“Woh kabhi kabhi apne maa ke jaise lipstick aur nail polish lagane ki koshish karta hai, toh hum bhi uske saath baith jate hai madad karne keliye (He sometimes tries to imitate his mother by applying her lipstick and nail paints. So, we also sit with him together to help him),” his father said, smilingly.
Parenting practices vary widely among families, influenced by factors such as value systems, cultural background, community tradition, financial circumstances, access to resources and health care, and maintaining media messaging. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. However, with the rise of nuclear families and increasing migration for work, there is a growing demand for solutions to common parenting challenges.
In recent years, India’s curriculum frameworks for the early years have highlighted the important role parents can and must play in their children’s learning journey.
Finding solutions to parenting challenges is a trend evident in the proliferation of mother-support groups across various online platforms, as reported by The Better India. For instance, a Facebook group named UNIMO (Universe of Moms) hosts a community of 100,000 mothers from across the country who exchange information on motherhood. Research by Illume reveals that primary caregivers experience significant stress regarding their children’s education. One mother expressed:
“ Aaj kal education ka level bhi bohot high hai. Bade bachhe bhi fail ho jaatein hain. Abhi se level nahin banayenge toh aage level nahin banega.” (Nowadays, the level of education is very high. Older children also fail. Unless we do something early, we will not be able to do anything later.)”
This highlights the anxiety mothers feel about their children’s educational prospects from an early age. Similarly, research by Probex Management Consulting shows that fathers often perceive their role in their child’s mental development as limited to reinforcing what the school teaches. Consequently, they rely heavily on schools to lead their child’s learning journey. This reliance underscores a need for increased parental involvement and support in the early stages of a child’s education to mitigate these concerns and enhance developmental outcomes.
In recent years, India’s curriculum frameworks for the early years have highlighted the important role parents can and must play in their children’s learning journey. The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 20224 states that:
“Parents and family are co-partners with the school in the child’s learning and development.”
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📝 The article was contributed by EkStep Foundation and Saajha.
Image credits: Dost Education
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