In merely 15 days [of July], I have got twice the number of new patients that I had in all of June," says child psychiatrist Dr Manjiri Deshpande Shenoy. The head of the Sakinaka-based Indlas Child Guidance Clinic, says the pandemic and the long lockdown that has followed has increased behavioural issues among Mumbai's children and their dynamics with their parents, resulting in many parents reaching out to experts like her through counselling sessions or parenting webinars. So far, she has conducted 80-100 such webinars.

A common problem that most children have to grapple with is boredom. With no possibility of social interaction—with other kids—and lack of a regular daily structure, children don't know what to do next. And that's leading to multiple issues.