At first I fought as a mother: actor Soha Ali Khan

‘Women tend to be placed at the end of a long list. We always have, ” says the actor. (Source: Instagram @sakpataudi)

Actor Soha Ali Khan is a practical mother, who keeps herself very busy these days, raising her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Inaaya, running the house and also struggling to find a balance between work, personal life, and healthy eating. . In a quick chat with Parenting ExpressThe actor talks about how he is handling everything amid the raging pandemic, the role of parents in raising children, and how he feels he is slowly becoming his mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore.

Your lockdown schedule

“My days are the same, because I have two and a half years at home,” he says of his locked time. “It is a lot about the schedule, the routine and the repetition. My day starts at 7:30 in the morning, when my daughter wakes up, breaks in and says ‘wake up’. And it ends around 10.30 or 11 at night, when I collapse in bed and go to sleep. In the morning, I spend time with her and try to recreate a school appearance, because she had started going to school before closing. I don’t want you to miss out on some key things, be they sensory like crafts, or learn some numbers and read books. We try to create some kind of intellectual environment for her ”, shares the actor.

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It is when her daughter is busy doing some physical activities with her father, actor Kunal Kemmu, that Soha says he can wash his face and change clothes. “That’s when I eat something and take care of myself: I take some calls and return emails. Then it’s lunch time and I feed her and she takes a nap … Inaaya loves to read, so we read together, we do role-playing stories. Half past six is ​​dinner time for her, 8pm is off and we are singing songs until 9pm, when I finally tell her to go to sleep! She laughs and says that’s when she can do adult things like reading books, watching TV, and eating chocolates.

Inaaya’s Blocking Temperament

Soha says that her daughter does not have a single temperament, because she is very young. “She is stormy,” says her mother, “A moment of calm and a moment screaming ‘I will never speak to you again!’ I think she is chasing Kunal, ”Soha jokes. She says Inaaya’s physical energies are not being expended, and if she had been in a park or game gym running with kids her age, her energies would have found a better way out.

“The kids have limitless energy, and I’m not as young as I used to be, but we are handling ourselves… For the most part, she has been content and enjoyed having a family to herself. She has been understanding the situation. “

Finding balance at home

Soha says that families need to create a balance. Physical space is important, but more than that, people need to make time for themselves mentally. Exercise and yoga are important, along with good nutrition and a good night’s sleep, he suggests. “Lean on people when you have a bad day. Talk about it and accept it, because it’s okay to have a bad day and be in a bad mood. “

Husband Kunal Kemmu’s involvement at home

“If you have a caring husband, it really makes a big difference. Now they understand that there is no such division of labor; Fathers understand that play dates and schools are not where only mothers have to go. Perhaps the older generation was not as involved in parenting as today’s parents are. ”

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Health and nutrition

Eating at home can give you a lot of control. With children staying home and not going to birthday parties and restaurants, Soha says parents can now achieve their nutrition goals in a more disciplined way. “I feel more in control right now. Since we are cooking at home, I know exactly what happens in Inaaya’s meals. She is eating our dishes and we are also setting a good example for her. This is the time to introduce healthy food and thoughtful snacks. A handful of almonds is really the perfect snack for a young child and someone my age. “

The role of mothers.

While mothers have much more to do, especially in the first months of a child’s life, they also need to take physical care of themselves. “Women tend to be placed at the end of a long list. We have always done it, we take care of our mother, our husband, our children, we forget to eat, exercise, put our dreams on hold, etc. We are conditioned to do it, but if someone wants to do it, there is nothing wrong with that. But don’t put your well-being on hold, ”advises the actor.

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Speaking of his own experience, the actor says: “At first, I suffered when I was a mother. It was overwhelming and overwhelming, I didn’t get enough sleep, I forgot to eat and didn’t take care of myself. My mother was the one who told me to eat healthy, rebuild and recover. ”

Soha believes he is becoming his mother, actor Sharmila Tagore. “I can hear my mother’s voice coming out of me. Even in the way I talk to Inaaya, the way I’m guiding, teaching, or feeding her. My mother was always a little strict, and when I become strict, I almost sound like her. But, my mother was perhaps not as controlling as I was. I want to do everything, while she was happy to delegate … “

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