“Am I A Bad Mother?” Mamaearth Founder’s Post Strikes A Chord

Ghazal Alagh, Mamaearth co-founder, recently shared a heartfelt post detailing the struggles of a working mother. She also expressed her “guilt” as she missed accompanying her son on his first day of school. “Am I a bad mother”.. that’s the question which kept coming to mind as I didn’t accompany my son on his 1st day to school,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

She said that she felt guilty and had to send him off with his grandmother. “I cried, felt guilty and put up a brave face to see him off with his Dadi to school. That’s what you have to do as a working mother who can’t take days off sometimes, no matter how much you want. I had to delegate it but what I missed is so precious- his excitement, his smiles and tears at the same time, his reaction when he entered the school and his anxiety seeing new teachers and kids.”

Ms Alagh said that she is fortunate to have a support system. “Thank God, I had his Dadi, as a support system I created for myself. 5 years ago, Varun Alagh and I (with Agastya) decided to move into the family home together. And now 4 generations are living together in the same house! I know that’s not possible for every working Indian parent. But for them, it’s equally important to have a support system, whether it is your:  other close relatives and understanding friends,” she added.

The entrepreneur also spoke about the merits of living in a joint family. She promoted the normalization of joint families as a type of teamwork in a society where working women frequently struggle to strike a balance between their family responsibilities and career goals. Ms Alagh wrote on the social networking site, “While every approach has its own pros and cons, I think joint families create a wonderful environment for children. In a world where working women don’t get the support they deserve, I hope people will normalize seeing joint families as teamwork. One where kids get love and protection without their mothers having to stifle their career and personal goals.”

Since being shared, her post has amassed over a thousand likes.

“I could have never done it without my friends & neighbours! Who readily supported by taking care of my son in case work kept me longer & my husband would be traveling then,” said a user.

“Sending love your way Ghazal Alagh! Being a working parent is tough, but you’re doing an amazing job,” wrote a person.

A third user said, “I agree ..Stay away for just few minutes from child is heart melting for mothers and to work whole day with heavy heart with so much guilt and passion to do something for child and as profession is something different feeling .Ghazal Alagh Great support to you as well . You are truly an inspiration for many working mothers”

“Absolutely. I believe in the saying- More, the merrier! The more the children are surrounded by grandparents and relatives, the more they learn how to socialize and build human connections apart from the two primary caregivers,” remarked a person.

Another added, “Grand parents play a crucial role in kids lives.”