Almost all of society's social ills can be traced directly to the collapse of family life.

Book Review of The Penguin India Guide to Child Care, by Dr. R.K. Anand

From the book Full Esteem Ahead by Diana Loomans

The vicious circle of bad parenting had turned round. To this day we all still feel guilty that we had failed her.

However good a parent we may be, we have to be ready for surprises!

Before becoming a parent my ideas and feelings towards children were very glamorous; but when I became a parent the whole concept of parenting took on a new meaning and new understanding for me.

I was a bad parent. Yes, I admit it. I can make excuses: I suffered from post natal depression; my husband left me before my son’s fourth birthday; I had to go out to work to make ends meet and in England we do not usually have the strong family network associated with India. But these really are all excuses. I was, quite simply, not up to scratch when it came to parenting.

I once heard someone say – “Be careful how you live, you may be the only Scripture some people read.” I can’t tell you how true it is for young impressionable minds. I am told Amal (not yet six) goes to the factory, picks up the products we make and comments on the quality. No points for guessing where he learnt that !!

Parenting demands a lot, physically and emotionally. Thankam Viswanathan shares some of the lessons she has learned.

I spent a year in America in 1962 working for the Ohio Steel Foundry Company. I had the good fortune of working under a boss who was not only a world class metallurgist but also a very fine human being.