Sameera Reddy on her childhood struggles and parenting (Source: Express Archives). In a recent conversation, Sameera Reddy reflected on her early struggles with stammering and how deeply such experiences can stay with a person over time. Opening up about being bullied as a child in an interview, she shared, “I’ve seen this up close. I grew up with a stammer and was bullied for it. It took years of therapy to build confidence, and even today, if I stammer and someone reacts, it still affects me. That’s how deeply childhood labels can stay with you,” highlighting how early experiences can continue to influence emotional responses well into adulthood.. She also spoke about the damaging impact of everyday labels, explaining, “Labels, even casual ones, can quietly define a child’s self-belief. Hearing that they are ‘slow’ or ‘weak’ repeatedly can create internalised doubt, making children less likely to try or take risks academically and socially. When a child is repeatedly called ‘weak’ or ‘buddhu’, they can start believing it. That belief slowly shapes how they see themselves, and they may stop trying altogether. That’s how a label becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”. She further emphasised the importance of supportive environments at home, noting how conversations with children can shape resilience and self-worth. “I tell my children to talk to me, to understand that a struggle in one area does not define who they are, and never to put someone else down in return. When children receive encouragement, guidance, and opportunities to learn at their own pace, confidence and resilience naturally grow. Parents, educators, and peers all play a role in replacing judgment with support, ensuring children see challenges as part of learning rather than a reflection of their abilities,” she said.. Addressing the pressures many parents face today, she also spoke about the growing culture of comparison and over-scheduling. “When you look around today, there’s a lot of pressure on parents to constantly do more. It almost feels like FOMO, one child is doing pickleball, another is learning piano and violin, someone else is in multiple classes, and it becomes a very competitive space,” she told Hindustan Times.. Encouraging a more individualised approach, she added, “In all of this, I always tell parents what I personally try to follow: listen to your child. Understand who they are and what works for them. What may be great for one child may not necessarily be right for another.”. But when a child is repeatedly labelled as ‘weak’ or ‘slow,’ how does this impact their long-term psychological development?. Rasshi Gurnani tells indianexpress.com, “When a child is repeatedly labelled as ‘weak’ or ‘slow,’ these external judgments often become internalised as part of their core self-concept.” Over time, this can lead to low self-esteem, heightened self-criticism, and a persistent sense of inadequacy. From a
