How Sadhguru wants parents to raise kids in the age of social media

Sadhguru believes the best parents act like friends, not authority figures. “Your child needs a friend, not a boss,” he says — reminding us that love influences better than control ever could.

“A parent is a boss that nobody likes,” Sadhguru once said. His insight? The stricter you are, the further your child drifts — they’ll confide in peers, not parents, when fear replaces trust.

Twenty-five years ago, parents shaped 70% of a child’s world. Now, it’s barely 30%. The rest? Influencers, algorithms, and outside voices. Sadhguru says connection must replace command to stay relevant.

Sadhguru’s story of a father worrying about his four-year-old’s exam says it all — we project our unfulfilled dreams onto our kids. “They come through you, not from you,” he reminds us powerfully.

According to Sadhguru, parents unknowingly teach anxiety. “You sit and worry, thinking it’s a virtue — but it’s a disaster,” he says. Children learn to fear failure before they ever experience it.

Kids don’t just hear parents — they absorb them. Sadhguru warns that constant criticism, stress, or anger becomes a template for the child’s inner voice. Peaceful parents raise grounded adults.

Trying to script your child’s future is like writing on water, Sadhguru suggests. Influence fades when authority dominates — the more you grip, the faster individuality slips away.

Modern parenting, Sadhguru says, isn’t about guiding from above but growing together. Listening, laughing, and simply being there have more power than lectures and life plans.

True parenting success, Sadhguru insists, is when children don’t become copies of us — but complete versions of themselves. The goal isn’t obedience, it’s awareness.