Over the last few months, my favourite part of my day has been the point of returning home from work.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not excited to run away from the office. No. The focus here is the welcome reception my housemates throw in my honour every time I walk through the doorpost.
That little party usually fills my heart with childhood anticipation, such that, once at the doorpost, I usually pause, ring the doorbell, and knowingly await the grand style for the day.
On the other side of the door, two of my kids would be crouched in a fair competition to outdo each other and be the first to get the door.
It’s usually a moment characterised with high pitched squeals of
“Welcome, mummy!” and excited chatters of
“I was the first to give mummy a hug.”
This is often delivered with a mischievous grin while the ‘looser’ looks on, wistfully plotting how to outdo the current title holder the next day.
That way, every day turns out to be an interesting contest.
Of course, I love the warmth of these hugs during the winter days and love them even more this spring.
Occasionally, my husband, a fellow mischief-maker himself, beats them to the door and mischievously claims the much-coveted “I hugged mommy first” title.
This tirade heralds my evening, after which we catch up on the events of each other’s day, then have a lovely dinner together and maybe play a board game on the days our schedules allow.
I usually hear that an investment in family yields a bountiful harvest, and I’ll tell you for free that it’s true!
But before I continue, I’d love to know your favourite part of your day. Please respond in the comments section below.
So, back to my story.
This was not always the norm. In times past, my after-work routine was more focused on perfectly executing the evening chores I had outlined than savouring the moment of seeing my family all happy at the end of a long day.
Back then, my after-work routine often featured a hurried version of Roseline stepping out of the car with just one thought on her mind – go make dinner!
So often, I would drop my work bag in the dining room and dash straight into the kitchen, like a controlled robot with a task to execute. In this case, the task is to prepare my family’s dinner perfectly. The big goal then was ensuring my family had an early dinner. So, without pausing to take a seat, enjoy a break, or bask in warm hugs, I ran straight into the kitchen (another work room) having just left one work room (the office). This rest-deprived routine triggered mental exhaustion. Yet I believed I had to experience it for the love of family.
You know, a constantly exhausted person is prone to physical illnesses, and so, it happened that I experienced a severe health scare, which forced me to slow down and live one day at a time. Don’t let that happen to you,
However, I gained wisdom and clarity when I began a new phase of prioritising building memorable moments to fill our love tanks over perfectly executing house chores.
I still pause from time to time to wonder.
Who sold us the lie that to be a successful working mum, you should be overworked, suffering, serve everyone but yourself, and get exhausted at the end of your day?
Who sold us the lie that we mothers can do it all alone?
Haven’t you ever wondered why Marvel Studios has yet to create the super mum hero character?
So, today, I thought to share this handy guide to help you enjoy your working mum experience with little headaches. It’s a brief list, and you can add your ideas to it.
- Get comfy with delegation – sharing is caring, after all.
- Ask for help when needed – the super mom cloak is only a myth
- Define your boundaries – after all, your well-being matters.
- Accept the inevitable trade-offs – you’re only human. Sometimes, family priorities overshadow some career goals; other times, career comes first. This happens to all of us, so don’t feel guilty when one takes the spotlight.
- Plan, Plan, and Plan – a little organisation never hurts, right?
- Live in the present and savour joyous moments – Laugh often; it’s good for your health!
