Gauahar Khan revealed that while she has help, she doesn't fully rely on a nanny (Source: Express photo by Jaipal Singh)Balancing a thriving career with the demands of motherhood isn’t easy — but some working mothers are redefining how to do it on their terms. Gauahar Khan, who welcomed her son Zehaan in 2023, once shared how she has intentionally chosen to be hands-on with parenting, even while managing shoots and travel. In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, the actor revealed that while she has help, she doesn’t entirely rely on a nanny and instead ensures her child stays close to her wherever she goes.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. “If you have a good support system, help honi chahiye, family honi chahiye, aapka husband aapka support system hona chahiye (there should be help, there should be family, and your husband should be your support system). Then everything is workable,” she said. “I made sure that wherever I was shooting during these 2 years, Zehaan was with me. I didn’t care. I was like, mere toh pocket se bhi paise jaaye koi problem nahi (Even if the money goes out of my pocket, I don’t mind). But I had to know I am bringing my child and not just (external) help.” So, how important is it for working parents to be physically present and involved during a child’s early developmental years?Counselling psychologist Athul Raj notes that in the early years, children aren’t forming conscious memories—they’re forming patterns: patterns of safety, emotional response, and attunement. “This kind of emotional imprinting can’t be fully outsourced. A caregiver might provide comfort, warmth, and structure, but their presence is ultimately functional. The attachment formed with a parent is different. It carries emotional weight. It teaches a child whether the world is a place where closeness is safe, or something they have to earn,” says Raj. The pressure on mothers here is enormous. Raj says, “Especially in urban India, where professional momentum is everything, maternity often feels like a derailment. But connection doesn’t demand constant physical proximity; it asks for attuned presence when you are there. When a mother is emotionally available, even in brief but consistent moments, that becomes the child’s emotional anchor.”Story continues below this adWhen this is missing, children adapt in ways that look like early maturity. Often, they shut down expectations. A belief that closeness isn’t dependable. “That wiring can persist into adulthood, shaping how they relate, attach, and self-soothe. None of this is about perfection. It’s about the quality of connection in everyday moments,” states the expert. Maintaining a strong and healthy parent-child connection despite depending on support staff or caregiversRaj mentions that support staff are essential to many Indian homes, and they often keep the household functional. But emotional connection isn’t a task — it’s a thread. “What helps are small, consistent rituals. The same story every night. A video call that always happens after lunch. A simple “how was today?” that you genuinely listen to, even if you’re tired. These routines don’t need to be creative. They need to be emotionally predictable.”He adds, “It’s easy to fall into guilt. To try and make up for the absence with overcompensation. But what children truly want is to be seen, not managed. They want to feel that their parents get them, even if they’re not always physically around.”When a child senses emotional safety with a parent, they begin to internalise that sense of safety in themselves. That’s what allows them to grow independent–not forced maturity, but a secure base they can return to.Story continues below this adDISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.