Meet Shaina
Shaina is an American-born woman and a daughter of Pakistani immigrants. She is an expat in London. Her background is in public health. Shaina has her own company called The Shaadi Shop, which focuses on retailing South Asian outfits and accessories for brides, bridesmaids, and friends for weddings. Shaina is President of a non profit, Glitter of Hope, that works to help refugee and orphan communities in Atlanta, Georgia. She is mommy blogger, read more at - www.themultitaskingmama.blog
In a nut shell - she does it all and plus some more!
Mona @ SW: How do you manage your own shop, a non profit, a blog, moving to a new country & motherhood?
Shaina: I write to-do-lists like my life depends on it. I have separate categories for the activities/goals in my life, and then I bullet actionable items underneath each category, with a deadline. Once done, it is incredibly satisfying to cross it out. Even with this, I often feel like I am behind and not doing enough - but you just have to take it one day at a time.
Mona @ SW: What has been the biggest challenge as a mom?
Shaina: Wanting to balance your own goals and dreams with being responsible for raising another human. This human is 100% reliant on me. I give him as much dedication and time as possible, and sometimes that means putting certain things I want to do with my time on the back burner - and knowing it is okay.
Mona @ SW: If you can share one piece of advice for other moms or moms to be, what would it be?
Shaina: There is no one way to mother. You get so much unsolicited advice as a mom (whether in real life or online), and there is nothing wrong with hearing/reading/listening to it all and then figuring out what works best for you. For example, I realized over time that in order to be a better mom, I need my sleep. So that meant that as soon as we had the go ahead from the doctor, we sleep trained Faiz (At 2 months). For some people, that would have been too early - but it worked for me and my husband. And I was a better mom because of it. You have to decide what works best for you.
Mona @ SW: What inspires you?
Shaina: Other moms sharing vulnerable anecdotes. Whether it is my mom, grandma, mother-in-law, or aunts sharing their experiences - or social media posts from moms I haven't even met. I feel like sharing our experiences brings us together; because many can likely relate to different aspects of the stories whether they are happening to a social media influencer right now or my grandmother almost 50 years ago. It makes me feel more connected and like I am part of a social support group.
Mona @ SW: Who do you look up to the most?
Shaina: My mom. She had me when she was 20 years older, almost a full decade before I had my baby. I can't imagine how stressful it must have been (well I can, because she's told me!) But I am even in more awe of the patience and dedication she gave us, when she was so young herself.
Mona @ SW: What do you wish you knew about motherhood that you know now?
Shaina: In the beginning, I wanted to prove that I could do the mom thing with limited help. But the more you accept help, the easier life is. Some people want to feel like they did it on their own or they get frustrated when they get advice from family members. Take it. Take the help. Take the information. There is nothing wrong with absorbing as much info as you want, and then making a decision on your own. My husband has officially taken over every morning and night shift. Maybe the old me would have felt like "I need to do more," but accepting his help makes me even more productive and alert, and I'm so grateful for that. There is nothing wrong with accepting help from people who care.
Mona @ SW: What is your biggest hope for your son, Faiz?
Shaina: That he grows up to be a kind and empathetic person - and I hope he's funny!