From the Diary of a Working Mother

I am a working mother of two children, one 3 ½ and the other 18 months. My husband is studying to get his Pharmacist license. He cannot work without a license so I am the sole earner for now. Being a working mother, I feel like a juggler, trying to juggle my office work, house work, kids, and a husband all at the same time. With each added responsibility comes added pressure on my part to do my best, be more alert and fulfill each of my responsibilities to the fullest. Letting go of even one of the responsibilities will mean an unhappy boss, an untidy house and/or a discontented husband and kids.

Office work is the easiest of all my responsibilities maybe because it does not change like my other duties. A structured work environment with creative authority to do things your way is what I like best about my work. There are times when it gets stressful, like at the end of the month when all the reports are due or when I have to work overtime. My husband supports me during these times. I must confess that there are times when I wish not having to go to work, sleeping a little longer in the morning and cuddling up with my children and hubby, or not having to chase my sleepy daughter to get dressed fast. These luxuries I get only on the weekends and I am very thankful for these.

My remaining duties as a mother—house work which includes cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking, washing dishes etc; activities with the kids such as taking them out to play, reading with them, taking care of their health and hygiene, feeding them; spending time with my husband and catering to his needs—all are very dynamic. Each day is different from the day before. Sometimes I don’t have to clean the house but do extra loads of laundry, not cook but wash an extra pile of dishes, not take the kids out to play but keep them extra busy indoors. My life at home is totally different from my life at work.

So what keeps me sane? How do I strike a balance between my work, my house and my family? I make time for myself. I give myself “Me-time.” I indulge in things I like such as sewing, watching the food network channel, attending play dates organized by a local Moms group, dancing, reading:coffee, sleeping or not doing anything at all and gaze at the sky through my window. It’s my way of relaxing and re energizing myself. My children are also my source of strength and courage to go on and start each day with high spirits. I am away from them only to get closer to them at the end of each day. Distance does make the heart grow fonder.

Working is an inevitable part of my life. It is due to my work that I get health insurance; I am able to pay my rent, pay bills, put food on the table and fulfill the needs of my family.
Juggling my responsibilities as a working mother has never been easy; nevertheless, I have embarked this never-ending journey and continue I will.

“Life is not a race but a journey to be savored each step of the way.”

 

Thanks for your comments ladies.