PW invited parents of Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok, Gurugram to share some activities that enable family bonding

Over the years like many nuclear urban families, we have made it an annual practice to travel outstation with my daughter Anushka (class VI) to meet her grandparents. This annual exercise gave Anushka a chance to develop deep bonds with them. Then Covid hit and ushered in an era of online learning and video and zoom calls. Therefore we started small rituals like having at-least one meal a day together and celebrating small things in life. We stopped waiting for big occasions to celebrate life. These small celebrations and family time together have made our bond much stronger.

— Rupam Verma, school teacher, Shalom International School, Gurugram.

As a family we bond best and stay happy during all celebrations and functions. We also take time out to meet our extended family members and organise small picnics. My daughter Ihina (class XII) loves to celebrate traditional Indian festivals. Moreover we play indoor games such as carrom or watch TV programmes and popular films together. Birthday celebrations are also important and we make it a point to celebrate these special occasions together.

—Hema Purohit, assistant vice president, EXL Services, Gurugram

An important lesson the Covid pandemic taught us is the importance of family time. After end of the lockdown, although our travel plans did not shape up, we ensure that we travel within the city (for brunch, lunch, dinner or simply a coffee) as a family, often including aunts, nieces, nephews and even grandparents. This has proved a huge learning experience for my daughter Prapti (prep class). For one, she gets to see a new place every time and learns table manners. More important, it exposes her to a world of free-flowing conversation. These get-togethers are what the children and adults truly look forward to as it brings them closer in relaxed environment.

— Dr. Pallavi Ghoshal, assistant professor, Ambedkar University, Delhi

Toys scattered on the floor, pictures of my sons Ronit (class VI) and Shaan (class III) on the walls, home-made burger aroma in the air, a maths notebook with multiplication sums waiting for Shaan to complete, a torn shirt being darned, NatGeo running on TV, lots of life lessons being practically demonstrated and an abundance of love in the air. That’s the second home for our boys at their grandparents. Quality time just isn’t about celebrating birthdays and festivals together. For us, it’s the merger of two households into one. Living in the same building allows our children freedom to walk into their grandparents’ home, intertwining them tightly with their lives. It’s bonding at another level.

— Sonia Bose, enterprise account manager, Coralogix