theIndusParent Logo
theIndusParent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Fertility & Conception
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Post-delivery Care
    • Miscarriage
    • 9 Months
  • Baby
    • Development
    • Breastfeeding
    • Weaning
    • Health
    • Behaviour
    • Gear & Wear
    • Baby Names
    • Nine Months-0 to 1
  • Toddler
    • Development
    • Health
    • Behaviour
    • Life Skills
    • Trendy Wear
    • 9 Months Season 3: Toddler Years
  • Pre-teen
    • Development
    • Health
    • Education
    • Behaviour
    • Lifeskills
    • Fashion
  • Mums
    • Awesome Working Mums
    • Celeb Mums
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Sex
    • Labour Story
  • Health
    • Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Home Remedies
    • Chakra Healing
    • Experts' Corner
  • Family & Leisure
    • Relationships
    • For Dads
    • Essential Life Tips
    • Money
    • Recipes
    • Celebrations
    • Travel
    • Vastu
    • Astrology
    • Baby Photos
    • Video
    • Events & Workshops
    • Review
    • Contest
  • हिंदी
  • தமிழ்
  • বাংলা
  • Video

Why I have decided NOT to have an Annaprashan ceremony for my baby boy

3 min read
Why I have decided NOT to have an Annaprashan ceremony for my baby boyWhy I have decided NOT to have an Annaprashan ceremony for my baby boy

The family wants to have a grand Annaprashan for my baby and invite over all the relatives. However, I have decided against it.

I am a mother of three beautiful children. My youngest, is a son who is now 5-months-old. As is natural in most Indian families the talks about conducting his annaprashan keep on surfacing.

The family wants to celebrate it in a grand ceremony and invite over all the relatives. However, I have decided against it.

I am choosing not to have any big celebrations. And yes, this is causing a lot of rift in my family but there is a reason why I am not opting for the celebrations that are considered so important in traditional families such as ours.

Why I am opting out

The reason why I am opting out of this celebration is extremely emotional. Let me try explaining it to you. I have two girls who are now 6 and 4.

annaprashan

A baby’s initiation to solids is a marked change in his life and hence, celebrated in the annaprashan

When the time came for their annaprashan ceremony my in-laws informed that they would have just a small token ceremony as in case of girls the function is not supposed to be elaborate.

So, we had a small pooja at home with just the family members for both my girls. I did not think much about it until after my son was born.

This time things were different

As early as when my son was two-months-old my mother-in-law began talking about having a big function for his annaprashan. I was surprised as this was never talked about in case of my girls. In the past one month, there have been talks about printing invitation cards, calling over halwais to make sweets.

Inviting all the extended family over. Honestly, the planning is so elaborate as if there is a grand wedding in the family. For me, this all seems so unfair to my girls. If this is supposed to be such a big affair why were the rules different for my girls? Why were they denied a big function? Will I be able to justify this to my girls when they grow up?

By differentiating in the form of celebration are we not already creating a visible difference in the way we treat boys and girls. And hence I have put my foot down and said no to a grand celebration. I want to have the same small set up and pooja the way I had for my daughters.

Am I breaking rules?

My in-laws are miffed with me and feel that I am challenging their beliefs. I have tried explaining it to my husband who agrees with me but sees no harm in having a big function as it will please his parents.

But for me giving in means not standing up for my girls. I do not want to do something that seems unfair to my girls. A grand celebration is not the only way to show that I love my kids. I love my son as much as I love my daughters and that’s why I want to keep the rules for them same.

I feel if I set the right example in my family then only I can hope that my daughters grow up to be confident individuals and my son grows up to know that the biggest power is to realise that all genders are equal. What do you think mums?

Partner Stories
109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life
109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life
4 things parents should not do for their children
4 things parents should not do for their children
Kids at Harm in Maids' Hands
Kids at Harm in Maids' Hands
These are the best sexual positions for quicker conception
These are the best sexual positions for quicker conception

Read: What Nisha Rawal and Karan Mehra did for their baby’s Annaprashan ceremony

 

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

zofeen

  • Home
  • /
  • Rituals & customs
  • /
  • Why I have decided NOT to have an Annaprashan ceremony for my baby boy
Share:
  • 109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life
    Partner Stories

    109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life

  • Want happy and healthy kids? Follow Rujuta Diwekar's 5 golden mantras

    Want happy and healthy kids? Follow Rujuta Diwekar's 5 golden mantras

  • In Pics: Sisters Kareena and Karisma celebrate daddy Randhir Kapoor's 71st birthday!

    In Pics: Sisters Kareena and Karisma celebrate daddy Randhir Kapoor's 71st birthday!

app info
get app banner
  • 109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life
    Partner Stories

    109-year-old woman shares her secret to long life

  • Want happy and healthy kids? Follow Rujuta Diwekar's 5 golden mantras

    Want happy and healthy kids? Follow Rujuta Diwekar's 5 golden mantras

  • In Pics: Sisters Kareena and Karisma celebrate daddy Randhir Kapoor's 71st birthday!

    In Pics: Sisters Kareena and Karisma celebrate daddy Randhir Kapoor's 71st birthday!

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Ages + Stages
    • Baby
    • Baby Concerns
    • Baby Development
    • Baby Formula Feeding
    • Baby health
    • Baby Milestones
    • Breastfeeding
  • Family Life
    • Family & Leisure
    • Essential Tips
    • Family Fun
    • Events
    • For Dads
    • For Mum and Dad
  • Health & Wellness
    • India
    • International
    • Lifestyle
    • Kid's Entertainment
    • Indoor
    • Learning Activities
  • Toddler
    • Toddler Behaviour
    • Toddler Development
    • Toddler Discipline
    • Toddler Education
    • Toddler Health
    • Toddler Life Skills
  • Gallery
    • News
    • Celebrity
    • Features
    • Bollywood
    • Video
    • Marriage
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it