Abhishek Bachchan on parenting daughter Aaradhya, says his approach is different from Amitabh-Jaya: ‘They aren’t dependent on parents’

The father of 13-year-old Aaradhya, Abhishek Bachchan recently reflected on his approach to parenting while also sharing his thoughts on the evolving mindset of the younger generation.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | Updated: January 20, 2025 11:09 AM IST

3 min read

Abhishek Bachchan opened up on Bachchan household. (Credit: Facebook/@ambcb)

While the adage goes, “learning begins at home,” actor Abhishek Bachchan believes parents may not always be the most effective teachers, as their emotions inevitably influence their actions and reactions. In a recent interview, the father of 13-year-old Aaradhya Bachchan reflected on his approach to parenting while also sharing his thoughts on the evolving mindset of the younger generation.

“I don’t know if parents are the best teachers; I’m on the fence on that. I think our emotions come in the way. Our desire for our children to get it right and succeed and not hurt themselves comes in the way. Our emotions towards them may colour our judgment. I think a parent should lead and teach by example. Whatever I’ve learned and imbibed from my parents is by seeing the way they conduct themselves, not necessarily by what they told me I should be doing,” he said during a chat with CNBC-TV18.

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“They’ve thankfully given me the freedom to make my own decisions. But, even now, if I’m ever stuck, I sit back and think, ‘What would my dad have done (in this situation)? How would he approach this scene?’ Or my mom for that matter. Resilience is a necessity for every human being. Life’s not easy; it’s going to throw everything at you. It’s survival of the fittest; that’s the law of nature. You have to learn to be resilient and hold on to your dream and fight for it because the world is not going to give it to you easily,” he emphasised, underscoring the importance of holding on to one’s dreams with dignity and strong principles.

When asked how his parenting style differs with Aaradhya, he remarked, “I think they will show you the way ahead. The one thing I’ve real realised with the younger generations is that they’re very different. To start with, they have no sense of hierarchy like we did. In the case of our generation, if your parents said something, you just listened to it. The younger generation is far more inquisitive. They want to know why; they’re not just going to do something because their parents have said it. Just because you’re older, doesn’t mean that you have all the right answers. Today, they have Google; they don’t need to go to their parents to ask questions,” Abhishek observed, noting that children primarily turn to their parents for love.

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“The younger generations are not dependent on their parents. We went to our elders for their wisdom and experience. Today’s kids have it in the palm of their hands. So, they need a justification for doing something and I think that’s wonderful. With Aaradhya, I had a bit of a soft landing because I saw my niece and nephew (Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda) grow up. So, I knew what to expect with Aaradhya. They are, by no means, rude. It’s just that we have to tilt our perspectives a bit,” he added.

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