Neetu Kapoor calls Ranbir and Alia ‘outstanding’ parents to Raha: ‘Very scared of her mother’

3 min readNew DelhiJun 6, 2026 12:00 AM IST

Neetu Kapoor opens up about Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's parenting approach (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Neetu Kapoor recently got candid about being a doting grandmother to actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s daughter Raha and hailed their hands-on approach despite their busy schedules. “Raha listens to Alia, and she is a great mother, but Ranbir is like a friend to her. What a father. Hats off. Both are amazing,” Neetu said on Soha Akli Khan’s YouTube podcast. She added, “He does all the fun and masti with her, but she is very scared of her mother because Alia is a disciplinarian.”

Neetu, 67, further lauded Alia’s parenting, emphasising her dedication to teaching Raha valuable lessons, including limiting screen time. “Both are so busy. They have so much to do, but the way they take care of the child…they both are outstanding.”

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

Neetu’s daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni shared, “Raha adores her (Neetu Kapoor). She goes like dida, dida all day.”

What makes this conversation important is that it reflects a parenting balance many modern families are struggling to create today. How do you raise emotionally secure children while also teaching boundaries, discipline, emotional regulation, and values? “From a psychology and child development perspective, children do not thrive through only softness or only strictness. They thrive through a healthy emotional balance of warmth and structure. A parent who brings playfulness, emotional safety, affection, and connection helps the child feel accepted and emotionally free. A parent who establishes routine, consistency, discipline, and accountability helps the child develop emotional regulation, resilience, and internal stability,” said Delnna Rrajesh, psychotherapist and life coach.

From an emotional intelligence perspective, Delnna described that children can instinctively sense the difference between discipline that comes from conscious parenting and discipline that comes from emotional overflow. “And this is where the deeper conversation begins. One of the most important things parents need to ask themselves before reacting to a child is this: “Where is my reaction really coming from?”

What’s your approach to parenting? (Photo: Freepik)

Parents need emotional pauses before reactions. “Even 10 seconds of conscious breathing before responding changes the nervous system’s response. Instead of immediately correcting behaviour, first regulate the emotional intensity within yourself. A regulated parent can correct more effectively than an emotionally flooded one,” said Delnna.

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Creating predictable routines also helps significantly. “Consistent sleep, reduced screen overstimulation, emotional connection during meals, and uninterrupted quality time regulate a child’s nervous system more than parents realise,” reflected Delnna.

Parenting is not just about raising a child. “It is also about raising one’s own emotional awareness in the process. Because children do not only learn from what their parents teach. They learn from their parents while teaching it. And often, the greatest parenting transformation begins not with correcting the child… but with healing the adult,” said Delnna.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.