The Coochikoo

You know the drill. You have packed the bags, argued with the Ola driver, navigated the absolute chaos of the airport, and finally boarded your flight to Goa, or maybe you've just hit the highway for a long road trip out of Jaipur. You settle into your seat, breathe a sigh of relief, and then it begins. “Mummy, iPad kahan hai?” (Where is the iPad?) If you are a parent in 2026, you know exactly what I am talking about. We are raising a generation that measures distance not in kilometers, but in the number of YouTube videos they can watch before reaching the destination. In the old days, our parents gave us a comic book, a packet of Parle-G, and told us to look out the window. Today, if the hotel doesn't have good Wi-Fi, it is basically a national emergency. We feel immense guilt handing over a glowing screen to our kids, treating it like a digital babysitter so we can just drink our coffee in peace. But boss, managing screen time during travel doesn't have to be a battlegro...

The great Indian family road trip. You pack the car, you curate the perfect playlist, and you hit the highway out of Jaipur, maybe heading towards Udaipur or Delhi for a long weekend. The weather is decent, the roads are smooth, and you feel like the perfect parent. But if you have school-age kids in the backseat—say, anywhere in that highly energetic 6 to 12-year-old bracket—you know the peace will last for exactly fourteen minutes. Then comes the inevitable question from the back: "Mummy, I am hungry. What is there to eat?" In the 90s, our mothers would calmly open a steel dabba packed with dry parathas and homemade mathri. Today, things are different. The modern parent often panics, stops at the nearest highway petrol pump, and buys neon-coloured chips, sugar-loaded biscuits, and artificial juices. It is convenient, sure. But it is also a ticking time bomb for your child's health and the cleanliness of your car. Parenting in 2026 is a different ball game, yaar. You ca...