Feeling elated to be featured in the very first edition launch of Da Parrentico Magazine, modern parenting & lifestyle magazine in India. It made me so much happier to represent the Indian diaspora living abroad, the culture we follow and inculcating those values in our kids too.
Becoming a first-time parent and stepping into the Motherhood journey comes with its own excitement and amazement. Doing that abroad away from your motherland can be difficult. I shared about how the Indian diaspora celebrates the festivities with kids when away from home.
Though this edition was published around Diwali but sharing it now and hoping this New Year brings more such features.
Da Parrentico
How do you maintain the balance between being Indian and also slaying in Singapore?
Singapore is a multi-racial country with a blend of people from different cultures coming together and you will find a big Indian community celebrating every festival. Diwali is an official public holiday in Singapore with Little India all decked up with lights and decorations. Here in Singapore, having friends from different parts of India, I have learnt about many of the festivals and maintaining that balance here is not that difficult but depends a lot on you.
What were your Diwali plans with your kids this year? Is there a family tradition you follow?
We all definitely wait for getting into that festival spirit starts right from the traditional way of cleaning home, shopping every year for divas, crackers, and gifts and decorating with flowers and lights. Every family has its traditions – on Diwali evening, we set up a special Mandir for Lakshmi Ganeshji and decorate it to do Diwali Pooja along with homemade sweets which I try to make every year. We also decorate our home with rangoli which kids enjoy a lot. I remember as a kid, shopping for Diwali gifts was a must so that is something we have started doing here too with our close friends and it totally sets you up in the Diwali mood.
One parenting advice which I truly believe and this is not just for Indian families but for everyone. Learn, adapt, and respect other cultures while simultaneously holding on to your own values because that is what would help them to stay connected to their roots.
