Motherhood: The Newest Taboo

By Sadhika on

Picture this: a group of young women gathered for brunch, sipping on their lattes while discussing the latest workplace gossip and career trends. Amidst the conversation about promotions and job switches, one woman boldly declares, "I'm basically a child myself – how could I possibly take care of another human being?" The other women erupt in laughter, and in that moment, a manifesto of maternal nonchalance is born. Regrettably, I've found myself at too many such tables, awkwardly shifting my feet whenever this topic surfaces.

The act of downplaying maternal instincts has become a subtle power move, a way for these women to assert their dedication to their careers without raising eyebrows. After all, the prevailing notion seems to be that if you're bad at parenting or express a disinterest in having children, you must be excelling in the boardroom. It's the age-old assumption that the inability to change a diaper equates to the ability to climb the professional ladder.

And then there's that tired cliche I've encountered too often: "I'm not a baby-making machine; I'm a money-making machine." 

At least come up with something new for a change! Expressing a desire for motherhood, once a rite of passage for women, has now become a daring and unpopular opinion. The pressure to conform to the image of the independent, career-focused individual has led many to feign incompetence in marriage and child-rearing, inadvertently hindering honest conversations about the challenges of balancing personal and professional lives.

Basic baby-handling skills are not just for parents; they're a social contract between adults. They are the building blocks of a responsible and considerate society where individuals (both male and female) can step up to lend a helping hand when needed. Knowing how to hold a baby, burp a baby, or change a diaper doesn't compromise your ambition; it simply means you're not a liability when friends or siblings entrust you with their little ones. If the mere thought of holding a baby sends shivers down your spine, it's time for some introspection that your nurturing skills might need a little work. If you find it awkward to baby talk with little kids, it doesn't matter how many intelligent conversations you can hold with dignified people on big issues, you might want to reconsider your linguistic credentials.

What's even more alarming is the growing trend among the youth who are trading the genuinely adult experiences of marriage and parenting either for prolonged teenage hedonism of bottomless beer kegs every weekend or a relentless pursuit of career success that transforms them into competent professionals with the emotional warmth of a cactus. Of course, they compensate for this by using terms like ‘adulting’ which make it look like paying bills and doing laundry are akin to levelling up in a complex video game. It's a game of priorities, and unfortunately, the scoreboard doesn't track the value of a well-balanced life.

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