Unfit To Find A Paper For Her Child, Nidhi Arora Began 'The Kids' Post'

Nidhi Arora, a Gurugram mother, began The Kids' Post in 2017 because she was unable to track down an everyday paper for her child. In a discussion with IWB, Nidhi discusses why guardians ought to keep their kids connected and how her paper turned into an instrument for the development of her child and numerous others.

Nidhi Arora, a Gurugram mom, started The Children’s Post in 2017 because she couldn’t find a daily newspaper for her son. In a conversation with IWB, Nidhi talks about why parents should keep their children engaged and how her newspaper became an instrument for the growth of her son and many others. 

She started The Children’s Post with a simple need to inculcate the habit of reading in her son. She desires to give a voice to the children through the paper and for the parents to hear them out. After getting a good response from her initial readers, the newspaper was available to a broader audience. 

What was your motivation behind starting The Children’s Post? 

When I was growing up, the newspaper was a big part of our daily routine. But when I was looking for a daily newspaper for my son, I couldn’t find one. My conditions were simple; morning reading was a must and it should offer good quality content. My son was nine and I was worried that if he did not imbibe the habit of reading now, it was never going to happen.

 

I shared my concern with Gurugram Moms (a Facebook parenting group) and spoke to them about the idea of starting a newspaper for children. When I handed over the first copy to my son, he came and hugged me, saying, “Mom, if you think you know how happy I am, you know nothing.” By this reaction, I knew how hungry he was to read intellectually-stimulating content, and then there was no looking back. 

My model was simple; to do one edition a week for your own child and everybody gets a newspaper every day. Once our children loved it, we took it to a broader audience. For me, the idea of having a newspaper originated from a simple need of giving my child something to read every morning. I want my son to read and absorb. 

Does your son contribute to the type of content that should be included in the newspaper? 

Yes, not just my son but all our readers contribute to the content that goes into the newspaper. Currently, about 40-50% of non-news content comes from our readers. So, like that, a lot of our content comes from our readers. 

What are the kinds of elements incorporated in The Children’s Post to make it an interesting read? 

We also have sections dedicated to guiding children on how to be good citizens. 

How do we inculcate good habits in children? 

I realize that as parents we don’t listen enough to our children. 

How do we engage children in productive conversations? 

To have enriched conversations we need to make ourselves capable of having such conversations, and then we must empower our children. When you are capable of having an enriched conversation, give your child the same exposure. 

How has your relationship with your son changed as the newspaper evolved? 

The quality of our conversations has changed big time. The first thing that happened was my child became a cartoonist; he started creating a weekly cartoon because of the newspaper. Seeing such a big difference in him motivates me to work hard for the newspaper. 

Do you wish for the newspaper to be read in schools? 

Yes, I would love the newspaper to be a part of the school activities. I recall, my son was asked to bring a newspaper clipping to school, and I did not give him the paper. I would even love to see the newspaper on stands in hotels, hospitals, and children’s activity centers. 

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