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Dr Deepa

Dr Deepa Suvarna  |197 Answers  |Ask -

Paediatrician - Answered on Sep 21, 2026

Dr Deepa Suvarna is a practising paediatrician with 25 years of experience. She completed her MD in paediatrics from the TN Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, MBBS from the King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College and diploma in child health from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Sep 21, 2026
Health

My 5-year-old has become extremely attached to one particular parent. If I leave the room, even for a few minutes, he starts crying and wants me to come back. This has become especially difficult when leaving him at school or with grandparents. Is this normal separation anxiety at this age?

Ans: It is unusual at this age and there must be a trigger like a prolonged separation. Try to find out what is causing the anxiety. If not improving then consult a psychologist
DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.
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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1822 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Aug 11, 2022

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Hi Anu, I'm a guest faculty working at a government educational institute. I have a son who will be 5 years on August 13. He is very active, smart and kind. Recently I have noticed him crying and scared of death- Thanatophobia. Every day in the evening he will start crying thinking the world will end. He will die or me and his Dad will die. I explained him quiet spiritually that no death can come shiva will protect us. But he is not satisfied. This particular behaviour of him has started since his school started. Is this separation anxiety. Please help me how do I make him lead a normal life as he used to be?
Ans:

Dear NS,

When did this exactly start after he started school?

It helps to go back to that point in time to when this first started to affect him.

Was there a death in the family? A movie that he watched? A story that was narrated to him? Someone in the school shared some content that is frightening?

It is unlikely that he might suddenly have this kind of a fearful reaction.

To assess if this is separation anxiety will require a detailed understanding of his situation.

Children that age as your son can extrapolate one story into another and weave a new story that might have never happened.

Their imagination can take on new dimensions. It will be worth the effort talking to his teachers and the school counsellor.

My suggestion to you is to gather all this information and go to a professional who can handle this.

Is this necessary? YES, as they are trained to deal with fears and panic.

This will help him release these unwanted feelings and breathe easy. Wait no longer.

Till then, surround him with much love and support him by reassuring him that his family loves him no matter what.

All the best!

..Read more

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1822 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Aug 11, 2022

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Hi Anu, I'm a guest faculty working at a government educational institute. I have a son who will be 5 years on August 13. He is very active, smart and kind. Recently I have noticed him crying and scared of death- Thanatophobia. Every day in the evening he will start crying thinking the world will end. He will die or me and his Dad will die. I explained him quiet spiritually that no death can come shiva will protect us. But he is not satisfied. This particular behaviour of him has started since his school started. Is this separation anxiety. Please help me how do I make him lead a normal life as he used to be?
Ans:

Dear NS,

When did this exactly start after he started school?

It helps to go back to that point in time to when this first started to affect him.

Was there a death in the family? A movie that he watched? A story that was narrated to him? Someone in the school shared some content that is frightening?

It is unlikely that he might suddenly have this kind of a fearful reaction.

To assess if this is separation anxiety will require a detailed understanding of his situation.

Children that age as your son can extrapolate one story into another and weave a new story that might have never happened.

Their imagination can take on new dimensions. It will be worth the effort talking to his teachers and the school counsellor.

My suggestion to you is to gather all this information and go to a professional who can handle this.

Is this necessary? YES, as they are trained to deal with fears and panic.

This will help him release these unwanted feelings and breathe easy. Wait no longer.

Till then, surround him with much love and support him by reassuring him that his family loves him no matter what.

All the best!

..Read more

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1822 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Apr 12, 2023

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Hello Anu - we have a 5 year old son and he's getting out of our control these days and we don't know how to handle him. His actions and tantrums are mischievous and hurtful at the same time. Earlier he used to get scared from his mother but she's also losing control over him these days. If we scream or shout, he repeats the same things that kind of irritates us more. If we try to be reasonable with him, it's of no use - he takes us for granted. If we tell him about repercussions on his actions like a timeout or no tv time or no play time, he does not listen and at the end we give him to his crying. He also becomes uncontrollably violent at times - though he thinks it's a game, but in reality his actions literally hurt us. I know partially I am to blame as when he was younger, these violent games looked fun but now that he's older and stronger, they are not fun anymore to me or anyone in our house. I've tried to explain him, but at the end he is just 5 years old! Every morning to night it's a mountaineous challenge for us. My wife and I talk after he sleeps, decide what to do or not do from the next dat but bam! it's just the same routine every single day. Moreover my wife is pregnant with our second child so I fear this might have a bad effect on our 2nd baby as my wife remains stressed out. I know this could be every parent - but then if it happens that often, is there a solution? Can you help us?
Ans: Dear Shubham,
How is it possible for a 5-year old to understand logic when he is throwing an emotional fit (tantrum)?
Like you said it yourself; when it could have been stopped and changed, it wasn't done. He probably felt that it was fine to behave 'violently' (though I don't understand the context in which you use this word).
Now. all of a sudden when you and your wife are trying to stop him, he is pulling away as this behaviour was rewarded earlier. he has your earlier silence as your love and affection for which which he fears will be withdrawn now if he stops his behaviour.
So, logic isn't going to work; it doesn't work with adults, and here the child is merely 5 years.
So undoing what was done is going to take a lot of effort and patience (beyond all the talk that you and yoir wife are doing).
Start by:
- ignoring his tantrums; he will time-out himself in exhaustion
- talking to him at his eye level; get down on your knees, so he doesn't feel intimidated by your height
- hugging him a lot; a caring touch is worth a thousand words
- telling him how excited you both were when he was born; this can ensure that he will be special even after the arrival of the new baby
- distracting him with creative things; story telling and fine motor skill games improve focus and concentration
- cutting down on foods filled with sugar; sugar boost is artificial and can make a child or anyone go a little anxious
- ensuring him that he is loved a lot; saying it aloud while hugging him will soften his behaviour over time

Try these and I hope they work. If not, kindly without delay seek an appointment with a professional who can deal with children at your son's age.

All the best!

..Read more

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Krishna

Krishna Kumar  |427 Answers  |Ask -

Workplace Expert - Answered on Oct 06, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Oct 06, 2026
Career
What should an employee do if the person they are supposed to report harassment or discrimination to is actually the same person involved in the problem? For example, suppose a senior manager regularly makes inappropriate comments about an employee’s appearance or background, and the employee wants to complain, but the company’s usual process says that concerns should first be reported to that manager. In such a situation, the employee may feel stuck because going directly to the same person doesn’t feel safe or comfortable. What alternative channels should an employee look for, such as HR, a higher-level manager, an internal complaints committee or an ethics helpline? Also, how can someone raise the concern professionally while protecting themselves from possible retaliation or further workplace problems?
Ans: Dear

I am sorry to hear that you are going through a tough time. Nonetheless there is a way to handle this.

If you have ethics helpline use that, these are supposed to be anonymous and managed by third party who are independent company.

You can also approach the complaints committee but before escalating to the committee please talk to your managers manager along with the HR and take them in confidence.

Maintain your calm, structure your conversation on issues and backed with evidence (what was said when) and most important of all avoid personal attacks or name calling.

Hope this helps. All the best.

Warm Regards
KK

Ps: if you like the answer please follow me. Thanks.

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Ravi

Ravi Mittal  |747 Answers  |Ask -

Dating, Relationships Expert - Answered on Oct 06, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Oct 01, 2026
Relationship
My wife's sister's husband has become very friendly with me over the last few years. We meet often at family functions and sometimes talk separately about our personal lives. In the beginning, I was comfortable sharing things with him because I thought we had a good understanding. But slowly, I feel he has started asking too many questions about my marriage and my relationship with my wife. He sometimes asks about our arguments, our private matters and how we handle things at home. At the same time, he also shares many personal details about his own marriage with me, including problems and things that I feel are too private. Sometimes I don’t know how to respond, because I don’t want to encourage him to discuss such personal matters, but I also don’t want him to feel that I am avoiding him or judging him. Because we are family, I am worried that if I suddenly create distance or tell him directly to stop asking personal questions, it could create awkwardness between both families. I also don’t want my wife to feel that I am hiding something from her or that there is some problem between us.
Ans: Dear Anonymous,
I understand your concerns. You don't have to directly confront him about sharing too many personal details or asking you questions, nor do you need to create distance. The sweet spot is to build a gentle boundary. For instance, when he asks you something personal, instead of avoiding the question, just answer vaguely, like, "yes, things are going good" or "Nothing major. You know, routine married life stuff." This way, he will soon lose interest. And when he shares personal information with you, you can simply listen without offering any advice or asking follow-up questions. The conversation will die down on its own. This way, he will neither feel like you are avoiding a conversation with him nor believe that you are encouraging him to get up close and personal with you.

Most importantly, do not hide this friendship from your wife. It's okay. Friends do share things with each other at times and sometimes one person might feel burdened with too many information after a while. These are natural courses of a friendship. The important thing is that you are being considerate of your marriage and want to create a boundary. You can do that without being misunderstood or losing a friend.

Hope this helps.

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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |11481 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Oct 06, 2026

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Dear Sir/ Mam, My son is 28 years old. Should I buy a Term Insurance Policy for him? If so, suggest me name of Good policy and the suitable amount to be invested . rgds,
Ans: At age 28, taking term insurance can be considered, especially if your son has started earning and has financial responsibilities.

However, the policy should ideally be taken by your son himself. The need depends on his income, liabilities and dependants.

– If he has a home loan or other liabilities, adequate cover becomes more important.

– If parents, spouse or children depend on his income, insurance becomes even more relevant.

– If he is unmarried and has no financial dependants, the immediate need may be lower, but taking cover at a younger age can still be cost-effective.

» How much cover?

Do not decide the cover only based on his age.

Consider:

– Current annual income.

– Existing loans and liabilities.

– Financial support required by dependants.

– Future family responsibilities.

– Existing life insurance, if any.

A broad starting point can be around 10–15 times annual income, but the final cover should be based on his actual financial situation.

» Who should pay the premium?

Ideally, your son should own the policy and pay the premium.

This keeps the policy connected with his income and financial responsibilities.

You can certainly help him with the premium if required.

» Which policy?

I would not suggest a particular insurance company or policy without knowing his income, liabilities, health, smoking status and existing insurance.

Instead, compare established insurers on:

– Claim settlement record.

– Solvency and financial strength.

– Policy exclusions and conditions.

– Premium for the required tenure.

– Claim servicing quality.

Avoid buying an insurance policy merely because somebody promises investment returns or other benefits along with the insurance.

For a pure protection requirement, a simple term insurance policy is generally easier to understand.

» Final Insights

At 28, your son has a good opportunity to put proper protection in place before his financial responsibilities increase.

The important point is to decide the required cover first and then compare suitable policies.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,
AMFI-Registered MFD – ARN 4188
www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramalingamcfp/

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |12579 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Oct 06, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 25, 2026
Career
Hi experts I am raising the query on behalf of my son:- My son is doing his Final BCom(F&A)with Christ Bangalore- Also completed CA-Inter and undergoing internship at Bangalore. My query is:- a.With B.Com-CA-Inter- what is the job scope in India? b.Any chance to get Overseas placements- If yes- which country is preferable and how to proceed for job search. c.Any further courses needs to be completed along with B.Com-CA-? Submitted for your kind perusal and advice please. Thanks Srikanth
Ans: With B.Com + CA-Inter, there are good opportunities in India in audit, taxation, financial reporting, FP&A, internal audit and finance/shared-services roles. For overseas opportunities, it is better to focus on completing CA first. UAE can be a good starting option, while Singapore offers opportunities with MNCs; the UK, Canada and Australia can also be explored based on qualification and work-visa requirements. The ideal strategy would be to complete CA, gain 2–3 years of relevant experience with a Big 4 firm or reputed company, and then explore overseas opportunities through ICAI, LinkedIn, company career pages and internal transfers within MNCs. After CA, he can consider ACCA for international accounting, CFA for investment/finance roles, US CPA for US-focused accounting/MNCs, or shorter courses in IFRS, Advanced Excel, Power BI and SAP, depending on his career goals. If CA Final gets delayed, he can take up a suitable private-sector role in audit, taxation or financial analysis while continuing CA. ACCA, CMA or CS can also be considered after checking exemptions. If he prefers government employment, exams such as SSC CGL/AAO and RBI Grade B can be explored. Maintaining an active LinkedIn profile and setting relevant job alerts will also help him understand current hiring trends, skill requirements and opportunities and make informed short- and long-term career decisions. All The Best for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Asked on - Oct 06, 2026 | Answered on Oct 06, 2026
Thank you very much sir for your valuable guidance.
Ans: Welcome Sir.

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