The Coochikoo

Lakshadweep is a unique place to raise a child because of the special health issues that come with living on a beautiful island. If you are expecting a child or just brought a new baby home to one of these beautiful islands, you may be thinking about immunizations, getting medical care, and keeping your child healthy in this faraway tropical paradise. Do not worry, I will tell you everything you need to know! The Amazing Progress Our Islands Have Made in Health Care Have a happy holiday! Lakshadweep has reached 100% vaccination coverage for children! Yes, all children on our islands are protected against six major diseases that can be avoided. In fact, we have not had polio in over ten years. That is really amazing for a Union Territory that is 220–440 km off the coast of Kerala. NFHS-5 statistics show that 91.7% of children aged 12 to 23 months have all of their vaccinations, which is better than the national rate of 83.8%! And 94.2% of our babies get the very important BCG shot, whic...

 It can be hard to pick the right preschool for your child in Puducherry because there are so many opening up in every neighborhood. You probably can not sleep because you are trying to find the best first school for your child, whether you live in the Union Territory or just moved here recently.  We will tell you everything you need to know about the best preschools in Puducherry in 2025 to calm down. What is so great about Puducherry's preschool scene? Puducherry (yes, some of us still love to call it Pondicherry!) has a unique mix of different ways of teaching.  Montessori schools, schools with a foreign curriculum, schools with programs affected by France, and play schools in the United States are all available. Young children's education options in the city beautifully reflect its international feel, giving parents a huge range of choices.  What are the best preschools in Puducherry? Now, let us talk about some names that parents always rave about. There is a...

 Do you want your kids to be able to change languages like they can change TV channels? Welcome to the wonderful world of learning in two or three languages in India! There has never been a better time to look into international education, whether you want to make a link with France, keep your Tamil roots alive, or just give your child more options than just English and Hindi. Let us look at what is out there and see which ones might work for your family! The Foundation for Tamil and English First, let us look at the most popular mix in South India. A lot of schools in Tamil Nadu have programs where kids can learn both Tamil and English from the very first day. What is so beautiful about it? Tamil is not only a "second language subject," but also a way to teach, especially in the early years. In fact, NEP 2020 supports teaching in the home tongue all the way through Grade 5, which builds a good base for Tamil. For example, Velammal Global School in Puzhal starts with...

If your family makes a living in the textile mills in Coimbatore—whether you spin yarn, your spouse handles export orders, or your parents retired after working in the industry for decades—you have probably noticed that something is not quite right this season. There were delays in production, worries about quality, and worried dinner table chats about "moisture problems." This is La Niña's not-so-pleasant effect on Kolkata, South India. Figuring out La Niña's two-pronged attack The situation is that meteorologists say there is a 71% chance that La Niña will happen between October and December 2025. This is not just bad weather for Coimbatore's textile business. It works for over 1.25 million people in the area, which also includes Tiruppur and Karur. Production plans, quality standards, and, in the end, family budgets are all at risk. La Niña causes two big problems for textile manufacturing: too much humidity from more rain than usual and cloudy weather that tex...

If you live in Kolkata and have a child, you may have noticed that they cough or use their inhaler more often than normal this fall. It is not your mind; Kolkata's air quality went from "good" to "bad" in the middle of October 2025. And experts are saying that this winter could be 30% worse than last year because of La Niña, which makes pollution stay in the city longer. The Scary Truth About the Air in Kolkata First, I will give you a number that should scare all parents: Half of the children in Kolkata have some kind of breathing problem because of dirty air. That is one kid out of every two! A decade ago, doctors would see two to three kids every day with breathing problems caused by pollution. Today? That number has gone up to 10 to 15 kids every day, some of whom are babies. It has gotten so bad that, based on population, Kolkata was named the second-dirtiest city in the world in 2019. The air quality in our city stayed dangerous all winter during Diwali 20...