Double Duty

Should taking kids along to professional commitments be normalised? Four working moms weigh the pros and cons of the matter.

- GEETIKASACHDEV

Since she was little, Aaradhya has been actor Aishwarya Rai’s constant companion on some of the biggest red carpets and events—from Cannes Film Festival to Anant Ambani Radhika Merchant gala. When Rai was asked by a media outlet why she takes her daughter everywhere, she laid bare the reality of several working moms. “She’s always with me, so she is a part of my multitasking life. I keep it as real for her as possible, and very normal.”

Rai is no exception. We’ve seen many international celebrities like Beyoncé, Katie Holmes, and Mariah Carey take their kids to music tours, performances, and even film sets.

And it’s not just women. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s son made his debut at a Zoom meeting a few years ago, and has made several public appearances since then.

In an age where parents are relentlessly managing work and home, should taking kids along to professional commitments be normalised? If yes, where does one draw the line? We speak to four prominent working moms across industries—Gauri Devidayal, the cofounder of Food Matters Group; Amrita Thakur, designer and style curator; Kalki Koechlin, actor, producer, writer, and sustainability advocate; and Mini Mathur, TV host and actor—to weigh the pros and cons of the matter.

To each, their own

To Koechlin, it’s a normal practice for mothers to take their kids to work. However, she highlights that every parent may have their own discretions.

“For instance, if it was a weekday and a night event, I would refrain from taking my child along because she has school the next morning. It also depends if the content is appropriate for her age,” Koechlin tells Bazaar India.