How to raise a boy: Lessons on life and badminton from my son
A few years ago, my son and I attended a local table tennis tournament. As we watched with keen attention, cheering our respective favourite players, he noticed that there were very few female participants. To his observation, I replied that it was not uncommon to see low participation of women in sports. Even though there […]
How to raise a boy: While I was focussed on perfection, my son was growing, in his own way, along his own path
Mar 24, 2025 12:16 IST First published on: Mar 24, 2025 at 12:16 IST Share In a breach with convention, I will begin with the conclusion, the TLDR for the young and rushed and the older and jaded — I have no nuggets of wisdom to offer on raising a son, or raising anything for […]
How to raise a boy: Do we ask our boys enough – where does it hurt?
Feb 24, 2025 13:01 IST First published on: Feb 24, 2025 at 12:16 IST Share This month brought the sad news of two young boys dying in Ashoka University – according to reports, one by suicide and the other for which the cause is still to be confirmed. The signs of a mental-health crisis among […]
How to raise a boy: Being an Indian parent means even if you’re laid back, the world around you isn’t
I became a mother 26 years ago. The moment my doctor showed me the barest glimpse of my son before taking him away to another hospital’s NICU because he wasn’t breathing the way he should, was the moment I realised that my entire sanity hinged upon this one small being staying alive. A harrowing 25 […]
How to Raise a Boy: In raising our boys, we must be patient. I’m still learning
My cousin’s house overlooks a broad nala or open sewer here in my hometown Patna. My cousin died a few years ago; he was a doctor and his wife, my bhabhi, is also a doctor. When I visited my bhabhi last night, parking my car perilously close to the dark nala, our conversation turned very […]
How to raise a boy: My son has autism. But I know one thing for sure — I’ll do everything I can to help him lead a fulfilling life
Raising a child is never an easy task, but when that child is a teenager with autism, the journey takes on an entirely different shape. As a mother raising a teenage son with autism, I’ve faced unique challenges that have tested my patience, resilience, and ability to adapt. Every day is a new opportunity to […]
How to raise a boy: I thought I was on the right path until I was lost
There was a time when I thought it would be easy for me to raise a boy. I had walked out of an abusive marriage; I was armed with the strength of a tree bent after punishing storms. I believed that since I’d survived the demands of a boy-man twisted out of kindness into all […]
What if we gave boys the agency to opt out of traditional and often damaging ways of being a man?
As an 11-year-old who fought for women-eating-before-men at the wedding ceremony lunch of one of my aunts, I was raising men even before I was aware of my womb. So eventually, when I begat a boy at 41, the bar was already set very high. I imagined my husband and I would raise him together, […]