Netflix's Adolescence, 70-Hour Workweek In Shark Tank Judge Namita Thapar's Parenting Tip

Entrepreneur Namita Thapar, who has been critical of the 70-hour workweek, has a piece of advice for its proponents: watch Adolescence on Netflix.

In a LinkedIn post, Ms Thapar, the Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, explained how parenting, work-life balance and the bond with children were interlinked and must not be overlooked.

In her post titled "My Take On Parenting," Ms Thapar shared her thoughts after watching the British miniseries exploring mental health issues teens experience in the age of social media.

Ms Thapar claimed that the show's depiction of tense parent-child relationships in particular touched a nerve. "As a parent of teens (my boys are 19 & 14) this show stirred something deep in me," she wrote.

The Shark Tank India judge emphasised how vulnerable children are and how they often look up to their parents. "Kids are fragile. They idolise their parents," she said.

She emphasised how youngsters experience "massive pent-up negativity" when they feel that their parents are "ashamed" of them or that they are not living up to their expectations.

When mixed with bullying at school, Ms Thapar said that this could lead to one of two things: "kid taking it out on themselves" such as having mental health issues, low self-esteem, and self-hatred, or "kid taking it out on others."

Ms Thapar reflected on her "very tomboyish" childhood, remembering that she was less interested in traditional "feminine" pursuits like dancing, singing, or applying nail paint.

She explained that her mother was worried and urged her to "take singing classes, kathak classes," and to walk with a book on her head to seem more "feminine."

Although Ms Thapar said her mother had good intentions, these acts made her suffer. She felt that her father was also "ashamed" of her because he tried to transfer her to a different school.

Despite their good intentions, Ms Thapar said that her parents' behaviour caused years of "low self-esteem and emotional eating."

"I recovered, got stronger. Not everyone does.." she said.

Ms Thapar then shed light on the character of Jamie, whose father encouraged him to participate in boxing and football to "toughen him up."

Jamie assumed his father was ashamed of him since he was unable to live up to these expectations. Ms Thapar mentioned that Jamie's father "never communicated and clarified that that wasn't true."

She suggested guidelines from the parenting book 'The Self-Driven Child,' which promotes self-reliance and emotional validation, as a course of action.

She underlined the significance of separating oneself from the desire to "fix" children and urged parents to instead emphasise overexpressing their pride and support.

"If we choose to bring a child into this world, let's ensure we give them TIME ... Say NO to 70-hour weeks or if you want that life, say NO to being a parent!" she concluded her lengthy post.

Netflix's Adolescence tells the tale of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, who was imprisoned for killing a classmate. The family's world turns upside down, forcing them to face the worst nightmare that any parent could imagine.