Subashini Hari has a degree in commerce and an MBA, but what she was unprepared for was parenting.
Her 16-month-old daughter is a source of joy, and yet Subashini has had so much to learn on a daily basis.
She lives with her husband, Hari, and their daughter, Navya, in Tirunelveli, but she has found help in Chennai. Now, they both log onto Skype twice a week and get expert advice on parenting from Chennai-based Montessorian Vidya Shankar.
As Ms. Shankar gives them behavioural indicators on different personalities of parents, Hari and Subashini rate themselves. “Parent prep is critical and parents now feel the need to be less helpless and more prepared. They are not hesitating to ask for help,” Ms. Shankar says.
With her help last week, Hari and Subashini managed to potty train their little one. “She is already so independent, so these pointers really help,” Subashini says.
Indeed, young parents are not shying away from seeking help, a move that was previously frowned upon. “Earlier, there was unconscious support from elders as it was mostly a joint family set-up. Now, while young parents are still willing to listen to elders, they also want advice from experts who work with children,” Ms. Shankar adds.
A mother of two, Swetha Shreedhar attends study circles conducted every month, where parenting skills are introduced through videos and reading sessions. “I used these two tools for my second daughter when she was just four months old, and it really helped me understand her better,” she says.
According to counsellor Arthy Sriram, of the Chennai Counsellors’ Foundation, the stigma of asking for help has vastly reduced. “There is more awareness and with more pressured lifestyles, parents look at intervention with expert help. The foundation conducts several parenting skills workshops and many schools in the city have parent circles as well,” she says, adding that parents are learning that quality over quantity of the time spent with their children is important as well.
