This Dad of 3 Starts Every Evening With One Question to Stay Close to His Kids

This story is part of “Parenting: What Google Won’t Tell You” — The Better India’s people-led parenting series that goes beyond conventional advice to document how real families are actually raising their children. Through real parents, parenting coaches, influencers and experts, the series brings honest, diverse and relatable perspectives on the questions, choices, challenges and solutions that shape everyday parenting — the things Google can’t always answer.

By the time Aravind Ramasokan reaches home after a long day at work, there is probably a lot waiting for him: decisions to make, emails to answer and the responsibilities that come with leading a business.

But before any of that, he has a small ritual.

He hugs his children, and then he asks them about their day.

Not about their homework. Not about their marks. Not even about what they managed to finish.

He asks, “Were you happy today? What made you happy?”

It takes just 15 minutes, but for Aravind, those minutes have become one of the most important parts of his day.

In a candid conversation with The Better India, Aravind shares how this simple ritual has helped him understand his three children better — and why sometimes, being a present parent is less about doing more and more about listening.

Aravind Ramasokan is a business leader with over 14 years of experience across manufacturing, operations, procurement, finance and global trade. He currently serves as Managing Director at SL Leathers, where his work involves leading teams, managing complex operations and making decisions under pressure.

But at home, his most important role is a much simpler one: being a father.

And it is in this role that he has learnt that staying connected with children does not always require elaborate plans or grand gestures.

“The 15 minutes after I come home from work are my time to reconnect with my children,” he says.

A question beyond homework and marks

The routine is deliberately uncomplicated. He greets his children with a hug and spends a little time asking about their day.

But there is one question he consciously chooses to ask.

“I ask them if they were happy and, more importantly, what made them happy.”

For Aravind, the distinction matters.

Instead of immediately turning the conversation towards homework, marks, activities or what the children accomplished, he first wants to know about their experience.

“Those things are important too,” he says, “but I want them to know that I’m interested in more than what they accomplished.”

A child’s answer to that simple question can sometimes open a small window into their world.

It could be something a friend said, something they learnt, a game they enjoyed or a tiny moment that an adult might otherwise overlook.

“When I ask what made them happy, I’m really asking them what mattered to them that day,” Aravind explains.

Learning to see the world through their eyes

Over time, he has also begun thinking about what our questions communicate to children.

“If we keep asking about what they achieved, they learn that achievement is what we are looking for,” he says. “When we ask what made them happy, we are telling them that their experience matters to us too.”

And the more consistently he has done this, the more he has noticed.

He has learnt what excites his children, what they look forward to and the little things that can brighten their day. Sometimes, those conversations also help him notice when something may be bothering them.

There is another thing the ritual has taught him: children are constantly observing.

“They notice so many things happening around them and remember little details that we may not even think they have noticed,” he says.

Listening to them talk about these details, Aravind says, offers parents something precious — a glimpse into how their children see the world.

Fifteen minutes that become a habit

Of course, not every evening unfolds the same way.

There are days when the children have plenty to say and others when there isn’t much to talk about. But the consistency itself has become meaningful.

They know that when their father comes home, there is time for them.

And perhaps that is what makes the ritual work.

For Aravind, the lesson is simple: staying connected with children does not always require more time, more activities or bigger gestures.

Sometimes, it is just a hug at the end of a long day, a question that goes beyond achievement and a willingness to genuinely listen.

“Over time, you realise that you don’t even need to ask a question anymore. The conversation just starts on its own, as long as you learn to listen.”

All image courtesy Aravind Ramasokan

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com