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Anu

Anu Krishna  |1788 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Feb 18, 2026

Anu Krishna is a mind coach and relationship expert.
The co-founder of Unfear Changemakers LLP, she has received her neuro linguistic programming training from National Federation of NeuroLinguistic Programming, USA, and her energy work specialisation from the Institute for Inner Studies, Manila.
She is an executive member of the Indian Association of Adolescent Health.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Feb 09, 2026Hindi
Relationship

My child is 13 years old and studies in school. Over the past few weeks, I have noticed small but clear changes constant smiling while looking at the phone, waiting eagerly for school in the morning, and repeatedly mentioning the same classmate during conversations. Homework now takes longer, marks have slightly dropped, and the class teacher has shared that my child seems distracted in class. When I gently try to ask what’s going on, my child becomes shy, avoids eye contact, and changes the topic, making me unsure how much to intervene. As a parent, I feel confused and worried, but I don’t want to scold or break my child’s trust.

Ans: Dear Anonymous,
Your child is not a child anymore and is growing up to notice people around and feel a certain interest in them. A natural phase where youngsters start to obsess more about themselves, their thoughts and act in ways that may seem strange to parents. Yes, school and studies may not be a focus, but that will change over time when they learn ti manage their social expectations and academics as well.
In the meantime, talk to your child; listen even if they are silent, be with them. Most often they need that love and reassurance that their parents love them unconditionally and are on their side as they navigate the adolescence phase...just be with your child :)

All the best!
Anu Krishna
Mind Coach|NLP Trainer|Author
Drop in: www.unfear.io
Reach me: Facebook: anukrish07/ AND LinkedIn: anukrishna-joyofserving/

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Dear Pooja, my husband and I share a very friendly relationship. When we have disagreements, we often tend to forget that our child is around. In the past few months, we have been arguing a lot and this seems to have taken a hit on our son. He is behaving strangely at school. He has got into trouble with other kids in his class and is often caught scribbling at his desk. He gets angry and throws tantrums in public. When we tried talking to him, he seemed normal but he did mention to the counsellor that even my mom and dad fight when they are angry. Since then we have mellowed down a bit. But how do we address this to our child?
Ans: Hi there! As adults, our arguments in a marriage or relationship are inevitable. But with kids around, we need to be more cognisant of the fact that kids get influenced very quickly. Since their emotional spectrums are being developed when they experience arguments or fights, they begin to believe that is normal , but since they are unable to process the frustration that arises , they tend to take it out in their own behaviour with their peers and in their social settings. The best way to address this with the child is through a counsellor or a therapist. As parents who are arguing or fighting, you are the trigger or their anger and instability and the trust factor or the feeling of you being the safe space for them has been compromised. Have your child consult a professional coach or counsellor who will ensure the child gets a safe space to express and will help re build the bridge between you and your child with their expertise of handling the child's psychology and helping your son process his feelings.

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My five-year-old child has just started going to school a month ago. She has never been out without her parents. This is her first time outside in a big set up with complete strangers. Initially, she cried a lot and we tried leaving her at school first and then staying with her there for some time. But the school authorities took things in their hands a couple of days ago. My child started sitting in the class and stopped crying, and according to them 'she is fine now'. But she became very quiet after coming back. Her usual playfulness was missing. She was not speaking much and was mostly nodding her head in response when asked anything. Even the things she is usually excited by were not interesting her. She went out to play but came shortly saying 'I am tired'. I took her out and after very long time she started talking normally. I spoke to her teachers and they said we were a bit strict with her today as it was needed. They're saying we should send her to school and this behaviour would be over within a week or so. But my wife and I are very worried that her childhood is being lost in this exercise. What should we do?
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Hello Madam, My daughter is 12 yr old and is in class 7th. She is not at all interested in studies. She is also not interested in making new friends. She is always busy on playing games on mobile. Studies just one week prior to exams. Her behavior is also becoming rude day by day. Kindly suggest.
Ans: Hello!!
The addiction to mobile after COVID is a menace every parent is facing. The good part is she is aware about her exams and studies at least one week before her exams.

The rude behaviour, lack of focus on studies is all stemming from the mobile games. They are highly addictive and the thrill they give is beyond imagination. Slowly but surely you have to take away the mobile from her, that's the only way to help her look for other sources to keep her busy .Friends, new skills and studies will get her attention only when the mobile is away.

Allocate time for food, sleep, studies, play time and also mobile time( can't just take away the mobile, has to be weaned away from it gradually), in a day. Set a timer for the mobile usage, she has to return the mobile as soon as the timer bell rings.

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I am writing to express my concerns about my daughter, who is 10 years old. Over the past six months, she has been experiencing difficulties at school due to bullying from one of her classmates. This classmate has been isolating her from her other friends and has been making her feel uncomfortable. Consequently, her grades have started to decline, and she has been expressing a reluctance to attend school. My daughter has confided in me about this issue, and she is desperate to distance herself from this classmate. However, she is feeling scared and lacks the confidence to do so. Additionally, I have observed changes in her behavior at home. She has become more irritable, moody, and adamant. I believe this may be due to feelings of being neglected in comparison to her younger brother, who is three years old. While she loves her brother dearly, she sometimes feels that I give him more attention due to his age. As a parent, I am trying my best to support and reassure her, but I feel that I may not be providing enough help. I am seeking your guidance and assistance in addressing these issues and helping my daughter navigate through this challenging time.
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Latest Questions
Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |11011 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 19, 2026

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Sir,My son got 144 in BITS and 86percentile in Jee, what will be the best availabilty/option for engineering institute for CS, Mechanical & Electrical
Ans: Rachna Madam, with a BITSAT score of 144, admission to the CSE, Electrical, or Mechanical branches at all three BITS campuses is effectively not possible. Recent official cutoffs have been much higher—for example, Hyderabad closed at CSE 284/319/270, EEE 251/262/239, and Mechanical 218/192/214 in 2023/2024/2025, respectively, with Goa and Pilani cutoffs even higher.

Through JoSAA, with an 86 percentile in JEE Main, admission to CSE in NITs/IIITs is generally unlikely, and getting Mechanical or Electrical in mainstream NITs is also difficult under the open category. Chances improve mainly with home-state quota, reserved categories, female-only seats, or in lower-demand GFTIs and self-financed institutes accepting JEE Main scores.

Please check JoSAA’s official opening and closing rank archives year-wise before filling choices. Your son can focus on mid-tier or newer NITs and IIITs and state-level colleges and should also consider 4-5 reputed private universities as backup options instead of relying solely on BITS or JoSAA. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |11011 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Apr 18, 2026

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Sir, My son has appeared in Class X ICSE Exam and results are awaited. So far , he has been an average performer academically. I believe he is capable and he can do great if he puts in the hard work. His performance in subjects like History/Geography etc has always been better than in Maths/science. I personally never wanted to force him to choose any stream for higher studies. He also is not sure about it. While discussing I suggested him to go for Commerce or humanities stream and then for MBA from a reputed institution. However, he is more concerned about job opportunities and wanted to go for science. Hence, after a lot of discussion, we have got him admitted in Science stream in Delhi and also got him enrolled in Allen for JEE Coaching. We thought if he adapts well and gets going, then may be he can achieve good result. Otherwise, we may decide to change stream after Class XII. What is your opinion? Request for your suggestion please
Ans: Shyam Sir, I have thoroughly reviewed your son’s background. You haven’t mentioned whether he is continuing with the ISC board or has enrolled in the CBSE board with Allen-JEE coaching for this 11th/12th Grade. Firstly, I recommend a psychometric test for your son to gain a rough idea of the most suitable career options for him.

Secondly, job opportunities exist across domains, but to be competitive, your son must have passion and interest in his chosen field and continuously upgrade both technical and soft skills relevant to that domain.

Thirdly, besides understanding suitable career options through the psychometric test, ask him what types of problems he is interested in solving in the future.

Fourthly, since you mentioned his performance is better in History and Geography than in Science and Maths, Allen-JEE coaching would be suitable only if he is truly interested in Maths and Science. If not, his performance may fall short of expectations, leading to demotivation.

My suggestion is to consider enrolling him in the Arts/Humanities stream with a focus on Geography-centric subjects. Later, he can pursue civil services, media, law, or management studies. Reassess his progress after about a year (by December 2026), focusing on his interest, mental health, and realistic performance rather than perceived job security alone.

Before he completes 11th grade (by February 2026), you both can collectively decide and start preparing for entrance exams in law, media, or management (CUET, CLAT, IPMAT, NPAT, SET etc.) based on his interests and future plans. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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