To quit or not?
May 08, 2014Gayatri Kulkarni
Recently, my son came to me asking if he could quit his tabla classes. And not just temporarily, as he had often done during exams, for instance. No, this time he wanted to quit for good. And for...
What kids can learn from the Sochi Olympics about persistence
Feb 07, 2014Gayatri Kulkarni
The winter Olympics 2014 begins today in Sochi, Russia, and goes on until the 23rd of February. Like its summer counterpart, it is expected to be a grand spectacle, and thousands of people across the...
New Year Resolutions for 2014
Jan 03, 2014Gayatri Kulkarni
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, where we first wonder where the heck the year went, realize we did not accomplish even a fraction of what we intended for the year, feel regret for the...
What parents can teach their kids about Mandela
Dec 08, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
The world is mourning the death of Nelson Mandela, an extraordinary man, a symbol of strength, dignity, leadership, survival and courage. Our children’s generation (many of whom were born after...
Kids giving you attitude?
Nov 05, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
Well, here I was, blissfully chugging along the road of motherhood, feeling blessed – kid was being good, doing well in school, with many friends and indulging in activities that...
Involved parenting vs. helicopter parenting
Oct 08, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
One of the harder rites of passage for any parent is to let go – no more holding hands when crossing the road, no more accompanying the child everywhere, and no more knowing each and every one...
Studying in Europe
Sep 10, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
I live in a university town, and as the summer wanes and the cooler climes set in, the students are back, both old and new, like pigeons coming home to roost. There are many desi faces...
Can money buy happiness?
Aug 06, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
It increasingly seems to me that my children measure their happiness strictly in monetary terms – if I don’t buy them x, y or z, they will not ever be happy, in this life or the next. ...
Are we raising entitled kids?
Jul 06, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
It is definitely true that our parenting methods are vastly different from generations past – we have far fewer kids, and we treat them as friends and equals, trying to make the family a...
Another rite of passage – teaching my teen to drive
Jun 04, 2013Gayatri Kulkarni
One of the big rites of passage here in the US is teaching your teenager to drive. Here in the Midwest, kids get their learning permit at 15, and can officially get their license and begin to drive...
