It happened in 1982. Most of you reading this were probably not even born (couldn’t resist that—what with most people addressing me as anything but Vidya these days *evil grin*) I was in the first year of college, studying for a B.Sc. and had moved mid-year from Secunderabad to Madras. Yes,…
Posts published in “Parenting”
I first heard the word frenemy three decades ago. I thought the teenager who used it had made it up, and thought it was quite clever, as it made so much sense. But no—it has been used as far back as 1953. The Urban Dictionary’s top definition of Frenemy is: The…
The exams are over. Today, the results will be announced. Students are gathered for the morning school assembly. As usual, the top three achievers in each class/grade will be mentioned as “toppers.” Those who don’t make the list will experience a range of emotions. Some will determine to work harder. Some…
“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible” Recently a friend of mine lost his dad. Now, naturally, he’s worried about his mom staying alone. Of course, she’s confident—but age is not kind, you know. He can’t help but worry about her. His brother and he have…
On a typical day, kids in the age group of 8-18 years enjoy at least 5 hours of screen time, sometimes more. Okay, usually more! Today, if we Google “kids screen time” there are hundreds of expert articles about why screen time should be limited for kids, and how too much…
The sight of that chubby kid always draws the comment “how cute!” but the same kid ends up facing unpleasant situations as she grows up. My son was that “cute kid” and his classmates loved to pinch his cheeks. He’d be good-natured about it. But he had an unexpected growth spurt…
Even in this digital parenting age, knowing the right time to get a phone for your teen is a challenge. Naturally, there is the worry about the responsibility and whether your child is ready for it. Then, of course, there’s the lurking worry that your teen will run up a massive…