CHENNAI: A few days back, I chanced upon the #NoJudgementHere campaign on Instagram. A bunch of new-age mothers had shared their bold, unconventional choices and stories of post-pregnancy and what motherhood looked like for them. The campaign was initiated and launched two weeks back by Miniroo, which is founded by mothers and entrepreneurs Aditi Prasad and Vishwa Dave in December 2017. It aims at empowering mothers from every walk of life and provides a safe space for them to practice whatever parenting method they’re comfortable with, no judgment included.
My child, my rules
“There’s a lot of judgment that surrounds motherhood and the decisions they make. This was a platform for mothers to share their experiences and stand loud and proud of the decisions made. We requested 15 mothers from all walks of life to share their stories. This is a pan-India movement. Sometimes they have also faced backlash for posting experiences on their social media pages. However, that did not deter their spirits. It’s ongoing. So, as and when we get a quote, we post it on our page so it inspires other mothers whose voices are unheard,” explains Aditi and Vishwa, who also started Whimsical Wonderland, an exclusive exhibition for kids in the year 2017.
Every day, mothers are faced with decisions on how to parent children; what to feed them; how much screen time to give them; what kind of school to put them in...the list goes on and on. Mommy bloggers and parenting network sites have gained momentum and been a big support system for new mothers.
It could be for a whole lot of things — from sharing different recipes for fussy eaters, finding nannies and leads for emergency doctor contacts to interesting events happening in town.
Spread the word
Writer and blogger Antara Pandit has been educating and spreading awareness among mothers through her blog The Bubbly Blogcast, since 2016. She writes mostly on unconventional topics such as exposing children to death and grief, parents, self-love and aims to push parents beyond their comfort zones.
“Every aspect of a child’s life requires discussion and suggestions. There are multiple WhatsApp groups active round-the-clock. Some parenting websites play a significant role in shaping up perspectives. When I started blogging, I felt there was a dearth of parenting stories with a personal touch. Whereas my sister in New York would share tons of things.
Networking scene in India was still in nascent stages back then. I think many people still struggle to open up on sensitive issues around motherhood. I prefer to keep my writing personal to resonate with others. You can make out when people are completely truthful without filtering information and that’s necessary with a plethora of bloggers and contents out there,” shares Antara, who spends at least two hours a day on her writing. Health conversations with fellow parents from different cities has transformed her life. She’s penned a book, that’s yet to release, on why there’s a radical notion when the mother’s happiness comes first.
A Mom’s Happiness Survey was conducted by Momspresso parenting website in partnership with Vox Populi research, in 2018, and covered 1,200 mothers from metros and non-metros. The questionnaire touched upon various topics such as financial empowerment; support from partners, family and profession; and the time a mother spends on household chores and self. It was found that 70 per cent of Indian moms were unhappy. “The survey results were shocking. We have a long way to go in spreading awareness and guiding mothers through their helplessness. I think mommy networking is the new-age phenomena and the way forward,” asserts Antara.
Together, forever
In the past two years, mompreneurs have started hosting affordable pop-up exhibitions to reach out to mothers from all sections of society. Carnivals, playdates, community programmes, engaging workshops, and charity events are held around the year. Keeping children as focus, many mothers are also making their entrepreneurial debut. Not a Box, The Fun Factory and Tic Tac Toe — the children’s wing of The Glassbox are a few successful examples.
The Activity Room by three mothers — Shweta Mahtani, Kashish Ahuja and Aru Nair Mani — is one such. The trio wants to encourage the bonding experiences between families while entertaining children. “New age parents are looking for less stress in schools, a different system of education, involving kids in everything they do — like holidays, cooking, adventure and keeping them well exposed while growing up. They want to understand where the kid’s interest lies in and nurture those areas,” shares Shweta, who wants to improve the quality time parents spend with children. The trend of parent networking and their contribution to society has picked up speed with time. A big shout-out to these mompreneurs and mommy bloggers who’re playing a significant role through ups and downs.