living
parenting
Busy lifestyles leave parents wjtffout a
breather. It's no surprise thatchildren are
exposed to various unwanted influences.
Here’s how to block the exteinalstimuli.
BY SHILPI MADAN
W
hoever said that
children are innocent
angels, was evidently
born pre-iPad.
Kids can be smart
cookies, who thrive in situations
created as a result of conflicting ideas
that they receive from their immediate
environment. Whether it is knowingly or
unknowingly, these external influences
always make parenting a tad difficult.
Here’s how you can cope:
Grand Influence
For many children, divergent views can
mean a quick, rather satisfying, reversal
of rules laid down by parents who are
away at work. Sometimes it includes
the tacit support of grandparents
and other family members. Says Dr
Anjali Chhabria, psychiatrist and
child psychologist, Mumbai, “In such
a scenario, it is very easy for children
to perfect the art of manipulation and
often pit two parenting styles against
one other. Once conflict sets in between
parents, or between parents and
grandparents, it becomes very easy for a
child to take advantage of the situation,”
she adds. Eventually, the true sufferers
are the parents and their relationship.
To counter this
situation she suggests that parents
and grandparents need to resolve
their differences, fill up the generation
gap with healthy communication and
coordinate without mutually imposing
thoughts on each other. Mumbai-based
child psychologist and counsellor
Dr Archana Jambusaria says, “In our
country, parenting is a process that
involves grandparents and the extended
family. However, it is very important
to realize and control the amount of
influence exercised by others, on your
kids. You need to decide conclusively
what is best, despite the respect or awe
you have for your parents and in-laws,
because you want the very best for your
children,” she adds.
Help at Hand
Today both parents are working or have
their hands full with several family
commitments, when the problem
seeps in surreptitiously. “For instance,
PHOTOGRAPH: AMITSHARMA
