Parenting styles are often shaped by what people experienced while growing up. In an interview with ANI, Lalit Modi reflected on how his relationship with his father influenced the way he eventually raised his own children.He described his father and the wider family dynamics in detail, saying, “My father, he went all over the world. He was the playboy of the world, without doubt, I say it very openly. I must have got some traits from him, and I took it to another level altogether.” He also recalled, “My grandfather, Rai Bahadur, and my grandmother were very orthodox (sic).” At the same time, he said his father and uncles were far less conventional socially: “My father and my uncles, my God, they were the party animals of the planet. Every party in Delhi… They were the party. They had the biggest parties in Delhi. They were not orthodox at all.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.Modi said the expectations placed on him became stricter because of his behaviour. “It was all about control, actually. They couldn’t see anybody else do it. What they did, it wasn’t good enough for others to do it.” When asked whether his siblings faced the same, he added, “The rules were applicable more to me, because actually I broke all the rules, according to them. They broke the rules, but I broke them even further down. So when I broke the rules, they got even stricter with the others (sic).”He recalled how those expectations affected his siblings as well, saying, “My sister was married off to the Bhartias at a very early age. And my brother, unfortunately, because of me, wasn’t allowed to go abroad to study. He had to study in India; he is eight years younger than me, and he had to get married immediately through an arranged marriage.”When asked whether he wanted his own children to avoid becoming like him, Modi said, “I was the black sheep of the family… I was completely reversed as a parent to my children than my father was to me.”He gave the example of his longstanding desire for a Ferrari. “For example, I always wanted a Ferrari. We could afford anything. He would say, ‘I’ll never give it to you.’ As an example, it used to make me want it more and more and more. Only on my 40th birthday, somebody gifted me a Ferrari.” Modi said the gift came from his brother-in-law, adding, “Seriously, somebody did. Who gifts a Ferrari? What kind of life is this? But it is what it is.”Story continues below this adHe then explained how he approached gifting and material possessions with his own son: “At the end of the day, I gift my son every year from his 21st birthday to his 31st. He has 12 Ferraris now. I gift him one every year because my father never gifted me one. If I can afford it… I didn’t want my son ever to walk. I’ll tell you.”Asked whether he considered that good parenting, Modi responded, “I’ll tell you why. And I’ll explain to you today.” He argued that his own experience of wanting things had influenced his decision: “I went through a life where I always wanted and I found a way to find it. And I was always doing a jugaad to get it, right? Whether it’s my grandmother sucking up to my uncle or somebody in the company to get it.”He contrasted that experience with his approach to his own children: “On the other hand, I decided that I’m going to give my children what they want. And today, he’s 31 years old. At 31 years of age, I was spending money like crazy. Today, that boy comes to me, saying, ‘Dad, you know, your credit card bills are too high. You know, you need to calm down, okay?'”According to Modi, giving his children greater freedom and access to material things did not make them more focused on acquiring more. “And when I gave them everything, he didn’t want anything anymore. And he’s not a spendthrift. They love what they do. They buy the best of the best. But, you know, I was different. I was always trying to find ways to get more.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lalit Modi (@lalitkmodi) His comments raise a broader parenting question: when adults deliberately parent in the opposite way to how they were raised, can that help them break an unhealthy family pattern?Story continues below this adHow can childhood experiences shape parenting?Dr Sakshi Mandhyan, psychologist and founder at Mandhyan Care, tells indianexpress.com,Childhood experiences do not disappear when we become adults. They can silently influence what we consider normal parenting. Someone who grew up with very little freedom can become particularly sensitive to controlling their own children. They may think, “I know how that felt and I do not want my child to experience it.”In psychology, Dr Mandhyan notes, this can be understood as an attempt to break an intergenerational pattern. The difficulty is that going in the opposite direction can sometimes become an overcorrection. A parent who experienced too many restrictions may find it difficult to say no at all. “The healthier goal is not to recreate our own childhood or completely reject it. It is rather to understand what hurt us and decide consciously what deserves to be carried forward and what needs to stop with us.”Can giving children everything create entitlement?Giving a child everything they ask for may satisfy them in the moment, but it does not necessarily reduce their desire for more. When there is rarely a need to wait or hear “no,” getting what they want can gradually become an expectation rather than something they actually value.Dr Mandhyan distinguishes between generosity and overindulgence. “There is nothing psychologically wrong with giving children things they enjoy. The concern begins when material rewards become the main way of expressing love, managing behaviour, preventing disappointment, or even seeking compliance.”Story continues below this adHow can parents avoid overcorrecting their own upbringing?Quick QuizSee if you can answer this:What can help parents avoid overcorrecting for difficult experiences from their own childhood?A. Give children complete freedom so they never experience restrictions.B. Avoid saying no because frustration can harm a child’s confidence.Story continues below this adC. Ask whether their response is based on the child’s current needs or their own childhood experiences.D. Prevent children from experiencing the consequences of poor choices.Reveal the answer✅ Correct answer: CDr Mandhyan mentions that parents can unintentionally overcorrect when memories of their own childhood shape how they respond to their children. A healthier approach is to distinguish the child’s actual needs from the parent’s past experiences. Children need age-appropriate choices and autonomy, but they also need clear boundaries. Parents can allow children to experience frustration and reasonable consequences rather than immediately fixing every problem. Asking, “Am I responding to my child’s needs or reacting to something from my own childhood?” can help parents recognise when their own experiences are influencing their parenting.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.