Actor Syra Yousuf opened up about the challenges and triumphs of co-parenting her daughter, Nooreh, with her ex-husband, actor Shahroz Sabzwari. Appearing on The Motherhood Podcast, Yousuf revealed that the journey required conscious effort and therapy to separate her personal feelings as an ex-partner from her responsibilities as a mother. She described co-parenting as a practice that “taught me how to kill my ego,” emphasizing that her focus is now solely on what is best for her daughter’s happiness, even when it means setting aside her own desires.
A significant part of putting Nooreh first involves supporting her relationship with her half-sister, Zahra, Sabzwari’s daughter with his current wife, Sadaf Kanwal. Yousuf expressed genuine happiness about this bond, stating, “I always wanted Nooru to have a sibling… And for me, that is important, that she shares a loving bond with her sister.” She firmly believes that children should not pay the price for adult grievances and that parents have no right to make “unjust decisions” that deprive a child of loving family connections.
Yousuf was quick to credit Sabzwari for his role in their successful co-parenting dynamic, acknowledging that he has been a “healthy co-parenting partner” who equally prioritizes their daughter’s well-being. This mutual understanding is, in her view, foundational. She also shared a lesson from her divorce: the need to stop resisting uncontrollable life situations in a futile attempt to maintain control, a philosophy that extends to trusting her ex-partner’s family.
The central takeaway from Yousuf’s candid discussion is that effective co-parenting is an active, often difficult choice. It involves the hard work of therapy, swallowing pride, and allowing a child the freedom to form independent bonds, even when it’s personally challenging. Her story underscores that being a good parent isn’t about erasing the past, but about courageously refusing to let it dictate a child’s future happiness and emotional security.
