Yummy Mummy Series has brought a newfound respect in my heart for mothers around me. The seemingly ordinary mom next door, may hold enormous strength in her heart, numerous bruises on her soul, and several life experiences in her stride, but she goes on, with a smile on her face, and a cute child in her arm, untouched by the world and its judgement around her.I am a mother who parents her child with the help of a very supportive and hands-on partner by my side, my husband. I cannot even do half as much (and I already do very little), in terms of managing our finances, our obligations, our relationships and our child, if I didn’t have him in my team.Yet, there are women who single-handedly, rule the world and raise a child, face all the struggles, judgements, brutal comments and adversities but carry on, with a positive attitude and a yummy smile. The world call them ” Single-Mother” , but I call them “ Super Woman”
My today’s feature is about one such Mom. Her name is Naghma Shaikh and she is from Muscat, Oman. She is in her early 30s, and works as a Special Advisor at the Consulate of Seychelles for Sultanate of Oman.
She juggles her corporate career, her various creative interests like blogging, jewelry making, painting and she also is a single-mother to her darling 3 years old daughter, Pareesha.
Check out my Q&A with Naghma Shaikh. I hope you read, enjoy, like and share.
- Tell us a little about yourself & your mommy journey so far.
I am a single mom to a three-year-old angel named Pareesa, (whose name ironically means ‘angel face’ in Persian). I enjoy juggling my time between my corporate life, motherhood, socializing, and tending to my hobbies. As a creativity enthusiast, I love working on DIY projects, painting, and coloring and have my own online business for handmade clay jewelry called Clayful.
Having lived in Oman for most of my life, I consider this country to be home. I moved out of Oman after my divorce, but my heart remained here and so I decided to move back. My decision to move back to Muscat was a tough one to make and not supported too well by family out of concern. As a single-mother, I realized that my child gave me a renewed sense of strength and despite people’s apprehensions, I moved back to Muscat and have since then, made abundant progress in my life as an individual and as a mother. Of course, I have my share of ups and downs but they no longer dampen my spirit. I embrace my downs as God’s will and remember to be grateful of what I have (things could have been worse!!) and focus on what lies ahead.
2. You are raising your kid as a single mother, since you are the Mom & Dad of your child, how different is your parenting from the norm? What’s your dream for your child?
I believe in trying to achieve a balance in everything I do in life. The same goes for parenting. I play the good cop and the bad cop. But one thing I keep in mind is that I have one shot to contribute a good human being to this world and I am not going to mess that up. I believe that children learn with experience just like adults, and so as hard as it may seem sometimes, you should let them experience life as it comes. Of course, as the parent you need to handle the aftermath.
A recent example is when my daughter insisted she wanted to eat the chili in my plate. I resisted a couple of times, and then I just let her try it. After a lot of crying and a spoon full of honey, she hasn’t made such requests again. J
My dream for my child is to be God fearing in her daily life, fearless in her endeavors and soft hearted towards people.
3. Even after all the hardships and heartbreaks, how do you stay so sassy and beautiful? What’s your mantra?
My hardships and heartbreaks have taught me self-love. When I was picking up pieces of my life I realized I had ignored myself for way too long and I started working on rebuilding and rediscovering myself. I always say getting dressed up is the quickest short cut to feeling good. That’s on the outer side of it. On the inside, I have tried to, as Oprah would say, “turn my wounds to wisdom.”
4. What was the last compliment you received?
That I don’t look my age. And despite the odds I am doing a great job with my daughter.
5. You have experienced a lot of bitterness and heartbreak in your marriage and life after that. How do you maintain a positive state of mind? What is your advice to women who are going through a rough patch?
I believe in God and the bigger plan. While I was going through a rough patch I went through the routine phases – anger, denial and then acceptance. My family was my biggest support. They taught me to look at the situation objectively, keeping only my daughter and myself in focus. Over various bitter incidences, I realized not everyone who walks out of your life is a loss. Sometimes the best gifts from God don’t have the fanciest wrapping. At that point, I only knew that what was happening was in the best interest of my daughter and me.
My advice to women would only be that be your own hero, be your own wings, be your own sky. Don’t let your happiness depend on anyone else. And the strength starts with repeatedly talking to yourself. It is not an overnight achievement, it is a journey and you should enjoy it. When you look back you will be proud to have emerged as a new personality. Plan for the future but tackle each day as it comes. Start your day with a thought of creating a happy day for yourself and others. And most importantly give yourself credit from the smallest to the biggest achievement.
6. What’s your daily skin-care regime?
I don’t do much. Just try to drink lots of water, never leave the house without sunscreen and occasionally massage my face with almond oil.
7. How long does it take you to get ready to step out? What are your trusted beauty products?
If I need to rush somewhere 10 minutes, otherwise I like to get dressed leisurely. Lush Cosmetics moisturizer, Vichy tinted sunscreen, Nars foundation, H&M lipsticks and face masks by Lush Cosmetics
8. If you had to live in only 2 outfits and 1 pair of shoes for 1 full year, what would you pick?
My American outfitters jeans and a top from Stradivarius (I love their soft materials)
Leggings and a long flowy kurta and my rock studs from Valentino (those shoes can dress up any outfit)
9. What’s your definition of a Yummy Mummy? Who is your Yummy Mummy crush?
Yummy mummy to me is a mommy enjoying her journey with pride and confidence. We all are yummy mummies. My mommy crush is Blake lively.
10.What is your favorite thing about being a mother?
Motherhood shows you the best of both worlds. You can be an experienced adult or an absolute child. The best part about being a mother is learning something new every day, be it how to deal with tantrums, new games and just learning the extent of unconditional love you can have for another human being and to be loved back.
YUMMY MUMMY LOOK GUIDE :
A yummy mummy is not what she looks on the outside. It’s also what she feels on the inside!
Naghma achieved this look by applying the following products:
- On the face : NARS Tahoe sheer glow foundation ,Sephora no. 35 compact powder,Maybelline mattifying powder,Benefit porefessional,Contouring with maybelline anti shine stick
- Blusher – Love Thing by Mac
- Eyes : Sephora eyeshadow primer,Sephora eye shadows in gold, bronze , copper and brown,Maybelline drama master kohl, Benefit roller lash mascara,
- Lipstick – Russian Red by Mac
This yummy mummy sure knows how to look her best and her life experiences sure tells us that the strength and smile that gets emitted on her face comes from deep inside. She is not just a single-mother, she is a force to reckon with and it shows in her eyes, her outfit, her persona and her attitude.I would like to sign off with this quote that I read in an article on Huffington Post, by Jessica Ashley
“I wouldn’t wish divorce or separation or years in family court or having to explain why Mommy and Daddy aren’t together anymore to any mother. I didn’t wish this path for my child. It has not been simple or swift or without tears. Yet, I am happier and healthier and have a bigger life than I ever could have dreamed in those begging moments of early motherhood. And while a big, emotional story in my son’s narrative will likely always be that his parents are no longer together, I am not sorry for him or for the choices I made to end my marriage. Instead, I am thankful for the grace of moving through the hard parts to a much better place. That’s a blessing we both carry, even when we don’t always know we already have it in hand.”If you are a single-mother like Naghma, then life may not be easy for you too. The responsibilities get doubled and managing, home, kids, and the finances all alone needs a ton of grit and determination. If you are one of them who is managing all this with élan, hats off to you! Know that we mum, respect you and your life journey.
[…] last week, I introduced Naghma Shaikh to you in my Yummy Mummy Series. She is a working-mom, who is single-handedly raising her cheeky little girl in Muscat, Oman. She is […]
What a great series! I absolutely love the jewelry she makes!
Thank you very much.
I love this yummy mummy series! What a beautiful and inspiring post.
Thanks. Then do join my facebook page to enter a giveaway.
Thank you.
this is inspiring, and I really loved reading and learned so much about you!
Thank you very much.
What a great read! How inspiring!!
Thank you.
This is so amazing. I love hearing mom stories. This is very inspiring.
Thank you for your appreciation.
I am so impressed! Single moms really are superheroes!!
Thank you very much.
Your daughter’s name is beautiful! I love your point about being both and adult and a child at the same time. That is so true and I never thought of it that way!
Thank you. I am glad you appreciate my point of view.
Thank your for sharing. This inspires women to be tough for their kids.
Thank you very much. Your appreciation means a lot.
Nagma stay strong. You are doing a great job with pareesa. Your positive attitude is your strong asset.
Thank you very much.
Such an inspiring Mummy! She is the true epitome of a Super Momma by doing it all and doing it by herself. Her daughter has a true role model to look up to! =)
Thank you very much for your appreciation.
This is very inspiring. And it just proves that no matter what life throws at you, you can still be a badass.
Absolutely. Thanks for the comment. Appreciate it!
Thank you so very much.