Mindy Kaling on Being a Working Mom: 'I'm Worried' My Baby Is Going to Call Grandpa 'Mama'

The actress says she's sometimes worried, "my baby is going to start calling her grandfather Mama"

Mindy Kaling has spent the last 16 years working tirelessly as a writer, showrunner and actress but admits she hasn’t quite found the balance between her busy career and motherhood.

“When things get so bad that there’s a work emergency, I know I have to jump in there. Then when I’m working and I’m worried my baby is going to start calling her grandfather Mama, I’m like, ‘Okay, I need to be back home,’ ” says the proud mom to 18-month-old daughter, Katherine Swati.

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Fortunately, being a TV showrunner on her comedy The Mindy Project helped prep Kaling, 39, for the sleep deprivation all new moms face.

Mindy Kaling Instagram

“I was used to little sleep,” she says. “When I was up every three hours to feed my baby, it was not a huge rude awakening for me.”

Despite her hectic schedule, the former star of The Office says she loves working on new projects like her movie Late Night, which she wrote and stars in opposite Emma Thompson. But she also cherishes her days off with her daughter.

“My ideal day off is doing something fun and outdoorsy with daughter,” says Kaling. “Right now, I’m the perfect amount of busy.”

Late Night, also starring John Lithgow and Hugh Dancy, opens in theaters Friday.