My Journal

After almost 2 years of being on maternity leave, I’ve returned to the workforce.  Just a week old, I wanted to see how my separation anxiety would be with my son being taken care of by someone else than me for longer than 8 hrs .  True enough, I was affected by the ’separation’ issue more than my son.  He seems to have not missed me at all..huhuhu! 

From the moment I became a mother, it was really fun being at home and seeing my baby grow up.  I enjoy every second of being a mother. If I could stay with him for as long as I can, I would. Yet the need for 2 things arose and these are the reasons why I’m back in employment: 

1) Supplement my hubby’s income which I, so far, managed to squeeze for our daily needs .  Actually, I got better at budgeting and paid all bills on time (unlike before where we knew the money would just roll in and didn’t worry about due dates)

2) Update my technical skills in the field that I’ve been trained in for almost a decade. It would be a waste to just let it go.

When you’re a stay at home mum, you worry! Worry especially about finances because you just make do with the one income that you’re not used to. Once, I was independent and could pay for everything for myself: car, holidays, shoes, clothes, jewellery, etc.  When you become a mother, suddenly life becomes simpler.  You make do with just the essentials. The priority is your offspring and providing for them the best way you know how.  Yours take a backseat. And inevitably, you are torn by 2 things: time & money.  Do you sacrifice your time from home by bringing the buck home or do you sacrifice your finances and cutting out your wants by staying with your child? I’m sure there are many mothers out there who’ve tirelessly thought of this predicament.  I salute any mother who has stayed at home totally, and also one who has juggled motherhood & career simultaneously.  I also cannot fathom how being a single mother would be like.  As it is, my situation is already a big issue for me with a husband, let alone if you do not have a partner to help you out with everything. 

As a stay at home mum, you consider things like working from home or starting a business that works around your family’s life. I’ve been blessed to come across a wonderful business that helped my family out and provided for extra things.  Being self-employed has its own stories and issues as well.  But I recommend it to all who are strong, highly motivated and sociable.

Anyway, my first 3 days was ok. It’s all coming back to me now.  And I can say I’m on a roll again. I’m happy to be a part time employed, part time self-employed and part time stay at home mum.  I still consider myself a full time mum, nonetheless.  The only thing that will deter me from being the former is if we have a sibling for Xed. Now, that will force me to revert to being a stay at home full time mum which I will embrace openly.  But then again, that will require more $$$ and thus will probably make me go back to earning the bucks later.