Ankur Warikoo Shares ‘The Best Gift You Can Give Your Parents’ As They Grow Older: 5 Lessons Every Adult Child Needs
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Entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo recently took to LinkedIn to share a deeply personal moment that has touched the hearts of many parents and children alike.
That emotional detail struck a chord online because it reflects something many adult children often forget: while children measure life through milestones ahead, parents quietly measure it through memories behind them.
Most people notice their parents ageing physically. The grey hair appears, the walking slows down, the reading glasses become permanent. But sometimes, ageing reveals itself in a far quieter and more emotional way.
Entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo recently took to LinkedIn to share a deeply personal moment that has touched the hearts of many parents and children alike. While dropping his parents home after dinner, a simple conversation about how fast his own children were growing up led to an unexpected question from his mother.
“How old are you now?” she asked. “45,” Warikoo replied casually.
That single number seemed to hit his mother hard. The same morning, she had sent him a WhatsApp message recalling the day he was born her first child as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. For her, the realisation that her little boy was now 45 brought a wave of emotions about time, ageing, and life’s journey.
But for his mother, that number carried a different emotional weight altogether. According to Warikoo, the moment seemed to hit her unexpectedly, forcing her to confront just how much time had passed since the day she first became a mother.
That emotional detail struck a chord online because it reflects something many adult children often forget: while children measure life through milestones ahead, parents quietly measure it through memories behind them.
For parents, their child may be a CEO, entrepreneur, spouse, or parent themselves. Yet somewhere emotionally, they still remain the child they once held for the first time.
5 Lessons Every Adult Child Needs
Warikoo reflected on what parents truly want in their later years. After decades of struggle, sacrifice, and raising children, most don’t seek grand material success from their kids. Instead, their deepest fulfillment comes from knowing their children are doing well.
1. Parents Never Stop Being Parents
Even when children become successful adults, parents often continue to hold an emotional image of them as the child they once cared for. Developmental psychologists call this a lifelong attachment bond. Independence changes roles, but it rarely diminishes parental affection or concern.
2. Emotional Presence Matters More Than Material Support
As parents age, many place greater value on connection than possessions. Regular conversations, shared experiences, and genuine interest in their lives help fulfil emotional needs such as belonging, significance, and security.
3. Ageing Parents Need Recognition, Not Just Care
Many adult children focus on helping parents physically or financially. Equally important is acknowledging their identity, experiences, and wisdom. Feeling respected and heard supports self-esteem and emotional wellbeing in later life.
4. The Parent-Child Relationship Eventually Becomes More Reciprocal
Healthy adult relationships involve a shift from dependence to mutual support. As parents age, children often become sources of emotional reassurance, guidance, and practical help. Accepting this transition can strengthen family bonds rather than create resentment or guilt.
5. Time Feels Different To Older Parents
Research on ageing suggests that older adults become increasingly aware of time’s finite nature. This often makes relationships more meaningful and emotionally important. What adult children may see as a routine phone call or visit can carry much deeper emotional significance for an ageing parent.
