On June 13, the auditorium of Al Saad Indian School was filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the buzz of lively discussions during the much-anticipated ‘Coffee with Parents’ event.Centered on the theme ‘Building Bonds, Growing Together – Stronger as One,’ the gathering saw 65 parents and educators engage in frank discussions about modern parenting challenges.The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Nakshatra Sushaj, the school’s Cultural Captain, who emphasised the importance of unity between home and school in shaping students’ future. Principal, Dr Bhavna Gupta set the tone with her address, reinforcing the school’s commitment to shared responsibility in education. “In this digital age, our children need us to be co-navigators, not just spectators.” Her words resonated deeply as parents later broke into discussion circles, tackling pressing 21st-century challenges.In the interactive group discussion on ‘Challenges Faced by 21st-Century Parents,’ parents exchanged insights on topics like screen time management, digital detoxification, raising book lovers in the digital era, the junk food trap and fostering emotional intelligence. Practical solutions, such as tech-free family hours and collaborative meal planning, were proposed, with many parents appreciating the shared learning experience.The screen time discussion resonated deeply. “We tell our children to put down their devices, but then they see us scrolling through our phones at dinner,” admitted one father. Others shared practical solutions like “designated family time without screens” and “charging all devices in a common area at night.”The emotional intelligence circle became particularly animated as parents exchanged techniques for teaching empathy. At the reading habits table, a parent emphasized leading by example: “Children won’t read if they never see us reading. We need to start a 30-minute family reading time every evening.” These sparked nods of agreement, with another parent adding, “Even if it’s just the newspaper, they need to see us value reading.”The most creative presentation came from the group discussing healthy eating habits, led by Dr. Pankaj and Dr. Seema. Their humorous role-play dramatized a parent obsessively photographing meals versus a family enjoying nutritious food together, driving home their message: “Food is fuel, not content.”The mood turned playful during the ‘Identify Your Child by Touch’ challenge. As 65 parents successfully recognized their children through touch alone, the auditorium erupted in cheers — one teary-eyed mother exclaimed, “Her little calluses from pencil gripping gave her away!” while a father joked, “I knew those paint-stained fingers could only belong to my little artist!”The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Aileen, Satya House Vice Captain, who expressed gratitude to all participants for their active engagement. Parents left positive feedback on the school’s ‘Feedback Tree,’ praising the initiative for its open dialogue and community-building approach.The event’s success was measured not just in attendance, but in the lingering groups of parents, Principal, Vice Principal and teachers continuing their conversations long after the official program ended —proof that the first sip of coffee had indeed sparked meaningful connections.