Welcome to week 16 of the Meet the Mommy series. In case you missed last week’s post, you can read it here. The mommy we’re meeting today is someone who many of us may feel as if we already know. She’s a familiar voice on 5FM, a mommy blogger, a voice over artist, and a pretty amazing mom. My featured mommy this week is Sureshnie Rider, and I’m thrilled to have her be a part of this series. ?

1. Please tell us a little – or a lot (we like details) – about yourself?

My name is Sureshnie Rider, and you can find me on the radio living my passion, ‪from 6am until 9am‬, on the Roger Goode Show on 5fm. I’ve just entered a brand new era of my life – just turned 40, and I am a mom to a 7 year old princess named Pavani Milan, and I’m married to my awesome husband Leigh. We’ve been married for 10 years, so last year was a pretty year of milestones. I’m a former Durban Girl, who is now a resident of Johannesburg for the past 15 years. I’ve been in radio for a grand total of 20 years, following my Journalism Graduation from ML Sultan Technikon. I live in the very simple mantra of Live, Learn, and Love… it was my primary school motto, and it plays the greatest role in shaping the person, citizen, wife, and parent that I am. I try to live in the moment and make everything count, I try to learn at least one new thing everyday, and I love with all of my heart. If I’m not on air, you can hear me on my international radio show that I host for South African Airways. You will also find me behind the steering of a super car or three, as I’m a mad petrol head. And of course I have officially declared myself Mariah Carey’s number one fan! I’m not the best cook, in fact I’m a diluted Indian… in that I can’t seem to eat spicy curry, and the rotis I make are not round, but I try and I’m loving learning to cook every day. If you come to visit at our house, you will meet all of my beautiful furry babies, and I will always ensure you leave with some padkos that includes either malva pudding or potato bake. 🙂 Come visit. 🙂

2. What’s the one thing you find most challenging about being a working / stay at home mom?

For me its always been the timing of a show and how I slot everything together. I’ve worked day time radio, late night, early morning, weekends etc. So my family and I have had to constantly juggle and adjust schedules so that we can get things right. I do have a great amount of flexibility which has afforded me proper quality time with my little one, especially in her foundation years, and I try my best to negotiate all of that so that each part of my life is well taken care of.

3. We all know there are challenging moments – moments which call for chocolate, or wine (or both), to soothe those mommy nerves… Forgetting all that though, what is your absolute favourite thing about being a mom?

My favorite part of being a mom is that I have my own little person that is mine… well also Leigh’s obviously. She is the extension of the love we have for each other, and a love that lives outside of our bodies. Everyday I marvel at what she is able to do, and I respect every minute I have been given. Parenting, or being a mom never came with a handbook. I’m now okay with this, because I see it as a new chapter. I live for fresh experiences everyday, especially in my radio industry. It excites me to face new challenges or fresh perspectives, and I think Pavani provide that platform for me. I have always said that I have ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ and by that I mean that I’ve always lived my life enjoying the wonder of the world as if I had child like eyes. Even up to today, I get terribly excited to enter a toy store, or sit on the floor under the blanket and read with my kid for hours. I live vicariously through her and I get to enjoy my childhood again and again… what an incredible blessing.

4. From the experience you’ve gained since becoming a parent, what is a pretty cool piece of advice you would give to other moms?

I’ve learnt to parent according to me and my child. I never judge her milestones to a book or to other kids developments. I take each of her moments and her milestones, and treasure where she is at each stage. Too often moms face so much pressure, be it socially or otherwise to have their kid ‘fit’ in or to be on some kind of graph that measures their achievements. That is stress that is unnecessary and unwarranted. Be kind to yourself as a parent and kinder to your child. This is not a competition.

I also enjoy a very open relationship with my kid. I try at every occasion to impart something of importance and to remind her that she is loved, and that she must be able to show love to others. I always tell her… Before you say something, think first – 1. Is it the Truth, 2. Is it going to be Kind, and 3. Is it necessary? This way I’m going to attempt to make a more thoughtful citizen out of her, one who can try to be respectful and kind.

5. Share with us one of the funniest moments you’ve had since becoming a mom.

Oh man there are just so many! My kid gets super embarrassed if I shout too loudly at the school events. So nowadays I get given a little ‘pep’ talk by Pavani that tells me the level I need to tone down to and that I don’t need to shout for the whole school… just to be ‘cool’. 🙂 I find that hilarious and daunting but I respect that.

I’ve also had a trip to Centurion when Pavani was a year old, that is my fondest memory. On this trip she got hold of a sucker and managed to ‘close her eyes shut’ with the sweet syrup of the sucker. I kept singing our favourite song and asking her to look at the scenery and the cows. The poor kid kept shouting back to me ‘I can’t see Mommy’ and as I turned around to say “Look look,” I then understood why she couldn’t. I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry or get her into an emergency room but seeing her face and the fun she had, made everything so worthwhile. ?

6. Please tell us where we can find you online. (Links to your social media platforms)

Twitter: Sureshnie
Facebook: Sureshnie Rider
Instagram: Sureshnie Rider
YouTube: Sureshnie Rider – Pavani and I have also been working on our little YouTube offering, and we host a series called SessionsWithSush. She and I unbox toys and have way too much fun.

Thank you Sureshnie for giving us a glimpse into your life as a mom. 🙂

How this little series was born… A while back I was thinking about how all the moms I know are different in many ways – be it their parenting style, or whether they go to work, stay at home, or work from home. Some have one little person, while others have three or four. Some of our babies began their journey inside us learning the sound of our heartbeat, whilst some began in another only to meet us later and hold our hearts forever. Whatever the differences in how we became moms, how we parent… Being a mom, plus ALL that comes with it, is what we all have in common.

And that’s how I came up with the Meet the Mommy series – an interview with regular moms like you and I, where we get to “meet” mommies who are different in many ways, yet have so much in common too.

—�—�—�—�—