A slice of life of a Vlogger Mommy

Every mommy wears multiple hats day in and out. She is a cook, cleaner, feeder, entertainer, and even goes to office or works from home. She is one-point contact for the kid, no matter how many people the kid is surrounded by. Here is one such mommy that I know of. She left her corporate designation and became a full-time mommy, only to discover her love for vlogging.

Heyya Neha!!! Let's begin.

How old is Vedanshi now?
She is old enough to call me mumma (smiles). 

Oh! She has started talking. Wow, isn't it? 
It is. She began talking just a few months back. We call her 'Veda'. She is the heartbeat of our family and as sweet as any toddler can be. 

I love your smile. It has a sense of satisfaction. 
Just like every other bride, it took me time to settle in. Having a baby made me realize the feelings of my parents-in-law towards me. Being a mother is the toughest job. There are no working hours, just a long 24 x 7 routine. 

What was the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge for me was to make sure that my picky eater gets all the healthy nutrients. I made sure that the food is interesting not only for the baby but for the entire family as well. 

So, this made you begin a food channel?
To an extent yes. This channel will make sure that your dinner table has a variety of foods from different cultures. 

You named it 'Reet'. What does it mean?
'Reet' is a Hindi word meaning tradition. Every culture follows a tradition while performing routine activities. We have added 'Foodelicious' - a fusion touch to the channel as well. While preparing food, it is necessary to stay connected to the roots and at the same time make it more interesting by adding a zing. 

How will you make your recipes appealing?
We Indians are so fond of food that there are so many varieties of a single recipe. And that is the reason that the way to an Indian's heart takes a long way through the stomach (winks). I will make sure that with the approach of every festival, I add festive recipes that are healthy. Being an important part of lifestyle, food equalizes festival too. For instance, Makar Sankranti means gorging on Ghewar, Holi means relishing Gujiyas, Krishna Janmashtmi stands for eating Dhaniya Panjiri, come Ganesh Jayanti and we start preparing laddoos - it is a never-ending list. 

Who would you like to give the credit for this channel?
My mothers. Weddings are such a lovely thing - they gift us an extra mother. I will definitely give the credit for 'Reet' to my mom and mother-in-law, the two important pillars of my life. My mother-in-law has been contributing to this channel emotionally, mentally, physically while my mother is an invisible support, sending me blessings from heaven.

Tell us more about your mothers' personalities and how they have contributed yours. 
My mother-in-law is an extremely talented person. I am thankful to God for making me meet her. She knows everything, right from cooking, stitching, painting, embroidery to even writing and singing. For almost 20 years, she helmed a workshop of embroidery in Kanpur. However, when she arrived in Mumbai, she ditched her dream and became a full-time homemaker, which is again a tough job. I dedicate this channel to her, the role model of my life. 

My mother was a working woman, a government teacher, who inspired us to balance both work and family. At times, I felt bad when my friends' mothers was present at home to welcome and hug them on return from school. I was naive and even fought with her to be at home, at least, for lunch time as I missed her very much. My mother made me understand how important is her job for the family and that she misses me equally. Now she is not alive but after being a mother, I realized that she worked for us, to give us a better life. She is my inner strength and always will be. I am very proud of being her daughter. 

Will your past experiences change you as a mother?

Yes, very much. I am a privileged mother that I can work from home. I want to be with my baby, want to welcome her when she returns from school or college. 

Is it important for a mother to be working?

I think yes. If you are educated and doing just one thing - handling your home, people think that you are not courageous enough to do a job or earn money. 

How will working from home help?

The YouTube channel will give both me and my mother-in-law a motto, an inspiration to do something creative every day. The primary objective is to instill confidence in my mother-in-law and many such women who left their dream careers for their family. With the advent of internet, a woman can do so many more things together. 

Do you miss your earlier work?

As a matter of fact, I do. This is because working at an office was comparatively easy. Not many understand what a woman goes through when she leaves her job and sacrifices so many pleasures for her family. The word 'homemaker' is so meaningful - without a home-maker, there is no home. With this, I do not mean that it is easy for a person to work at office; that too requires sacrifices. 

Do you want to inspire your daughter with your work?

Very much. I want her to stand for her own self and become an independent personality. Like my mother worked in spite of facing hardships, I want her to follow her own heart and not give in to temporary pleasures. 

How motherhood has transformed you?

After giving birth to Veda, I became stronger and smarter. Now, I have learnt to utilize the available resources in the best possible manner for my baby. My baby needs me now. I want to enjoy her childhood and see her nurture like a flower. With every passing day, she is adding something to my personality. I feel like I am a kid again, a learner. 

What would you like to change if you could?

The sentence I told my mother to be at home, when I return from school. But, I will make sure that I never hear something like this from my baby.

Where do you see yourself after 5 years?

As a volgger, I don't know what will I be doing after 5 months or 5 years. But, I am sure of giving 100 percent to everything that I am interested in. As of now, both 'Veda' and 'Reet' are my babies. 

We didn't talk about your husband.

Varun is force that has been present throughout. In fact, he inspired me to don the hat of a vlogger. He completes me as a mother. 

Thank you Neha for letting out your heart on this blog. 

In fact, I should thank you Urvashi for giving me an opportunity to share my feelings.