Nakkhul and Sruti: We always tell our kids how grateful we are to have them in our lives

For Nakkhul and Sruti, every day is an occasion to celebrate their children, Akira and Amore. “We do not celebrate Children's Day per se because, for us, every day is Children's Day. Also, our children are too young to understand the concept behind it,” shares Nakkhul, while Sruti agrees and adds, “We celebrate our children every single day. We always tell them how much we love them and are grateful to have them in our lives.”
‘We want our children to be broad-minded and independent’
Nakkhul: Our agenda as parents is to unlearn and learn afresh. We never tell our kids, ‘It was like this for us, and it's going to be the same for you as well.’ We believe a child is like a flower, and they have to bloom on their own.
Sruti: They have to have an open mind and make their own decisions. We don’t want them to have any preconceived notions. We want them to be broad-minded, independent and self-reliant.

‘Rather than advising children, the best we can do is set examples’
Nakkhul: If we keep a book in front of the kids and ask them to read, they would not read it. However, we noticed that if we start reading a book, the kids also do the same. When we have dinner, I'll tell Sruti, 'The food was delicious today. Thank you so much for making it.’ Immediately, the children also chime in and say, ‘Mama, the food’s so nice. Thank you so much.’
Sruti: When we go out and somebody serves them food, they'll be like, ‘Thank you so much’. It comes naturally to them now. Rather than advising children, the best we can do is set examples.
‘Just tucking them in or hugging them will have a good impact on the children’
Sruti: I plan all my work based on their sleep schedule and school timing. As for Nakkhul, when he's not in town, he speaks with them through video calls in the morning and in the evening. He tells them that he misses them and asks them about their day. When I am away, it's the same for me as well.
Nakkhul: When I spend time with my children, I dedicate that time entirely to them and give them full attention. I read a book to them or play with them, or I will just be in the room with them. I feel that even if it’s just 20 or 30 minutes a day, during that time, just tucking them in or hugging them will have a good impact on them.

‘We treat our children like adults; we just let them be’
Sruti: When our children feel low, we are going to be their safe space, and we let them talk about it. We let them know that we are not going to judge or shout at them for whatever happened.
Nakkhul: If they are not ready to talk about something, we tell them to take their time. We make sure they know that we are there whenever they need us. We treat them like adults. If there's something they want to share, we leave it up to them to tell us. We keep it real with them. We don't constantly engage and give them instructions. We just let them be.
‘We want our children to grow in a creative environment’
Nakkhul: I don't expect my children to be ‘good children’. I believe that good and bad is a perspective. I want them to understand their emotions and feelings. Usually, for children, there are two kinds of environments — a creative environment for them to grow in and then a stressful one where they are surviving to grow in. We want our children to grow in a creative environment because we want them to know that they are loved and they can make their own decisions. You set the right environment for them and let the children be. Children who try to live up to their parents' ideals go through a lot of stress and pressure.
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