#28: The Chaos, the Clarity, and the Cat: A Real Parenting Story, ft. Pooja Sardana

In this episode, we sit down with Pooja Sardana — strategy consultant, writer, mother of two, and the voice behind The Backpacking Mama. What unfolds is a rich, real conversation about parenting as a journey of becoming — not just for children, but for the parent, too.

From teenage eyebrow waxing surprises to brain surgery scares, and from co-parenting revelations to travel tales that shaped her kids, Pooja shares the ups, the downs, and the deeply human in-betweens of raising a family while rediscovering herself.

This episode isn’t about parenting perfection — it’s about parenting with presence, growing through the chaos, and learning to let go… even if that means letting in a cat named Oreo 🐾.

✨ Why You’ll Love This Episode

• You’re craving a parenting story that’s equal parts vulnerable and empowering
• You’ve felt the rage and guilt and love of being an involved parent
• You want to reflect more deeply on co-parenting, marriage, and identity
• You’re curious how travel can transform your children — and you
• You want to feel less alone in the evolving, intuitive, unpredictable nature of parenting

🌟 Episode Highlights

• “Beautiful mistakes” and the gift of unplanned parenting
• How parenting impacts your relationship (and how to course-correct)
• Raising radically different children: one a stop-motion filmmaker, the other a boundary-testing negotiator
• The power of therapy and the moment she knew she had to get help
• What travel has taught her children about independence, culture, and confidence
• Why she stopped blogging, but kept writing from the heart
• Lessons from books, friends, and the quiet moments in between

📚 References & Mentions

• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• What to Expect When You’re Expecting series
• Raising Girls and Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph
• The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
• Pooja’s blog: The Backpacking Mama
• Pooja’s writing on parenting & travel for Indian Express

👤 About the Guest

Pooja Sardana is a strategy & marketing consultant, mother of two wildly different children, traveler, and deeply reflective writer. She’s the voice behind The Backpacking Mama, a blog about parenting and adventure, and she brings her wit, warmth, and hard-won wisdom into every conversation — including this one.

👉 Follow Pooja:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_backpacking_mama/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojasardana/

💬 Join the Conversation

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