In this episode, Neha speaks with Gayatri Vathsan, a life coach and mother to Krishna, about parenting a profoundly autistic child—and how autism reshapes not just a child’s life, but the entire family system. Gayatri walks us through the early years: a seemingly typical toddlerhood, a sudden regression, a traumatic first school experience, and the long road of diagnosis, therapy, and re-learning everything she thought she knew about parenting.

What emerges is not a story of “overcoming” autism, but of recalibrating expectations, redefining success, and learning to live fully in the present. Gayatri speaks candidly about grief that arrives late, fear that never fully disappears, advocacy fatigue, marriage as a partnership under pressure, and the joy of small, hard-won victories. This episode holds space for complexity—without platitudes, without false hope, and without despair.

Why You Should Listen

• If you are parenting a neurodivergent child and feel unseen or exhausted by “inspirational” narratives
• If you are navigating caregiving, disability, or chronic uncertainty
• If you want a grounded, unsentimental conversation about love, limits, and dignity
• If you believe parenting is as much about unlearning as it is about nurturing

This episode doesn’t promise answers. It offers companionship.

Notable Quotes from the Guest

• “We are an autism family. All our lives changed.”
• “Fear doesn’t disappear. We’ve just learned not to let it dictate every move.”
• “Progress isn’t linear. Skills come, skills go—and you learn to stay.”
• “If he reaches base camp, that itself is extraordinary.”
• “Plan for the future, but don’t let fear steal the present.”

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Redefine progress: Let go of neurotypical timelines. Measure growth on your child’s terms.
• Trust parental instinct: Especially after institutional harm, parents often know what their child needs better than systems do.
• Advocacy is a skill: Learn to ask for accommodations clearly—and to walk away when dignity isn’t respected.
• Marriage matters: Shared caregiving can deepen partnership when approached as a team, not a tally of tasks.
• Stay present: Planning is necessary, but living only in the future drains today of its meaning.

Resources & References

• Understanding autism spectrum disorder: https://www.cdc.gov/autism
• Indian context on autism & neurodiversity: https://www.nimhans.ac.in
• Parent-led advocacy and inclusive care (India): https://www.autism-india.org
• On caregiving burnout and emotional labour: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu

(Links provided for further reading; not all are mentioned directly in the episode.)

About the Guest

Gayatri Vathsan is a life coach, writer, and parent based in Bengaluru. She writes and speaks about autism, caregiving, systems of care, and lived parenthood with rare clarity and restraint. Her reflections—often shared on LinkedIn—focus on dignity, realism, and the inner transformations that parenting a neurodivergent child demands.

• Follow Gayatri on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gayatri_vathsan
• Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gayatri.vathsan
• Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayatri-vathsan/

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In this episode, Neha sits down with Gargi Bhatt—marketing leader, mother to 7.5-year-old Misha, and pet parent to Mayo—for an unfiltered exploration of motherhood as it is actually lived. Gargi speaks candidly about becoming a mother later in life, navigating pregnancy after miscarriage, and the overwhelming, contradictory emotions of early parenthood—exhaustion and devotion, fear and fierce love, guilt and pride.

The conversation moves through grief and loss, as Gargi shares how her father’s illness and death during the COVID years reshaped her emotional landscape and her parenting. She reflects on separation, co-parenting, and the long, complicated process of choosing herself while carrying the weight of how that choice might one day be seen by her child.

At its heart, this episode is about learning to let go—loving deeply without holding too tightly. Gargi speaks about children not being our emotional insurance, about the absence of “Ctrl+Z” in parenting, and about the slow, painful work of allowing children to become themselves. Threaded through it all is the quiet power of village—friends, mothers, partners, and chosen family who hold you up when you are barely standing.

Why You Should Listen

• If you’ve ever carried guilt alongside love as a parent
• If you’re navigating separation, grief, or major life transitions while raising a child
• If you struggle with letting go while wanting to protect
• If you’re questioning what “enough” really means—in parenting, work, and life
• If you want reassurance that imperfect, present parenting is enough

Notable Quotes

• “The hardest part of motherhood is letting go in a measured way.”
• “Guilt is a constant companion. You don’t get rid of it—you learn to manage it.”
• “Children are not our emotional proof. They don’t have to be okay with our choices.”
• “You can’t be a perfect mother. Just be a present one.”
• “There is no Ctrl+Z in parenting. You’re in it.”

Practical Takeaways for Listeners

• Deep love doesn’t automatically teach us how to give children space—this is a learned skill.
• Guilt is universal in motherhood; managing it matters more than eliminating it.
• Children are not responsible for validating adult decisions.
• Presence matters more than perfection, routines, or curated “core memories.”
• Villages—friends, chosen family, support systems—are not optional; they are survival tools.
• It’s okay to be disliked when the choices you make are rooted in care and clarity.

About the Guest

Gargi Bhatt is a senior marketing professional and a thoughtful, deeply reflective mother. She brings honesty, emotional intelligence, and lived experience to conversations around parenting, grief, separation, and personal growth. Gargi is the mother of Misha and Mayo, and firmly believes in raising children—and ourselves—with empathy, boundaries, and courage.

• Follow Gargi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gargibhattoza/
• Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargibhatt/

💬 Join the Conversation

🔔 Review & Subscribe:

If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and family!

💖 Follow Us:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parenthootwithneha/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/parenthoot/

☕ Support Us: https://buymeacoffee.com/gargneha Your support helps keep the show running.