If parents are already stressed out, what about the children? On a Saturday morning, I greeted a neighbour, “Have a happy weekend!” “It’s a sad weekend,” he replied unexpectedly before going on to explain, “The children are having a grilling time preparing for examinations.” My neighbour’s daughter was […]
Many parents are highly concerned over their children’s studies and the stress they faced in school. Can you imagine how thankful I felt when the school teachers of my two children coincidentally made a similar remark at the teacher-and-parent meetings recently, “We have no worry about his academic […]
Troubles At Home Recently a friend X confided that he is having trouble making conversation with his teenage boy. Almost every recent conversation between the father and son ended up badly. X said remorsefully, “Somehow nothing good comes out of my mouth when I talk to him these […]
Our Days Are Numbered I told a friend MM recently that my days were numbered. “Probably no more than fifteen thousand day left,” I emphasised strong on the numeral. MM was stumped for words. I explained with a chuckle, “I am not dying. Just do your sums. It’s […]
One of the greatest perks of parenting is to engage children in meaningful conversations. They set us thinking about important questions. A Conversation About Pursuing Dreams Several months ago, I had a conversation with my thirteen year old son, Conan, about “pursuing dreams”. I said to him, “Before […]
NO Hugs, NO Kisses! Last week, I spoke about teaching autistic children to be affectionate. Many readers were touched by our family’s efforts to train our son to be warm and spontaneous. Some parents with autistic children, however, had their misgivings. I was told of a story about […]
Last evening , a friend VK asked me, “How is your elder son doing?” VK is a kind man who is temporarily taking care of a child in neglect. Out of concern, he asked how I coped with the challenges of raising a child with special needs. My […]
