Meet Mrs. Universe contestant: The extraordinary Sandhya Oza!

Sandhya Oza, who was crowned Mrs. England and was hand-picked to participate in Mrs. Universe, is truly an inspiration for moms who want to follow their dreams. Her gorgeous outlook towards life makes her even more beautiful. Here she shares her story of making childhood dreams come true even after mommy hood.

1. My Mom Quotient:

My Parenting style is fun yet firm. I have been hands on since the time the kids were born as we lived in UK- from the first bath and baby massage I have done it all. My husband has too. I enjoy taking the kids out to movies and playing with them too. I am not a believer in electronics so I prefer playing with them in community parks or cycling. On the other side, I am not a mommy who enjoys homework though.

I always try to balance discipline and fun and have laid a few rules too like- Meals with us with no TV. Dinner at 7pm and bedtime by 9pm, also no TV Monday to Friday, with exception on holidays. Rules are subject to change as they grow :). I have learnt that parenting can be made fun. I also try hard to instil a lot of self-love, esteem and confidence in the kids all the time.

2. My MomStar Story:

I was a model years ago and tried for Miss India. I didn’t make it. It was forgotten and life had other beautiful plans. I got married and we moved to UK in 2000. Mrs UK World was something that popped up on my Facebook as a dear friend from UK participated. I decided to give it a go and applied as at the last minute they had an opening for 2 spots. I got selected and there was no looking back since then.

We travelled to UK every summer since I won a sub- title of Mrs UK World Charity. The fabulous thing was Juanita Ingram, the National Director for Mrs Universe pageant and one of the judges, told me that I was her winner and hand-picked me for Mrs Universe and there I was. I had the support from my husband, kids, parents and in-laws who have always been proud of my achievements. I wouldn’t let anything stop me but that I had their support only made it better. I believed in myself and that’s what made me go ahead with it. My experience was amazing and one of breaking the stereotype by being a British Asian. I returned with the Mrs Photogenic title and many friends for life. I guess that life teaches you so much that you enjoy every moment. I further had the privilege to be selected by the National Directors UK again to represent the country at Mrs Globe 2014. I was awarded the woman of strength, came to top 25 from 50 and had a great time again. This was at Schengen in China.

In initial years, I was probably the only parent there at work at the Aerospace Company with two kids in a day care, they were 1 and 2 then. Anyone knows how expensive a day care in UK is but it was my way of keeping my sanity and making the most of what life had to offer. And yes I am prefer home cooked meals so I wanted to give my family freshly cooked meals every day too. This helped me strike a great balance with work and home. My husband again was very supportive and we made decisions together.

Today, I am at a very good stage with my work. I teach cooking under the name Curry Classes and am listed on Trip Advisor www.curryclasses.com. I am also a trainer and certified Image Consultant and help women with accepting changes, working on their confidence, personal shopping. I teach how to carry yourself and understand your body and dress accordingly. Sari draping too. I have managed to keep the right amount of busy so far. I would still take on new diverse projects to keep me busy.

Know More: http://sandhyaoza.com/

3. Who inspired/ supported me:

I received support from my family, kids included. My husband, parents and in-laws too backed me in all of my decisions. Even though we all don’t live together but my work plans excites them and it makes a big difference to me. Though I don’t really know who my real inspiration is but all I remember is my mom and mom -in-law say ‘Never give up your job.’

4. Advice/tips:

JUST GO FOR IT! It really can’t go wrong. Set a date and work towards it. Making a career out of your passion and enjoy every moment.

No working mother is neglecting her child. You can always set a balance to your convenience. Do what you do because YOU want to and not because others are telling you to. Make sure you have a good support system in place and keep a nanny to take care of your child with supervision of a grandparent. Do not expect grandparents above 60 to be able to run behind your child it is a lot to expect of them.

5. I love BabyChakra because ……...it’s all about mommies and their babies! An all Indian parents website.

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