How to be a good mother (Desi Edition)

Artwork by Aamir Khan

KARACHI: Being a mother is one of the most difficult tasks a woman can take on. It’s a full-time job with no days off and no instruction manual. For desi mothers, the job is twice as difficult because everyone has an opinion on what you’re doing wrong and they aren’t afraid to tell you. So staying true to our roots, we’ve made a list for desi mothers on how to be a good mother even though you didn’t ask for one!

Never complain

Is your child driving you insane? Are you perpetually sleep deprived? Do you feel like you’re drowning in the responsibilities of being a mother and have forgotten who you are? Even if your answer is yes to all those questions, you have to remember: you cannot complain. Good desi mothers must always remember that they are lucky to have children and that they are a blessing from God. Complaining is a sign of being ungrateful, not a way of releasing pent up frustration.

Cook for your child

Good desi mothers always prepare fresh food for their children. You’re not a good mother unless you cook a wide variety of dishes for your child to choose from, only for them to reject every single one of them and choose junk food instead. Inevitably, you will be judged for not feeding your child the right kind of food and everyone around you will think of it as challenge to take your child for the day and feed them well.

Disclaimer: no one actually takes on the challenge, much to your disappointment.

Dress them up well

A good mother will spend all her money on buying the best branded clothes for her child. But she will also have to mentally prepare herself for the child to either throw the biggest tantrum, refusing to wear said clothes because they are too itchy or for them to end up staining the clothes within the first hour.

Don’t have a career

It doesn’t matter whether your child is 3 or 30, good desi mothers should not be leaving their kids to work a job. You could cure cancer or solve world hunger, but if you’re a mother, you’ll be told that you neglected your child and that was wrong of you.