Kareena Kapoor Khan is opening up about how she is raising her two sons. She shared that one lesson she wants them to learn is that being sensitive does not make them any less strong.
The actress recently spoke about motherhood and the values she hopes to instill in her children, sharing that kindness and emotional openness are particularly important to her.
Kareena is a mother to two sons, Taimur and Jeh, and admitted that raising them comes with its own fears.
“As a mother, you kind of want to do your best, you want to protect them,” she said, while also discussing the responsibility that comes with raising boys.
But when it comes to the type of men she hopes they eventually become, one quality stands out.
“The only thing I keep praying for is kindness,” Kareena said. “Men should be more kind. Boys should be more kind.”
Kareena Kapoor Wants Her Sons to Embrace Their Emotions
Kareena also pushed back against the stereotype that sensitivity is something boys should avoid.
She spoke about men and boys today who are not afraid to show emotion, whether that means crying in front of a woman or even crying in front of their mother.
It is something she actively encourages at home.
“I always tell my son, if he wants to cry, you should, if that’s what you feel,” Kareena explained. “Because he has to experience that and he has to know.”
Her comments touch on a much larger conversation about the way boys are often taught to process, or suppress, their emotions.
For generations, sensitivity has frequently been associated with women, while boys and men have been encouraged to appear tough or emotionally restrained. But Kareena’s approach challenges the idea that strength and sensitivity have to be opposites.
A boy can cry and still be strong. A man can be sensitive and still be strong. And kindness does not make someone weak.
Perhaps just as significant is the fact that Kareena is speaking about these ideas publicly.
As one of Bollywood’s most recognizable stars, discussing how she is intentionally raising her sons to feel comfortable expressing their emotions brings that conversation to a much larger audience.
Gender stereotypes do not disappear overnight, but conversations like this can help challenge ideas about what boys and girls are “supposed” to be.
For Kareena, at least, the lesson she wants her sons to learn seems refreshingly simple: Be kind, be sensitive and don’t be afraid to feel what you feel.
Click HERE to read more about Kareena Kapoor's newest movie "Daayra", directed by Meghna Gulzar.
