“Sir, padhna toh theek ho gaya hai, par likhne mein bahut problem hoti hai.”
I hear this from parents very often. And honestly, it makes sense.
Reading is recognising words. Writing is creating them. Writing needs spelling, sentence order, and confidence — all at the same time. That’s why many children who read reasonably well still avoid writing.
“Mera bachcha English padh hi nahi paata” – parents tell me this with such worry in their voices.
The real problem is not that children can’t read. It’s that they’re afraid to read. I’ve seen it so many times – a child sits alone with a book and manages fine. But put a parent or teacher next to them, and suddenly every word becomes difficult.
It was 8:30 PM on a Tuesday. I was exhausted after a long day at work, scrolling through my phone while finishing dinner. A message popped up in our “Family WhatsApp Group”—a video of a famous politician making a shocking statement. My thumb hovered over the forward button.
“Papa, fake hai wo. Deepfake. Look at the lips—they don’t sync.”
I looked up. My 14-year-old son barely glanced up from his plate, fork in one hand, completely casual about what he’d just said. I looked closer at the video. He was right. The lips were slightly off.