The Curious Parent went from 300 followers to 1 million followers in 17 months (Dec 2022 to Jun 2024) on Instagram. Here's a thread for anyone who is looking to start making content for Instagram.

Don't leave your child to the kindness of strangers

How do I get my book published? I get this question a lot. So I wanted to jot down my thoughts on it. 5 years ago, I wrote the book 'Let's Build a Company'. @penguinrandom published it. Anish Chandy from @LabyrinthAgency represented me. The process worked like this * A friend introduced me to Anish * Anish and I spoke on a call about the book. He liked the idea and asked me to write a chapter * Post that we met at Galleria in Gurgaon, and he asked me to write 4 more chapters for the book. * I wrote them over the course of a month. He helped me improve them and shared those 5 chapters with multiple publishers. * A couple of them came back with an offer. We accepted Penguin. * Penguin gave an advance, and I started working on the rest of the book * Post completion, hired an editor to go over the book and check it for grammar and other small bits. Submitted the final draft to Penguin Post publishing a lot of folks reached out to me on how to publish their book and I shared the emails ahead with Anish, which is when Anish helped me understand why he couldn't take up those projects and why he had taken up mine. He had taken up mine because * Our book 'Let's Build a Company' was about a real cash exit. In 2020, small exits were far and few in India, and Anish believed this story would work * I had a social media presence. I had invested in multiple start-ups. I was plugged into the start-up community. Unless you are the world's best storyteller, this is critical to sell a book, as most book sales now happen online 3 reasons can help you get a book published on your terms * You are the world's best storyteller * You have a truly unique story * You have a large social media following If these are not true, you will have a hard time finding a publisher or an agent. Your alternative is to self-publish it (which is what 99% of the folks do). And then market it. I found it easier to work with Anish rather than going directly to publishers. This helped me stay focused on the book and my life rather than trying to figure out my way through another industry. And all of Anish's judgment calls turned out fine. If you are writing a book, the main tip is - do not write in a silo. As you write a book, build an audience. Publishers only help give credibility to your book. They ensure your book is in offline bookstores and on Amazon Prime on the day of launch. Beyond that, it is mostly all you. Do not wait for the book to finish and then hunt for what to do. Keep posting, build an audience for your work before you start hunting for an agent or a publisher. That is the surest way to both publish and sell a book. I do think there is a book in everyone. And I believe everyone should write. All the best!

This summer, I took my family to a school inside a forest. 70 acres. 60 students. A stream and a waterfall running through campus. It’s called Sholai School near Kodaikanal — Cambridge-affiliated, but built around emotional, intellectual, and physical growth. Children farm, build, hike… and also study math, science, and literature. Learning feels alive. I sat in classes, spoke with students, teachers, a parent, and the founder Brian Jenkins (who worked with J. Krishnamurti before starting this school 40 years ago). Let’s explore it together. Link to full video on YouTube: youtu.be/Z56EYYyaG_Y #thecuriousparent #sholaischool

My child does not listen to me. A lot of parents feel that way. Here’s an easy way to make the change. Let children bear the consequences of their decisions, and they will learn. For example, if you are going out to a place where there will be a lot of walking, and you know your child will be more comfortable in shoes, but they want to wear sandals, remind them once, but let them choose. If you’re concerned, carry the shoes along. Once your child realizes it’s difficult with sandals, they’ll ask for the shoes. Give it to them without saying “I told you so.” Without forcing your point of view, your child learns through their own experience. Learning from their own choices is an invaluable lesson for anyone. And they’ll also learn that sometimes, it’s good to listen to their parents. 😊 #thecuriousparent

Has your child’s behaviour changed? When a child’s behaviour changes suddenly, it can be difficult to understand. Like this mother who wrote: “My child is 3 years old, used to love going to the park, and suddenly doesn’t want to go anymore. Why?” And based on this information, there’s no way I can tell. It’s possible someone shouted at the child. It’s possible somebody bit the child. It’s possible that an ant bit the child. It’s possible the child fell. Sometimes the reason can be as simple as: the child went home, and usually, mumma is there… But that one day, mumma wasn’t. And now the child is just scared that if I go to the park again and come back, maybe mumma won’t be home. The idea is: whenever a child’s behaviour changes and we are unable to understand it, what always helps is to sit back, relax, and try to see the world from our child’s eyes. #thecuriousparent

How old are you? Are you still keeping your options open for the sake of a predictable, safe future?

My parents live in Chandigarh. And because of what happened last night, my sister said, let's ask them to come to Bangalore/Mumbai. And we called them and they said, 'Yeh sabb beta humne dekha hua hai' When there was war earlier, we used to switch off lights, put dark curtains on windows, go together and stay in one small room in the house or go to the Gurudwara. My parents didn't seem worried. For most of us, war is new. First time. And when things happen for the first time, one takes time to adjust to the new reality. But if you have experienced the same thing before, it can be easier or more difficult, depending on how you came out of it and what your experience of the situation was. This is the exact way children also gain confidence. This is also why love alone is not enough for children. What is also required is exposure to new situations safely so that the child's experience of the world is net positive. #thecuriousparent

Somehow it's the reminder of payment of the newspaper bill every month which reminds me how swiftly life is passing by....

In parenting, what we do and don’t do — both are important. It was afternoon, and my daughter decided to play a Blackpink song. I had come out and said, “Arre, don’t play this song na yaar.” She said, “No, no, I like this song. I want to play this song.” And I said, “But I want to sit with you.” Then I said, “Okay, you know, can we listen to this song? And after that, can you play a song that both of us like?” And she said, “Okay.” So, what did I not do as a parent? - I did not say, “I will only sit with you if you change this song.” - I did not say, “You have to change this song. I don’t like this song.” What I did do: - I gave my child the option to continue with her song and then play a song we both enjoy. - Most importantly, I told my child that I want to spend time with her. - That when we are both in the same house, I don’t want us to sit in different rooms alone. I want to sit together with her. Sometimes in parenting, what we choose not to do matters just as much as what we choose to do. #thecuriousparent

I was just put to shame by a 70-year-old couple. This couple left their jobs couple of decades ago and moved to start a homestay under a banyan tree near Mumbai. They called it Banyan Bliss. At the age of 70 they wanted to pass on their knowledge and build a larger community so they took on some barren land by a lake 4 years ago and started replanting it. Called it Whispering Waters. I was calling them for advice around plantation we wanted to do on a piece of land we had bought in Mulshi. To understand how can we grow fruits, vegetables quickly. And as I was talking to them they said in the last 4 years they have learnt patience. That if they do things the right way - without using fertilizers, pesticides - over time the land flourishes. They said they are now willing to see long term. I am about to turn 42. Hearing 'long term' from the couple made me realise the unnecessary hurry I am in. First in a job, then in a start-up and now here. To get to the fruit. Every time I feel I have slowed down, I enjoy the journey more. I come across wonderful people like Vinod and Beena who take it a notch up, who show a mirror to the hurry that I am still in. #thecuriousparent