by Being a working professional right through her life phases of adulthood, Vydehi Hemmige Prashanth talks to Mums and Stories and shares her opinion on why it is important for mums to garner financial independence in life.
Bringing a new perspective, Vydehi, a Communications professional herself shares and points out that it is more on the mindset of mums than other external factors and once you have made your mind, you can have things work out for you as getting back to work is easier now than the last decade.
Going back on her childhood memories and upbringing Vydehi shares, “ I was born and brought up in the historical town of Karnataka, Mysore. I spent the first 25years of my life in this beautiful, serene and peaceful place. We are a family of six, with 2 elder sisters and an elder brother. I loved growing up in the pre-technology era. We played a lot of outdoor games like throwball, running and catching, lagori, hopscotch etc. I have fond memories of the campus life in Gangothri area and of course Dasara was a huge celebration, during which we siblings and friends burst a lot of crackers and gorged on food.
Mysore is such a close knit community, everyone knew each other. Education finds an integral part of Mysore life. I did my engineering in one of the best colleges in Karnataka, JCE and later did my MBA in Mysore.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my working life. I strive to strike a work-life balance. Yes, I have taken breaks for motherhood. For a woman it is very important to do justice on all fronts, be it motherhood, work life, social work etc. She adorns multiple crowns of a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a mom, a grandmom, a leader, a guide etc. She is gifted to transform and fulfill each and every role seamlessly.
I personally advocate every woman to be financially independent. To reach here it becomes imperative to be a working professional. Financial independence not only makes her confident but also helps her to be focused, hardworking, stand up for her rights and be fair. I would like to help the underprivileged section of the society as well. Financial independence plays a huge role in achieving this.”
(Vydehi Hemmige Prashanth with her family)
Talking on the challenges as a mum who has to juggle between home and work outside home she shares, “ It is not easy at all to be a working mom. We have our set of regrets, guilt to fight against. We need to be on our toes and impulsive most of the times. We also have to take rational decisions keeping in mind every person’s interest in mind. Since I live with my in-laws, it has been fairly easy to be a working mom when it comes to managing the household and also cooking responsibilities.
In India, fathers get away from parental responsibilities easily. Current scenario is changing with the onset of nuclear families and double income families. We need to condition our sons to be more responsible towards family.
I truly believe every woman should be financial independent till the time it is possible. I would urge them to get back now, no more procrastination. The scenario in the working world has changed and they are accommodative to all mums on a break or single mothers too. Once a woman makes up her mind, nothing can stop her.
It is also the matter of putting her education to good use, improve the economy fabric of our society in a small but significant way besides the other positive aspects.
There are a lot of part time options, second phase of career options for women to get back to working after a hiatus. The current Indian work culture has had a huge transformation, women do get better chances in getting back to work now. There are a few limitations in certain industries like IT, the software advancements are rapid and goes out of sync easily in short periods, this could be a hindrance for women with these skill sets. Such women have to up skill and get back to work.”
Having a teenaged son and raising boys and girls Vydehi shares, “ Teen tantrums is not a myth, it is a REALITY. Boys and girls at every age bracket set challenges to parents. The approach is different depending on the age and sex of the child.
But being called “mom” in itself is such an indescribable feeling. The first touch, the first feel, the first smile, the first kiss……being a mom is a package deal which has to be savored. Love every moment spent with my kids. Especially love all the holidays and outings. I keep striving to make them good human beings who will take responsibility for their own lives.”
( All photographs are subject to copyright)
