India, Dec. 20 -- "Abhi mummy ki chappal Atlantic ke upar se udti hui aayegi!" (Mummy's flying slipper will reach me across the Atlantic.)

The chat history of my cousins' group on WhatsApp, rather appropriately named "We Are All a Little Mad Here", is dotted with such messages. Whatever be the context, the mother's flying chappal is an ubiquitous and strong metaphor there. Or a memory, even a false one. Whether they used the chappal on us or not is debatable, especially in front of the softly-parented grandchildren. Tiger moms have transformed into soft bunnies.

Most of us have an extra dose of our parents' faults. We have tried our best to raise our children in a manner diametrically opposed to how we grew up. We have learnt to cultiva...