Hyderabad: Sania Mirza, former world No. 1 tennis champion and now a proud mother, spoke candidly at the launch of ITC Nimyle Clean Equal Mission at Taj Deccan in Hyderabad today about the emotional tug-of-war that comes with motherhood. “We all have mom guilt, right? My son Izhaan was supposed to come in three days, but I will call him tonight. That was my mom guilt,” she shared. “None of us are perfect, but we know what is best for our own children. Mom guilt is real. Trust me, we all feel it at every level, but that doesn't change the fact that you still have to love yourself.”
Myth of Perfection
Sania emphasized that while motherhood is a significant part of a woman’s identity, it doesn’t define her entirely. “Being a mother is part of your identity, it's not your only identity. There is so much more to you as a woman. I am also a tennis player, an ambassador, and a businesswoman,” she said. Her words challenge the notion that women must lose themselves entirely in motherhood, urging moms to embrace their multifaceted lives.
She also addressed the relentless judgement mothers face. “There is no right or wrong in parenting. We are so quick to judge,” Sania said, recounting how people question her decision to travel for her new initiative while her son studies in Dubai. “I’ve made sure that he is safe and secure, but I still get asked, ‘How can you leave your child?’ Despite being No. 1 in the world in my sport, the questions always circle back to balancing personal and professional life.”
Breaking Generational Norms
Sania pointed out the societal and cultural expectations that often weigh on women, suggesting that change is a collective responsibility. “For us as women, there are norms and cultures that have been defined for us over so many generations that it will take a few generations to get rid of them. It is up to women like us to do that,” she said.
She empathized with everyday mothers who face even more scrutiny. “If this is happening to someone like me who is winning global tournaments and speaking at press conferences, I can't imagine what a regular mother goes through with mamas, mamis, phuphas, and phuphis telling her how long she needs to breastfeed or how to raise her child.”
Trust Yourself
Sania’s advice to mothers is empowering and relatable: “You know what is best for your child. There is nobody who loves their child as much as a parent, especially the mother. If that means putting yourself first sometimes, like I did in the last few days, it is also therapeutic.”
She also touched on the importance of raising boys with the same responsibilities traditionally assigned to girls. “The basics start with cleanliness. Why is it that we don’t tell boys to clean up their room or take responsibility? Why is it left to the mother, the nanny, or the older girl in the household?”
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