Motherhood has a way of making you see everything differently, including where you come from. As first-generation South Asian moms, we carry more than diaper bags and snacks. We carry legacy like recipes from our mothers, stories from our grandmothers, and the quiet pressure to make sure none of it gets lost.
We want our kids to grow up proud of their roots, to understand why we light diyas on Diwali or throw color on Holi, to know that “home” is bigger than one place or language. But in the chaos of modern motherhood with work emails, play dates, and the pressure to pass on our culture, I wonder: How do we teach our kids about our culture when even we’re still figuring out how to live between two worlds?
For many of us, that duality runs deep. We grew up balancing samosas with sandwiches and quietly absorbing two sets of expectations. Now, as moms, we’re trying to pass down traditions while giving our kids the freedom to define their own. We want them to celebrate Diwali with joy and Christmas with wonder. To eat dosas and dino nuggets. To know where they come from and feel proud of it.
But sometimes it feels like a lot, and it’s easy to feel like we’re falling short. That’s why finding simple, meaningful ways to connect our culture to everyday life feels so grounding, and why we love brands like Clover Baby & Kids.
Clover understands the magic in small moments from cozy pajamas that make bedtime stories feel special, to prints that subtly remind us of the joy and vibrancy of our culture. They help us bring celebration into the everyday, so it’s not just about the big festivals, but the daily rituals that build identity like family dinners, goodnight kisses, silly dance parties.
We recently talked about this on The Hardest Job Ever podcast. We’re still learning our culture in new ways while trying to pass it down at the same time. And that’s okay. The beauty is in trying, in showing up, imperfectly, with love.
Because maybe passing down culture isn’t about doing everything exactly as our parents did. Maybe it’s about keeping the spirit alive like the togetherness, the pride, the stories. And we’re finding new ways to make them our own.
Listen to the full conversation on modern motherhood: The Hardest Job Ever Podcast on Spotify
Follow us for more real and heartfelt stories: @thehardestjobever
