mothers Archives

A Working Mom is a “Soti Hui Sherni”. Don’t Mess With Her

I got schooled in mommy politics recently, where everything from potty-training to the number of classes you enrol your child in is competition. The sticky marsh where working moms are judged for not being involved enough.

Vani Rane July 22, 2016

Gender

The Life and Times of a Surrogate Mother

Leaving stigma behind in the dust of the fields they toil in, Gujarat's surrogate mothers are scripting a narrative of change.

Aparna joshi July 10, 2016

POV

Three Cheers for the Mediocre Mommies

Wedged between the career woman and the domestic goddess, is the Not-So-Supermom. The world admires women who fall neatly into those two categories but can be quite cruel when you don’t fit into either.

Ashwina Garg July 7, 2016

POV

Mum + Dad + Beta + Beti: Why Are Indians Obsessed With the Idea of a “Complete Family”?

The minute a couple tie the nuptial knot, their relatives descend upon them and start demanding a baby. When they’ve had one, the family begins chasing them for the second one. Thank God for the “Hum do, humare do” slogans and overpopulation problems, or else this would continue ad infinitum.

Gargi Mehra June 21, 2016

First Person

How Delhi Power Cuts Shaped Our Childhoods

Anyone who has lived in Delhi of the 1980s and ’90s, will remember the legendary load-shedding power cut that used to be a way of life – and how it characterised our adolescent days. Power cuts were to Delhi what traffic was to Mumbai.

Anurag Bakhshi June 16, 2016

Gender

Why Breastfeeding is Important for Mothers

I was clear that if ever I had a child, I would breastfeed him. Yet it wasn’t that simple. My baby and I were unable to sustain a latch. This wasn’t how it was meant to be.

Dharini Bhaskar June 13, 2016

Culture

The Diwali Shopathon: When Mothers Bargain Like Pros and Children Become their Personal Coolies

A Diwali preparation is incomplete without a trip to the old city market. In Mumbai, it’s Dadar; in Delhi, it’s Chawri Bazar. This is the time of the year, when every mother across the country trots out their bargaining A-game.

Nihal Bambulkar June 8, 2016

POV

Mothers: The Most Judgemental People on Earth

I used to scoff at friends who gave their toddlers phones or ipads while feeding them. I did not want to be that mother. Three years later, it’s more likely that India tops the Olympics than my son eats without a screen in front of him.

Vani Rane June 7, 2016

Pop Culture

3 Storeys: How to Break the Bollymom Stereotype

In 3 Storeys, Arjun Mukherjee weaves together a story of three mothers, exposes the burden of mothers who have been conditioned to sacrifice and be silenced, intertwining it with the disastrous results it has on their kids.

Kahini Iyer June 2, 2016

POV

How an Indian Mother Celebrates the Monday After Mother’s Day

Much has been said about motherhood. “Motherhood is divinity” – I suppose that can be debated. “Motherhood is a job you can never quit” – True that. “Motherhood is a responsibility? – Hey, preaching to the choir, here! But to me, here’s what it really is: Motherhood means you are never alone in your thoughts.

Lata Gwalani May 24, 2016