Perfect Parenting: How to Raise Happy and Successful
Children
Sushant Kalra
2021
Rupa Publications
pp. 142
How to Raise a Tech Genius
Shahneila Saeed
2020
Hachette India
pp. 240
13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting
Ashwin Sanghi and Kiran Manral
2018
Westland
pp: 172
I was asked to write a review of these three books for a journal that will be published in November 2021. I am sharing here thoughts and ideas that I could not write in the journal.
The three books are quite relevant for new-age parenting. The urban Indian parent would probably look for ideas for improving his or her parenting style. It is quite endearing that books like these are published and I am presuming, they sell. This means that parents are conscious of becoming better at their job and are not taking it as something that they know automatically.
Two of the books, How to raise a tech genius and Perfect parenting, come from authors who have some expertise from the field that they have a hold over. I am not sure I can say the same about Sanghi and Manral. The book is reasonably well written but the advise is only rooted in their personal experience and I am not sure that being a good parent in one’s own eyes qualifies one to give advice to others. Such advice, I am quite positive is available to all of us from our parents, grandparents, and nosey neighbours! Having said that, it is not a bad book.
Another thing that I found problematic was the title of Kalra’s book. By far, the better of the three, Kalra’s book is titled Perfect Parenting. In my opinion, such a thing does not exist. It may sell but it is a false claim, even with his years of working with Parvarish. I think I should admit that I was biased about the book even before I read it because I believe that perfection is something parents should not even aim for, either in themselves or in their children.
Overall, I quite enjoyed reading all three books. They are light reads and you might enjoy them with your morning cup of tea. Implementing what they are suggesting is not going to be light. But Kalra’s book definitely has many good ideas that can be tried with your children. Happy parenting!