25-07-2025
Parenting doesn't need to feel chaotic. ‘Rhythmic Parenting' offers a gentler path
There's no sugarcoating it -- parenting today feels like a race. From screens to schools to sugar-laced foods, kids are bombarded. Meanwhile, parents are left wondering why tantrums, sleep issues and backchat are becoming so what if the problem isn't the kids, but the rhythm?That's what Saloni Azuchi and Aparajita Sadhu unpack in Rhythmic Parenting, a book that pushes back on the chaos of modern child-rearing. Speaking to India Today's Sneha Mordani on Booked, the authors broke down some of their boldest and most practical IS MORE THAN ROUTINE
'Rhythm is not just about a timetable. It's about flow,' Saloni routine, which can feel mechanical, rhythm gives breathing space. A child's day should gently alternate between what the authors call 'in-breath' (taking things in, like school or screen time) and 'out-breath' (rest, play, naps).'The most intense in-breath for a child is screen time,' says Saloni. This is why they recommend zero screen time for children under ISN'T OPTIONAL, IT'S BRAIN WORKIf your child struggles to wake up in the morning, parents need to understand that they aren't being difficult, it's biology.'They're not just being difficult,' Aparajita says. 'The body is not ready for the next day.''Sleep is when children grow, not just physically but mentally. Even school learning gets processed better after sleep. 'Please take them to sleep no later than 7 pm,' they out the full Booked episode here: DECISION-MAKING? LEAVE IT TILL 21It may sound harsh, but letting children make constant choices -- even about clothes or meals -- might be harming them.'Judgement and decision-making doesn't even start developing until puberty,' says a 4-year-old what they want for breakfast may sound empowering, but it often causes anxiety and distraction. Let them play be free in the true sense when they're developmentally ISN'T PUNISHMENTChores are where children can thrive. From folding laundry to sweeping floors, even toddlers can be involved -- not as helpers but as participants.'They love to do it because it requires them to move,' Aparajita points out. Motor skills, confidence, focus -- all of it improves. All it takes is some space and PUSHING WRITING BEFORE THEY'RE READYPreschools often expect kids to write before their hands are even physically developed.'The wrist of a six-year-old is not ready to write,' says Aparajita. Instead of rushing academics, they say, focus on movement, chores, play and will come -- and come well -- if we wait till the body is ready.- Ends
