Parenting on the Cusp

As children get past the one-decade mark and head towards their teenage years, they don't just become taller and lankier. They change along every dimension - Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Social, Moral and Cultural. If well understood and rightly supported, this period can be one of happy competence and an exciting expansion of the child’s horizons.

In this session we will look at a bird's-eye view of these changes and the emerging needs and characteristics of this growing boy/girl.

We then examine the question that follows - What is the role of the parents here?

As their daughter strives to be independent, confident and socially accepted, how can the parents guide her?

As their son seeks to make sense of the world out there, what can parents do to scaffold him?

The aim of this session is not to present a silver bullet; it is to help parents be better prepared  as they go through one of the most challenging endeavours in our societies today - raising a child and doing it well.

At the end of the session, Sowmya will share a curated resource titled "Bridge the Gap: Dos, Don'ts, and Resources for Raising Teens". This has a list of dos and don'ts, along with a set of resources to support you on your parenting journey.

Facilitator Profile:

Sowmya is convinced that if there's a way out of the gigantic mess that our world is today, it has to come from our children - their sensibilities, imaginations and capabilities. She is inspired by her Montessori training and 15+ years of experience engaging in various alternative and mainstream school settings as a teacher and Montessori trainer and teacher mentor. 

Given the dynamic times we live in, Sowmya sees today's parenting as a complex societal, familial and personal challenge. Drawing from her experiences both a parent (of two young adults) and an educator, she has offered parenting workshops to school parents in several alternative schools. 

At GenWise, she sees herself as fortunate to have worked closely with motivated students and engaged with their parents through the residential programs. Combining this with a multi-year teacher mentoring project has surfaced insights into the challenges and aspirations of the key stakeholders involved in a child's education and development - child, parents, school teachers and the school as an ecosystem. 

Sowmya has a B. Tech degree from IIT Madras and a Masters degree from Pennsylvania State University. Sowmya has designed and delivered multiple GenWise residential programs and is currently leading the Teacher mentoring arm.