Every parent wants their child to grow up happy, confident, and successful. While good grades and achievements are important, entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo believes there are a few life lessons that matter even more. In a conversation with finance creator Neha Nagar, the WebVeda founder shared the three values he believes every parent should teach their children from an early age. According to him, these lessons don’t just help children succeed in school or work; they shape the kind of people they become. Here’s a closer look at the three parenting principles Ankur Warikoo swears by.
Teach children to respect everyone
3 Jul 2026 | 12:38
How do you teach children about money and financial responsibility?
The first value on Warikoo’s list is respect. He believes children should learn to treat every person with dignity, regardless of their appearance, profession, income, or social status. As he explained, respect should never depend on what someone does for a living, how much money they earn, or where they come from. Every person deserves to be treated with kindness and courtesy. When children grow up respecting others, they are more likely to build healthy relationships, communicate with empathy, and appreciate people from different backgrounds.
Help them take responsibility for their actions
The second lesson Warikoo considers essential is accountability. According to him, children should understand that they are responsible for their own actions and how they respond to situations. To explain his point, he shared a common parenting habit. When a toddler falls while learning to walk, some parents jokingly slap the floor and say, “The floor hurt you.” While it may seem harmless, Warikoo believes this unintentionally teaches children to blame someone or something else whenever they get hurt.Instead of encouraging responsibility, it creates the habit of looking for someone else to blame. Rather than teaching children that the floor was at fault, parents can comfort them while helping them understand that falling is a natural part of learning. Mistakes and setbacks are not failures; they are opportunities to grow stronger.
Encourage ownership, not perfection
The third lesson is ownership. Warikoo believes children don’t have to win every competition or be the best at everything they do. What matters more is knowing they gave their honest effort. According to him, success isn’t always about the final result. It’s about being able to say, “I gave it my best.” When children focus on effort instead of perfection, they become more resilient. They learn that setbacks are temporary and that consistent hard work matters more than instant success. This mindset also helps reduce the fear of failure, allowing children to take on new challenges with confidence.
Preparing children for life, not just exams
Warikoo’s parenting philosophy goes beyond academic achievement. He believes raising children is about helping them become responsible, respectful, and resilient individuals who can handle both success and disappointment with maturity. These qualities are not developed overnight. They are built through everyday conversations, small actions, and the examples children see at home. When parents model respect, encourage accountability, and praise effort over perfection, children gradually begin to adopt those same values.
The takeaway
Every child will face challenges, make mistakes, and experience failures at some point in life. The goal of parenting isn’t to protect children from every setback; it is to equip them with the values they need to face those setbacks with confidence. Ankur Warikoo’s message is simple but powerful: teach children to respect others, take responsibility for their actions, and always give their best. These lessons may not appear on a report card, but they can shape a child’s character for a lifetime.
