On International Girl Child Day 2024, Neha Dhupia talks about raising her daughter Mehr and teaching her to be strong and have her own boundaries
Proud mother, actor Neha Dhupia reflects on her journey of raising a daughter as she talks to us on International Girl Child Day. Neha and her husband, actor Angad Bedi, are parents to two children — daughter Mehr, 5, and son Guriq, 3. Speaking about her experience, she shares, “The emotion that prevails when you raise a girl child is unmatched. My daughter and I think alike — we both think outside the box. I cherish her questions and acknowledge both her intelligence and innocence. The emotions that flow between a mother and daughter, especially when you’re raising a girl, are incomparable. There’s a unique mix of fear, strength, vulnerability and raw emotion that’s hard to describe. At the same time, I feel I need to multiply my own strength a hundredfold to ensure she imbibes it.”
When it comes to the values she is instilling in her daughter, Neha reveals that teaching Mehr about boundaries has been a priority: “The first word I taught her was bas. Bas, I don’t want more food. Bas, I don’t want to play anymore. Bas, I don’t want my cheek pulled. Even at her young age, she understands and respects her boundaries, and she knows how to set them.”
Despite the progress in society, Neha acknowledges there’s still a long way to go: “While we live in a world that is so accepting and beautiful, it’s still demoralising to hear stories where the girl child isn’t accepted. I want to tell all parents out there — we are the lucky ones. We are the chosen ones.”
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News/HTCity/Cinema/ International Girl Child Day 2024| Neha Dhupia on daughter Mehr: The emotion of raising a girl child is unmatched