Mothers who spend their whole day with their children and homemaking, as well as those who regularly participate in any fun-filled activity or hobby with their children, are more prone to experiencing empty nest syndrome or emptiness syndrome after being alone. Sumithra Sriram, is a mother of two children and a homemaker who spoke to SheThePeople about the syndrome in an attempt to spread awareness.
"In Indian culture, it’s common to see parents (especially homemakers) giving their complete and uninterrupted attention to their children from the day they’re born to the day they leave home. Independence is not encouraged by society and it also doesn’t come naturally to them, and so when the kids leave home as adults, mothers do not know what to do in their new-found free time and they end up using it on memories of their children being around.
Earlier, when the joint family system was the norm, the nest was hardly ever empty. But now, when we live as nuclear families consisting of only the parents and kids, it becomes a sudden shock when half the family is missing.
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We can make it a point to put our heart into some activity that we love right from the beginning, amidst all the busy chores. When the children grow up and are ready to explore the world, we will have something to spend time on and keep ourselves busy and happy!"
I grew up in a very strict household. we weren’t given any freedom. Be it the clothes we wore, the wish to step out of the house or even the freedom to speak our minds; we had grown up hearing that such things were not for us. I wasn’t even allowed to watch TV. I grew up feeling very suppressed. Even while getting married, my choices were not considered.
After the birth of my second child, I became both very physically and mentally weak. Over the years I felt trapped inside the 4 walls of my kitchen. In 2020 my mental health was at its worst, I would just lay in bed all day not wanting to do anything. As a child, I loved to sing but my family would say that girls from good families don’t sing and dance. It was my daughter who encouraged me to start singing again and record videos. She helped me make an Instagram account. With the help and support of my kids, I started making reels. Her friends would like my posts and cheer me on. Making these videos has brought me a lot of joy. For the first time in my life, I can do what I truly want to do. I feel as excited as a teenager about what lies ahead.
Recently I was called an influencer online - 'I’m a housewife,' that's what I always thought of myself. But the new title made my heart leap. I wasn’t given a chance to pursue what I loved, but that’s the great part about life; it’s never too late to start. So don’t be sad if life hasn’t been great so far. Instead fasten your seatbelt, because the best is yet to come."
Feature Image Credit: Sumithra Sriram/ Instagram
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