Maharashtra has directed schools to stop selling chocolates, chips, sugary drinks and other junk food in school canteens.

As a parent, my first reaction was simple: Finally.

For years, we’ve packed balanced tiffins, spoken about eating fruits instead of processed snacks, and tried to explain why “sometimes foods” should stay exactly that- sometimes. Yet many of us have watched our children walk into school with one set of habits and walk out clutching a packet of chips or a sugary drink.

Removing junk food from school campuses is a welcome step. But as I sat with the news, another thought stayed with me.

Children spend barely six or seven hours inside school.

Who helps them make healthier choices during the other seventeen?

Because the truth is, parenting doesn’t happen only inside our homes. It happens in supermarkets, at birthday parties, during tuition breaks, at the neighbourhood store, at airports, in malls and increasingly, in a world where brightly coloured packaging competes harder for our children’s attention than we ever can.

And as my daughter put it:

And that is where this week’s conversation becomes much bigger than a school policy.

We Are Raising The Generation Most At Risk

India today has one of the largest adolescent populations in the world- over 250 million young people between the ages of 10 and 19.

At the same time, we’re witnessing something deeply worrying.

Childhood obesity is no longer a problem we associate only with affluent countries.

According to the World Obesity Federation, nearly 1 in 10 Indian children and adolescents are now living with obesity, and the numbers continue to rise. Experts warn that if current trends continue, India could see one of the largest increases in childhood obesity globally over the next decade.

We’re also becoming the diabetes capital of the world.

Doctors are seeing insulin resistance earlier than ever before. Type 2 diabetes, once considered an adult disease, is now being diagnosed in teenagers. Fatty liver disease, hypertension and elevated cholesterol are no longer uncommon in adolescents.

Earlier this year on the Kidsstoppress Parenting Podcast, we spoke with Dr. Malhar Ganla about exactly this issue. One sentence has stayed with me ever since:

And while there are many reasons behind this- from sedentary lifestyles to sleep deprivation- processed food has quietly become one of the biggest contributors.

The challenge is that teenagers rarely make food decisions after carefully reading nutrition tables.

They make them in seconds.

Usually standing in front of a shelf.

Usually with friends.

Usually choosing between packets that all look equally appealing.

Then Something Happened Very Close To Home

This week also marked another milestone for our family.

My daughter, Aanya, a Grade 12 Biology and Psychology student, published her first research paper in the World Nutrition Journal. It has also been covered in Deccan Herald and Fress Press Journal.

As a mother, I’m incredibly proud. (Might’ve even shed a few happy tears!)

But what excites me even more is the question she chose to ask.

Instead of asking “Is junk food unhealthy?”-something we already know, she asked something far more interesting:

Can the design of a food packet change the decision a teenager makes?

Because if we truly want healthier children, perhaps we need to understand how teenagers actually make decisions. Not how adults think they should.

The Missing Piece In India’s Food Policy

Many of us have noticed nutrition tables on the back of packaged foods.

Tiny fonts. Percentages. Numbers. Daily values.

Let’s be honest. How many of us read them?

Now imagine expecting a fourteen-year-old to compare sodium levels, calculate sugar intake and evaluate saturated fat while standing in a supermarket aisle.

That’s asking the teenage brain to do something it isn’t naturally designed to do.

Psychology has an explanation for this. It’s called the Dual Processing Theory. Something my daughter has based her research on.

Our brains use two systems to make decisions.

System 1 is fast, automatic and intuitive. It relies on visual cues, patterns and shortcuts.

System 2 is slower, deliberate and analytical. It reads, compares, calculates and reasons.

Nutrition tables depend almost entirely on System 2.

But food shopping, especially for teenagers, usually happens using System 1.

Which means the information we currently provide isn’t matching the way decisions are actually being made.

Why This Matters Beyond One Study

What makes this research particularly significant is that it is the first published Indian study examining how adolescents respond to different front-of-pack nutrition labelling systems using behavioural choice data.

For years, much of the evidence informing India’s food labelling discussions has come from studies conducted on adults or from international populations.

Yet adolescents are making increasingly independent food choices. They’re spending their own money. Ordering food online. Buying snacks after school. Influencing household purchases.

If we’re designing policies for the future, surely we need evidence from the generation that will live with those policies the longest.

The Conversation India Needs To Have

The Maharashtra government’s school canteen decision is an important first step.

It changes what is available inside schools. Front-of-pack labelling addresses what happens outside them. This isn’t about banning every treat. It isn’t about removing choice. It’s about making an #informedchoice.

Because every teenager deserves information that is simple enough to understand before the packet is already in the shopping basket.

As a parent, that’s the kind of policy conversation I want us to have.

And as a mother, watching my daughter contribute, even in a small way, to that conversation reminds me that some of the most meaningful ideas don’t always come from boardrooms or government committees.

Sometimes they begin with the curiosity of a teenager asking a better question.

Maybe that’s exactly where change begins.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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Last Friday, I had the opportunity to be part of a panel discussion at the BSE, organised my Mompower360, on what has become one of the biggest buzzwords in parenting and education today, Parenting in the age of AI and raising future-ready children. And as a Digital Child Safety Advocate and a Conscious Parenting Coach, it was one of those conversations that stays with you long after you’ve left the room, not because it gave me all the answers, but because it made me question whether we’ve been asking the right questions in the first place.

But somewhere along the way, we’ve confused being future-ready with being future-proof. We think that if we can teach our children coding early enough, introduce them to artificial intelligence, enrol them in robotics, public speaking, financial literacy and every enrichment class available, they’ll somehow be prepared for whatever comes next.

The truth is, none of us knows what comes next.

According to the World Economic Forum, almost 40% of the skills people use in their jobs today are expected to change by 2030.

That statistic says something important. The challenge isn’t that our children need to learn more. It’s that they’ll need to keep learning throughout their lives. They will probably change careers more than once. They’ll work with technologies that haven’t been invented yet. Some of the jobs they’ll eventually have don’t even exist today.

If that’s the reality, then preparing them for one career, one industry or one version of success feels like preparing them for a world that is already disappearing.

What struck me during the panel was that while we spent a lot of time discussing AI, technology and education, the conversation kept coming back to something much more human. We often ask ourselves how children can compete with artificial intelligence. I don’t think they should.

AI will always process information faster. It will probably write better first drafts than most of us. It can summarise books, analyse data and answer questions in seconds. Trying to compete with that is a losing battle. Instead, perhaps we should focus on the things technology will never truly replace.

No chatbot can teach a child what it feels like to comfort a friend after a difficult day. No algorithm can help them navigate disappointment when they don’t make the team they wanted. AI cannot replace empathy, judgment, integrity or resilience. Those qualities are built through everyday experiences, through conversations at the dinner table, disagreements with siblings, failures at school and moments where life doesn’t go according to plan.

One of the most important questions was this: Children today are growing up in a world where AI can answer questions, write essays, and even hold conversations. As parents, how do we ensure that technology enhances childhood rather than replaces it?

Technology will not replace their childhood if you don’t replace it with your presence. Everything I do at Kidsstoppress, the WWDC conversation, our work with Meta and Netflix on child safety, the columns, the podcast- it all comes back to this one idea: raise children who can think for themselves in a world that’s very good at thinking for them. And that will happen only with you.

A government-backed 2024 survey found nearly 90% of children aged 14–16 already have a smartphone at home, and Indian children aged 4–14 are clocking over four hours of screen time a day in the holidays, roughly double what paediatricians recommend. So you can’t escape the use of technology anymore, but you can teach children how to and how much to use.

Ironically, I sometimes wonder if our desire to prepare children for the future is preventing them from experiencing the very things that prepare them best. We rush to solve their problems before they’ve had the chance to solve them themselves. We fill every free hour with structured activities because we’re afraid they’ll fall behind. We eliminate boredom without realising that boredom is often where imagination begins. We rescue them from failure, forgetting that resilience is built in the moments we don’t rescue them.

One of the topics we discussed on the panel was AI literacy. I shared something that I believe every parent should remember: AI literacy isn’t simply about knowing how to use ChatGPT or any other AI tool. It’s about knowing when not to trust it. It’s about teaching children to verify information, question sources, recognise bias and understand that confidence isn’t the same as truth. Those aren’t technology skills. They’re critical thinking skills. And they’ll become even more valuable as AI becomes more capable. In our house, the AI copy is the first draft, not the final submission. I have made sure my daughters know that whatever AI gives you, it is your responsibility to fact-check and put in your inputs as well.

Many of these conversations are exactly why I built my Managing Screen Time with Kids course. Because today's parenting challenge isn't keeping children away from technology, it's helping them build the judgment to use it wisely. If we want to raise future-ready children, we first need to become future-ready parents.

This also made me reflect on the questions we ask our children. For years we’ve asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Maybe it’s time we started asking something different. What kind of person do you want to become? Because careers will evolve, industries will change and technology will continue to disrupt almost everything around us. Character, however, will always matter.

As parents, we spend so much time trying to predict the future that we sometimes forget what our role actually is. We are not here to prepare our children for one exam, one college or one profession. We are here to prepare them for uncertainty. To help them become adaptable enough to embrace change instead of fearing it, curious enough to keep learning even after formal education ends, and confident enough to navigate a world where no one has all the answers.

I also get asked this question a lot in all of my workshops:

Every parent wants to raise a child who is confident, kind, and resilient. In today’s digital world, what are some simple daily habits families can adopt to build those qualities?

None of these needs to be elaborate; the families I see doing this well have very ordinary rituals:

• A tech-free first and last hour of the day. How a child starts and ends their day shapes their nervous system more than any single app does.

• Naming feelings out loud and having dinner table conversations, even a one-word check-in. Children who can name a feeling are less likely to go looking for a chatbot to sit with it instead.

• Letting them get bored on purpose, at least once a day, with nothing offered to fill it.

• Praising effort and repair, not just outcomes: “I liked how you tried that again” builds resilience faster than “good job” ever will.

• One offline skill each week that has nothing to do with achievement, a board game, a recipe, a walk with no destination, reading time.

I don’t know what the world will look like twenty years from now. None of us do. But I do know this: the children who thrive won’t necessarily be the ones who learnt AI the earliest or mastered every emerging technology. They’ll be the ones who can think independently, collaborate with people who see the world differently, adapt when life changes course and remain deeply human in an increasingly digital world.

Perhaps that’s what being future-ready has always meant.

Not raising children who are prepared for the future we imagine, but raising children who are capable of navigating the future they inherit, whatever that may look like.

Because in a world where technology is evolving every single day, our greatest responsibility isn’t to help our children keep up with machines.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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For us, it's raising children in a digital world that's evolving faster than we can keep up with.

Today, child safety isn't just about the physical world. It's about helping our children navigate 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐈-𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

We also need to keep this in mind:
- The world our kids are growing up in has changed drastically.
- We cannot 'ban' without having a conversation and making them understand the dangers too.
- Trust is the most important thing when it comes to online safety.
- Don't avoid tough conversations; they'll find out anyway, and it won't have the best explanation.

As a Conscious Parenting Coach & a Child Digital Safety Advocate, I keep reiterating to parents. The goal isn't to raise children who fear the internet. It's to raise children who know how to use it safely, responsibly, and confidently.

I know this can be confusing and complicated. Therefore, if you're looking for practical, research-backed strategies to navigate screens, gaming, social media, and digital safety without constant conflict, I'd love to have you join my Managing Screen Time with Kids course.

Because raising digitally resilient children starts with raising digitally informed parents.

Which threat of the online world scares you the most?

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Baby Boomers thought Millennials had it too easy. Millennials think Gen Z is too sensitive. And somewhere in between, we’ve all become comfortable putting labels on generations instead of trying to understand them.

But over the last few months, I’ve found myself thinking about Gen Z very differently.

Whether it’s conversations around mental health, climate change, social justice, workplace culture or larger societal issues, this generation seems remarkably unwilling to accept, “This is just how things are.”

• They ask questions that make people uncomfortable.

• They challenge institutions, traditions and sometimes even their own families.

• They don’t always get it right, but they’re willing to have conversations many of us never dared to begin.

Growing up, my generation knew what was unfair. We recognised injustice when we saw it. But we were also raised to believe that keeping the peace was often more important than questioning authority.

We learnt to adjust. We learnt to tolerate. We learnt to stay quiet because that was considered maturity.

Gen Z has a very different relationship with silence.

What fascinates me isn’t that they speak up. It’s that they’re often willing to do it knowing they’ll face criticism for it. They understand that change rarely benefits the people who start it. More often than not, it benefits the generations that come after. That willingness to think beyond themselves is something I don’t think we acknowledge enough.

History has always moved forward because ordinary people decided that the status quo wasn’t good enough. India’s freedom struggle wasn’t won by people who chose comfort over conviction. Social reformers questioned practices that had existed for centuries. Environmental movements like Chipko changed the way we thought about conservation. The Right to Information movement changed how citizens interacted with governance. Every generation inherits a better society because someone before them was willing to ask difficult questions.

As parents, I think this moment presents us with an incredible opportunity.

Our children are growing up in a world where news travels instantly. They overhear conversations. They read headlines. They watch videos. They know when something significant is happening, whether we choose to discuss it or not.

As parents, I think there’s another shift happening that we don’t talk about enough.

Today’s children aren’t just hearing about history in textbooks. They’re hearing conversations around the dining table.

They’re asking,

“What’s happening?”

“Why are people protesting?”

“Why do some people disagree?”

And for perhaps the first time, many parents are choosing to explain instead of saying,

“You’re too young to understand.”

That matters. Because awareness doesn’t begin at eighteen.

The question isn’t whether they should know what’s happening around them. They already do.

The question is whether we’re helping them make sense of it.

Instead of telling them what to think, perhaps we should be teaching them how to think. Ask them why they think people protest.

-Why do some issues matter so deeply to certain groups?

-Can two people disagree and still respect one another?

These conversations don’t require us to take political positions. They require us to raise thoughtful, empathetic citizens.

A while ago, I wrote that Gen Alpha could grow up to be one of the most advanced and aware generations in history. I believe that more strongly today than I did then. Not simply because they have access to more information, but because they’re growing up watching older siblings, young adults and communities engage with the world instead of remaining passive observers.

Perhaps the greatest lesson Gen Z is teaching us isn’t about any one movement or one moment in history.

It’s that caring isn’t weakness. Questioning isn’t disrespect. And using your voice responsibly is one of the most powerful things a citizen can do.

As parents, we often tell our children to be kind, resilient and confident. Maybe it’s time we added one more quality to that list: the courage to question, even when the answer isn’t easy.

Because the future won’t be shaped by children who simply inherit the world. It will be shaped by those who believe they have the responsibility, and the ability, to make it better.

Here’s the conversation I hope more families have this week.

Not, “Who’s right?”

But, “Why do people feel strongly enough to stand up for something?”

Ask your child:

• What do you think people hope will change?

• Can you disagree with someone and still respect them?

• What does courage look like?

• Have there been moments in history where speaking up changed people’s lives?

• What responsibility comes with having a voice?

• What does “Accountability” mean?

Those questions matter far more than giving them our answers. It’s not about politics; it’s about humanity.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

For years, I thought I was the only one who stood in front of the fridge at 6 p.m., staring into it as if the answer would somehow appear. The vegetables were there, the groceries were there, the family was hungry, and I was tired from work. The children had homework, someone had a class to get to, someone else didn’t want vegetables, and somehow I was still expected to magically produce a nutritious, delicious dinner while also deciding tomorrow’s breakfast and packing the next day’s lunchboxes.

It’s not the cooking that is exhausting. It’s the deciding. That invisible mental load of planning meals day after day after day is what wears you down. Every mom knows this feeling.

As a working mom, I realised something years ago. The days that went smoothly were not the days when I had more time. They were the days when I had already made the decisions.

Not because it made me a better cook, but because it gave me back something every parent desperately needs: mental space.

Over the years, I built my own system.

-Seasonal recipes.

-Weekly meal plans.

-Grocery lists.

-Shortcuts for busy weeks.

-Recipes that my family actually eats. Recipes I could repeat without everyone getting bored. Recipes that didn’t need ingredients that cost a fortune and made grocery budgeting make sense.

-Little hacks that made weekday cooking feel less overwhelming.

Soon enough... Friends started asking for my plans. Our community started asking for them. And I realised something important: this wasn’t just my problem. It was every parent’s nightmare.

That is why we created the 52-Week Meal Planner.

And I want to be very clear about something. This is not another recipe ebook. The internet already has millions of recipes. What it doesn’t have is someone making the decisions with you.

Inside, you’ll find 52 weekly meal plans so you’re never wondering what’s for dinner, done-for-you grocery lists that save you time and unnecessary supermarket trips, 40 tried-and-tested family recipes that are practical, nutritious and made for real homes, 20 kitchen hacks that simplify cooking and reduce the daily mental load, and seasonal meal ideas and practical planning tips that work through the year.

This resource wasn’t created by a chef. It was created by a mom. A mom who has packed thousands of lunchboxes, changed dinner plans at the last minute, forgotten to thaw the chicken, dealt with picky eaters, rushed between meetings and school pickups, and still wanted her family to eat well.

And it didn’t just save me stress - I actually sat down and calculated it: I saved 10,950 minutes in a year. That’s over 180 hours back in my life. Time I got to spend on things that actually mattered, instead of standing in front of the fridge, si

ghing. 180 hours you can spend reading with your child, going for a walk, having a cup of tea while it is still hot, or simply not asking yourself, “Aaj khaane mein kya hai?”

As a Conscious Parenting Coach, I know how every question that seems small can create huge decision fatigue and that fatigue can lead to frustration. Skip the frustration and get this tool that will simplify this one question that no parent can escape.

If you have ever stood in front of your fridge hoping inspiration would strike, this planner was made for you. Because feeding a family should not feel like solving a new puzzle every single day.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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You’ve heard of FOMO... Welcome to the age of ultra FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out. Pro max.

The problem is not that we compare. Comparison is human. Sometimes it is even healthy. It can inspire us, push us to grow and show us what is possible. The problem begins when comparison becomes the yardstick for our worth and the thief of our joy.

As a Conscious Parenting Coach, I have realised something over the years.

Our FOMO rarely stays with us. It quietly becomes our children’s inheritance.

We sign them up for one more class because everyone else is. We worry they will fall behind if they do not start early. We fill every weekend with activities because idle time feels like wasted time. We chase milestones that were never theirs to begin with. And maybe subconsciously, our fear becomes their pressure.

Children are not born believing they are behind. They learn it by watching us. They watch us scrolling. They hear us comparing. They notice us constantly chasing what is next. And slowly, they begin to believe that who they are today is never quite enough.

What if we interrupted that cycle? What if, instead of FOMO, we practised JOMO, the Joy of Missing Out?

JOMO is saying no to the dinner because you genuinely need a quiet evening with your family. Or letting your child have an unstructured afternoon instead of another scheduled activity. It is celebrating someone else’s success without questioning your own journey. It is closing Instagram and opening a conversation. It is understanding that every no creates space for a more meaningful yes.

I have also noticed this shift in the way I travel.

My vacations have become slower. More intentional. More JOMO.

I no longer feel the need to tick off every Insta-famous cafe, follow every viral itinerary or rush to every popular spot just because it is trending. I do not want my travel to look perfect on social media or even on paper; I just want it to feel real, feel truly like an experience.

I try to find the local gems on my own. I wander without a checklist, and go back to the same little restaurant or cafe if the food and the people made me feel at home. I talk to strangers, ask for recommendations, get lost in a lane, discover a place that is not on every reel and let the journey surprise me.

There is something deeply freeing about not needing to do what everyone else is doing.

When travel becomes slower, it becomes richer. When we stop chasing the most photographed version of a place, we begin to experience its soul and discover a little bit about ourselves in the process. And maybe that is true for life too. The most meaningful moments are not always the most visible ones.

The truth is, you cannot do everything. You cannot attend every event, chase every opportunity, enrol in every course, say yes to every invitation or give your child every possible experience. And that is okay. Because the goal was never to do everything. The goal is to do the things that truly matter.

Comparison should inspire us, not convince us that we are inadequate. Competition can help us grow, as long as it does not cost us our peace. The happiest people I know are not the ones doing the most. They are the ones who know what matters to them and have the courage to let the rest go.

So today, instead of asking yourself, What am I missing out on? try asking, What am I making space for?

The 7-7-7 rule of parenting is a must for every parent to know- watch now! It tells us that being a present parent doesn’t mean giving up on everything and just focusing on our child. But that you can make space for it where you are genuinely spending quality time with them. And again, this time is not for FOMO; it’s all about JOMO.

Maybe you are missing another networking event, but you are there for bedtime stories. Maybe you are skipping another social gathering, but you are finally getting the rest your body has been asking for. Maybe your child is not doing five extracurricular activities, but they are discovering who they are without constantly performing. Maybe your vacation does not look like everyone else’s, but it feels more like you.

Perhaps that is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our children. Not a life filled with everything, but a life filled with enough.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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Every parent knows this- there is NO perfect photo on the first try! In one, your eyes are closed; in the second, your elder one is yawning; in the next one is pulling a piggy face look; then there’s one where your spouse is super uninterested, and then there are dozens of them where you’re blurred (literally and metaphorically!) But all of these fails make the memory stronger and richer. To think of it that we grew up as a generation spending a 7-day holiday with one film roll, i.e. 36 photos. All had to be the best, no room for mess-ups! Pleasant memories, right?!

But the current generation of parents has one other thing to worry about. The paradox of do I post this or not? I’ve asked myself that question a hundred times over the past decade. Should everything we click go back on the Gram? I know the answer is different for each one of us and I am conscious of it. But there are certain things in between that we are missing. Let me explain.

As someone who’s built a parenting platform on social media. I live and breathe the digital world. I share ideas, opinions, hacks, and hard-earned parenting lessons. But when it comes to sharing pictures of my children, I’ve drawn a clear line and stuck to it. And I don’t have an ounce of regret or doubt in my decision.

When I founded Kidsstoppress.com, 11 years ago, I made a conscious decision to never share images of my daughters that revealed their identity or could one day embarrass them.

No matter how cute or viral-worthy the moment. It wasn’t easy, especially when brands and followers asked, “But why don’t we ever see your kids?” I explained why my answer was a steady No. Was, is and will be!

This week, Netflix’s new documentary Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing brought all those feelings rushing back. The film unpacks the disturbing story of Piper Rockelle, a tween YouTuber with over 10 million followers. Behind her glittery, fun-loving content stood a mother who allegedly encouraged sexualised content to rack up views, many from adult male followers.

It’s a gut punch. But it’s also a wake-up call.

We posted about it on Instagram, and I saw so many messages and DMs relating to this.

The reality is that it isn’t these A-listers on YouTube or Instagram. It’s happening in homes around the world. In schools. At birthday parties. It’s called sharenting, a term that describes the oversharing of children’s lives online.

When we first started talking about sharenting at Kidsstoppress, the response was often, “What’s the harm? They’re my children.” A decade ago, conversations around children’s digital footprints, consent, facial recognition, AI, and online privacy felt far too futuristic for most parents.

Today, that conversation has completely changed.

Just a few weeks ago, one of our posts on sharenting was reshared by Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation. It wasn’t the repost that mattered to me as much as what it represented. A conversation we started years ago in India is now part of a much larger global movement around childhood, technology and children’s rights online.

Whether it’s governments discussing age-appropriate design, Apple introducing stronger child safety features, the G7 releasing its first-ever principles on protecting children online, or researchers around the world questioning how much of children’s lives should exist online forever.

The world is finally catching up to a conversation many of us have quietly been having for years.

I’ve walked into events where my daughters were asked to pose for social media. I’ve said no, even if it meant missing out on coverage or collabs. Over the years, they’ve learnt to quietly step behind me when a camera’s out. It’s become second nature. Have I lost campaigns because of this? Yes. Do I regret it? Not for a second.

We assume social media is harmless, but the truth is, not all content is kid-friendly. I’ve seen viral trends like “shut up and bend over” take over reels, and young children mimic them without grasping what they’re doing. As a parent, I feel it’s our job to protect our kids not just in real life, but in digital spaces too. That includes their photos, their milestones, and most importantly, their right to privacy.

So I’ll continue to show up. I’ll continue to create content, educate parents, work with technology companies and speak wherever these conversations are happening. But one thing won’t change.

My children will never become my content strategy.

Because they deserve something every child deserves, the right to grow up, make mistakes, change, evolve and discover who they are without every moment being documented for an audience they never chose.

Maybe that’s what conscious parenting in the digital age really looks like.

Simply remembering that our children are people before they are posts. And remember, click photographs to cherish and preserve certain memories. Not everything we click has to make its way into the gram.

Let’s think twice before posting.

Let’s ask ourselves: Are we building memories, or a digital footprint our kids didn’t ask for?

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Saturday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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First came COVID, and I honestly don’t think we’ve fully acknowledged what that period did to both parents and children. Overnight, homes became offices, schools, playgrounds and emotional support systems all at once. Parents were trying to work while managing online classes, anxieties, isolation, health fears and uncertainty about the future, all while trying to stay calm for the sake of their children.

I still remember how it felt, the new schedules, the way people have managed financially... it was a lot.

Children lost years that were supposed to feel simple. Birthday parties disappeared, playgrounds became empty and friendships moved onto screens.

And just as we were trying to recover from that, technology and AI began moving faster than most of us could emotionally keep up with. Suddenly, parents weren’t just worrying about schools or screen time anymore. We started wondering what jobs would even exist for our children in the future, what skills would matter and whether technology would help them grow or slowly replace parts of being human.

Screens are no longer just entertainment, they’re tied to learning, friendships, creativity and communication.

And while we’re still trying to understand all of this ourselves, we’re somehow expected to guide our children through it confidently. The truth is, many of us are figuring it out in real time.

As a Conscious Parenting Coach, when I get questions like, “How do I deal with screentime?”, “How do I raise my child in the digital world?”, “What skills does my child need to combat AI?”, in all my workshops or sessions, I can see the doubt, fear, confusion and need for clarity and reassurance in parents’ eyes.

Then there’s the constant stream of global uncertainty we now live with every single day. Wars, economic anxiety, climate conversations and disturbing news cycles have become part of everyday life. Children today are exposed to the emotional weight of the world far earlier than many of us ever were.

And maybe that’s one of the hardest parts of parenting right now, our children are growing up faster than they should.

They know words we didn’t know at their age, they hear conversations we were protected from, and they consume endless amounts of information without always having the emotional maturity to process it fully.

As parents, we’re constantly caught between two fears: protecting them too much or not protecting them enough.

Some days it feels impossible to know where the balance is. I think that’s why parenting today feels emotionally exhausting in a way that’s difficult to explain. Not because we love our children less, but because we’re trying to raise emotionally secure children in a world that often doesn’t feel emotionally secure itself. We’re preparing children for a future we ourselves don’t fully understand, and maybe that’s why so many parents feel anxious all the time.

Not because we’re failing, but because the ground beneath parenting keeps changing.

And yet, despite all of this, I think there’s something beautiful about this generation of parents too. We are more emotionally aware, more willing to listen and more open to learning than generations before us were encouraged to be.

We talk about mental health, communication and emotional connection in ways that weren’t always common before. Maybe we don’t have all the answers, but many of us are trying very hard to raise children who feel safe, seen and understood in a world that often feels chaotic.

And perhaps that’s what matters most, and that’s the part we should focus on right now. Because our children may not remember whether we had all the answers, but they will remember whether they felt supported while the world was changing around them.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment

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And if there’s one shift that fills me with hope, it’s this: fathers are changing.

Not all at once. Not perfectly. But meaningfully.

Growing up, many of us had fathers who loved deeply but expressed it differently. They showed up by working hard, paying the bills, and making sure the family had everything it needed. Their love was often seen in responsibility rather than in words.

Today’s fathers are writing a different story.

I’m seeing dads who know exactly which grade their child is in, who the class teacher is, and what project is due next week. They aren’t “helping” their wives with parenting; they’re parenting. They know bedtime routines, school WhatsApp groups, favourite snacks, and the names of their children’s closest friends.

I’ve watched fathers patiently learn to braid their daughters’ hair before school. I’ve seen them carry babies in slings while answering work calls, attend PTMs without hesitation, spend Sunday afternoons building Lego castles, and proudly cheer from the sidelines at football matches and dance recitals.

These moments may seem ordinary, but they’re quietly extraordinary.

The biggest transformation, however, isn’t in what fathers are doing. It’s in how they’re showing up emotionally.

More fathers are telling their children, “I love you.”

More fathers are hugging their sons when they cry instead of asking them to be “strong.” More fathers are apologising when they’ve made a mistake. More fathers are asking questions instead of giving instructions. They’re replacing fear with trust and authority with connection.

As a Conscious Parenting Coach, I’ve come to realise that this is one of the most profound generational shifts we’re witnessing.

Many of these men are becoming the kind of fathers they never had themselves.

There was no blueprint for emotionally available fatherhood. Most of them are learning as they go, through books, podcasts, conversations with their partners, therapy, and sometimes simply by asking themselves, What did I need as a child that I want my own child to have?

That question alone has the power to change generations.

Of course, the journey isn’t without its challenges. Society still celebrates fathers for doing the bare minimum while expecting mothers to carry the invisible load. Many workplaces still assume fathers don’t need flexibility. And many men are still trying to unlearn decades of conditioning that taught them vulnerability was weakness.

But despite all of that, they’re showing up.

Not because they have all the answers, but because they’re willing to learn.

I often say that conscious parenting isn’t about raising perfect children. It’s about raising children who feel seen, heard, and safe.

The fathers I meet today are helping make that possible.

They’re proving that masculinity and tenderness can exist in the same sentence. That strength isn’t measured by emotional distance but by emotional presence. That saying “I’m proud of you” or “I’m sorry” doesn’t make you less of a father, it makes you more of one.

I genuinely believe the children growing up today will remember this generation of dads differently.

Not because they never made mistakes. But because they chose connection over conditioning.

And perhaps that’s how generational cycles are broken—not through grand gestures, but through everyday moments of presence, empathy, and love.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What’s one way you’ve seen fatherhood evolve over the years? Or, if you’re a father yourself, what’s one thing you’re intentionally doing differently from the generation before you?

Leave a comment

Listen to our latest episode: Click here!

Accessible Across Major Platforms

The Kidsstoppress Parenting Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and other major platforms, ensuring easy access for parents across India and globally.

The Kidsstoppress Parenting podcast, featured as one of the top parenting podcasts in India on FeedSpot on Spotify.

I had a question in my head, and before I even gave myself a chance to sit with it, I opened Claude. Not because I absolutely needed to, but because it felt easier. Faster. More convenient.

And then I had this slightly uncomfortable moment of bitter truth: if I’m doing this as an adult, handing over small pieces of thinking every day because it saves time, our kids are literally using them as their minds 24/7...

Because if we’re being honest, this conversation isn’t really about technology anymore.

AI isn’t some distant future we’re preparing our children for. It’s already here. It’s sitting at our dining tables, living inside our phones, showing up in classrooms, helping with homework, answering questions, and shaping the way children learn and interact with information. And we know this has been happening for a long time now...

And as parents, I think many of us carry a quiet worry that we don’t always say out loud:

“What happens if AI becomes better at everything?”

What happens if it writes better than us, creates faster than us, and solves problems in seconds that once took us hours? What happens if our children grow up in a world where machines can do things we spent years learning? Because if you look around with the million AI tools launching every day and so many AI updates... It’s already happening.

I don’t think that fear is irrational. I feel it too.

But the more I think about it, the more I wonder if we’re asking ourselves the wrong question.

Because AI can already do an incredible amount. It can write essays, generate ideas, summarise books, answer questions, create images, code, and organise information in ways that feel almost magical at times. Sometimes it genuinely feels like pieces of what we consider uniquely human are slowly being outsourced.

But there are still things it cannot hand to your child. A few “Human Tools” we can still teach our kids to hone.

It cannot create curiosity- that little spark that makes a child ask “But why?” over and over again until you’ve run out of answers yourself. It cannot build imagination, that beautiful ability children have to look at a cardboard box and somehow see a spaceship, a castle, or an entirely different world.

It cannot teach them how to deeply connect with another person, how to express what they feel, how to sit with uncertainty, or how to dream beyond what already exists. It cannot give them wonder, and it certainly cannot create original thought in a mind that has never been encouraged to think for itself.

And honestly, I sometimes worry that in our excitement around AI, we may unintentionally stop valuing these things enough.

Because I have observed that when answers become instant, questions can start feeling less important and when speed becomes the default, reflection begins to feel slow.

And when convenience becomes normal, effort can start looking unnecessary.

I don’t want that for our children.

I don’t want them growing up believing every struggle should be skipped, every blank page should immediately be filled by a machine, or every moment of boredom needs to disappear or be structured immediately...

I don’t want them to feel like thinking about an idea that takes more than 10 seconds is a crime... Because some of the most meaningful things are born in those quiet spaces.

Boredom often creates room for curiosity. Creativity grows there too. Ideas take shape there. Sometimes children discover parts of themselves in moments where nothing is happening at all.

I don’t think our responsibility as parents is to protect our children from AI. Honestly, that’s impossible. AI is here, and it’s not going anywhere. And maybe that’s okay.

I think our role is something different. It’s teaching our children how to work with AI without becoming dependent on it. To use it as wings rather than crutches. To let it help them explore stronger possibilities without replacing their own thinking. To use it as a tool that helps them move further while still knowing how to stand on their own.

Because the children who thrive in the future may not simply be the ones who know the most facts or have the fastest answers.

They may be the ones who continue to imagine, who remain curious about the world around them, who know how to communicate with empathy, and who learn how to ask thoughtful questions that lead to new possibilities.

They’ll be the ones who never stop being deeply, wonderfully human. And maybe that’s the one Human Tool, AI can never truly take away.

Unless we choose to give it away ourselves.

What are your thoughts?

Leave a comment

Listen to our latest episode: Click here!

Accessible Across Major Platforms

The Kidsstoppress Parenting Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and other major platforms, ensuring easy access for parents across India and globally.

The Kidsstoppress Parenting podcast, featured as one of the top parenting podcasts in India on FeedSpot on Spotify.

We remind them to finish their homework, eat their vegetables, wear their shoes, pack their bags, switch off the screen, brush their teeth, sleep on time, and be careful. In many ways, parenting can start to feel like one long list of instructions. And understandably so. We are responsible for keeping our children safe. We want to guide them, teach them, protect them, and help them make good decisions.

But recently, I found myself wondering: how much time do we actually spend having conversations with our children?

Not questioning them. Not correcting them. Not teaching them. Just talking to them.

Some of the most meaningful moments I’ve had with my own children haven’t happened during a planned heart-to-heart. They’ve happened while driving to school, walking the dog, eating dinner, folding laundry, or sitting together at the end of a long day. Children often reveal the most when they don’t feel like they’re being interviewed.

And this matters more than ever.

India has one of the largest adolescent populations in the world, around 253 million young people aged 10 to 19, according to UNICEF India. At the same time, the National Mental Health Survey by NIMHANS estimated that 7.3% of Indian adolescents aged 13 to 17 live with a mental disorder. And ASER 2023 found that smartphone access is now part of everyday life for most rural families, with 82.2% of 14 to 16-year-olds able to use a smartphone at home.

In other words, our children are growing up in a world that is more connected, more exposed, and more emotionally demanding than the one many of us knew.

That is exactly why conversation matters.

Not the formal, sit-down, “we need to talk” kind. The everyday kind. The kind that happens in the car, while making dinner, or when you are walking back from tuition. If your child says “nothing happened today,” try asking, “What made you laugh today?” or “What was the hardest part of your day?” or “Who did you sit with at lunch?” Small questions often open bigger doors.

The challenge is that many of us were raised in homes where communication was largely one-way. Adults spoke, children listened. Adults instructed, children followed. Adults made decisions, children adapted. But today’s children are growing up in a very different world. They are exposed to more information, more opinions, more influences, and more complexity than any generation before them.

If we want them to come to us when they are confused, anxious, embarrassed, heartbroken, or facing a difficult decision, we need to build that bridge long before we need to cross it. And that bridge is conversation.

Real conversation means being curious about your child’s thoughts, not just their behaviour. It means asking questions without already having the answer in mind. It means listening without immediately turning every discussion into a lesson. It means occasionally resisting the urge to fix, solve, or advise. I’ve noticed that some of the strongest parent-child relationships aren’t built because parents always know the right thing to say. They’re built because children feel safe enough to keep talking.

The goal isn’t to become your child’s best friend. The goal is to become a person they can speak to honestly. A child who knows they can tell you the truth is far safer than a child who only tells you what they think you want to hear.

As our children grow older, communication becomes even more important. The teenage years especially require a shift from control to connection.

The more we rely solely on authority, the less access we often have to what is really happening in their lives.

Conversation gives us that access, not because children owe us information, but because trust invites honesty.

And perhaps that is what modern parenting requires from all of us: less lecturing, more listening; less assuming, more asking; less talking at our children, more talking with them. Because one day, our children won’t remember every rule we gave them. But they will remember how it felt to be heard.

What are your thoughts? Would love to know!

Leave a comment

Listen to our latest episode: Click here!

Accessible Across Major Platforms

The Kidsstoppress Parenting Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and other major platforms, ensuring easy access for parents across India and globally.

The Kidsstoppress Parenting podcast, featured as one of the top parenting podcasts in India on FeedSpot on Spotify.

Subscribe now

I’ve spent fourteen years talking to Indian parents about raising children in a world that moves faster than any of us anticipated. I’ve sat across from moms who handed their child an iPhone because school required it, and haven’t slept soundly since. I’ve heard from dads who set screen time limits and felt like they were guessing. I’ve spoken to parents who discovered something disturbing on their child’s phone and had no idea how it got there.

Today, at Apple Park in Cupertino, I watched Apple announce the most significant child safety update in iPhone history.

I was there. As the only Indian parenting creator invited to WWDC 2026, Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, I sat in that keynote audience and watched Apple do something I honestly didn’t expect from a technology company: they took a stand.

This article breaks down every child safety feature Apple announced at WWDC 2026, in plain language, for every parent raising a child with an iPhone or iPad in their hands.

What Is WWDC 2026 and Why Should Indian Parents Care?

WWDC is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference and it is where Apple announces all the new software features coming to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch later in the year. Think of it as Apple’s annual preview of every update that will land on your family’s devices this fall.

This year’s WWDC was historic for two reasons. First, it was Tim Cook’s final WWDC as CEO of Apple, a moment that carried real emotional weight in that room. Second, Apple dedicated a significant portion of their keynote to child safety and parental controls, features built not just by Apple’s engineers, but in partnership with the American Academy of Paediatrics.

For Indian families, where over 450 million smartphone users now include a rapidly growing population of children and teenagers, this matters enormously. Our kids are getting phones younger. The internet is less regulated. And parents are navigating it largely alone.

Not anymore.

The 6 Apple Child Safety Features Announced at WWDC 2026

1. New Child Account Setup Assistant “Start Focused, Add More Over Time”

What Apple announced: A guided setup assistant that walks parents through configuring a child’s iPhone or iPad step by step, starting with the most restricted, safest settings and allowing parents to unlock more access as their child is ready.

What this means for you: Right now, setting up a child’s phone properly requires navigating through multiple settings menus, Family Sharing configurations, Screen Time, Content Restrictions, and more. Most parents either get it wrong or give up halfway through.

This new setup assistant changes that. It takes you through everything in one flow. It starts conservative, fewer apps, no unrestricted browsing, limited contacts and lets you build from there as your child grows and earns trust.

The philosophy Apple is building around is one I’ve believed for years: start focused, add more over time. Not the other way around.

This feature will be available in iOS 27, launching fall 2026.

2. App Store Parental Controls, No Download Without Your Approval

What Apple announced: Parents can now approve every single app their child tries to download. The App Store will display clear age ratings on every app, and apps rated above a child’s approved age range will be completely invisible to them, they won’t appear in search, browse, or editorial recommendations.

What this means for you: This closes a gap that has frustrated parents for years. Previously, a child could stumble onto age-inappropriate apps simply by browsing. App ratings existed, but they weren’t always accurate or prominently displayed.

Now, if your child’s account is set up for ages under 13, they simply will not see apps that aren’t appropriate for them. And if they want to download something? They send a request. You get a notification. You decide.

For Indian parents specifically, where children often share family Apple IDs, note that these controls work best when children have their own Child Account linked to Family Sharing.

3. Ask to Browse — Safari Now Needs a Parent’s Permission

What Apple announced: A new feature called Ask to Browse means that if a child tries to visit any website on Safari that hasn’t been pre-approved by a parent, they cannot open it without sending a permission request. This feature is on by default for all children under 13.

What this means for you: This is the feature I wish had existed years ago.

The internet is not a safe neighbourhood. Even with content filters, children find their way to things parents would never have approved, not through deliberate searching, but through clicking, following links, and falling into rabbit holes.

Ask to Browse puts a parent in the loop before a website opens, not after the damage is done. Your child clicks a link. A request pops up on your phone. You say yes or no. It’s that simple.

For parents of children between 6 and 12 in India, this will be one of the most practical features in this entire update.

4. Contact Circles — You Decide Who Your Child Can Talk To

What Apple announced: Parents can now build an approved Contact Circle for their child, a list of people the child is allowed to call, text, or message. Anyone outside that circle cannot contact your child, and your child cannot initiate contact with them either. If a child wants to add someone new to their circle, they must send a request to the parent for approval.

What this means for you: Unknown numbers. Random messages. Strangers in the contact list. These are some of the most common fears parents bring to me in workshops and they’re not irrational fears.

With Contact Circles, you decide the list. Grandparents. Close cousins. Your child’s best friend. Their class teacher. Everyone else is simply not reachable until you say otherwise.

This feature is particularly relevant in India, where children are increasingly reachable by unknown adults through shared family numbers, school broadcast groups, and informal WhatsApp chains. Having a system-level wall around your child’s communication is a game-changer.

5. Time Allowance — Screen Time Limits Built With Paediatricians

What Apple announced: Apple is replacing the previous Screen Time approach with a new system called Time Allowance, daily recommended limits for games, entertainment, and social media, built in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics and based on child development research. Limits can be adjusted for different times of day, stricter on school nights, more relaxed on weekends.

What this means for you: Every parent I know has wrestled with screen time. Is two hours too much? Is forty-five minutes enough? Should gaming count the same as reading? Should YouTube count as entertainment or education?

The problem with our current Screen Time limits is that they’re arbitrary. We set them based on gut instinct, battles won and lost, and whatever we saw on someone else’s Instagram.

Time Allowance changes the conversation. These aren’t numbers Apple invented, they’re recommendations grounded in actual research on child development. And they adapt. A 7-year-old and a 12-year-old have different needs. A Tuesday evening and a Sunday afternoon are different contexts. This system finally thinks the way parents think.

[Related: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Indian Kids? →]

6. Expanded Communication Safety — Violent Content Now Blocked Automatically

What Apple announced: Apple’s existing Communication Safety feature, which detects and blurs sensitive or nude content before it reaches a child has been expanded to now include violent and gory content. This protection activates automatically on any Child Account.

What this means for you: Communication Safety has existed for a few years now, and it’s one of the most quietly powerful features Apple has built for families. It works in the background, scanning incoming content before your child sees it, blurring anything it identifies as sensitive.

Until now, that primarily meant nudity and sexual content. Starting with iOS 27, it also covers violent and graphic content.

This matters because the route to violent content for children is rarely intentional. It comes through memes, forwarded videos, gaming thumbnails, YouTube links, and group chats. The phone catches it before their eyes do.

What Apple Said That Every Parent Needs to Hear

There was a moment in the keynote that stopped me cold.

Apple’s presenter looked out at that crowd and said, clearly and on the record: experts recommend that children under 13 should not be on social media.

That’s not a parent blog saying it. That’s not a child psychologist in a workshop saying it. That is one of the most powerful, most widely used technology companies on the planet saying it, in a global keynote, in front of the developers who build the apps our children use every day.

I’ve been saying this for years. Many of you reading this have been saying it for years. But there is a difference between us saying it and Apple saying it on a global stage.

That difference matters. It shifts the conversation. It changes what’s acceptable. It gives parents something to point to.

When Will Apple Child Safety Features Be Available in India?

All of these features are part of iOS 27, which Apple previewed at WWDC 2026 and will release officially in fall 2026, typically September, alongside new iPhone hardware.

Developer betas are already rolling out. Public betas will follow next month for those who want to test early.

These features will be available on iPhones as far back as the iPhone 11 series, meaning most families with Apple devices in India will have access when the update lands.

What Indian Parents Should Do Right Now

You don’t need to wait for iOS 27 to start preparing. Here’s what I’d suggest doing today:

1. Set up proper Child Accounts if you haven’t already. Many Indian families use shared Apple IDs, which means none of these protections apply. Family Sharing with individual Child Accounts is the foundation everything else is built on.

2. Have the screen time conversation before the update arrives. These tools work best when children understand why they exist,not as punishment, but as structure. Start talking now.

3. Build your Contact Circle list. When iOS 27 drops, you’ll want to have a clear sense of who belongs in your child’s approved circle. Think about it in advance.

4. Know that tools don’t replace you. Every feature Apple announced is an infrastructure update. The parenting, the conversations, the trust-building, the presence, that’s still yours to do.

A Note From Me

I walked into Apple Park today as the only Indian parenting creator in that room. I walked out knowing this was one of the most significant days in my fourteen years at KidsStopPress.

Not because Apple is perfect. Not because technology is the answer. But because the world’s most influential device maker just used their biggest stage of the year to say: this matters. Your children’s safety online matters. And we’re going to do something about it.

We’ve always believed that at KidsStopPress. And today, it felt like the world caught up a little.

Save this article. Share it with the parents in your life. And when iOS 27 lands on your phone this fall, you’ll know exactly which settings to turn on first.

Work has been on a go-go mode, and through the trance, I suddenly had a flashback to the great opportunity I had at the start of the year to turn on the student mode and meet my teacher, Dr Shefali.

More often than not, we parents come from an authoritative place, a place where we are always right and the child has to follow our instructions without any questioning. The main lesson that I’ve learned from my journey into conscious parenting is to recognise my kids as individuals in their own right. Individuals who have the right to have opinions, ask questions and have their own perspectives.

Image credit: Universal Wisdom School

Respecting your child should be a given as a parent. I moderated a very fascinating panel at MUSO with Tanvi Jindal , Dr. Swati Popat Vats and Dr Shwetambara Sabharwal. I spoke about it on LinkedIn. A Conversation On Curiosity. This is another very crucial and yet very subtle detail we don’t give importance to in painting, and that is- answering your child’s ‘WHYS’.

Curiosity is the food for the wise.

Kids are very very curious little human beings and sadly that diminishes as they grow because they are not provided a safe or open environment where their questions are acknowledged.

How many times have you dismissed your child’s questions?

Or given them hoax answers just to get them off your back?

I have done that too in the past, till I understood the impact it has on them.

• And that curiosity fires 5 very important parts of their brain which is key to mental development?

• Did you know making your child feel embarrassed about their questions can start to build self-doubt?

And sometimes, when kids ask questions, it’s not only to get answers in return but to initiate a conversation or maybe because they already know the answer and they are waiting for you to ask them about it.

Can we not spend 5, 10, or 15 minutes listening to their questions and, when we don’t have the answer, finding it out together? Isn’t it our duty as parents to nurture curiosity?

I started a kids’ podcast called ‘I Am Not Bored’ when my daughter asked me “Why are all school buses yellow?” I was silenced because I didn’t have an answer, but I searched it with her. The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Music. It’s really interesting and answers a lot of these questions; you and your kids will absolutely enjoy it.

Let’s promise, that no matter how busy we are, we will never dismiss their ‘Whys’ and address, or acknowledge them with the attention and respect they deserve. If this curiosity is not quenched at home, it will most definitely find another place. So parents, let’s create a safe and open forum for our kids and build a bond of trust.

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Friday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

Adolescent. An age of experiment, discovery, unbound curiosity and a rush to know and try everything. An age where friendships are the most important relationship and where relevance is more important than breathing itself. Parents, do you know what I am talking about?

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Parents, Are We Aware Of Everything?

Image credit: Metro Vaartha

Let’s talk about that series on Netflix India, and let me say this, honestly, I was not ready for that. I set rules, I taught them right from wrong, and I believed I was doing everything right. But watching Adolescence shook me to my core. Recently, the actor who played the main role headlined again for being the youngest Emmy winner in history, and rightfully so.

The show revolved around a 13-year-old—just a child—accused of something unthinkable. And the scariest part? He wasn’t a “bad kid.” He was just like any other teenager, who had isolated himself in the room, while his parents—like so many of us—believed he was safe.

This show made me question everything. Are we keeping up with our kids’ digital lives? Are we catching the red flags? Are we even having the right conversations?

I know parenting today isn’t about control—it’s about connection. But how do we actually build that?

I’m diving deep into this, and if you’re a parent, you should too. We need practical ways to protect our kids and truly understand the world they live in. Because pretending it won’t happen to us isn’t an option anymore.

Here Are 3 Takeaways From The Show

We need:

• ‘Open Communication’, to create a safe space for them to tell us anything.

• ‘Stay Informed and Involved’, you want to know your child, know the trends, the social media apps, online games etc.

• ‘Set Boundaries, Not Rules’, you set rules, they will be broken. So teach your teens about boundaries.

• Teach kids, ‘Critical Thinking’, so no matter what they are coerced to do, they think about it first. We need to equip them with it.

• And most importantly, ‘Be A Role Model’, they are seeing and observing your every move.

What are you doing to understand your teen’s brain? Are you taking it at face value, or are you having conversations that are uncomfortable, hard, awkward, but so important in the long run?

Explore tools that can help you on this journey- Click here

And with that, it’s a wrap on this week’s editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Friday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

With 4 months left in the year, I know what’s on everybody’s mind- the year went by like a breeze! But today, we are going to discuss a matter that I’m sure most parents are confused about: Who is Gen Alpha? How can we connect with them? What are their ideals? Interests? Passions? Well, don’t worry and read on as I brief you on this generation and everything you need to know about them, especially as the generation raising them.

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Understanding Gen Alpha As Millennials.

Image source: Campaign India

We are the generation that has been walking between the lines of safety. Our financial security has been of utmost importance. But the growing Gen Alpha population want to chase their dreams and is not afraid to pursue them even if it doesn’t conform to the rules and norms society has.

Well! They are the kids who were born from 2010 onwards, right up to 2024 and also called “mini-millennials’; they’re the cohort under 12 years old. And by 2030, they’ll make up 11% of the workforce.

Parental controls, social media age restrictions, and, well, a global pandemic had kept Gen Alpha is under wraps, but they’re quickly reaching their full potential. What we have come to realise is that Gen Alpha are a force to reckon with, and brands are cashing in on this wave.

Let me correct myself- not brands, whole industries. Especially the Skincare and Beauty Industry.

According to Market Research Future, the global children’s cosmetics market is projected to be 1,795 MIL USD by 2026, and the Asia Pacific market is projected to be 408 MIL USD by 2026, which is around 7.25% market cap.

Adults on social media are now calling beauty-obsessed pre-adolescents “Sephora kids.” As young as 9 years, often referred to as Gen Alpha, have been flooding their nearest Sephora stores to get their hands on these products, typically targeted at older consumers. I’ve covered this extensively on my LinkedIn and on KSP. It’s a definite read!

Now, coming back to the subject. I thought I should address some common misconceptions I see floating around about Gen Alpha.

Number one and most common-

They’re addicted to screens. Screens are tools for Gen Alpha. While screen time is high, many are using devices for creative learning, storytelling, and even coding. It’s less about addiction and more about how they're engaging.

They’re too young to form strong opinions. Thanks to early exposure to global issues via media and schools, Gen Alpha kids are surprisingly aware, opinionated, and often socially conscious. Just try having these dinner-time conversations and you will be surprised.

And the most prevalent myth- They have it easy. Gen Alpha faces new-age stressors—climate anxiety, cyberbullying, tech overwhelm, and constant performance pressure. Childhood isn't as carefree as it once was.

I’m well aware there’s a lot of bad PR about this generation, especially after the ‘Adolescence’ wave. But as I keep repeating everywhere I go, each generation has its own drawbacks. In a survey conducted by McCrindle, parents believe their kids are most equipped when it comes to digital skills and creativity. But lack in areas like critical thinking and leadership skills. As the world of work changes, character qualities and these core competencies are what is going to help Generation Alpha bulletproof their future.

So, how do we get a back door entry into their world?

They’re Emotionally Tuned In- They’re growing up with language around emotions, boundaries, mental health, and inclusion. They may not always have the regulation tools, but they’re much more aware than previous generations.

Understand Their Learning Style- Short attention spans? Maybe. But they’re also fast processors, visual learners, and love gamified, interactive learning. They see YouTube as school, Minecraft as a canvas, and chatbots as buddies. And most importantly, like every generation:

They Watch You Closely- They’re shaped by conscious parenting, gentle parenting, and digital modelling. Of course, the newsletter will go on and on, if I dive deeper because there’s just so much to know and learn. But you don’t need to read through pages- Don’t worry! Here are some interviews that I highly recommend you watch to understand how to raise Gen Alpha.

It’s not rules, boundaries, supervision or being their ‘friend’. It’s about having conversations, nurturing their curiosity, building a bond and most importantly, treating them as an equal.

And with that, it's a wrap on this week's editorial. Also, if you like our newsletter every Friday, drop me some replies or reach me on my Instagram handles- @mansi.zaveri and @kidsstoppress.

Ciao!

Till then, Happy Parenting!

Mansi Zaveri,

Mom of 2 & Founder- Kidsstoppress.com

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