'Motherhood's Full Of Guilt': IAS Officer's Honest Post On Parenting Goes Viral

IAS Officer Divya Mittal recently took to social media to open up about the unseen challenges and demands of motherhood. On International Women's Day, she wrote on X, "I am an IAS officer. I have studied at IIT and IIM. I have struggled to achieve all this. But nothing could prepare me for the challenges of raising my 2 little daughters." Mittal is a graduate of two of the most prestigious institutes in India- the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore.

IAS Divya Mittal On Motherhood Challenges

Mittal, who often shares her experiences as a bureaucrat and parent, wrote her raw and unfiltered take on motherhood. "My elder daughter is 8. Already, the world tries to shut her tiny voice when she differs from them. We can’t let them dim their light", she wrote in the heartfelt post. She also shared how she balanced the demands of her career and parenthood.

"I cry some nights—exhausted, stretched thin. But then she hugs me, says, “You’re my hero.”  They watch us. They learn resilience from our failures. Show her it’s okay to fall, then rise... My job taught me this: strength isn’t loud. It’s steady. Be her rock not her crutch. Let her fall and get up. Just show that you will be there no matter what," Mittal wrote.

She admitted that motherhood can be full of questions and guilt. "What if I am not enough? What if I make mistakes? Know this - You are, in your own way, building a world where she can chase anything," she said, adding that forgiving oneself and moving ahead is crucial. "You are enough."

"If you have more than 1 child, you have 10 times the responsibility. Even more than loving, be just. Make them understand why you are choosing what you do. This will shape their worldview. No matter what role you have, you must give your best. If you give up, how do you expect her to be a fighter? You are her biggest role model," she wrote.

On Raising Daughters

Mittal wrote about raising independent girls who know their self-worth. "To achieve greatness, she doesn't need to become a man. Teach her to stay true to herself. Her emotions are her assets," she wrote. "Life is not a popularity contest. She doesn't need to be liked to be respected. Her worth is not in approval from others. The only person she needs to please is herself."

"We are fortunate to be a part of her journey. Her failures and joys. Successes and accolades. Cherish them. Trust her. She’ll surprise you with what she can do!" Mittal wrote. She concluded her message with a touching Women's Day wish, signing off as "Love, a mom who's trying."

Unfurl to read the full post:

I am an IAS officer. I have studied from IIT and IIM. I have struggled to achieve all this. But nothing could prepare me for the challenges of raising my 2 little daughters.

A thread penning my thoughts as a parent of daughters on this women's day

— Divya Mittal (@divyamittal_IAS) March 8, 2025

IAS Divya Mittal Shares Parenting Tips

Mittal has often tweeted about her experiences as a parent and how they impacted her. She once shared the importance of promoting critical thinking, a scientific temper, and a curious mind, especially in childhood, as these are important life skills.

She also shared a list of experiments that can be performed at home with kids to teach important lessons about science in a fun and interactive way.

I am an engineer from IIT Delhi. But more than any degree, what is needed in life is critical thinking, scientific temper and a curious mind.

I had made a list of experiments I want to do with my daughters to inculcate the same. Sharing it with you. A 🧵

— Divya Mittal (@divyamittal_IAS) August 22, 2023

Mittal’s thread on X, formerly Twitter, read, "I’m an engineer from IIT Delhi. But more than any degree, what is needed in life is critical thinking, a scientific temper, and a curious mind. I had made a list of experiments I wanted to do with my daughters to inculcate the same. Sharing it with you."

Mittal’s posts included experiments such as "how to make a human sundial," which teaches children about the earth’s rotation. Another experiment, "sink and float with orange and water," teaches the principles of density and buoyancy.

Amassing over 767K views, almost 6,438 likes, and thousands of reposts, the comment section was filled with netizens praising Mittal for sharing such innovative and useful content. 

One user lauded Mittal, saying that trying to influence young minds in the right direction to make them creators and solution providers is the most wonderful move you’ve chosen to become a perfect role model for every parent.

Another user commented that the experiment they tried with their kid was "to inculcate scientific temper and curiosity. Do not enforce or influence upon them the concept of God so as to let them find or explore it on their own."

A third user said this was a superb collection of fun-to-do, fairly simple experiments that helped make learning fun and easier to grasp and retain. Calling her daughters lucky, the user asked Mittal to encourage schools at all places of her posting to use similar teaching methods and hands-on experiments.