As parents, we pay a lot of attention and focus on our child’s physical well-being. Every sneeze and cough are attended to and we make sure they ‘feel good’. But do we really do the needful when it comes to our children’s mental well-being?
Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of MPower, lays emphasis on the need to focus on the child’s mental well-being. “There is a lot of taboo surrounding this subject. I run two schools and I have three kids. Over the years, one realises that mental health and well-being play an integral part in your life,” she said in a recent interview. Wife of a successful business tycoon, and mom to three children, Neerja Birla stresses on the need for parents to act as catalysts and share their feelings with kids. The key is to talk about feelings, she reiterates.
“Ultimately, the children do what they see you [parents] do. If they see that I’m not talking [about how I am feeling], they will not be willing to discuss things either.”
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In today’s world where social media rules the roost, the focus is to stay positive and not be bogged down by trolls or negative remarks, she quips. As a parent, that is something, we really need to keep in mind as we expose our kids to the world of reviews and criticisms and how to go along with the flow.
KSP’s Mansi Zaveri got in conversation with Neerja Birla earlier and here’s what she had to tell about the need for emotional support for kids to tackle the ups and downs of life. Watch the video here.
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KSP Team
Neha Savla
Rushita Sheth
Mansi Zaveri
