Ankur Warikoo says he never tells his kids ‘we can’t afford it’: 3 parenting rules he swears by

How should parents teach children about money, independence and relationships? For entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo, the answer lies in three simple rules he follows while raising his 15- and 9-year-old children. Instead of telling them that something is unaffordable, he teaches them to distinguish between wants and needs. He also avoids overprotecting them and believes children should learn to solve problems themselves. His third rule focuses on showing them that disagreements are fine, but disrespect is not.

Ankur Warikoo's parenting rule about money

Warikoo took to social media and shared that he and his family follow three rules while raising their children. The first concerns how they talk about money. He said they never lie to their children about money, but they also don't tell them they are poor or simply say, “We can't afford it.” Instead, the message is, “We don't need this.”

For Warikoo, the distinction is important. Children should not feel compelled to buy something simply because their friends or other children have it. He believes purchases should be driven by genuine need rather than comparison or greed. The lesson, therefore, is less about whether a family can afford something and more about teaching children why they should or shouldn't spend money.

He doesn't overprotect his children

Warikoo's second parenting rule is about raising children who can eventually manage life on their own. He said that when his children cannot figure something out, he allows them to solve it in their own way rather than immediately stepping in. The same applies when they are bored. Instead of constantly entertaining them or finding something for them to do, he lets them figure it out themselves.

His reasoning is straightforward. One day, his children will leave home and enter the wider world, where they cannot depend on their parents for every decision or problem. For Warikoo, giving children space to struggle, experiment and find their own solutions is part of preparing them for that independence.

His children can see disagreements, but not disrespect

The third rule concerns relationships and the example parents set at home. Warikoo said his children will see him and his partner fight, but there is one boundary they will not cross in front of them: disrespecting each other. His principle is simple: “Disagreement is acceptable. Disrespect is not.”

He believes this distinction is a cornerstone of relationships, whether between partners, parents and children or other people. The idea is that children do not need to grow up believing healthy relationships involve never disagreeing. Instead, they can learn that people may have different opinions, argue and still treat one another with respect.