India, Nov. 24 -- Do you frequently pick up your phone to check emails while your child is talking, absent-mindedly nodding as they recap their school day enthusiastically? Or maybe your kids are putting on their little 'fashion show' proudly showing their latest outfits, and you are dishing out whatever response comes to your mind because you can't help wonder about the looming client deadline?

Parenting can be challenging, balancing work responsibilities and household chores, and sometimes the dissociation happens involuntarily. But as parents' minds drift, children do take notice, sooner or later.

Being truly emotionally present plays a vital role in how a child grows and understands themselves. Tanushri Tejas Talekar, consultant psy...