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0·25 Oct 2026·on Last Diwali an elder called my son fat in front of everyone. What do I say this time?

My worry would be the moment itself. Nobody thinks clearly in a crowded room. We spoke to the one relative who does this a week before, privately. It was awkward and he was offended for a day. But he didn't repeat it at the function, and my son never knew we had spoken.

6·22 Oct 2026·on Daughter's first overnight school trip is after Diwali and I'm more nervous than she is

My son went on his first one in class 7 too. I asked who sleeps on the same floor as the children and how the school contacts parents if something comes up. They shared one teacher's number for the two days. He came back with a cold and a hundred stories ❤️

0·21 Oct 2026·on Looking at Shums in Mehdipatnam for class 2. What do families do once it ends at class 4?

I can't speak for Shums itself. But a few families in our building had children at small junior schools that stop at class 4 or 5, and the ones who were calmest about the switch had a shortlist ready by class 3. The ones who started in the final year had a stressful few months ❤️ Also worth asking the school where its older children tend to go next. A school in that position generally has a sense of it.

1·8 Oct 2026·on Class 4 entry at Dr. K K Rs Gowtham School, Bachupally, for a boy coming from AP state board

Hafeezpet here, so not too far, but I don't have anyone at that school. I'd suggest your colleague visits on a working day around dispersal and talks to parents at the gate; you get a better picture in ten minutes there than from the office. One small plus for him is that coming from AP state board, Telugu won't be a shock for the boy the way it would be for a CBSE child from outside.

1·24 Sept 2026·on My 12 year old's feet overtook mine this summer. My new walking shoes are now 'ours'

We bought his school shoes in June and they were tight by August. I've given up buying the size that fits. It's always one size up now.

0·10 Sept 2026·on Are parent-and-toddler swim classes at 2 worth three days a week?

We did once a week when my son was small and that was plenty. He only learnt to swim properly at 7, in a proper batch. The toddler classes were more about getting comfortable in water than any strokes, so I wouldn't pay for three days.

0·10 Sept 2026·on Helping our weekend driver with nursery admission at St.Dominics Savio High School

Going in person is a good idea for a first visit. The office can tell him exactly what they need for his case. If he's more comfortable in Hindi or Urdu, he can just ask in that, no need to struggle in English. Kind of you to help him ❤️

0·6 Sept 2026·on Our caregiver is leaving at the end of the month. How did you overlap a replacement?

We managed only one week of overlap when ours changed, and it wasn't enough. If you can, pay your current caregiver for an extra week and have both of them there together. My son was older than your girls and still tested the new person for a month.

0·22 Aug 2026·on lice again. third time since june for my 6 yr old

We went through this when our son was in primary. The comb did more than any of the shampoos. And check everyone who shares a pillow or a car headrest with her. It kept coming back to us from one adult who was sure they didn't have it.

0·22 Aug 2026·on Bench partner keeps copying from my 8 year old in class tests

At 8 the one copying is usually panicking, not plotting. Covering is fine. I'd just tell her she doesn't have to be the class police either. Her job is her own paper.

4·31 Jul 2026·on Dinner with our 6 year old takes over an hour. Is a timer a bad idea?

Our son was exactly like this till 8 or 9. We didn't use a timer. We just said dinner ends when the rest of us finish and the plates go to the kitchen. The first week he went to bed a little hungry twice. After that he sped up on his own. Felt harsh to me at the time, but it worked ❤️

1·25 Jul 2026·on 13 year old wants to move into my study because the baby wakes her at night

Late to this, but curious what you decided. We gave our son the quieter room for his class 8 exams and never got it back ❤️

0·10 Jul 2026·on My 14 year old asks if there's any point learning to code now. I write software for a living and had no good answer

Showed him your comment. He asked how you learn to read code if nobody writes it any more. I fumbled again, but at least we talked for twenty minutes.

1·10 Jul 2026·on My 14 year old asks if there's any point learning to code now. I write software for a living and had no good answer

He did block coding in class 6 and liked making small games. Since then nothing much. Lately it's mostly 'AI will just do it'.

2·10 Jul 2026·on Daughter has asked me to stop sending her marks to the family group

This is coming for us too, I can feel it. My son already winces when I forward his certificates. Maybe ask her what she's fine with you sharing. Some kids are okay with 'she did well' but not the numbers.

2·29 Jun 2026·on Does a 'feeder' playschool really help with big-school nursery admission later?

One thing to watch: some of these playschools start 'admission prep' at two and a half. When our son was small we saw children doing worksheets for interviews. If staying means that, I'd move.

1·15 Jun 2026·on Our 9 year old wants to know why we don't have a car like everyone else

We got the 'are we poor' question the summer we didn't go abroad and his friends did. What worked better than explaining was showing him where the money goes. Rent, school, the things we chose instead. He was quite interested, and it stopped being a mystery. At 9 it would be simpler, but the idea is the same ♥

0·11 Jun 2026·on Grade 3 runs a 'class economy' with paper money, and she's already in debt to two classmates

Ha, my son's class did this in class 4. He went bankrupt by week three and then became the class banker because nobody else wanted the job. Still the most I've ever seen him think about money ❤️

1·6 Jun 2026·on Daughter wants to spend the last week of her holidays 'interning' at my office

The real task is the key part. When my son spent a day at my office, someone gave him a feature to test and asked him to write down everything that broke. He found three bugs and has mentioned it at every family dinner since.

0·30 May 2026·on Her cousin in Texas is on holiday too, so the video calls start at 11 pm. School reopens in two weeks

Phone charging outside the room is the whole trick in our house, and also the whole fight. We lasted four nights before 'I need it for the alarm'. Bought him a cheap alarm clock. Solved, mostly.

2·22 May 2026·on School's optional trip to Himachal before class 10 begins. What should I ask before signing?

Phones. Our school's circular for a shorter trip said no phones and a daily update from the class teacher. I was fine with that until the first evening, when the update came at 11 pm. Ask how and when they'll update you, so you aren't refreshing a group all night ❤

1·17 May 2026·on Do any schools on the Miyapur side have a daycare on campus for after nursery hours?

The 5 pm cutoff is the thing to ask about. We're in Hafeezpet, so not far from you, and when our son was little the daycare we used charged by the quarter hour after closing. With shift work that bill adds up fast.

0·12 May 2026·on Does the fifth subject in class 11 matter for CUET, or only for the school timetable?

One practical thing: ask how many students the school needs before it runs psychology at all. A friend's son picked it and the school dropped it in July because only six signed up. He had to switch to PE three weeks into term.

2·4 May 2026·on He's 4 months old and has already sent his first work email

Please tell me you've kept that email. Years from now it will be the best thing to show him ❤️

2·6 Apr 2026·on What does 'integral education' look like day to day at Sri Aurobindo School, Kushaiguda?

Fair question. I don't know this particular school. A lot of schools carry a name like this without any formal link to the Pondicherry schools, and some do follow that approach closely. The only way to know is to ask them directly whether any class runs on free progress, and how exams work in the middle years.