Fashioning a New Normal

Motherhood in Lockdown

A year of the pandemic saw mothers seemingly attach friend-teacher-healthcare practitioner to a predefined laundry list of roles. 2021 brought on a gut-wrenching déjà vu like no other, and frequent worry turned all-consuming with no end in sight. 

Mothers, funnily akin to cockroaches, are going full throttle into survival mode again. A primal force- enabled, a strategy in place. The ongoings of a battered environment adds a mental load that demands to be shared and dissipated. The new age-mom though, looks after herself. She knows holding down the fort means recharging first. This Mother’s Day, we caught up with moms we admire to look back at their year gone by and share their kryptonite through it all.

Anchal Kumar, Model-Actress

“The romance of last year’s lockdown has worn off.”, says Anchal Kumar. Mom to a 3-year-old, she is channelling her energy and time doing creative things with her daughter indoors. “It’s a struggle to engage my child as whole heartedly as I would have liked.”, she says of the current scenario. Unconditional love and their bond over dressing up, dancing and storytelling is what she values. She believes mothers are aware of their child’s needs, and truly, mum knows best. 

Nayanika Chatterjee, Supermodel-Entrepreneur

Nayanika Chatterjee is enjoying involving her soon-to-leave-the-nest daughter in her new venture. On parenting she says, “Being a mother is like nurturing a plant.” She tries to expose her daughter to reality through the lives of artisans she works with, while keeping her motivated and positive. On coping as a mom during this time she relies on finding little pockets of happiness for her family.

Natasha Kochhar, Full-time Mom, Formerly Fashion & Brand Evaluation Head Select Citywalk

While she feels anxious about keeping her son safe, “Literally my dream job.”, is how Natasha Kochhar describes being a toddler mom. Meditation, painting, yoga, bike rides and hot showers are things she does during me-time. When asked what she’d like to share with other moms, Natasha spills, “Happy mothers are the best mothers. Do what it takes to stay happy!”

Kalyani Saha Chawla, Founder Rezon Silverware

Time at home for Kalyani Saha Chawla has been a boon and a bane. Being a working mother, having her college-going daughter at home was a highlight in their lives. This time around, issues with mental health and a bout of covid had her down. “Tahira is trying to raise funds (for Covid relief) through projects but never forgets to check on me daily.”, she says of her miracle angel conceived after being told otherwise due to endometriosis. “Her opinion matters to me. Parenting doesn’t come with a manual but the most important thing is communication. Parents can only instil values.”