Old Vedic Parenting Tips

Modern science of parenting is full of contradictions, every decade the researchers and social psychologists seem to come up with different approaches to parenting, you will find big shelves of bookstores full of parenting books, which often offer completely different advice on parenting.

This leads to a confusing and bewildering sense among the first time parents. especially living in cities, in nuclear families - it does not seem clear which exactly is the right approach to parenting. 

For those parents who are interested, here are some eternal facts and parenting principles as in accordance to Vedic wisdom, which have been constant since times immemorial. 

Being a parent myself, I have also struggled with trying my best to nurture and guide my daughter so that I can do my duty as a parent faithfully. I have found the following points extremely beneficial.

Kindly find below, some excellent Vedic parenting tips, nicely summarized by Smt. Sunandaji daughter-disciple of Swami Parthasarathy:

1. Children have enormous amount of energy. They need a proper direction in life, that energy should not be curbed or stifled. Constant correction does not help them in any way; it will eventually lead to strained relationship between parents and children. Parents need to learn to deal with that energy in positive manner and help the child to direct that energy.

2. Every child has an inherent personality, which is called in Sanskrit as Swadharma (innate nature). Parent ought to understand it, and support it – it is parents' obligation to develop that nature, instead of guiding the child based on their own personal convenience or whims & fancies.

3. If you force children to do things, children will disobey and detest the correction. Therefore, it parents need to teach children by setting examples, not sermonizing to children.

4. Some of the important values which parents need to live up to, as good human beings are:

• to learn to give, rather than take

• to develop an unselfish attitude for others

• In any relationship, we need to do our duty towards others