Exclusive | Sudha Murty On How To Be A Better Parent?

0:22 You know, if the child asks anything, don’t give. Always delay it. Find out if it’s really needed or not. Don’t put your dreams in a child’s mind. Why? Because every child is born with his or her own aspirations. Don’t transfer your aspirations to your child and make the child. Because what is what you say, “My child is good,” “My child is bad.” Why? My child is good means whatever you’ve dreamt, the child does that – My child is very good.

0:52 Whatever you dream and the child doesn’t do that – the child is bad. No. The child may not have capacity. Every child may not have all the capacity. Some children may have. Don’t compare with another child – neighbours, cousins, brothers, sisters, because every flower is beautiful. You see in the nature – on the same hibiscus tree, there are similar kind of flowers but not exactly the replicate. Fine? Correct. Second thing is you know, whenever children have birthdays and all, my parents did that to me.

1:26 Never give anything else other than books. Okay, you give me a list of books and we’ll choose in that. You make this habit to children. Look beta, your birthday, New Year, Diwali, let’s go to shop. You buy a book. Nice book. You read. If there’s no space give it to school. You enjoy. And you spend time with the children in a constructive conversation. What was the book? How was the book? What did you like in that character?

1:55 So you examine, you know talk to them, hold a conversation with them. Then only it is possible. You read a book and you forget and the child forgets and next time he doesn’t even read. So you have to hold a conversation with them. What has he read? What she has read. You have to put a lot of effort to make your children to read.