How champions are made? Madhavan shares 2 major skill sets every Gen Z should learn that also shaped his son's life

R Madhavan says the most important lessons he wanted to pass on to his son, Vedaant Madhavan, had nothing to do with becoming successful or famous. For the actor, the focus was always on raising a grounded individual who understood the value of hard work, respected people from every walk of life and never took privilege for granted. Those values, he believes, became just as important as the discipline that helped Vedaant emerge as one of India's promising competitive swimmers.

During a conversation with Radhika Gupta on a YouTube channel, Madhavan opened up about the parenting principles he consciously followed while raising his son.

The first skill that every youngster should develop

Madhavan said he grew up in a middle-class family but, after finding success in films, was able to give Vedaant almost everything he wanted. While that brought happiness, it also made him realise that children who grow up with comfort can easily lose sight of how much effort goes into creating that life.


"One of the most important skills a child should have is the attitude of gratitude. Although we came from a very middle-class background, I was able to afford everything Vedant wanted because of the kind of success God bestowed upon me. But I also realised that came with its own set of challenges," he said.

The actor explained that he made a conscious effort to ensure his son understood where that privilege came from. "I realised there were two things I needed to teach Vedaant. One was the attitude of gratitude. It's very important for children to know that they are privileged because somebody else has worked their backside off to give them this lifestyle," he added.

To make the lesson more meaningful, Madhavan often used examples from everyday life instead of simply lecturing his son. He recalled telling Vedaant about the salary earned by people working in their home so he could understand the value of money.

"Sometimes I would tell him the salary of my cook and say, 'Do you know what this toy you've been gifted costs? This man would have to work an entire year, living in that kitchen, to afford even a part of it.' That struck Vedaant a lot," he said.

The second lesson

Apart from gratitude, Madhavan wanted Vedaant to grow up acknowledging every individual around him, irrespective of their profession or financial background.

"The second thing I made sure Vedaant did was acknowledge everyone - the liftman, the guard, the drivers, the ayahs. I told him not to address them casually but respectfully, as didis and bhaiyas," he said.

According to the actor, these gestures were never just about teaching etiquette. They were meant to help his son become more aware of the people around him and the different lives they lead.

"It's not just about good manners. It's about situational awareness. I wanted my child to be aware of where he is, who he's dealing with and to greet people who may not have as much money," Madhavan said.

He said he knew those lessons were making a difference whenever people noticed Vedaant's behaviour. Recalling one such moment, Madhavan said, "The thing I made sure that Vedaant did was to acknowledge, maybe not as much as my friends, but most certainly acknowledge the liftman, the guard, the drivers, you know, and not call them aayas and stuff like that. Call them didis instead. And I made sure that if the watchman came and said, 'You are a very polite child, he always says namaste to me,' I thought my job was well done."

A parenting tip from Canada

Madhavan also shared another parenting lesson that stayed with him after living in Canada years ago. He recalled meeting a family whose children remained disciplined despite growing up in an environment where teenage pregnancy, drugs and alcohol were common issues.

Curious about how they had managed it, he asked the mother of the family for advice.

"I happened to ask the lady of the household many years later, I said, 'How did you manage to do this?' And she gave me an advice which I followed to the heart, and it really worked for my son," he recalled.

The advice was simple — keep children meaningfully occupied while allowing them to enjoy what they do.

"Don't give your child free time. You know, indulge him or her in whatever they want to do, as long as they're doing it with passion. The interests will change, the level of commitment will change, but make sure that they don't have free time till they're 15–16 years old," Madhavan said, adding that she also told him, "Make it a habit to make sure they go from one activity to the other. And it could be fun. It should be fun. It shouldn't be a chore, the child is going to hate it."