On Mother's Day, Zee Theatre stars discuss the untold challenges of motherhood

Women are hailed for their multi-tasking skills especially on Mother's Day but hardly anyone wonders why they have to do so many things at the same time. Could they use more help and less responsibilities, maybe? On Mother's Day, Zee Theatre stars Himani Shivpuri, Suchitra Pillai and Vibha Chibber look back at their motherhood journey and discuss the difficulties they faced while trying to manage multiple commitments at home and on the work front.

Suchitra Pillai who stars in teleplay 'Dance Like A Man', says, "Time management is tough when you are a working mom. Dealing with the guilt of being away is hard as well but the hardest is not knowing for sure what is the right way to initiate sensitive discussions with your child. You also cannot delegate motherhood to someone else when things get hard. It is a misconception that the bond between a child and mom used to be different generations ago or that it's ok for a nanny to take your place in the upbringing of your child. No mom can rest easy doing the latter. Now that I am a mom, I also realise how my mother must have felt when I behaved in certain ways with her, whether they were good or bad."

Over the years, Suchitra says, her daughter has taught her a lot of life lessons and she says, "I have learnt from her, unfiltered honesty and selflessness and I would like to teach her to always be financially independent and not depend on anyone for her success or happiness. To never ever allow anyone to disrespect her or make her feel small. And to live life to the fullest."

Actor Vibha Chibber who stars in teleplay 'Panchi Aise Aate Hai', says the toughest challenge she faced as a mom was to impart the values, traditions and culture that she grew up with to her children. She says, "As a mother, to keep up with the changing times was definitely challenging but I am happy that I have succeeded. Over the years, as a family, we have also busted the myth that you can’t be friends with your parents as we talk about everything and share every small thing with each other. It is truly a big blessing. My children have also taught me to take care of my physical as well as mental health. They have taught me that it’s important to take care of myself too."

And the one life lesson she has imparted to them? She says, "To treat everyone with respect and love, and to always be positive in life."

Veteran actor Himani Shivpuri who stars in teleplay 'Hamidabai Ki Kothi' lost her husband Gyan Shivpuri in 1995. She recalls, "The toughest challenge was to be a single parent of a young son. It was so hard to manage everything by myself. I used to feel so guilty that as a working mother, I couldn’t spend enough time with my child. In my line of work, we don’t have regular hours and I still remember there was a time when I was doing three shifts in one day and would come home at about 4 am in the morning. During that time, my son's exams were going on and even though I wanted to give him more time, I had too many responsibilities. But looking back, I think, I got through that time successfully even though the biggest misconception about motherhood is that a mother knows all the answers."

About her relationship with her son, Himani says, "Well, my son has taught me a lot. He has taught me how to make the right decisions in my career and to just 'chill out' and enjoy life because he has seen me working day in and day out. He has taught me patience, love, how to love life despite its challenges and so much more. My son is so generous and such a wonderful human being. He is always thinking about others but one life lesson I would like to pass on to him is to cultivate some humility, patience and to take life as it is."