Twinkle Khanna says modern parenting is harder, our mothers had it much easier

At the launch of Mrs Funnybones Returns, Twinkle Khanna opened up about the chaos of modern parenting—from battling screen time to embracing tears as the ultimate tool. (Image: twinklerkhanna/ instagram)

Crying, according to author and columnist Twinkle Khanna, is sometimes the only strategy that works when navigating children’s screen-time battles. Speaking candidly at the launch of her new book Mrs Funnybones Returns on Monday evening, the former actor said she has often reached breaking points herself while raising her two children — 23-year-old Aarav and 13-year-old Nitara.

Responding to an audience question about managing her kids’ schedules and screen use, Khanna quipped, “I cry. I stand at the door and cry. That’s the only solution I have.” With characteristic humour, she added that she once even tried bribing the Wi-Fi technician, Mansukh bhai, and pretended the internet had crashed, only to realise it wasn’t a sustainable tactic.

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Reflecting on her own childhood with her sister Rinke and their mother, actor Dimple Kapadia, Khanna said parenting was far simpler then. “All our mother had to do was make sure we ate, had our milk, oiled our hair, did our homework and made two braids,” she said. After that, the children were left to their own devices — often sneaking off to the beach, where a “dubious man” would hand them free drinks. “As long as we came home, greeted the guests, and did a little dance when asked, that was enough,” she laughed.

Today’s mothers, she noted, are expected to play multiple roles: psychologist, trainer, nutritionist, chef, educator and screen-time supervisor — all while still doing their children’s hair. “Our mothers had it much easier,” she said.

The event — attended almost entirely by women, including Sharmila Tagore, publisher Chiki Sarkar and dancer Geeta Chandran — also saw Khanna speaking on freedom of speech. She said she doesn’t support using it to target people who are already vulnerable. “Comedy is about punching up,” she told host Neeti Palta, adding that she writes about whoever holds power. “If Rahul Gandhi were prime minister, I’d write about him every week,” she remarked.

Khanna also acknowledged that her family worries about being featured in her widely read columns, where she refers to Akshay Kumar as “the man of the house,” Aarav as “the prodigal son,” and Nitara as “Miss Smarty Pants.”

Discussing friendships, Khanna said she no longer categorises people as “green flags” or “red flags.” Age, she said, has given her more empathy. “Once I consider you a friend, I’m like a loyal dog. Once we’ve tamed each other, that’s for life.”

Also Read: 10 common parenting mistakes we all make out of love or fear, according to a child psychologist

On tackling writer’s block, she shared her routine: walk, think, and write daily. “My best ideas don’t come at my desk. They come while walking the dog or pushing furniture around.”

Chiki Sarkar revealed that the idea for an all-women book launch was deliberate. “We thought it would be fun to have a women-only room — and it really was,” she said.