The idea of parenting can be a daunting prospect in the best of times, and most of us might be all at sea when faced with the idea of raising a child. But there are dos and don'ts that help us navigate the journey of being a mother or a father, ensuring that our offspring have the sort of childhood that they can smile about in retrospect. Some of these guidelines feature in a podcast called Raising Parents, launching this week. Mansi Zaveri, founder of parenting platform Kidstoppress, is hosting it, and her guests include comedian Sorabh Pant, who has a four-year-old son, and actor Sameera Reddy, who talks about dealing with postpartum and the importance of inculcating the virtue of honesty in the children you bring into this world.

Mansi and husband Nakul are parents to Anya and Akshata. She tells us that there is no right or wrong when it comes to making a decision about having a child. It's a wholly personal choice. Zaveri says, "It's not like baking a cake where there's a perfect recipe that you can follow. You know, I have interviewed guests who didn't want to have a kid till a certain age but for me, being a mother meant the realisation that this is the most pure and unconditional form of love that anyone can experience. The world out there is of course a scary place, and it's a bigger challenge in these times. But what being a parent makes you understand is that there is love, hope and compassion.