My Typical Day as A Mother After Resuming Worklife

“Ring…..Ring……..”. The incessant ringing of the alarm clock was messing with my sleepy head.

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I dragged my reluctant body out of the bed, brushed my teeth and started the first but most onerous routine of my day - HOUSEHOLD CHORES.

So, as quiet and fast as possible, I ZOOMED and ….washed and dried the laundry, prepared breakfast, boiled the water, cleaned up the toilets, cleared the garbage, watered the plants, swept and mopped the floor, sent the kids off to school.

[Our family members have allergy conditions and that gives me little excuse not to clean on a daily basis.]

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After a shower and dressing up, I am ZOOMING off to start my next routine - WORK.

[Yes folks, I have returned full-time to the workforce... finally after a good two-year break from career as a stay-at-home mom. That partly explains why I have been missing from blogosphere since I was standing on crossroads, getting ready for my new paths, and cherishing every minute I had as a SAHM. ]

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So, as the typical working day continues….Time passed by quickly as I got truly occupied.

ZOOMING home to start the next routine…ENSURING TIMELY DINNER for and with our boys.

[With less time spent with our boys, I try my best to ensure that I at least sit down with them for one meal together as a family. I am sure most working parents in Singapore, with kids in childcare, would also be rushing to fetch their children since most childcare/daycare centres close at 7pm. ]

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Next, I ZOOMED to wash up after dinner, hoping that I could then have more time to bond with our boys and have my own ME time.

Then to my horror, I went upstairs and I didn’t like what I saw!

Board games, accessories and paper were spread all over the floor, toys were unkept, floor was dirty, toilets stank, unfolded clothes were spread all over the bed ….

I started to breathe hard, keeping my calm. Then I remembered promising our boys that I would avoid scolding them during the shorter span of time I spend with them now.

“Where was the level of responsibility our boys used to have when I was a SAHM? They would at least keep their own room organised and cleared up mess when I was around.”

So, trying not to look at the speeding past time, I summoned our boys and they were commanded without second thought to tidy up their mess amidst some nagging on “responsibilities”.

[This mess often happens when we have children at home and I guess the fact that I have boys perhaps have made it worse.]

Next, I ZOOMED to wash up the stinking toilets for the second time in a day, mopped the floor for the second time in a day and took a shower.

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Then, I ZOOMED to join our boys for “Aeroplane game” and a quick chat.

Oh! How Time flies.

Enough bonding for the night and it was almost 11pm when my personal hours really started. That was when I could afford the time to do some reading ..be it news or work materials or even catching up on movie with Papa Ed in the comfort of our home.

It was past midnight before the routine of the previous day has ended.

Not forgetting that the next cycle of my typical working day was almost starting in the next 4 hours. I was really exhausted. Also, I felt like a programmed ROBOT.

These are my daily routines and struggles - a typical working mother, who tries to strike a work-life balance, without a full-time domestic helper.

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By sharing this post, I am not trying to share my schedules like an open book because that is usually not my style. What I am trying to share is the pain and happiness of a working mom who aspires to devote herself to both family and work.

“KUDOS to Mothers because we know no typical day is seamless or without multi-tasking!”

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I remember how stressful it could become if we had to also multi-task in guiding our children for the exam preparation or bring work home when we have to also do the household chores without any other family member or domestic helper to rely on.

And.

If you have noticed, I have repeatedly used the word “ZOOMED” or “ZOOMING”.

Precisely.

I have been zooming in and out of my routines since I started to work. It ’s amazing that I could still have space to breathe and usually I try to do that during my 1-hour lunch break.

I guess mothers have limitations as we age. I realised that I can’t appreciate life if I continue ZOOMING on like this.

So.

I finally raised my white flag.

I need a full-time domestic helper. I have my second thought that problems might re-surface after having a live-in helper (like how it used to be for us in the past).

However, I weighed my priority and decided that I wish to spend available non-office time catching up with at least a 6-hour sleep and BOND with OUR BOYS.

After over-stretching my shoulders in the past, living life like an impossible superwoman, I have learnt to value my health.

I don’t wish to live life like a HURRICANE. I wish to live it like a BREEZE

Embarking on a journey of which I could enjoy and at the same time pause and reflect.

~Parent Times~

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