New Delhi, Feb. 17 -- There is a very specific kind of quiet that settles over Indian homes during board exam season (which for a lot of homes across the country begins today owing to CBSE and ICSE 10th and 12th board exams). Doors close more softly, dinner conversations shrink into monosyllables and family WhatsApp groups turn into strategy zones. Children take the exams, but parents, very often, take on the stress. There is plenty of chatter about student anxiety, but far less about the adults who quietly become cooks, counsellors, chauffeurs and emotional shock absorbers-sometimes all before 9am. Exam season doesn't just test academic preparation, but also challenges parental endurance. Research mirrors these experiences.

A survey con...