressure about their children’s food. One person recommends a special drink, another suggests a supplement, and social media introduces a new “superfood” every week.
Ayurveda asks us to look at food more carefully. The same food need not suit every child in the same quantity or at the same time. We consider age, appetite, digestion, season, activity and the child’s present state of health.
At home, a few observations are more useful than constantly changing the diet:
Does the child come to the meal with a natural appetite?
Is the quantity appropriate, or is the child regularly being forced to finish?
Is there a varied and age-appropriate diet?
Does the child repeatedly develop pain, bloating, loose stools or constipation after certain foods?
Freshly prepared food, eaten at a regular time and without too much distraction, is a sound starting point for most families. This need not become an elaborate “Ayurvedic diet”. Nor should a child be placed on a restrictive diet merely on the basis of a body-type quiz or something seen online.
Persistent digestive complaints, poor growth, recurrent vomiting, blood in the stools or continuing loss of appetite require proper medical evaluation.
Sleep deserves the same seriousness as education
Parents carefully plan tuition, classes and examinations. Sleep is often expected to adjust around everything else.
This is a mistake.
In Ayurveda, nidra—sleep—is one of the supports of health. In a child, insufficient or disturbed sleep can show up as morning difficulty, irritability, poor attention, daytime tiredness or reduced interest in activity. These signs are sometimes interpreted only as laziness or lack of discipline.
A regular bedtime, a quieter period before sleep and reduced screen stimulation in the evening can help. The amount of sleep required changes with age. Snoring, breathing difficulty during sleep, repeated night waking or marked daytime sleepiness should be discussed with a paediatrician.
Digestion is also affected by the mind
Many mothers notice that a child’s appetite or bowel pattern changes before an examination, after a conflict at school or during a difficult period at home. This observation is important.
Ayurveda does not treat the mind and body as two unrelated compartments. Fear, anger, grief and persistent pressure can influence sleep, appetite, digestion and energy. A child may not always have the words to explain what is happening. The complaint may first appear through the body.
This does not mean every physical symptom is “because of stress”. A physical cause must not be dismissed. It means that a proper assessment should include both the symptom and the circumstances in which it developed.
One of the most useful things a parent can do is listen before giving advice. A child who can speak about fear, failure or embarrassment at home carries less of it alone.
The mother’s health is part of the child’s environment
While appreciating mothers, we should be careful not to give them one more impossible standard to meet.
A mother who is exhausted, sleeping poorly or carrying the entire responsibility of the family cannot be told simply to create a calm and healthy home. Her health needs attention. She needs rest, support and a fair sharing of responsibility.
Fathers, grandparents and other family members shape the child as well. The phrase “Generation Shaper” should expand our respect for caregiving; it should not make the mother solely accountable for every aspect of a child’s future.
From an Ayurvedic point of view, the contribution of a mother is rarely one dramatic act. It is the repetition of small things: a meal served at the right time, attention to a change in appetite, protection of sleep, encouragement to go outside and play, and the patience to ask what is troubling the child.
These actions may not appear in school certificates or medical records. Yet they quietly influence the adult the child will become.
Perhaps that is the real meaning of a generation shaper.
Also, I encourage you to think about how the contributions of your mother in shaping the present you present you
Medical note
The guidance in this article is general and is not a substitute for an individual medical assessment. Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, supplements, restrictive diets or therapeutic procedures should not be started in children without advice from a qualified physician. Ayurveda should not replace vaccination, prescribed treatment, developmental assessment, paediatric consultation or urgent medical care.
References
About Author
Dr. Sreelekha R S has 20+ years of clinical experience and is highly regarded for her expertise in the management of lifestyle diseases and diet-based Ayurvedic wellness.
She completed her BAMS from the renowned Government Ayurveda College, Thiruvananthapuram, and holds an MD in Alternative Medicine. With a strong foundation in both classical Ayurveda and modern health sciences, she has successfully helped numerous patients manage conditions such as obesity, diabetes, thyroid imbalances, digestive issues, and stress-related disorders through holistic, personalized care.
