5 parenting takeaways modern moms can steal from Sadhguru and Alia Bhatt’s conversation

In an heartfelt and insightful discussion, actress Alia Bhatt shares some of the stresses that come with being a modern mom and seeks help from Sadhguru. Similar to other new-age mothers, Bhatt discussed self-doubts, pressures, and her desire to ‘do everything correctly.’ At Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Chennai Plus, a program titled In Conversation With The Mystic had Alia Bhatt and spiritual leader Sadhguru talk about parenting. It led to one of the refreshing and enlightening discourses on parenting that breaks the mold of control and emphasizes awareness and emotional well-being. Here are five profound parenting tips you can get from their discussion:

The first lesson learned from this interesting discussion is that being a worried parent is equivalent to being a bad parent. As much as one needs to be concerned about children, anxiety can also influence the atmosphere they grow up in. Children pick up things from parents, especially when they’re too stressed to speak.

It means that, instead of stressing over every choice made and constantly fearing the future, a parent needs to create an environment that is peaceful, stable, and supportive.

The key point made by Sadhguru was that parents do not own their children. They are simply people on their own spiritual journey. In his own words, “You are just one step ahead in this.”
By doing so, this concept removes all traces of authoritative and controlling behavior. Instead of issuing commands and shaping every choice a child makes, it becomes more about providing guidance and helping them realize themselves.

Breaking the traditional role even further, Sadhguru advised Alia to watch and learn from her daughter as well. After all, children are born in the moment and have no problems expressing themselves. On the contrary, over time we as grownups lose this quality. Thus, by raising a child we ourselves get the chance to learn how to enjoy simple pleasures in life.

Alia brought up a valid point about how even as children, there are those who exhibit signs of having a fear of failing, which, for the most part, doesn’t come from inside but from their surroundings. It goes without saying that kids absorb everything, be it positive or negative. The goal is to create an atmosphere wherein they can freely make mistakes and learn from them without being shamed. Instead, they should always be encouraged to make efforts rather than focusing on results.

Another thing worth mentioning is that, according to Sadhguru’s philosophy, children do not learn from your words, but by example. Everything that you do, including your gestures, body language, tone, behavior, and mood, becomes their guidebook. In other words, rather than criticizing and scolding your kid all day, the best solution would be to look into yourself. It is amazing how much better your children will behave once you change.