I was recently watching an episode of Modern Family -– the one in which Claire is at the airport and is trying to reach out to her daughter Haley via technology after they have an argument. The show, which is 

In a recent column, I explored the attitude of entitlement many parents are surprised to find in their children. The race for tickets to next week’s Justin Bieber concert in Mumbai had brought it to the fore, and teen entitlement 

Sesame Street recently announced a new Muppet character: Julia, who joins Elmo, Big Bird and the gang , makes her debut today on one of the longest-running children’s programmes. (She’s been part of print and digital storybooks produced by Sesame 

Justin Bieber’s The Purpose World Tour is coming to India – Mumbai, to be precise, for a one-night performance – on 10 May, and it has caused quite the stir among the city’s preteens and teens – and their parents. 

When you’re feeling like a bad mother or father, and your confidence in parenting is low, remember these tips. With the birth of a child, self-doubt is also born in a parent. How often this self-doubt raises its ugly head 

Making friends is one of the most important social development goals for children. And it’s something I hear parents worry about a lot; “My son has no friends,” they will say, or “My daughter has no friends.” When a child 

A client told me she recently felt the impact of social media after scrolling through pictures of her friends travelling to exotic locations and eating delicious food. She felt bombarded by their displays of happiness and adventure, and miserable about her 

At a recent workshop, a parent asked me: What is your stance on a parent’s role during sibling fights? How much time do you have? Jokes aside, my opinion isn’t simply ‘Get Involved’ or ‘Stay Out Of It,’ even though 

It’s an ingrained response in most of us: when we do something wrong or hurtful, we say, “Sorry.” It’s basic good manners, and we want our kids to learn that courtesy, too – society expects it of them and will 

A 29-year-old tells me for the past four months she has been mourning a friendship breakup with her best friend. “Is it normal for people to take so long to deal with the loss of a friendship?” she wonders in one 

As a therapist, I hear painful and heartrending stories all the time. But some of the more frustrating accounts I listen to are about trouble with homework. In the last few years, I have had parents request Sunday appointments for 

When it comes to a child’s mental health or emotional health struggles, it’s imperative that they get as much support as possible. But it’s not always clear if, when and how to involve children’s biggest influencers outside of parents: the school. 

“When gentle persuasion (of children) falls on deaf ears, we resort to ridicule and rebuke. Then we return to threats and punishment. This is the modus operandi of a mutual frustration society.” – Haim Ginnott, child psychologist and parent educator. 

A 30-year-old client of mine was utterly conflicted about the prospect of marriage. She had refused two potential partners’ marriage proposals. When we explored this further, it became clear it wasn’t her fear of commitment. Instead, it was her mother’s extreme dependence; 

My work is often a reminder of how often we mistakenly attribute behavioural problems in children to their nature. He’s temperamental; she’s just naughty. Sometimes it’s true, but an oft-overlooked possibility is that the children are trying to figure out 

Restful Sleep So Far Away: I have been having difficulty with restful sleep; I sleep for six hours but don’t feel rested enough. My work is exhausting and I have also been dealing with a personal crisis. Do you think I 

All parents want great things for their children — intelligence, confidence, success, happiness. When our children exhibit these things, we praise them, so kids know they are valued. Praising children is also used to show them how much we love and 

Every other week, Sonali Gupta draws on more than 10 years of experience as a clinical psychologist to give advice to readers with questions about parenting, family dynamics, relationships, mental health, and more.   Information Overload: I have been feeling