A Field Guide To Indian Empathies: Raising Sensitive Children for a Diverse Future #DueNormal

Experts everywhere are asking us to prepare for a ‘new normal’. But some of the best ideas they put forth when they talk about it are not necessarily ‘new’, but they are definitely ‘due’. Tolerance, sustainability, fair distribution of wealth, robust public systems, protection for the most vulnerable… the need for these values & instruments in our everyday public & private lives is way past due.

‘A Field Guide to Indian Empathies’ (Vol 1) has been developed to focus on the ‘due normal’ in consultation with individuals who not just had expertise but personal stakes in the issues being addressed.

This first volume is a collection of strategies and practical & conversational tips that can enable Indian families to deal with long-standing issues related to attitudes around Gender, Sexuality, Religion & Caste.

Do consider that your child is going to enter a future which is much more diverse that our present. Your child’s future colleagues and neighbors will be more varied in terms of social, economic and religious background as well as gender identities & orientations. If you don’t engage with your child to build in the appropriate sensitivities & empathies, chances are your child may be alienated and may find themselves vulnerable or worse, other children may find themselves vulnerable around your child.

Gender, Sexuality, Religion & Caste are issues that fascinate, concern and even worry children. These are core elements that you associate with identity, especially in India. They cannot be overlooked anymore. These are conversations that are needed in homes today. And that your child will need for their futures tomorrow.

Click on the links below & open your doors to the #DueNormal

Talking Gender Equality with Your Child in India (Especially Your Boys)

We need to create and normalize another kind of Indian childhood, one where gender discrimination takes a backseat to a different set of notions – that respect the choices that all children make, that take into account the aspirations that they hold, that give due agency to every child, and where consent matters. ‘Gender Equality’ is not just about stronger girls & kinder boys, it is about tolerance, inclusion and freedom from regressive constraints.

Raising LGBT+ Sensitive Children in India

It is important to empower our children to explore and understand their sexuality & be an ally of those who are LGBT+. Parents need to create an environment that embraces curiosity, normalizes differences, and encourages respect, and while at it, engage in self-reflection and self-education.

Talking to your Children about Religion in India

It is important to start having conversations about religion with children that move beyond standard discourse and address issues in a context that is current, contemporary and feels real and lived. It is the kind of religious education that your children will find most useful.

Talking to Your Child About Caste in India

You may not think its easy but it is. And anyway it’s way past due and absolutely essential. An Indian child cannot be truly empathetic & sensitive until they learn to be conscious about caste and the stories of those who are confined by it to society’s margins.