‘Ladki bigad na jaaye’: When Shraddha Kapoor revealed what she learned about money and responsibility from father Shakti; how parents can encourage independence

She continued, “Unhone bola kuch extra paise chahiye toh khud kama lena. Aur hamesha se mere pita joh hain, kyuki unki jo journey rahi hai woh kamaal ki rahi hai. Toh unhone bola ki abhi aap job kar lo wahan pe (They said, if you need some extra money, earn it yourself. And my father, because his own journey has been remarkable, told me, ‘For now, take up a job there’).”

Shraddha recalled how she landed a job at a coffee shop. “ So I applied for a job in a coffee shop there. I got the job. Thank God, I got the job.” She also recalled, “Mera pehla cheque tha, $40 kitne hote hain? Pehla woh tha cheque aur khaane mein kharch kar diye maine toh (And my first cheque was $40. That was my first cheque. And I spent it on food).”

Learning financial responsibility and self-reliance, especially when living away from home for the first time

Jai Arora, counselling psychologist and co-founder of Kirana Counselling, tells indianexpress.com, “Restraint and delayed gratification are important skills that every young adult needs to master. When young adults are given a fixed allowance and told to earn beyond that, they’re nudged to experience the link between effort and reward.”

He adds that living independently adds context: every meal, bill, and outing becomes a small financial decision. This approach builds not just practical money skills but also confidence, the understanding that one can create stability through one’s own actions.

How can parents encourage independence without it coming across as control or fear of ‘spoiling’ their children?

Parents often walk a fine line between protecting and empowering their children. Those comments stem from a familiar parental instinct: wanting freedom to come with awareness. 

Arora explains, “The key is intent and tone: when guidance comes as trust instead of surveillance, children internalise values rather than rebel against them. Encouraging independence means offering space to make mistakes, paired with steady emotional backing.”

How one’s first income shapes attitude toward money and financial decision-making later in life

Arora notes that one’s first income, however small, transforms abstract lessons about money into lived experience. “Such early experiences often shape later financial habits: some learn to savour, others to save. What matters most is the sense of agency it builds.”

“But at the same time, it is important to not only save but savour too. The extreme of any kind can be harmful,” stresses the expert.