The Sisterhood of MummyImperfect Podcast

S2, Ep 34: Body Hair - The Struggle Is Real!

The subject of body hair is a sensitive one for most women, especially South Asian women. We're no stranger to the myriad of ways in which we remove the often very noticeable dark hair from our bodies and face. 

In this episode my co-host Rummy and I question our relationship with body hair...shaving it, waxing it, lasering it, hating it, loving it, even flaunting it!

Just why are we so ashamed of having hair on our bodies? Why do we have such a distorted perception of what beauty should look like? At what age would we be ok with helping our daughters remove their body hair? What is the best method of hair removal? And do our bodies have to be completely hairless to feel sexy?

Rummy and I answer all these questions (while revealing a bit too much information!) and we hear other women's stories too. Unfiltered girl chat at it's best!

 

S2, Ep 33 Happy Baby, Happy Family

This week I speak to Author Amy Beeson, who gave birth to her second  baby at the beginning of lockdown and spent the past 6 months juggling homeschooling and breastfeeding.....plus the million other things that mums do!

We discuss seeing children as an "equal partner" in their learning, the exhaustion of multi-tasking, and perpetually dirty sinks!

Plus Amy talks about her writing journey with her mum, and how they came up with the ideas for their books: 'Happy Baby, Happy Family', 'The New Arrival' and "A Country Nurse'. #motherdaughtergoals

 

S2, Ep 32: Back To School

This week many children in England and Wales, including my own, went back to school.

The term "back to school" has a very different meaning this September. Some kids haven't set foot in a classroom for half a year and research has shown that the learning gap between rich and poor pupils has grown by half during lockdown.

So how can parents prepare and support their kids for a very different school environment? And how are teachers planning to close the learning gap?

I discuss all this and more with my guest Manraj Sanghera (AKA Northern Bindi). She's a secondary school teacher, mum of three, and as well the anxieties of returning back to school in a pandemic, her family are dealing with the loss of her son.

 

 

S2, Ep 31: Brown Is Beautiful

This week I released a spoken word video, 'Brown Is Beautiful' on all major social media platforms. The video features eighteen South Asian women from around the globe who have come together to lend their voices to a poem that defiantly hits back at colourism.

In this episode I talk about why I wrote the poem and why I felt the time was right to make this video.

We hear from women who have been deeply affected by colourism. TV and Radio Presenter Suzi Mann explains why she wanted to be part of 'Brown Is Beautiful'. And Harkirat Assi from Punjab Arts talks about growing up as a fair skinned South Asian woman, and how she felt after viewing the poem.

 

S2, Ep 30: Wat Da WAP? with Toni Sansara

This episode is all about women, sexuality and how that’s expressed in music.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion shook the music industry when they dropped their new collaboration "WAP" on August 7. On one hand the song has been praised by fans for being an empowering anthem, but it's also been met with a lot of criticism.

Is it just freedom of expression? or has it set the female gender back with the way it portrays women?

I discuss all this and more with my guest singer-songwriter Toni Sansara.

Unfiltered girl chat at it's finest!

S2, Ep 29: Meet The Smart Money Woman

In this episode I speak to Arese Ugwu, author of the bestselling and ground-breaking 'The Smart Money Woman', the novel that has taken Africa by storm.

Arese talks about why she felt the need to write a 'financial chick-lit' book, how we can become better savers, the difference between long-term and short term financial goals. And also how she turned her book into a TV series which launches in Africa next month!

S2, Ep 28: Mr and Mrs India Meets Ghana

In these woke times many South-Asian people are "supporting" the Black Lives Matter movement, but sadly still unleashing their inner racist when their son or daughter brings home their black partner.

Michelle and Amit Patel (AKA Mr and Mrs India Meets Ghana) spoke about anti-blackness in the South Asian community in a recent BBC News video which had over 3 million views. 

In this episode I chat to them about the family pressure they faced when they decided to get married four years ago. We discuss the similarities between the Indian and Ghanaian cultures and raising mixed race children.

Plus hear how my husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary!

S2, Ep 27: A Suitable Boy and Other Brown Girl Stories

My guest this week is journalist, radio producer, award-winning podcaster, and a woman whose eyeliner is always winged to perfection, Raj Pander.

 

We discuss reactions to the BBC's adaptation of A Suitable Boy, the first BBC TV drama to feature an all-Asian cast. Is it too raunchy for family viewing? and why do brown people feel uncomfortable watching kissing/sex scenes with their parents?

 

We aim to answer all these questions and explore the different ways that South-Asian people have been represented on TV. What worked, what didn't, and what would like to see more of.

S2, Ep 26: Indian Matchmaking and Beauty Over 40

In this episode I talk about 'Indian Matchmaking', Netflix's new hit show which has also hit a few nerves! Although the show exposed some questionable social values, the arranged marriage process is a choice for a lot of South Asian singletons. Dr Nirja Joshi shares her own matchmaking experiences with me.

 

I also speak to make-up artist and positivity coach Ksavi Joshi about her forthcoming online event which explores the impact of make up on mental health and beauty for women over 40.

S2, Ep 25: The Summer Holiday Survival Guide

This week most children in the UK finished school for the summer.

That means six or more weeks of no set structure, no Google classrooms, and with the UK still in partial lockdown. For some parents and carers that fills us with dread, while others see it as an opportunity to have quality family time. Either way, we all need some support and ideas on how to keep the kids busy this summer.

Rummy and I find out how other mums are planning to spend this summer and we share our top tips for keeping the kids occupied and ourselves sane! 

Plus a little catch up on news stories from the week....entanglements and steamy glasses sound familiar anyone?