Category: Maternité

I had been quite loose with many things regarding the little girls’s activities since at least two months back. I took another responsibility, which moved my attention and energy to the new something than the regular activities that had been around before.

I’ve been sensing that something was off for weeks. I asked the same question every day, checking whether she had done all the compulsory daily training, and got a short yes as an answer all the time, and I took it for granted. It might be because the routines have been around for almost three years without zero days. So, I thought she knew what to do already.

It was a Tuesday three weeks ago when I suddenly checked the iPad and found out that she had been neglecting the four daily routines together, not only for days but weeks, for the past two months.

It was pretty disappointing and made me throw a tantrum here and there. Half of it, I was angry because I ignored the off feeling for too long. I was being lazy.

It turned out the child could also understand that. When the parents were lazy, so she was. She started learning mommy was busy, and the training was getting more complicated; one day off wouldn’t hurt. I did it for the second, and the rest were more straightforward.

Consequences were decided right away and accepted without any arguments. At least she knew she was at fault this time. Screen time for pleasure is banned for 30 days. I rarely take her pleasures as a consequence, but this time, she neglected her primary responsibilities and made another huge mistake that wasn’t tolerable here. So, I did it without any doubts, not only for a few days, but for a whole month.

Well, there’s always a silver lining behind everything.
It’s been a while since I saw nap time view after school, a long-kept writing book that had been left untouched, the second session for Quran after Maghrib. The Amazon book package Daddy had ordered weeks before arrived at the right time, so more reading materials were available to kill time.

So many things could happen and be done without distraction, not only about the phone, but more about our attention.

Honestly, I love this period. She seems more relaxed without screen time for pleasure doing other things rather than staring at the screen. I have been thinking the way to keep a massive part of this after the ban is lifted.

This circumstance reminded me that no matter how close you (think you) are and how well you (think you) know your children, there are still so many things that you need to learn about them, and there are more things that you don’t even know about.

Like love is never enough for a marriage to survive, raising a child takes more than money. It’s the time and energy spent with and on them when we want to do it properly.

I’ve been working since I was 18, juggling between studying and working at the same time. Not only one, I worked at three to four different places during college years.

Not because I had to, but I wanted to. Three 20s dreams were enough fuel. I fully understood no single dreams could be achieved without four things, which money is the first and foremost.

Eight years later, I got enough money to fund all the three dreams. That was when I realized money alone wouldn’t take me there.

I no longer needed more money to execute the plan. What I needed was time and energy to work on the things that should be done to get there. That was when I switched from working full time to part time, and never looked back since then.

I learned what number was enough for me and trade it with more time and energy to live the life, other than working.

Ended one life period with two ticked dreams out of three.
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Married at 28 with another jobless person, life pushed me to take the pretty similar route like when I was 18. But this time, not because I wanted to, but I had to.

We postponed having kid in purpose to prepare ourselves better. Two years later, another life came to the family.

It was quite naive (of me) to think some money and a bit of knowledge were enough to raise a baby. Money is indeed makes things easier, but its function stopped there.

Just like in my 20s, I was reminded again, I couldn’t have it all in terms of money, time, and energy. When she came, other than parents who earned money, the little creature also need ones who give their time and energy. Having more money without paying attention to other things only caused the law of diminishing return.

Made the decision and handed the resignation letter one week after delivery to one of the jobs, then signed up right away with the new ‘company’.

Mathematically speaking, the number household earned was significantly reduced. In reality, the return and productivity of the family were higher than expected.

In two years, I ticked my third 20s dream, not alone, but together. Along with the bonuses that followed (and keep following) beyond expectations.

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From the beginning, I considered being a mother as a job and just like any other jobs, it’s been a job that I take seriously.

Set fix working hours from day one : 5am-8pm. No one wants to work non-stop, you want to have other life outside your work. So does being a mother.

Just like any other jobs, there are ups and downs. Days when it feels tiring, boring, or unrewarding, but also the opposite. So does being a mother.

For this job, unlike any other jobs, there’s no probation period, thus, doing on the job training is unavoidable, up until now. It’s impossible to keep up with the pace of the growing company without continous learning, in many things.

I learned that one can do multiple jobs at once, but can only choose one thing to be the primary focus.

When I was 18, studying was my primary focus. So, those multiple jobs I did revolved around my study schedule.

Since 8 years ago, being a mother was my primary focus. So, any other roles that I took shouldn’t disturb the primary job schedule.

After cutting one job which had significant contributions to household, along the way, turned out I had to cut more and more to have more time and energy to raise this girl according to SOP that I had set before she came.

Personally, it’s impossible to do such an important job as raising a human being without clear goals and guidelines. Life never goes according to the plan is more reason why we should plan thoroughly.

In doing any jobs, no man is an island. Working together is the only way to achieve the objectives. A team mate whom we could share the responsibility and work together. I am beyond grateful having a work buddy like the father.

Up until now, I’ve been having great time working at this company. This one so far, the most fulfilling one among multiple roles assigned in my adulthood.

Today, it’s the 8th anniversary of me working with this company. I am beyond proud and happy for the opportunity to work for such wonderful company.

Thank you for 8 years of enjoyable ride!

“You’re so grouchy like Oscar”

“You’re the grouchiest mom in a whole universe”.

“You’re the toughest mom ever!“

Kind of compliment I get daily, especially during morning routines, when we do what we (okay, I) consider the most important things.

But, I brace myself already, don’t I?

(Not really, actually).

A hare in piano, but obviously a tortoise in any other activities with physical movement.

But, a good thing about tortoise is he never quits.

It’s been three years since the last weekly training period then long absence during pandemic until we could see a big jump on swimming.

As once stated in this post, swimming is not a sport. It’s a must life-skill to master yet it’s a hard one too, especially for one with certain condition. It is such a relief and totally grateful to finally arrive at this point.

Obviously not a finish line, still many to improve, so the 🐢 will keep going.