Shark Tank's Namita Thapar has parenting advice after watching 'Adolescence': Say no to 70-hour work weeks or don't become a parent

Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals and Shark Tank India judge, has reignited the discussion around parenting and work-life balance. In a recent LinkedIn post, she reflected on themes from Netflix’s British miniseries Adolescence, urging parents to rethink how they engage with their children while pursuing demanding careers.

Adolescence’ shows the emotional impact on children

Thapar said the show highlighted the pressures teenagers face in today’s world, especially with the influence of social media. She noted that Adolescence explored how emotional distance between parents and children can lead to serious consequences.

“Parenting is about being available for your kids, not just physically but emotionally too. Adolescence is a wake-up call for all of us,” Thapar wrote.

Personal experiences shared to explain lasting effects

Thapar shared stories from her own teenage years to explain how well-meaning parental actions can sometimes hurt children’s confidence.

“My mom got worried, made me take singing classes, kathak classes, walk with a book on my head in an attempt to make me more ‘feminine’… perfectly sweet soul, perfectly good intent but it left scars,” she wrote. She also shared how her father’s effort to shift her to a better school made her feel “ashamed.”

She said these actions, although not harmful in intention, contributed to long years of low self-esteem and emotional eating. “Bottomline, 2 good parents, great intent but their actions led to years of low self esteem,” she said.

Parents must communicate and support confidence

Referring to The Self-Driven Child, a parenting book, Thapar said parents should avoid trying to fix every shortcoming they perceive in their children and instead focus on support and open communication.

“Detach. Stop trying to fix things you feel they lack or could do better at... But over communicate … over communicate … over communicate how proud you are of them and how you are always there for them… the ‘I’m proud of you’ part being most important,” she wrote.

She added, “Confidence is the best gift you can give your child. The minute you see signs of low confidence, course correct, get professional help.”

A strong message against long work hours

Citing a storyline from the series, Thapar drew attention to a character whose mental health declined as his father worked long hours and missed warning signs.

“If we choose to bring a child in this world, let’s ensure we give them TIME… that we have work life balance to catch these signs early and course correct. Say NO to 70 hour weeks or if you want that life say NO to being a parent!” she said.

Thapar ended her post with a call to reflect: “Hope the proponents of 70/90 hour a week watch this show…