motherhood

Hard to Let Go

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Perhaps, the most significant change to me this year is waking up at this ungodly hour every weekday morning. Yes, it’s 5 plus in the morning. *yawn*

I set my alarm at 5:45am, but somehow, my system has adjusted to the new routine faster than I’ve expected. I usually wake up 5 to 10 mins before the alarm buzzes off. I don’t want to get back to sleep again, otherwise I will risk oversleeping.

After I shower and prepare breakfast for Edison, I wake him up at 6:15am. Within half an hour, he cleans up, takes his breakfast and change into his uniform. We leave the house at 6:45am. When we drive out from the carpark, the sky is still dark. *yawn again*

Many friends advised me to let him take a school bus, but I didn’t. First of all, I have to wake up extra early in order to send him to school. Having to face the traffic chaos outside the school was another. But the ‘mummy-ness’ inside me remains strong so I’ve decided to continue sending him to school every day. Just like what I’ve did for the past four years when he was still in kindergarten.

This routine is like a part of me now. I enjoy driving him to school. During the journey, we talk, we share and we laugh. I still enjoy carrying his schoolbag for him until the last point where I’m denied entry. And I’ll see him walking up the flight of stairs until he disappears from my sight.

My little boy. He’s all grown up now. It feels like each time I turn away, he grows a little bigger. He’s 7 years old this year, but in my heart, he’s forever a baby. There is always something in him that I can’t let go. I don’t know what it is.

V thinks that I’m too silly to think this way. He always reminds me that our boy will eventually grow up, chase his dreams and have his own life. What I can do now, within my capability and time, is to continue loving him as much as I can, protect him as fiercely as I can, train him and equip him with all the life skills as far as I can.

I’m unbelievably proud of my boy. Starting primary school is a big milestone in a child’s life, but he eases through it effortlessly. I hope that he will continue to enjoy school days in the many years to come.

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Click HERE to read all my posts on Starting Primary One series.

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The Call That Brightens Up My Day

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Ever since Little Edison discovered the marvel of telephone, he has been calling me every day when I’m at work. Sometimes he calls up to four times a day to share with me about an event at school, what he has for lunch, what TV program that he’s watching, and what other monkey business that he’s doing at home.

I welcome all these calls as I often find them very amusing. Somehow, they ‘connect’ me with his routine even though I’m not with him physically. But in my mind, I can imagine what he’s doing from these phone calls.

“Hello Mama! What are you doing?” he asked enthusiastically.

“Mama is working. Have you taken your lunch?”

“Oh yes! I had a sandwich for lunch, and I finished it.”

I was delighted to hear that, and I answered him: “Good boy. Now you go take a nap and when you wake up, please do the homework that I gave you last night.”

He was quiet for a while. He doesn’t like to listen to my nagging, and oh, he’s at a stage where he thinks that afternoon naps are only for babies. As a matter of fact, he seldom takes his afternoon nap now.

“Okay, I’ll pass the phone to Yeye.” Before I could nag any further, he passed the phone to my father-in-law. I knew his trick. Smart boy.

Two hours later, he called again.

“Hello Mama!” he said in a less enthusiastic tone this time.

“Yes, boy. What are you doing now?” I asked him.

“The homework question is too difficult. Twenty minus five? But I don’t have twenty fingers!”

I chuckled and said, “You don’t need twenty fingers. Use the ‘count down’ method that I’ve taught you. Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen. Remember?”

“Add means count up. Minus means count down.” I reminded him again although I was very certain that he knows how to solve the math questions by himself.

“Okay, Mama. I’ll try again. Bye!” The line went dead after that. I assumed that he went back to his homework questions.

I like it every time he calls me in the middle of the day, even for no apparent reason. Just to listen to his rambling, his voice and his jokes. They brighten up my days.

Do you talk to your children on the phone too when you’re at work? Do you enjoy it? Say YES if you do! I love to hear from you too.

Towards a Guilt-Free Motherhood (Part 2)

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It was 8pm on a Tuesday night. Little Edison was taking his own sweet time, munching on his apple, and watching the TV. I was anxious to return to our home from my PIL’s house, but the boy has not even taken his shower.

I was tired and my face was ‘black’, but he didn’t notice it. I packed up our things and I told him angrily to continue eating very slowly until 10pm, because I’ll be leaving without him. Then, I dumped our things into the car and pretended to start the engine.

He got a shock, and he dashed out of the house with his teary eyes. Then, he cried and said to me that he wants to go home with me too. I quickly showered him, and we drove home.

On our way home, he looked at me innocently, and muttered “I love you, Mama.”

At that instance, I was surrounded by guilt again – for raising my voice at him, for losing my temper, and for threatening to leave him behind.

“I’m such a terrible mother!” I repeated that to myself several times, and I apologized to him.

Things like this happen once in a while.

In my five years of motherhood, I’ve thrown a few things out of my ‘guilt sack’, but there are also new things that get added along the way. I’ll share some of them in this post.

Things I used to feel guilty about, but not anymore:

1. Being a working mom

I can still remember vividly the first day I sent him to the infant care centre, that was during the last week of my maternity leave. I sat on the bench, sobbing quietly and struggling with separation anxiety from my baby.

I blamed myself for not being able to take care of him 24/7. It’s not because I’m career-minded, but there are valid reasons why I need to maintain my financial-independence.

Now when I look back, I’m at peace with my choice of being a working mom. I can’t be with him all the time, but I’m with him most of the time when he needs me. And I’m always there for the important events in his life – his birthday, his parent-teacher meeting, his graduation concert, when he’s unwell, etc.

2. Feeding him with a less balanced meal

I don’t cook so often, and I used to be guilty about that, but not anymore. We eat home-cooked food at my mother-in-law’s house every weekday. So, on weekends, we usually eat-out at our favourite restaurants.

When we’re out the whole day, sometimes he missed his mealtimes and naptimes too. Out of convenience, we also feed him with burger and French fries. But again, I tell myself – one day without protein will not malnourish him, one day without afternoon nap will not make him tired or cranky.

Most importantly, we spend a meaningful and fun weekend together. It’s okay to bend the rules once in a while.

3. Stealing some ‘me-time’

I like to attend to him whenever he demands my attention. But I’m a human after all, and there are times when I really need some quiet times for myself.

So, I’ll plonk him down with his favourite iPad game or in front of the TV. I told him not to disturb me, and I disappear for ten minutes. Whether I’ll be enjoying my cup of coffee, taking my power nap or lose myself in a book, ten minutes are all I need to recharge and rediscover myself.

Guilt that I’m still working on removing:

1. Losing my patience

(as in one of the classic examples that I’ve mentioned at the beginning of this post)

I’m a person with a limited patience tank. Throughout my motherhood years, this tank has gradually grows too. Many times, I told myself to be patience and I succeeded. But again, when stress level builds up inside of me, sometimes I do lost control too.

I feel guilty whenever I raise my voice, scold him or give him a little whack on his bottom. I convince myself that all I’ve done is for his own good, and I should not feel guilty. But most of the time, I’ll end up blaming myself for not being the perfect mom who is always patience, caring and loving towards him.

Now, what is the biggest ‘guilt’ in your sack? I love to hear from you too! Leave me a comment! 🙂

Towards a Guilt-Free Motherhood (Part 1)

Guilt-Free Motherhood

Before I have Little Edison, I had no idea that being a mother would involve carrying around a huge sack of guilt. A totally unnecessary sack of guilt, I should elaborate, but no matter how hard I try to avoid, it still creeps stealthily towards me.

Last week, I was watching a Korean drama at 10pm. I told Edison to sleep on his own as the drama will end at 11pm. It will be too late for him to wait until 11pm, and he’ll definitely have difficulty waking up the next morning, but he refused.

My six-year-old big boy is acting like a baby again. He wants me to cuddle him to sleep, but I’m dying to watch that drama. (A Gentleman’s Dignity on Channel U, are you watching it too?) The last time I watched a Korean drama was 8 years ago, and the very last time I watched a Korean drama by Jang Dong Gun was 12 years ago!

Why can’t I have just one hour for myself?

Sigh.

I was frustrated. I insisted that he should go to sleep on his own (in a VERY stern manner), and continue watching the TV. He walked to his room, feeling very disappointed.

Suddenly, I felt an internal battle going on inside of me.

“Emily, is the drama more important than your son? Are you insane? The boy has been waiting for you the whole day while you’re at work. You sure want to disappoint him this way?”

“Arrgh, just continue! It’s just a one-hour show. It doesn’t make any difference after all. It’s not like you’re watching it every night. You hardly spend more than 5 minutes a week on TV since the day he was born. That was pathetic, you know!”

Well, there are a lot of good factors that I can debate on. Firstly, he should be independent enough to sleep on his own. Secondly, I’ve spent the entire evening with him the moment I got back from work. I should get my own “me-time” too. When the drama is over, we’ll be back to our normal routine. It’s just 20 episodes anyway (not 200!).

But still, deep down I knew that I’ve disappointed my little baby. I felt so guilty. At the end, I switched off the TV and went to bed with him. That sack of guilt is always there.

I always question myself if I’m doing enough for him. Five years ago, when I saw him crying at the infant care centre, I questioned myself if I should quit my job and take care of him instead. Three years ago, he cried when I dropped him off at school, I again questioned myself if I should homeschool him instead.

When he tells me how much he misses me when I’m at work, I feel guilty again. It’s not an easy process, and I don’t think it ever will be. Although I’ve thrown a few things out of my ‘guilt sack’ from time to time, but there are other new things that get added along the way.

After five years, I’m still trying hard to find that equilibrium. No matter how heavy the sack is, I’m still trying my best to be a good mother to Little Edison. And I always will.

Do you have a ‘guilt sack’ too? 

To be continued…

The Joy and Challenges of Motherhood

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I’ve been sitting on my bed, staring at this photo for ten minutes now. The first thing that comes into my mind was – Has it really been five years?

I look at this photo of my baby boy taken in Sep 2007. It’s one of the first few photos that we took after we’ve been discharged from the hospital. My baby boy was sleeping so soundly with his eyes closed, blue mittens on his little hands and mini bolsters by his sides. He was born with a full head of hair!

The Joy!

He is my firstborn, the miracle who made me a mother.

Then, my eyes gradually shift to the 5-year-old boy napping on his bed. And the memories, rewind, play and fast forward all at once. It’s amazing how this little guy has grown for the past five years. And it’s even more amazing to discover how a photo can bring a flood of memories to me!

That is exactly what I call the Joy of Motherhood! It’s that wonderful feeling when you look at your child and know that this little bundle of perfection is all yours. And the beautiful positive feeling that with him, life is good, purposeful and fulfilling!

What come next are our efforts to do the very best for our baby. We want to protect them from the harshness of the outside world, provide them with the best of nutrition, care, safety and comfort.

The Challenges!

As we explore the amazing journey into motherhood, new challenges come along inevitably. Life as a mother can be so busy and stressful, and we often end up unhappy. Babies tend to be very demanding, as a result, we’re often sleep-deprived.

Gradually, we begin to lose sight of the gift of motherhood that we’ve been blessed with. I admit that I’ve lost the joy of motherhood just barely one month into it; my feelings became unstable in the midst of my troubles.

The whole change came to me after I attended a motherhood workshop. I learned that I need to take control over my life and start to make it into something good. Even when I was feeling overwhelmed by the endless demands of being a mother, I knew that I can change things for the better.

Motherhood is wonderful, we just need to take time to look after ourselves and think about how we really want to live. To start off, I wrote down in great details on what my capabilities and resources are, as well as my limits.

As soon as I got it, I realized that I’ve much greater potential than I’ve ever imagined. From there, I narrowed down the motherhood challenges that are testing me on a daily and weekly basis. Here are some common challenges that we face and how I tackled them:

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1. Coping with Sleep Deprivation

We all know that getting enough sleep is an important part of living to stay healthy and productive. But very often, there are times when getting enough sleep are out of our control when we have a newborn or a sick child.

When this happens, I scale back on my commitments, focus on important issues that are non-negotiable, and prioritize them to make sure that I don’t fall prey to the tyranny of the urgent and leave the most important things undone.

Besides, I plan my meals and snacks carefully. Eat a protein-rich breakfast, drink lots of water, use caffeine wisely, and try eating an apple when my energy level starts to drop. It really helps!

Lastly, don’t forget the secret short-cut using a 20-minute power nap! It increases energy, awareness and productivity. Just be creative to seize every napping moment that we can!

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2. Coping with a Crying Baby

I had my fair share of crying baby when I was taking care of Little Edison all by myself during my 3 months of maternity leave. Every time it happened, I had to dig-out my checklist – Is he hungry? Soiled? Too warm or too cold? Tired? Bored? Attention? Over-stimulated? Fever? Or just want to suck on something?

Gradually, it became easier when I got the hang of it. My secret is simply by wrapping him in pure love. Give him the amazing softness as an expression of love, by using Comfort Ultra Pure fabric softener for all his clothes. When he is comfortable with the clothes that he wears, he is less prone to being irritable or fussy.

In addition, a warm baby bath, distraction with toys, a ride in the car, cuddles with singing or talking, swaddling, and a baby massage will help too.

3. Coping with Household Chores

At this point, we should realize that our sleep is more important than household chores. Ask the husband or family members to help out, hire a cleaner, or get a babysitter. There are plenty of help available, only if we recognize our limits and willing to look for help.

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After I tackled the three main challenges above, I began to see the beginning and end of every day. I really made a positive change in my life and rediscovered the joy of motherhood. Within a few months, I also beat my goal by shrinking from size XL to M and maintaining it till now!

To help keep your child’s and your clothes soft and gentle on skin, COMFORT Ultra Pure is giving away 400ml bottle of fabric softeners (While stocks last). All you need to do is to complete the form with your details through this page. 

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