PARENTING IN THE AGE OF ANXIETY (PB)

Over the past decade, Indian
society has experienced a significant increase in rates of depression,
self-harm, and anxiety disorders among children and young adults. This
increase coincides with massive changes in our lifestyles, family structures,
our approach to pedagogy, and expectations from the school system. In
addition, our society has become intensely consumer- (and consumption-)
driven with a proliferation of attractive products, enticing guarantees, and
specialist advice. But social media follower counts, expensive digital
devices, and the deluge of information on the internet will never be adequate
replacements for active and present parenting. In? Parenting in the Age of Anxiety ,
innovative educationist Abha Adams explores the journey that parents,
children, and educators take together over the first eighteen years of a
child?s life.

In the first chapter, ?Parenting Is for Life?, she explores the various ups
and downs parents encounter as they start their parenting journey in a world
that is highly competitive with a bewildering array of options for every
stage and activity. The second chapter, ?Welcome to the Tween Years?, looks
at a recent phenomenon that has left parents and children perturbed?kids
growing older younger/faster, where children reach puberty earlier than in
the past. ?The Teen Years? attempts to demystify these years and offers
counsel to parents on how to communicate with their teenaged children and
deal with teenage angst. ?Bridge to Inclusion? challenges the invisibility
forced by society on differently-abled children and their parents, and offers
suggestions on how the
struggles, needs, and desires of these children ought to be tackled. The
last chapter, ?The Silence around the Mental Health of Our Children? provides
a helpful guide to supporting children at a time of unprecedented levels of
stress and isolation stemming from device and internet addiction and the lack
of meaningful connection and communication, which has only been exacerbated
by the interruptions and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Full of insightful observations from family therapists, child
psychologists, teachers, parents, and children growing up in twentyfirst-
century India, this book takes a deep look at the most important issues
troubling children and parents today and offers practical and compassionate
advice on how these should be dealt with. Most importantly, it provides a
blueprint for how children
can grow up happy, resilient, and grounded in a rapidly changing world.