Mommy knows best
Isha Koppikar Narang spills the beans on motherhood and the bond she shares with daughter Rianna
Isha Koppikar Narang welcomed her daughter Rianna with husband Timmy Narang in 2014. This Mother’s Day, Isha gets candid on balancing work and motherhood, being best friends with her daughter and more.
How would you describe yourself as a mother?
As a mother, I’m neither too strict nor too soft as I believe that the child should have the freedom to grow in his/her creativity while staying within the norms of discipline. I try not to micromanage tasks for Rianna as this teaches her independence and individuality.
What is the most difficult part of being a mom that many are hesitant to speak about?
The complete surrender of your freedom in the sense that all your decisions are now revolving around the children. Women are reluctant to talk about this maybe because they feel it belittles the concept of motherhood or it counts as ‘complaining about the children”. But it’s an issue that should be addressed as this feeling of losing oneself causes depression and many other mental issues in
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Back in the day, actresses were tight-lipped about their pregnancies…
A lot has changed in this decade, and now the taboo around a mother for an actress has been lifted. We have many great inspirations who have proved that you can get your body in the exact shape it was before you delivered. So now, pregnancies among actresses are celebrated and that is the good news.
Why did you wait for four years after marriage to have a kid?
We had decided to first enjoy our years of marriage before taking on the responsibility for a child as we had seen some parents resent their children for taking away the prime of their married life.
Your contemporaries enjoy keeping children in the limelight, especially paparazzi spotting…
I feel that my daughter should have her own choice about appearing in the media or not, and the pressure of the public eye can get a lot sometimes, especially for little children. I wanted to protect her from that.
You’re back in showbiz. Does that mean less time with Rianna?
Timmy (Narang) and I have a schedule planned that ensures she doesn’t get left behind without either of us for long. It does get a little difficult to manage everything sometimes but then what comes easy in life, right?
Moms and daughters are meant to be best friends for life. Is Rianna a mommy’s girl?
Totally! We’re so close; she’s my snowflake and my sunshine. She tells me everything and wants me to be a part of all her activities. She’s extremely close to all my friends, and we always have our little conversations about life, our day, and everything right before we go off to sleep.
Is there any special message you would like to share on Mother’s Day?
If mothers follow their passions and dreams while bringing up their children, it becomes easier for the kids to do the same. To be a parent does not mean being with the kid 24X7 or leaving your own life to help make theirs. It means guiding them through examples of how life should be lived.