Ask any parent and they’ll admit that there’s no rulebook to parenting. You figure it out as you go, usually by stealing the tricks that work. From your own mother, from a friend or even from a culture that isn’t even yours. That’s more or less what happened to Ksenia Kala. Originally from Europe, Ksenia, a mother of four is married to an Indian man. She didn’t move to India with a parenting plan. She moved there with a baby on the way and had absolutely no idea that the next few years would quietly reshape how she thought about raising her kids.In a recent Instagram post, she looked back at the Indian parenting traditions that she has embraced over the years. Things that felt strange the first time she saw them but have become completely normal to her. Her post struck a chord with many parents because it highlights something very simple: good parenting ideas can come from anywhere. Let’s look at the Indian parenting habits she says she borrowed.
15 Jun 2026 | 12:57
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The whole family sleeping on one bed
Sleeping on wasn’t something Ksenia had ever pictured for herself. She recalled, “In our family, the children usually move into their own room around the age of five. But when she actually had a baby, she slowly began liking the idea of co-sleeping. “Bed-sharing helped me bond with my babies and made breastfeeding and night time parenting much easier,” said Ksenia.She says, “I had never shared a bed with a child before becoming a mother,” “But with all of my children I found it to be the most comfortable and natural way to stay connected during those early years.”
Oil massages or better: ‘Tel Maalish’
If co-sleeping won her over quietly, the daily oil massage did it almost instantly. It’s one of the oldest rituals in Indian parenting, warm oil, steady hands, and gently massaging the baby. “I especially love the tradition of grandparents, particularly grandmothers, helping with baby massage. It supports the baby, supports the new mother, and creates precious moments of family involvement,” shared Ksenia.
Names are chosen with meaning, intention, and identity
Then came the part she didn’t expect to love this much: naming her children. “One of my favorite things about raising my children in India has been giving them Indian names,” shares Ksenia. “I love how much thought goes into choosing a name and how deeply connected those names are to culture, history, and values.”She gave her own children Indian names too.
She loves the sarees Indian moms wear
Ksenia Kala with her family. (Instagram/kseniakala)
The last habit might be her favorite. She says, “I have always admired how many Indian mothers dress beautifully for their children’s birthdays, often wearing sarees and traditional outfits.” Ksenia puts on a saree for her kids’ birthdays. “It reminds me that a child’s birthday is also a special day for the mother. Whenever possible, you’ll find me wearing a sari for my children’s birthday celebrations too,” shared Ksenia.
Borrowed, but they are hers now
None of this is about Ksenia abandoning where she came from. It’s simpler than that. She saw a few things done differently, tried them, and kept the ones that fit. Parenting rarely comes with one right answer. Sometimes the better one was just waiting in someone else’s culture the whole time. She ends by saying, “These are just a few traditions I borrowed from India and made part of our family’s story.”