Shraddha Fogla

Digital Creator, Founder - www.2MonkeysAndMe

Shraddha Fogla is a mother who passionately believes in the power of education. She is the woman behind the concept of 2MonkeysAndMe – a simple blog that quickly developed into a professional parenting platform to educate and homeschool children of various age groups, and their parents!

Shraddha has a master’s in international accounting and Finance from Cass Business School of London and has worked in the private equity sector and construction industry. But she chose a different route and become an entrepreneur after the birth of her first son. “I wanted to bond with my sons and since women can multi-task wonderfully, I wanted to use all my work experience and apply it to motherhood” she explains.

When asked about the manner of imparting education that differs from the schooling system, she explains, “I believe in the process of play-based learning and via practical activities that I created for my children. This resulted in them learning way quicker and comprehensively and I find many new schools adapting to the same method which is infinitely better than rote learning which is mostly theoretical minus the experience.”

There is an abundance of motherhood instincts and parental guidance that children need in their formative years, that helps form their personality. The mompreneur explains how this applies to all parents. “As parents, we wish our children to be many things when they grow up, but rarely help in the process. That is unfair to the children as they are left to fulfil the parents’ wishes without being understood nor recognised. Bonding with children is much more important than we think. Every little thing that we do in our everyday life, the choices we make, the way we act or react, is all watched by our children. Hence it is the most important job in the world to make sure that we are not just the best example for them but the best self that we can be”

2monkeysandme is now an efficient and skilled parenting platform with modules that let the child learn a lot more outside of schools. While the concept of home-schooling is still a new field to explore for parents in India, as compared to the West, the Pandemic had parents exploring the many avenues to continue the education from home. “2020 was a good year for families to recognise how much a child learns at home and the many ways we can enhance their learning experience. We have believed for a very long time that home-schooling robs a child of social skills and competitiveness,” Shraddha clarifies “in fact, the parent can provide quality learning as well as help the child develop an empathetic, compassionate and emotional maturity that is sometimes not achievable in an overtly competitive environment riddled with peer pressure and comparison.”

Shraddha has spent years studying, observing and researching the best method of designing a STEM-based platform with strategic learning methods for children of different ages for conceptual development. These activities include at-home activities to help boost the children’s intellectual and cognitive development and promote sensory, empathetic and problem-solving skills.

With its increasing popularity, Shraddha’s 2MonkeysAndMe has released various modules that begin for the age of 2 years and go up to 7-year-olds but the education imparted is based on the cognitive understanding and the child’s ability to grasp concepts and intellection imparted through holistic growth and learning. It consists of multiple activities, experiments, printables, and worksheets for developing a child’s brain to grasp the concepts well.

The first module has been launched in May. The age group catered in this module is from 2-year-olds to 4-year-olds. It revolves around the farm theme and has activities, worksheets, and printables for a child’s quick, easy, and thorough learning.

The second module by 2monkeysandme has been launched in the first week of June 2020. The age category followed in this module of home-schooling is from 5-year-olds to 7-Year-olds. The unit comprises the concepts of sounds and vibrations that a child learns in their initial period of growth.

The third module was launched in August 2020. The age group catered to is 2-year-olds to 4-year-olds. This unit concentrates on the numbers, cognitive and sensory skills of a child. Specially designed for toddlers, this module addresses the numeracy skills through various tactile and other sensory activities, number games, engaging activities and worksheets for learning the basic skills which will help in the holistic growth of the child’s brain.

Presently, 2monkeysandme are ready to launch their fourth and fifth module of home-schooling as well.

Shraddha is a passionate, hardworking and inspiring mother, teaching and sharing her methods to the parents and teachers of the world, often motivated by the constant support of her husband and her followers. She is also looking at expanding and exploring new avenues of parenting and education, especially for mothers “I believe in the power of education and the importance of it in the life of an individual,”, she adds, “I am very passionate about imparting education to girls and women so that it gives them the confidence to lead their lives well. My husband’s organisation, Fogla Foundation is working towards enriching communities through inclusive and sustainable development with education and empowerment.”

Shraddha hopes to see India progressing based on knowledge and opportunities that can empower the people to live better lives. She is also the recipient of various awards and has been appreciated for her efforts towards education and parenting.

Interviewed and transcribed by Maryam Syed