Yograj Singh reflects on parenting and family bonds (Source: Instagram/Yograj Singh)Parenting styles, family expectations, and generational beliefs around discipline often become deeply emotional subjects within families. Former Indian cricketer-actor Yograj Singh recently shared his views on his son Yuvraj Singh’s marriage.During a conversation with Krishnank Atrey on YouTube, Yograj shared that he resisted societal pressure to get Yuvraj married early. “People wanted me to get Yuvraj married off in his 20s. I said, ‘Is he old already?’ When he turned 38, I told him, ‘Now you can think about it. I can’t choose for you. It’s your life, so find your partner.’”Yograj admitted, “But I did request him to change the breed. People hearing this might oppose it, but we wanted an Irish or English girl in the family.” He further added, “And then Hazel (Keech) came into our lives. They have such beautiful kids, and they treat me like their friend. I don’t call Hazel my daughter-in-law; she is my daughter.”The former cricketer also opened up about his relationship with Yuvraj’s children — son Orion and daughter Aura — revealing that it took him over two years to meet his grandson. Explaining the emotional distance, he said, “Yuvi and Hazel both say, ‘Granddad and grandmom are here’. It took me over two years to meet Orion, but never once in those two years did I feel… I would pray to God and tell Him, ‘They are also your grandchildren; if You meet them, I shall consider that I have met them too’.”In another interview with SMTV, Yograj reflected on his strict parenting style and why he believes Yuvraj may hesitate to leave the children with him. “Yes, but the day Yuvi hands his children over to me, they will meet the same fate as he did. You can only forge gold through fire. There will be no mercy, because there is only one path… That’s what they fear, and that’s why we aren’t together,” he said. This is something that Yuvraj agreed to in an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, where he revealed, “I just hope that he doesn’t get after Orion. He keeps saying that I should put him in cricket, but I tell him, ‘Isko apni life jeene do (Let him live his life.)’ It’s because he was always a coach to me, and never a father. I don’t want that to happen with my son, I want to be a father to him.”When families speak casually about a partner’s appearanceDr Sakshi Mandhyan, psychologist and founder of Mandhyan Care, tells indianexpress.com, “I have observed that families sometimes speak casually about appearance, race, colour, or ‘good genes’ without realising how deeply these comments can stay with a person. What adults may see as a harmless opinion, children may absorb as something personally meaningful.”With time, she says, repeated messages about appearance or background can silently shape self-esteem. A child may begin feeling that certain qualities in a person make them more acceptable or worthy of pride. In psychological terms, this affects belongingness and identity formation. “I also see that such language creates comparison inside families. One person may feel celebrated while another feels subtly reduced. Even if nobody openly discusses it later, the emotional memory remains,” states the expert.Story continues below this adNavigating these conflicting parenting philosophies without damaging relationships?In her practice and observation, Dr Mandhyan sees that both generations try to protect the child, but from different fears. Older generations fear weakness or lack of discipline because many of them may have survived difficult life circumstances themselves. Younger parents are more aware of the emotional impact and fear psychological harm or disconnection.Dr Mandhyan says, “In such situations, I encourage families to move from judgment toward curiosity. Ask what shaped a particular parenting style rather than immediately rejecting it. Psychologically, children need both structure and emotional safety. Discipline without warmth can create fear. Warmth without boundaries can create instability.”“Families will naturally navigate these differences better when they stop treating parenting as a battle between old and new methods and start focusing on the child’s emotional and developmental needs together,” concludes Dr Mandhyan.