Motherhood Beyond the Screen: The Simple Things That Connect Us

As a Gen Z who's relied on AI for almost everything—from recipes to homework—there’s always been a platform ready with answers. But before ChatGPT or DeepSeek existed, there was someone who helped me, understood me, and never needed a prompt—my mother.

Lately, with so much digital noise, I’ve started forgetting the memories I once cherished with her. So I took a moment to pause and really think back. The word ‘mom’ feels modern, like she belongs to a generation raising a Gen Z child. But before 'mom,' there were many versions—Amma, Maa, Mummy, Aai, Mai, Mataji. And with each of them came little acts of love and care that weren’t written in any manual but were felt in the simplest gestures.

I asked my mom if there was something special she shared with my Aaji (my grandmother)—something that quietly passed down to me. She smiled and said: Sunday oil champis, festive preparations, and the way they’d share stories while kneading dough. While I still dread those champi days, I now know—those weren’t just routines. They were quiet inheritances, passed down with love.

Sometimes, I wonder how my mom just knows. I don’t even say anything, but she reads my face, my energy, like she has some secret radar. Back in school, she’d slip little notes into my tiffin box—tiny decorated messages that said “you got this” or “smile today.” And yeah, I used to get so annoyed when she asked a million questions, but now I get it. That was just her way of saying, “I care.”

I know I’ll pass this on someday—the way we spent time without screens in between, how even the simplest home food mattered more than taste, because it was made with actual care. AI may be growing fast, but no app can recreate that kind of love.

Because motherhood? It’s not just diapers and lullabies. It’s a full-blown transformation. Emotionally, mentally, even in how she sees herself. And through all the chaos, she never forgets the small gestures—like slipping a note into your tiffin box, just to remind you that you're loved.

by Vivana Raut

Grade 10  , Intern JBCN International School