In this episode, Neha sits down with Gargi Bhatt—marketing leader, mother to 7.5-year-old Misha, and pet parent to Mayo—for an unfiltered exploration of motherhood as it is actually lived. Gargi speaks candidly about becoming a mother later in life, navigating pregnancy after miscarriage, and the overwhelming, contradictory emotions of early parenthood—exhaustion and devotion, fear and fierce love, guilt and pride.

The conversation moves through grief and loss, as Gargi shares how her father’s illness and death during the COVID years reshaped her emotional landscape and her parenting. She reflects on separation, co-parenting, and the long, complicated process of choosing herself while carrying the weight of how that choice might one day be seen by her child.

At its heart, this episode is about learning to let go—loving deeply without holding too tightly. Gargi speaks about children not being our emotional insurance, about the absence of “Ctrl+Z” in parenting, and about the slow, painful work of allowing children to become themselves. Threaded through it all is the quiet power of village—friends, mothers, partners, and chosen family who hold you up when you are barely standing.

Why You Should Listen

• If you’ve ever carried guilt alongside love as a parent
• If you’re navigating separation, grief, or major life transitions while raising a child
• If you struggle with letting go while wanting to protect
• If you’re questioning what “enough” really means—in parenting, work, and life
• If you want reassurance that imperfect, present parenting is enough

Notable Quotes

• “The hardest part of motherhood is letting go in a measured way.”
• “Guilt is a constant companion. You don’t get rid of it—you learn to manage it.”
• “Children are not our emotional proof. They don’t have to be okay with our choices.”
• “You can’t be a perfect mother. Just be a present one.”
• “There is no Ctrl+Z in parenting. You’re in it.”

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Deep love doesn’t automatically teach us how to give children space—this is a learned skill.
• Guilt is universal in motherhood; managing it matters more than eliminating it.
• Children are not responsible for validating adult decisions.
• Presence matters more than perfection, routines, or curated “core memories.”
• Villages—friends, chosen family, support systems—are not optional; they are survival tools.
• It’s okay to be disliked when the choices you make are rooted in care and clarity.

About the Guest

Gargi Bhatt is a senior marketing professional and a thoughtful, deeply reflective mother. She brings honesty, emotional intelligence, and lived experience to conversations around parenting, grief, separation, and personal growth. Gargi is the mother of Misha and Mayo, and firmly believes in raising children—and ourselves—with empathy, boundaries, and courage.

• Follow Gargi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gargibhattoza/
• Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargibhatt/

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In this deeply reflective episode of Parenthoot with Neha, Neha Garg is joined by Bakula Nayak—artist, former brand strategist, long-time homemaker, and mother to two grown sons, Veer and Vikrant.

Bakula’s story spans over two decades of intentional motherhood: choosing to step away from a thriving corporate career, living across countries, raising children with presence and devotion, navigating illness, and now standing at the threshold of an emptying home.

The conversation moves fluidly through identity loss and evolution, the grief of no longer being the center of a child’s universe, marriage that grows quieter and deeper with time, parenting boys into kindness, and the invisible mental and emotional labour mothers carry—especially when illness enters the picture.

This is not a conversation about parenting “right.” It is about parenting honestly, living with consequence, and learning to make peace with the lives we choose—and the bodies we inhabit.

Why You Should Listen

• If you’ve ever struggled with guilt—for working, for not working, for resting, for being ill
• If you fear the day your child won’t need you the same way
• If you’re navigating marriage after the chaos of early parenthood
• If motherhood has reshaped your identity in ways you didn’t anticipate
• If you want to hear a rare, unromanticised account of long-term caregiving, sacrifice, and fulfillment

This episode offers language for emotions many parents feel but rarely articulate.

Notable Quotes

• “Life as I knew it was over. Like who I was, was over.”
• “The grieving of just not being the center of your child’s universe is hard.”
• “Maybe this was my job—to raise them and make them equipped to live independent lives.”
• “I thought my marriage was boring. Then I realized it wasn’t boring—it was peaceful.”
• “That mom guilt is so unnecessary and such a waste of mental bandwidth.”
• “You cannot love her child more than she does.”

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Motherhood has phases—and each phase carries its own grief. Independence can be a success and a loss at the same time.
• Illness is not a parenting failure. Children often rise to the occasion with empathy and capability.
• Mental load is real and gendered. Planning, remembering, worrying—these invisible tasks carry weight.
• Partnership matters more than perfection. Shared values, not identical styles, sustain families.
• You are allowed to trust the life you chose. Regret and gratitude can coexist.

Resources & References

On mental load & invisible labour:

• “The Mental Load” by Emma (comic series) – https://english.emmaclit.com
• "An Illustrated Guide to the Double Standards of Parenting" by Mary Catherine Starr - https://www.marycatherinestarr.com/my-comics

About the Guest

Bakula Nayak is an India-born, US-based artist whose work explores memory, nostalgia, motherhood, and domestic life through mixed media and vintage paper. Formerly a brand strategist working with global companies, Bakula chose to step away from corporate life to raise her children full-time.

Her journey includes long-term caregiving, chronic illness, creative rebirth, and a 25-year partnership built on steadiness and care. Her work and words reflect a life deeply lived, intentionally chosen, and thoughtfully examined.

Follow Bakula on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakulanayak/

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If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and family!

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In this Parenthoot Spotlight episode, we sit down with Mukta Dharma, founder of Tootly, to unpack what it really means to introduce children to music.

Mukta traces her journey from growing up in a deeply musical household, training for over a decade in Hindustani classical music, and performing from the age of three, to a demanding career in investment banking, and finally to motherhood — the turning point that reshaped how she thought about learning, work, and childhood. Tootly emerged when she realised that traditional, outcome-driven music pedagogy simply does not work for toddlers — and that children learn best when music is woven into movement, stories, repetition, and joy.

The conversation moves through early brain development, music as a form of language, screen-time ethics, the power of live music, and the radical idea that children don’t need to be taught creativity — they need to be immersed in it.

Why You Should Listen

• You’re a parent of a young child (0–6) and feel unsure about when or how to introduce music
• You’re overwhelmed by “enrichment culture” and want a calmer, more child-led approach
• You’re curious about how music supports speech, memory, and cognition — without turning into pressure
• You want to rethink screens, stimulation, and what “learning” really looks like in early childhood
• You’re building something of your own and navigating identity shifts after parenthood

This episode is as much about parenting and slowing down as it is about music.

Notable Quotes

• “Children don’t learn by sitting and being instructed. They learn by doing, experiencing, and enjoying.”
• “Don’t decide what your child can or cannot do before giving them the chance.”
• “Music is a very specific case of language — patterns, rhythm, repetition.”
• “We underestimate what children can sit with, simply because we don’t slow down enough to offer it.”
• “This isn’t about creating singers. It’s about raising music-loving humans.”

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Start with exposure, not instruction: From birth to age five, variety and repetition matter more than formal lessons.
• Music before outcomes: Singing, chants, lullabies, and listening build the foundation long before performance.
• Live music matters: Even brief exposure to real instruments and musicians can deeply hold a child’s attention.
• Short, frequent engagement works best: 5–10 minutes a day beats one long weekly class for young children.
• Be the model: Children absorb what parents do, not what they’re told to do — joy is contagious.
• Screens need intention: If used, keep them minimal, slow, and non-addictive — content should serve learning, not hijack attention.

Resources and References

• Tootly on Instagram (program philosophy, sample videos, parent journeys): https://www.instagram.com/tootlymusic
• Research on music and early brain development:
• For parents: introduce chants, rhymes, folk songs, and diverse musical traditions at home
• Film reference mentioned: The Sound of Music (“Do-Re-Mi” as joyful musical pedagogy

About the Guest

Mukta Dharma is a trained Hindustani classical vocalist, IIM Ahmedabad alumna, former investment banker, and the founder of Tootly — an early childhood music program designed for children aged 3–5. Blending music, movement, stories, and neuroscience-informed learning, Tootly focuses on nurturing a lifelong relationship with music without pressure or performance anxiety. Mukta is also a homeschooling parent and lives in Hyderabad with her family.

Join the Conversation

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and family!

Follow Us:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parenthootwithneha/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parenthoot/

Support Us: https://buymeacoffee.com/gargneha Your support helps keep the show running.