Children today are more precocious than ever in the social media and AI age. Here are five books that can help you step up as a parent
About the Friend in My Heart is a children’s book about kindness. Illustration/Sonal Gupta Vaswani
Big book for big feelings
Children can often have big feelings that they lack the words to express. Dipna Daryanani’s picture book, About the Friend in My Heart (Red Panda, '350), tackles some of these big feelings through the lens of “kindness”. Daryanani, an early years educator, and artist Sonal Gupta Vaswani gently show children what it means to be kind — from feeding a stray puppy, to sharing a tiffin box with a classmate who may not look the same as you. This is a book that can be read with parental supervision, or by the child on their own.
Affirmations for students
In a world where children see disaster in every failed test, break-up, or rejection from peers, there’s nothing like a kind word to help restore their confidence. Author-educator Ankur Warikoo’s book, Beyond The Syllabus, is like a Magic 8 Ball that gives a comforting answer to any question you might have on your mind, no matter which page you turn to.
Teen terror
Puberty is striking children earlier and earlier. And neither child nor parents are prepared for the storm it brings. Why has my happy-go-lucky child become anxious? Is my teen transgender? Science journalist Matt Richtel’s book, How We Grow Up (Harper Collins Publishers India, R499), provides some answers to just what’s happening to your child.
Future-proof planning
So you’ve crossed the terrible years of teen tantrums and board exam anxiety. Onward to the next phase: Career planning. In a world increasingly enamoured with AI, entrepreneur Bhavik Hariyani asks an important question: Students, Are You Ready For The Future? (Notion Press, '198). It covers crucial questions such as how to develop universal skills that are in demand globally, or how to future-proof your career with skills AI can never replicate. Now that’s forward looking!
This one’s for the parents
Being a good parent means being your child’s friend, right? Wrong! In their book, This Book Won’t Teach You Parenting: But It Will Make You a Better Parent (Penguin Random House, '499), psychotherapist Riri G Trivedi and educator Anagha Nagpal tell you exactly why treating your child like a confidante and oversharing with them can end up burdening them with emotional trauma they are not mature enough to handle. This book is for all the modern parents who want to do better than the previous generation, but aren’t sure how.
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