Latest news with #SonakshiSharma
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Bengaluru woman's parenting tip video backfires as clip shows house help's daughter eating on floor: ‘This is so dehumanising'
A Bengaluru-based nutritionist, Sonakshi Sharma, has found herself at the centre of a heated debate online after a video she shared offering parenting insights went viral for reasons she would not have foreseen. The clip, intended to demonstrate how baby-led weaning (BLW) is not just a Western fad but something deeply rooted in Indian parenting traditions, sparked criticism for what many saw as a jarring visual contrast. In the video, Sharma is seen comfortably seated on a sofa while her own baby eats from a high chair. In a later frame, a domestic worker's child–around three years old–is shown sitting on the floor, heaving a meal. It was this stark juxtaposition that raised eyebrows online. Sharma's caption argued that Indian mothers have long practised a form of BLW without labelling it. 'Remember our moms being so busy with housework that they used to leave us with the food, and in that process we learnt to eat. BLW is just the same story wrapped in a seemingly exorbitant cover!' she wrote. A post shared by Sonakshi Sharma | Women Fitness | Paediatric Nutrition | BLW (@ But for many viewers, the issue was not about parenting methods–it was about privilege, optics, and inequality. Critics questioned why one child appeared in a high chair while the other was on the floor, calling it a tone-deaf comparison that unintentionally reinforced social hierarchies. One user commented, 'My heart breaks for the child sitting on the ground. There's no excuse, they're taught to know their place due to their poverty… I ensure my helper's child sits at the dining table because this is so dehumanizing and degrading.' Another viewer remarked, 'Whatever is your justification for why your help's 3 yo is sitting on the it still does give out wrong msg u know that right? This comparison reel was unnecessary in first place.. it did intend to show difference in privilege.' Facing the backlash, Sharma issued a clarification. She said the two clips were shot on different days and that the child chose to sit on the floor. 'Before you jump your guns here, this video is from two different days and I don't practice idiotic things like untouchability in 2025 for god's sake! We just valued this child's preference, that's it,' she responded. Sharma went on to defend her intentions, arguing that people were misreading the video. 'You're seeing a 'Househelp's child' sitting on the floor, while I'm seeing just a child who chose to sit on the floor—the same way my daughter would sometimes choose to do–the same floor where we regularly sit and eat,' she added. Still, opinions remained divided. Some came to her defence, arguing that the outrage was misplaced. 'Interesting to see how people here are missing the whole point of this reel, and are crying about the child sitting on the floor instead and other equally unnecessary things.. tells a lot about our society,' said one commenter. Others, however, raised further concerns–not just about seating, but about the food being served. 'You are a 'nutritionist' but your help's toddler is eating roti and Dahi at your house?! Where is the protein for that child?! At least when the child is eating at your place make sure the toddler of your help has a healthy meal,' read one sharply worded reply.
India Today
30-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- India Today
Bengaluru woman defends video of househelp's child eating on floor, sparks backlash
A Bengaluru-based nutritionist found herself at the centre of social media scrutiny after she shared a video on parenting, which sparked debate for its stark visual contrast between two children, one seated on a high chair, the other eating from the for sharing health and parenting content online, Sonakshi Sharma uploaded the video in question on Instagram, discussing 'baby-led weaning' (BLW): A self-feeding approach for her reel, she argued that the concept isn't foreign to India and has long existed in Indian households. 'Remember our mums being so busy with housework that they used to leave us with the food, and in that process we learnt to eat. BLW is just the same story wrapped in a seemingly exorbitant cover,' Sharma said in the caption of her clip began with Sharma seated on a sofa as her baby ate from a high chair. But what caught everyone's eye - and criticism - was the following shot: her domestic worker's three-year-old son eating kheer and roti while sitting on the contrast between the two frames triggered a flood of backlash. Several social media users felt the video unintentionally reinforced class divides, even if Sharma's messaging focused on parenting Sharma explained the intent was never to compare, several viewers found the visual cue difficult to later addressed the criticism in an edit to her original video. She clarified that the two clips were filmed on different days and that the child in question simply chose to sit on the floor.'I don't practise idiotic things like untouchability in 2025, for God's sake! We just valued this child's preference, that's it. I understand that those showing concern are good people, but this child doesn't really need your pity for such a trivial thing,' she wrote in the comments further added, 'You're seeing a 'househelp's child' sitting on the floor, while I'm seeing just a child who chose to sit on the floor—the same way my daughter would sometimes choose to do the same floor where we regularly sit and eat.'Take a look at her post here:Watch the video here: Social media users were divided. Several defended Sharma's explanation, saying the outrage was misplaced. But others questioned the decision to film and share the clip in the first place.'Whatever your justification is, it still sends the wrong message. This comparison reel was unnecessary. It clearly showed a difference in privilege,' one user added, 'Try to ensure the kid sits on the couch or at least at a table. The contrast between the children is obvious, even if unintentional. People are going to judge based on what they see.'One person called the reel 'rage bait' and said, 'We don't live in your house. We only see what you post. So maybe think twice before sharing something that might trigger a debate unless that was the goal.'Still, there were voices who found the outrage unwarranted. 'Interesting how people missed the entire point of the reel and latched onto the floor-sitting bit. That says more about our society than the video,' a viewer added, 'Honestly, I get that your intent wasn't bad. But visually, the reel didn't convey that. The shots looked too contrasting, like scenes from old movies where the help sits on the floor while the master eats on a dining chair.'See the comments here:What began as a reel about Indian parenting styles ended up stirring a conversation about optics, privilege, and the delicate line content creators walk when they document personal lives online. And while Sonakshi Sharma stood by her video, the internet felt that intent isn't always enough when visuals speak louder than captions.- EndsTrending Reel
Hindustan Times
29-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru mom defends viral video of domestic worker's son eating on floor: ‘Doesn't need your pity'
A Bengaluru nutritionist's video sharing parenting tips went viral after it showed her domestic worker's child eating while sitting on the floor, drawing sharp criticism online. Nutritionist Sonakshi Sharma shared the video to highlight how baby-led weaning (BLW) is not a Western concept, but something Indian mothers have practised for generations. In the video, Sonakshi Sharma explains how baby-led weaning has been used by Indian mothers for generations.(Instagram/ 'Remember our moms being so busy with housework that they used to leave us with the food, and in that process we learnt to eat. BLW is just the same story wrapped in a seemingly exorbitant cover!,' Sharma says in the video. The clip shows her sitting on a sofa while her baby eats from a high chair. However, in the next shot, her domestic worker's three-year-old son is shown sitting on the floor, eating kheer and roti. Take a look at the video here: The contrast drew backlash from viewers who said it highlighted inequality, especially given the difference in how the two children were presented. Sharma defended her video, clarifying that the clips were filmed on different days and that the child simply preferred to sit on the floor. 'I don't practice idiotic things like untouchability in 2025 for god's sake! We just valued this child's preference, that's it. I understand that those showing concern are good people, but this child doesn't really need your pity for such a trivial thing,' she said. She also criticised the online response, claiming viewers were reading into it the wrong way. 'You're seeing a 'Househelp's child' sitting on the floor, while I'm seeing just a child who chose to sit on the floor—the same way my daughter would sometimes choose to do—the same floor where we regularly sit and eat,' she added. The video drew mixed reactions online. While some users supported Sharma's explanation, others felt the comparison was not needed. 'Whatever your justification is for why your help's three-year-old is sitting on the floor, it still does give out wrong message. This comparison reel was unnecessary in the first place,' one user wrote. Another countered, 'God! All the drama queens crying in the comments because kid is sitting on the floor. It's an Indian household, we all sit on the floor.'
