'Cooked, not cared for': Thyrocare founder condemns excessive activities in urban children’s lives

In a hard-hitting critique of modern parenting norms, Thyrocare founder Dr A Velumani has sparked widespread debate online after posting a video urging parents to reconsider the hyper-scheduled lives they impose on children in urban India. The entrepreneur, known for his outspoken views, delivered a stark warning: “We are overloading a child too early, too much.”

The now-viral video, widely circulated across social media platforms, offered a candid reality check. Velumani painted a troubling picture of city-based childhoods where days begin as early as 6 am, packed with school hours followed by tuition classes, music lessons, sports coaching, and other extracurriculars—all scheduled back-to-back. According to him, this relentless regimen leaves children with no space to just be children.

“We feel we are exposing the child to the world. But the child is silently stressed,” he observed, challenging the common belief that such packed timetables contribute to a child’s holistic development. Instead, he claimed, this kind of structure turns childhood into a burden rather than a phase of exploration and joy.

Drawing a sharp contrast between rural and urban upbringings, Velumani remarked, “Village children are blessed; city children are harassed.” He noted that stress levels among today’s urban children far exceed those experienced by children two to three decades ago. Crucially, he stressed that this is not solely due to academics, but also stems from a societal expectation to excel in everything—from school to sports to arts.

Velumani’s message resonated deeply with many parents and educators. Sharing the same video clip on X (formerly Twitter), the health-tech entrepreneur elaborated on his own parenting philosophy. “Don’t overload too early,” he advised. “Add only one activity after age six, and change it every year.” According to him, this gradual, rotational exposure nurtures curiosity while helping the child feel “cared for, not cooked.”