Dressed in a fresh summer polo t-shirt and denims, Avinash Navalagun – Senior Product Manager at BYJU’S arrives at work every day with an energy which gets rubbed onto everyone around him. A steadfast dedicated person at work; Avinash is his 4 years old son’s inspiration. Despite being an overly engaging person at work, he manages to juggle his time well between his personal and professional life. This Father’s Day, we asked him how he spends his time with his son and his replies paused us in perplexity.
Q.1. You must be very close to your son. Tell us something about him.
My son, Pranav is a bundle of energy, who is an excellent gamer, a diehard fan of Spider-man and a movie buff (his favourites are Bahubali and The Garden of the Galaxy). He is a Temple Run and Subway Surfer expert and my tips and tricks guru for playing these games.
His laughter is infectious and is my daily dose of energy after a long day at work. His talks really thrill me. For his age, he is a real smartie and unlike other kids, he loves going to school; especially to learn alphabets. Every night we practice reciting poems and alphabets while I feed him dinner.
I still remember the day Pranav came in our life; It was an overwhelming experience to hold him for the first time. I kept telling myself, “I am a DAD; I am a DAD”. It was the day that reshaped many segments of my life as it ushered in new joys, responsibilities and promises of an exciting future ahead.
Q.2. Given your tight work schedule, how do you manage your time at home?
My work is my passion. I started out as an events coordinator, but over the years I have learned everything from 
photography, lighting, cinematography, stage set-up to video editing & recording on my own. At BYJU’S, I take care of photography, video recordings along with all the corporate and outdoor events. I love my job as it keeps me on my toes. Every month, I dedicate enough time researching and understanding the new softwares that give me tips and techniques on how to better the next set of videos.
Days get pretty hectic during events and recordings sessions. My mantra is to prioritize my work, check it off my list and make time for my family. At the end, all that matters is a fulfilling day at work and some quality time with family.
Q.3. Is Pranav a daddy’s or mummy’s boy?
My wife Pooja is the driving force at home. In short, she is the backbone of our family. From feeding and playing with Pranav to taking him to playschool and running household errands, she multitasks like a magician. When it comes to our son, we have taught him the values and importance of both the parent in his life. Both Pooja and I ensure that we spend time together with Pranav. He is our little brat (Avinash smiles). 
Q.4. How do you spend your weekends?
My weekdays are pretty busy with shoots and editing. Hence, my weekends are for my family. My little one is crazy about bikes and loves going for rides. So, invariably we end up going for long rides followed by a movie or dinner. In fact, it has become mandatory for me to take Pranav for a quick bike ride every morning before I drop him off at school.
Q.5. You are a superdad who blends work, life and family smoothly. What tips would you like to give to other aspiring fathers?
One word – ‘Freedom’. Give your kids the freedom to explore, make mistakes and learn on their own. This will encourage them to develop their personality and form their own opinion about things. In life, it is all about living the values as an example for our children to witness and learn from it.
Like this story? Read similar stories at Life At BYJU’S. Follow @lifeatbyjus on Facebook.
Books are Tanaya Goswami’s first love and cheesecakes come a close second. Talking about movies, music, calligraphy, politics, and Elon Musk will get you listed under the friends’ section of her diary. Ever since moving on from her job as an English lecturer, she spends her time at BYJU’S crafting stories filled with emotion and sprinkled with sarcasm. Outside of work, she’s either learning something new (French, most recently!) or is curled up with a book and a cup of coffee. She firmly believes that discovering what you don’t know is the key to knowledge and is constantly working towards improving herself. Drop in a line at storyweavers@byjus.com if you liked her stories, have something nice to say, or if you have compelling ideas to share!
Arya C is a 4th grader who talks about her transition from the US to India and how BYJU`S has helped her at that. She also loves how BYJU`S has made learning a lot more fun.
Meet Sourabh who has a ton to say about his BYJU`S learning experience. His love for quizzes, games and other fun activities are paying off!
V Shriya is a class eight student who has been using BYJU’S for a year now. She shares her experiences with using the app and how it has helped her in improving her academic performance.
Aanvi from class 9 has been with BYJU`S for just 6 months and hear what she has to say about her learning experience with the app.
