Mother is the bank where we deposit all our hurts and worries. Stuti Agarwal is a parenting lifestyle blogger and mother of two cutest children. She is a brewing mommy influencer with more than 35k followers on Instagram.
Stuti Agarwal has been a journalist in her early career days, which has helped her throughout her journey. She gives tips on better parenting techniques through her Instagram and shares her experiences through her blogs. She has recently launched content creator courses and reel workshops for new influencers who want to mark their presence on social media.
ICYTALES is conversing with Stuti Agarwal on how she was inspired to become a parenting blogger.
Q) What inspired you to become a parenting blogger?
Stuti Agarwal – I was a journalist when I started. I was with The Times of India for 8 years. Therefore I am used to documenting and writing about events. But as a first-time mom, I was dealing with postpartum depression because we were moving from one country to another, and a lot of hustle was happening around me after giving birth.
Then I enjoyed motherhood for two years, we used to travel a lot with my son, and even before he was 6 months old, he went to 6 countries. People used to ask me why I didn’t write about my experiences. Nothing crossed my mind back then, so I did not do anything.
After we moved to Mumbai, I felt like I needed to work. I should not sit back. Then I gave some interviews, but as soon as a magazine selected me, I realized I was pregnant for the second time. As I delivered my second one, I started freelancing for a content writing company. I had to let go of that job.
From there, I thought, why don’t I write about my newborn, like what I am doing with her and all of that stuff. I read a lot about parenting during my son’s time, so I started writing about my learnings. I had no idea that things would work out this way. From there, it was like I never looked back; gradually, I started content creation on Instagram. It was never planned, but it all happened like it was meant to be.
Q) What has been the most challenging part of this journey?
Stuti Agarwal – It’s time management. Because soon after I started my blog, there was a lockdown. Due to this, there was no house help available. I had a 5-month-old baby and a 2-year-old toddler who had just started school. My attention was needed everywhere, and I didn’t know what to do. I think it was my passion that helped me to come through all the odds. Even with all these things going on, I would write at least one post daily. Cut to now, with a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, it’s also not easy, but I have set a routine to come through.
Q) How did your husband and family support you in this journey?
Stuti Agarwal – They were and are my backbone. Without them, I don’t think I would have done it. My husband always motivated me. Even now, when I have to attend some events or collaborations, he comes home early and takes over the responsibility of the house and kids. We adjust accordingly. My parents and sister have also been my most considerable support; everything I do on my blog runs through my sister, from what rates to charge to what content should be there, meetings, and all that stuff. We are all in it.
Q) In taking care of their children, mothers sometimes forget themselves. What is your take on that?
Stuti Agarwal- I am a very involved parent. I need to be there with my children doing various activities. But I also need my alone time to zone off and do nothing. Even during the lockdown, I took that one hour for my sanity. It is essential for every mother. There is no need to burn yourself out.
Q) Motherhood is lovely, but it’s also hard work. What all problems did you face on the journey?
Stuti Agarwal- Doing the correct thing is the only motto. There is a pool of parenting ideologies, traditional and modern, organic and inorganic, and much more. So everywhere, you have to choose between motherhood, though making that choice is not easy, so navigating those paths was the main problem I faced. Now I write blogs to help people overcome these problems by providing authentic and efficient information after trying it.
Q) These days, mothers’ most significant problem is the excess screen time for their kids. What is your perspective on that?
Stuti Agarwal- Screen time, I would say, is not bad if you know what your child is watching. Watching about numbers, space, fruits, vegetables, and much more educational stuff doesn’t harm. Your child can learn a lot of things there. But if it is regulated and moderated, then only it is healthy.
We are at zero screen time right now, excluding the online classes and stuff. But mindless watching of television, only for making your child eat, doesn’t make any sense to me. That is detrimental. I also faced the same after lockdown got over, so I have a whole blog on it, including the steps on how I broke that cycle.
Q) How do you make your kids eat healthily and take them away from junk food?
Stuti Agarwal – Again, it was not a challenge for me because I was well prepared and aware of this. We had always eaten healthy at home. When my son was 6 months old, we introduced various flavors. Before he turned one, he already knew the taste of more than 100 flavors. Even if I give them a bowl of vegetables, they will eat happily since they are habitual to it from the initial period.
Also, involving your children in house chores helps a lot. I make them help me in cutting, cooking, and preparing juices. I take them to farms, so they know how the food is made and why they should not waste it. Overall, they are never forced to eat and have a good association with food.
Q) Is there anything that you regret or want to change in your journey?
Stuti Agarwal- One thing I regret is starting this blog late. I should have started it when my first one was born. I miss documenting his first two years of life. I have documented every tiniest thing of my daughter, so I regret that I have no clips of my firstborn. If I could go back in time, I would love to capture all those moments.
Q) During his pandemic, children were trapped in the house. And now they only want their room. They are not growing by playing outdoor games. How would you as a parent encourage them to play outside?
Stuti Agarwal- During the later wave of the pandemic, my husband and I would take my children to the park after the proper sanitization and proper precautions. You could find us outside having a great family time and doing crazy things. Even today, park time is an essential part of our daily routine. I lay a lot of importance on gross motor skills; that’s why outdoor time is a must.
Q) What is your go-to parenting advice?
Stuti Agarwal – Respect, trust and observe your child. Do not label them that they are doing this and that; figure out the root of the problem. Do more bonding over correcting them. Respect their hunger and choices. Overall go for gentle parenting. If you change your perspective, a lot will change.
Stuti Agarwal is a lifestyle parenting blogger with the name MOMBAE, where you can find many parenting tips and tricks that can help you throughout your journey of motherhood. She believes that she has learned throughout her journey and even learning. She is an ex-journalist with The Times of India and is now a full-time blogger. Stuti Agarwal is a firm believer and thinks that having a positive perspective toward the kids can change a lot.
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Last Updated on by Himani Rawat