If you could teach your child just three life lessons, what would they be? Entrepreneur and author Ankur Wariku believes the answer lies in three simple values: respect, responsibility and ownership.
During a podcast conversation with Neha Nagar, Wariku shared three principles that he believes every parent should pass on to their children. According to Dr Kriti Anand, consultant psychiatrist at Paras Health, Panchkula, these values can actually help children become emotionally stable, empathetic and confident – if taught correctly.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on publicly available information and/or information from experts we spoke to. Always consult your doctor before starting any activity.
Respect everyone and expect respect for yourself
Wariku says that children must learn to value every person, while realizing that they themselves deserve respect. “Respect the person and demand your respect from the person who cares about him.»
(Respect every person and don’t be shy about expecting respect for yourself.)
He added that respect should never depend on a person’s appearance or background.
Warikoo believes that children should be taught to respect not only themselves, but also others (Image: Instagram/ankurwarikoo)
“It shouldn’t matter what a person looks like, what he says, where he was born…(It should not matter what a person looks like, how he speaks, where he was born, or what position he holds.)
Dr. Anand “completely agrees” with Varik’s advice. “Teaching children to respect others regardless of their background, helps develop empathy, inclusivity and emotional intelligence,” she says.
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According to the psychiatrist, helping children understand that they too deserve respect lays the foundation for healthy self-esteem and personal boundaries. “Children who learn respect and self-worth are more likely to develop healthy relationships and are less likely to tolerate bullying or disrespectful behavior.”
2. Responsibility: Take responsibility rather than blame.
Variku believes that responsibility begins with taking responsibility for your life.
“Whatever happens to you in life, you and only you are responsible.” (Whatever happens in your life, you – and only you – are responsible for it.)
To explain this, he used a common example of parenting, which is also his favorite. When a child learns to walk and falls, parents often begin to fall to the floor. Wariku believes this is teaching the children the wrong lesson.
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“This teaches children the worst lesson possible: Whenever you feel pain, start killing the person whose face caused the pain. take responsibility” (It teaches children that whenever someone hurts you, start hitting the person or thing that hurt you instead of taking responsibility.)
Warikoo strongly opposes the common parenting habit of parents falling to the floor when a child trips and falls (Image: Linkedin/ankurwarikoo)
Dr. Anand says Responsibility is an important life skillas Variku suggested, but it should be taught in a balanced and age-appropriate manner.
“Although children must learn to control their choices and reactions, they should not be made to feel responsible for situations beyond their control,” says the psychiatrist.
She goes on to highlight Wariku’s example of hitting the floor and confirms that encouraging a child to get up after a fall, rather than blaming the floor or the other person, can help build resilience and a “problem-solving” mindset.
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“The goal is to raise children who reflect on what they can learn from a situation, rather than instinctively placing blame on someone else,” she says.
3. Responsibility: Try your best, regardless of the result.
A week ago I sat down with @warikoo and we recorded a podcast together.
In this video, Ankur shared three values that every parent should instill in their children.
You can’t miss it at all.
Even if you’re not a parent, you can apply this to yourself. pic.twitter.com/r0KcSUKc5m— Neha Nagar (@nehanagarr) July 3, 2026
The third value that Variku recommends is ownership. “Life is not necessary, but it is necessary that after doing your work you can say to yourself: “I did my best.”” (Winning is not necessary, but after you’ve done your job, you should be able to honestly say to yourself, “I did my best.”)
Variku believes that victory or defeat is not always in your control. But what should never happen is failure to give your best effort.
“This is a healthy mindset as it shifts the focus from external validation to personal effort and growth,” Dr. Anand tells indianexpress.com. When parents praise genuine effort, persistence and learning rather than just achievement, children develop a growth mindset,” she further explains.
They become more willing to accept challenges, deal with failure, and view failure as an opportunity for improvement rather than a reflection of their self-worth.
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Together, Wariku’s three values encourage children to respect others and themselves, take responsibility for their actions, and focus on doing their best rather than chasing results. According to Dr. Anand, these qualities can help raise emotionally stable, confident and compassionate adults.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on publicly available information and/or information from experts we spoke to. Always consult your doctor before starting any activity.