Mommy Badge Home

Every mother knows how much she loves to talk about her child and how much she wants to describe the growing up moments …to whoever wants to or at most times doesn’t want to listen…

Back in India, last year, I was waiting at the paediatricians clinic, with my two year old (at that time). I saw many mothers from all strata of the society for the regular vaccinations that were being offered at a nominal cost. There was one woman I remember who just happened to share the seat with me… she immediately started telling me about her ten month old baby girl and how she had started walking already. The woman belonged to the under priviledged group and looked really tired herself. She said she had fought with her husband and endured his beating so that she could bring her daughter to the clinic! But talking about her baby brought immense satisfaction and a visible excitement in her eyes. All she had was words. No camera, no blog, no social networking sites, to be able to tell others about her child. Even that gave her a thereuptic kind of happiness. It was endearing to see her and I could so relate to her only at a motherhood level.

The incident left me wondering, why do mothers, constantly feel the need, to talk about their children? And on the other hand, why is it considered so unprofessional at a modern workplace? From personal experience, I know it gives us immense joy…but where should we draw the line?
How is sharing baby pictures any different from ‘show off’ holiday pictures or individual profile pictures in skimpy clothes or pictures of some exotic salads or cakes that somebody ate, and were shared at that very instant via latest technological devices!

In the lunch hour, I have heard the famous baby talk by proud fathers on the shared phone lines…and that, I strongly consider, almost equal to the Chinese water torture.

If it irritates me so much, I can imagine what it does to those who do not have kids by choice!

And hence, I try to leave the mommy badge home when I am at work only to understand the other side.

I certainly do not think that having a baby is the best thing I have ever done so far in my life.But having a baby has by far been the most eye opening experience for me. It has empowered me with a multiplied efficiency. In no way does motherhood sum up as ‘not too serious about work’. I am sure most working mothers would agree to that. But just like marriage isn’t for all, having kids isn’t for all too. And maybe such topics are best left inside the closet. Those with kids and those without kids are divided by a wide chasm that is absolutely impossible to comprehend till you come to it. I call it 'Mothers vs Others'.

I wasnt really the 'I love children' type… that’s what I thought until I had my own! Though in the beginning, I did talk about my son more often at work, now I remind myself to limit to “He’s fine. Thanks “every time some random coworker asks me (as a formality) how my son is doing. I do have an Ikea photo frame that holds two pictures of his at one time, sitting at my desk. I believe his smiling face gives me the much required strength to focus. But as soon as the clock on the lower bottom of my screen shows five, some hormones are secreted and I just have to shut down and rush home as fast as I can, not forgetting to buy ‘some small new thing’ (below five dirhams) each day, hidden in my purse for him to dig into for those ‘Amma you got(something) for me’ times! …of course reattaching the mommy badge on my way home!