Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to guide children onto the right path when they don't seem to appreciate their parents' efforts. He begins with a story about a mother who, annoyed by her elderly mother-in-law's constant coughing, decides to build a separate room for her outside the house. The woman's young son observes this and starts collecting leftover building materials. When his mother scolds him for stealing, the boy innocently replies that he is saving the materials because they will be needed in twenty years to build a room for her, just as she is doing for his grandmother. The speaker explains that the child was not being sarcastic but had genuinely learned from his mother's actions that this is how one treats the elderly. The speaker elaborates that children learn from their parents' conduct. The way you treat your own parents will be reflected in how your child treats you. He then introduces a spiritual dimension, stating that the story's deeper meaning relates to one's relationship with their 'real' parents—the ultimate Truth or God. If you are devoted to this ultimate source, your child will be devoted to you. It is a strange expectation to want loyalty from your child when you are not loyal to your own ultimate 'father'. Acharya Prashant points out that parents often complain about their children going astray despite their best efforts, but a child is a product of both their parents' biological traits and the worldly education they receive. Therefore, whatever the child does, good or bad, has been learned from the parents. A child is most influenced by their parents' life and actions, not just their words. They observe whether their parents prioritize profit over grace and love, and they adopt these values. If a child sees that their parents' love is motivated by a hidden desire for profit, they too will learn to live by seeking their own profit. Before blaming the child, parents must reflect on the education and values they are truly imparting through their own lives. The birth of a child is a great opportunity for parents to mature mentally and spiritually alongside their child, as it is impossible for a child to grow up if the parents remain small. Parents are often only physically mature enough to have children but remain mentally and spiritually infantile. If parents are not mature, their child's development will also be stunted, regardless of their hopes or lectures.
