Rethinking Parenting in a Changing India

In a world defined by speed, competition, and uncertainty, the education of children has become an obsession, particularly in societies like India where academic achievement is seen not just as a marker of success but as a safeguard against an unpredictable future.

- Dipak Kurmi

Across the country, parents devote enormous time, resources, and emotional energy to ensure their children excel in exams, secure top grades, and earn admission into prestigious institutions. The pursuit is well-intentioned, born from a deep desire to secure a better life for the next generation. Yet, this narrow focus on academic success risks sidelining the deeper, more essential aspects of parenting-emotional — well-being, character building, and the cultivation of adaptive life skills.

The conventional understanding of education in India, deeply rooted in colonial and industrial-era legacies, prioritises rote learning, standardised assessments, and high-stakes competition. It turns children into containers to be filled rather than individuals to be nurtured. The adage, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," is more than a cliché-it is a warning. A child who is pushed endlessly to perform academically without attention to their emotional and creative development may secure a degree, but struggle to find purpose, resilience, or joy in life.

Parenting, then, must move beyond the obsession with report cards. It must become a conscious and holistic effort that includes listening without judgement, setting boundaries with empathy, and recognising that failure is not a stigma but a stepping stone. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a brutal wake-up call in this regard. As schools shut down and children remained confined to their homes, parents were forced into multifaceted roles: as educators, caretakers, emotional anchors, and tech troubleshooters. For many families, especially in India's vast rural and economically disadvantaged communities, this challenge was magnified by the digital divide. With limited access to smartphones, laptops, or stable internet, millions of children were left behind, exposing the fragile scaffolding of the country's educational system and the urgent need for inclusive parenting frameworks.