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The author rightly says that we must, as a parent, first address our own anxiety by being positive. This attitude will help our children too.
I chose to read this book because of the importance it lays on raising resilient kids, especially in the extraordinary times we all are in.
The book is written by famous author and columnist Ms. Kiran Manral and starts with a rather angsty conversation between her and sixteen-year-old son. “Are we all going to die?” is what he asks the author.
Most of us have faced such type of questions from our kids at one time or another. There are a lot of other things as well in the book that one can resonate with as a parent.
I am a mother of two boys, eleven and nine. My elder one is up to speed with the latest news (his general awareness is better than his Mom’s).
The author talks about several relevant issues such as climate change which is the elephant in the room we should have acknowledged way back.
Most of us were happy and in denial mode when the pandemic hit China thinking this is not going to happen to us. In fact, like most people, I had booked our tickets for the summer vacations.
Kiran touches the unprecedented experiences we had all gone through during the lockdown. She also talks about accepting the new normal (which is interestingly not defined till today!) and the sudden way of life we all are forced to be living in since the outbreak of COVID-19.
One good thing that has come out of this madness is the much needed pause it has given, compelling us to turn inward.
The author talks about the lack of physical activity and increase in screen time and what we, as parents can do about it. Well, I could resonate with the ideas as I have been following some of them too.
My boys do contribute to the age appropriate household chores which makes them take ownership of the work and feel responsible too. I enrolled my kids for an Online Yoga and breathing program in July itself. They have learnt few breathing practices which they now continue to do on their own.
The uncertainty of how long we have to live like this does create anxiety. The author rightly says that we must, as a parent, first address our own anxiety by being positive. This attitude will help our children too. She also stresses on answering the kids questions honestly.
Manral stresses the need for discussing actions which we can own and act on. This will give kids a sense of ownership and control, besides raising their awareness and hope.
“Look to the past and be assured that humankind has survived in worse conditions”-This thought is very important to give our kids ‘hope’ amidst all the negativity.
Looking for the benefits of being in a lockdown, I have a long personal list here.
Right from the precious time I am getting to spend with my family, doing the household chores together, taking additional responsibility if one member is pressed for time because of other commitments, enjoying the simple pleasures of life, learning to manage with what is available, mindful of our actions and their impact on others.
First published here.
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Image Credits : Pixabay and book cover from Amazon India.
Happy Soul, believer in gift called life, avid traveler and explorer, sometimes restless but mostly sane, respect relationships and believer in goodness all around. Student of my two sons who teach me many lessons of read more...
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Shows like Indian Matchmaking only further the argument that women must adhere to social norms without being allowed to follow their hearts.
When Netflix announced that Indian Matchmaking (2020-present) would be renewed for a second season, many of us hoped for the makers of the show to take all the criticism they faced seriously. That is definitely not the case because the show still continues to celebrate regressive patriarchal values.
Here are a few of the gendered notions that the show propagates.
A mediocre man can give himself a 9.5/10 and call himself ‘the world’s most eligible bachelor’, but an independent and successful woman must be happy with receiving just 60-70% of what she feels she deserves.
Darlings makes some excellent points about domestic violence . For such a movie to not follow through with a resolution that won't be problematic, is disappointing.
I watched Darlings last weekend, staying on top of its release on Netflix. It was a long-awaited respite from the recent flicks. I wanted badly to jump into its praise and will praise it, for something has to be said for the powerhouse performances it is packed with. But I will not be able to in a way that I really had wanted to.
I wanted to say that this is a must-watch on domestic violence that I stand behind and a needed and nuanced social portrayal. But unfortunately, I can’t. For I found Darlings to be deeply problematic when it comes to the portrayal of domestic violence and how that should be dealt with.
Before we rush to the ‘you must be having a problem because a man was hit’ or ‘much worse happens to women’ conclusions, that is not what my issue is. I have seen the praises and criticisms, and the criticisms of criticisms. I know, from having had close associations with non-profits and activists who fight domestic violence not just in India but globally, that much worse happens to women. I have written a book with case studies and statistics on that. Neither do I have any moral qualms around violence getting tackled with violence (that will be another post some day).