Connecting with children in the digital age

As a parent, it’s often challenging to initiate conversations with kids that revolve around how they feel. Any new experience, good or bad, triggers emotions and just like grown-ups, kids too may find it hard to share, especially when they are experiencing strong emotions. But author Artika Aurora Bakshi’s new book, ‘My Little Handbook of Feelings’, might just be of help in case you are wondering how to start the conversation on emotional well-being with your kids.

The Sri Lanka-based author, who was born and brought up in Amritsar, writes about emotions with the perspective of an educator, something that she is familiar with after having taught at an international school in Sri Lanka for over 15 years. The book talks about emotions through a child’s perspective as it all happens in a classroom discussion.

Her fifth book in the “My Little Handbook Series”, Artika was in India to participate at the Bookaro Festival and later, held a session of her book at Majha House in Amritsar. So, why talk about emotions with kids? “We are living in a digital world, we often find ourselves so caught up in the rush that we forget to pause and reflect on how our actions and words impact those around us—our colleagues, families, and most importantly, our children. With “My Little Handbook of Feelings”, my focus remains on creating awareness—this time, about how children experience emotions and the importance of empowering them to express themselves freely and confidently,” shared Artika.

The book is set in a relatable environment—a classroom with children from diverse backgrounds—and features an empathetic teacher as the guiding figure. “Like my previous works, this book combines storytelling with engaging activities, fostering interaction and meaningful communication,” she added. It engages the readers (who essentially are children) through activities that nudge them to understand and express emotionally.

Of late, the school education system is being re-imagined, revised to be more inclusive, holistic and prioritising emotional quotient along with intellectual quotient. While we do that, it is also important to keep all avenues accessible to kids to express emotionally, the reason why Artika chose this as a subject for her latest book. “As an educator, I’ve gained invaluable insight into differentiated learning. The school’s approach was mindful of ensuring that children, regardless of their varying academic levels, were encouraged to learn and reach their full potential. This wealth of experience, combined with cherished memories of how consciously my parents raised my sister and me, inspired the creation of this book.”

Artika collaborated with Priyankar Gupta, Bhavi Mehta and Pankaj Singh for the book design and it has been published by The Browser.