Soha Ali Khan on Kareena Kapoor, Jeh and why it is an exciting time for the Pataudis. Interview
In a recent interview with IndiaToday.in, Soha Ali Khan opened up about parenting and how it was like to spend the lockdown with Inaaya. Soha also shared how it was comforting to have Kareena Kapoor Khan by her side during her pregnancy.
If you follow Soha Ali Khan on Instagram, you know how often she shares pictures and videos of her daughter Inaaya. From Inaaya’s playtime with her pet doggos, to her whipping up a delectable chocolate cake, the photos and videos of the little one are an absolute delight to watch. In a recent interview with IndiaToday.in, Soha Ali Khan opened up about parenting and how it was like to spend the lockdown with a 3-year-old. Soha also shared how it was comforting to have Kareena Kapoor Khan by her side during her pregnancy, and also spilt some beans on Kareena’s second son Jeh.
Tell us what were the pros and cons of spending the lockdown with a kid at home?
I think there were only pros for me to be with a child of this age particularly. I was never bored, had a scheduled day. I actually learnt a lot because Inaaya was doing an online class on Spanish so we both were learning that together. We also did some gymnastics, we found things to do in order to use the time productively. Even I was motivated to do good things, we started baking together. So, I felt that the day was quite productive because we had a schedule, thanks to Inaaya. I think if we did not have Inaaya in our lives we would have let things slide a little bit and then stayed up till 4 am and woke up at 12 in the afternoon and not have such a healthy lifestyle. Because of Inaaya we were doing a lot of things, learning a lot and I was torn between going out, working and spending time with my daughter. My decision just became easier because at least in the formative years I got to spend a lot of quality time with her.
Pandemic has taught us all the importance of staying fit and healthy. How do you keep yourself fit?
The best way to do it is to lead by example. Rather than telling people what to eat, I feel if you set a good example and if you have good food in your fridge or pantry then you don’t have to go around saying ‘don’t eat this’ and ‘don’t eat that’. I don’t enjoy saying no to Inaaya unless I have to and, of course, it is important to say no once in a while. It is always better to have a fridge full of healthy things, have a bowl of almonds that your child can snack on or have fresh fruits. This is how our father taught us, never by lecturing us but just by setting an example.
We often see videos and pictures of Inaaya reading, drawing, practising yoga, playing with her pets. Was inculcating these habits difficult initially?
No, because I like doing and learning new things. I also like exposing Inaaya to new things. The idea is to introduce her to a little bit of colouring, art, Spanish, reading etc, and also have a lot of free time where she can be left alone in a room and let her figure out what she would like to do. Peer interaction is also very important. We try to do fun stuff together. I like to share those things on Instagram because they are an important part of her growing up.
Is Inaaya a fussy eater? Tell us something about Inaaya's food habits.
Inaaya definitely has an opinion about everything. She understands the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. She certainly enjoys ice cream and chocolates but a healthy snack is always a handful of almonds or some fruits for that matter.
You and Kareena Kapoor embraced motherhood around the same time, did she have some tips for you when you were pregnant with Inaaya?
Kareena was very concerned and always asked after me and had a lot of useful things to share because it is very important to recycle things amongst new parents. Certainly, it was very useful to have someone in the family have a baby 9 months before me because I could save on lots of things. Kareena and I would often talk about the changes that our bodies went through during the pregnancy, lack of sleep and, of course, the feeling after having a baby. It was very comforting to have her around.
Anushka Sharma and Kareena Kapoor welcomed their babies during the pandemic. Do you think pregnancy during the pandemic is actually challenging for mothers?
I imagine it must be a very stressful as well as a challenging time for new mothers.
Would you like to say anything about Jeh?
It is lovely to have a new baby in the family always and to see how they grow because the first year is always about a lot of firsts. So, this is always an exciting time.
As a mother, what are the few things about parenting that you have learnt from Sharmila Tagore?
I have learnt that you must not apologise for loving your job. As a working parent, I used to do that in the beginning. The idea is to try not to feel guilty and to share and create a support group. Let other people also help you raise your child and you enjoy other parts of your life.
Your message to all the mothers out there who are finding it difficult to juggle work and parenthood.
Firstly, try not to feel guilty and also be happy when you leave your child. Make the time you spend with your child meaningful. It is all about quality time and not quantity. If you are fortunate to have help in the form of family members, nanny, mother-in-law, husband, sister, take it. It takes a community to raise a child, you don’t have to do it all alone.
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