Father's Day: Hiten Tejwani talks about being a millennial parent, competition in schools and mental health (Exclusive)

On Father's Day, International Business Times, India, got in touch with TV's most popular hearththrob - Hiten Tejwani - to speak about his children and being a parent.

Who are the children most attached to? Daddy or mummy?

I think they are more attached to the mom. When I was working, mom was with them throughout so it's natural.

Would you say you are a hands-on dad?

Definitely! Whenever they need something, they come running to me as they know, 'dad ko to pata hi lenge'.

What kind of parent would you say you are? Are you a millennial one?

When it comes to raising our kids, I would say we are both – classical and millennial. I look at the children through the window of my own childhood memories. I know and remember, what I wanted, how I wanted, what were my desires, aspirations back then. That makes it easy and helpful to be a better parent.

Would you say you are a millennial parent?

I know my parents would have never agreed to buy me a laptop or give me a mobile in my childhood days. But, now, as a parent, we know it is important. Not for anything else but for research. With the digital boom, you can't imagine studies without mobile or laptop or the internet. Children have to know so much above and beyond what's only in their textbooks. For overall development, I think these things are needed and understanding that is what makes us a millennial parent.

Have you had interactions with your kids explaining them about bullying, mental health, peer pressure etc?

We often discuss these things at home in a friendly way. Bullying is something that is given a lot of focus on in school. They are taught how it's wrong and why one shouldn't indulge or fall prey to it. When it comes to mental health, we know there is a lot of competition in schools too. Consciously or unconsciously, but there is tough competition. We have always given one mantra to our kids – you don't have to be number one. All you have to do is give it your all and your best. Work hardest, that's all they have to do. We just ask them to try their best. That is what we focus on.