Prem and Shalina are very devoted parents. They shower love and affection on their son Ranjit. They never missed his PTM’s, his kabaddi matches or his guitar performances. They are always available when he wants to talk and they guide him with every decision he takes. They let him know ever so often that he […]

Sheela sounded worried on the phone and requested an emergency counselling session for her 11 year old daughter-Neha. A very concerned Sheela explained that her daughter- typically an academic high achiever had obtained the third rank in class. This was perceived as unusual by the family considering that Neha always secured the first rank. Upset […]

As an American now residing in India, I cannot help but notice that some of the negative aspects of Western media are beginning to encroach on Indian culture. Low self-esteem, insecurities, and poor body image are creeping into the female psyche and behaviour. As Bollywood actresses become increasingly slim, television ads promote fairer, whiter skin, […]

Rahul’s parents were called into school for the fourth time this term. His parents knew what would be in store- they would hear the teacher describe their son’s antics in class in this mildly exasperated and reproaching tone. The litany of complaints would be all too familiar – Rahul can’t sit still, he’s so hyper, […]

As a child & adolescent counsellor, much of my time is spent working with parents who are preparing to launch their children into the “Real World.” The transition from high school to college is a big step, not only for students, but for families too. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from […]

One of the ways in which a lot of us are different from our parents’ generation is in our approach to parenting. Planned and intentional parenting is a lot more on the minds of this generation of parents than in the past. Earlier, the equation of marriage then children was unquestioned and unexamined. Issues like […]

While school, family and friends are most important during early and late childhood, for teenagers the order is reversed. So friends become the priority, and things like school, studies, even family recede to the background. Few parents are entirely comfortable about this change, and rightly so. In this day and age, there are many things […]

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt about being a mother, it’s the number of times one has to say “No” to a curious toddler in a single day. It has actually been documented that all over the world, regardless of language patterns and grammatical structures, a young child generally learns to respond to “no” and […]

Our school-going years are the ones we wax most nostalgic about as adults, about teachers and classmates from way back when who helped us grow into the person we are today… it would come as a surprise then, to know that these very same years are fraught with tension and worry for children of the […]

When children turn to the pre-teen years, parents generally feel less hassled about day-to-day behaviours, since most of their son or daughter’s time is spent at school. After school, there’s homework, play and bed… though not always in that order! So it wouldn’t come as a surprise then, that the first persons to notice a […]

Becoming a parent is kind of like a roller-coaster ride – there are ups and downs, and you never quite know what’s round the bend. It’s hard enough coping with a baby’s needs, but at times there is a further complication when your baby does not grow in the ‘right’ way – that is to […]

It is commonly said that adolescence begins in biology and ends in culture. The transition into adolescence (or teenage) is marked by the dramatic changes of puberty, while the transition from teenage to adulthood involves changes like the completion of education, entry into the working world and marriage. Included in the tasks of this life-stage […]

Parenting can be a terrifying responsibility to take on for most of us. Being responsible for bringing a child into the world and raising him/her right is a something many of us might feel unprepared for. We worry about so many things which may go wrong. We try to read books on parenting, talk to […]

A parent of my acquaintance told me very poignantly ‘It is very difficult for any human being to completely understand another human being. I think I know my kids and understand the individuals they are becoming, but sometimes I think I don’t understand them at all!’ Many parents go through a period where they are […]

Hrithik, 12, is the youngest of three children in his family. For many years now, Hrithik has not been going to school because he is unable to cope with the academic demands made there. While other children begin to talk around the age of 1, Hrithik did not begin using words till he was about […]