I thought it would be nice to share about my thoughts about being a WAHM from Singapore.
In a society that strongly encourages women to work a 9-5 job, it is tough being a WAHM. Most of my girlfriends are working. Few would undertake the path that I am taking, saying that they would find it hard to stay home and just take care of kids. The thought of not having a regular income is traumatic. Now with the banking and finance sector (I was previously from this are of work) hotting up, it would be suicide to give up a fabulous salary.
In the more recent years, I got to know several stay at home mums as well, who choose NOT to work. Their lives are completely dedicated to running their households and taking care of their kids. I have only have full admiration for them. More often than not, their kids are beautifully brought up. I enjoy looking at the close bonds between these mums and their kids. However, I know that I cannot live with a single purpose. I was bored out of my mind for some time, just taking care of kids.
I have to admit that sometimes, it can be pretty lonely doing what I am doing and not having the opportunity to discuss about website stuff with any of my girlfriends. Anyone who knows me will know that I am not a geek to begin with. But because I am so passionate about my internet business, it will be nice to have a mum with whom I can chat to about parenting and website marketing all at once.
Still, I feel extremely lucky to be in my shoes. I have the opportunity to explore my interest and creativity through the web. I have tremendous amount of flexibility. I am building sites that generate income month after month. And I have the time and opportunity to bond with my two lovely kids.
I’ve learnt that as a WAHM, multi-tasking is the way to go. I read somewhere that productivity drops with multi-tasking. But I really do not have a choice when I’ve got so much stuff and running around to do every day. To ensure that my kids are occupied outside of school hours, I have to squeeze in swimming, art, ballet and whatever not classes in between their playtime.
Then, I also have to make a commitment to sitting down with them to do some assessment books every few times a week. Yes…I hate to admit it….but the school education system here in Singapore is such that kids are required to know how to read and write even before formal schooling (Primary One) actually starts.
My heart also goes out to my kids. I feel that they should also have time to enjoy their childhood. So I plan outings even on weekdays to the beach, Sentosa, malls, plays, etc.
Thus, on any given day, you can see me zipping in and out in my car with my kids. While at home when my kids are back from preschool, I’m also in and out of my study. 20 minutes for playtime with them, back again to my PC for another 20 minutes and out again for some Chinese writing work with them. Then it’s out for some playtime in the sun.
Being a WAHM has definitely made me stronger. It is a path that has worked well for me. Because I want to accomplish so much both in the home front with my kids and for myself in terms of work. I have to make quick snap decisions. I have to make sure that my kids’s schedules run like clockwork. I have to manage a multitude of issues every day. Every night, before I go to bed, I feel that my day has been well spent!