Life of a Working Mum

Looking at my journey so far as a mother brings smiles, fun memories, and sometimes remind of some not-so-pleasant experiences.  In all, I am grateful for the privilege of birthing two awesome children any parent can ever hope or ask for. Going back memory lane, a lot of things that happened and the lessons learnt remind me of what exactly it means to be a good mother.  Bringing a child to the world is not enough a reason to be called ‘mummy’ by your children, it is the positive values, morals, behaviours and especially, the life-skills we are able to empower them with to push through life on their own in the near future.

One major joy of motherhood is to watch your child learn and grow. From their first words, first steps and how they quickly learn to be independent and even get into healthy debates on life’s issues – it all happens so fast!  It is totalling fulfilling to see the transformation and the potentials the future holds for them.

Being a working mum with the ambition to actively get involved in the lives of my children, was, and still is like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in a sprint.  I remember the days of waking the children up early in the morning to catch their school bus that arrives at 6am from our residence at Opebi and ensuring I am by my work desk at Ikoyi on or before 8am, to when I get called from their school to pick them up because one of them had been running temperature all day and having to cross the 3^rd Mainland Bridge as fast as I could to reach them in good time. From trying to pay attention to their needs when I am working from home, to attending Board or client meetings and trying not to get too distracted. From trying to multitask with the children yelling and pranking around, to realising I had not really finished any of the tasks I had set out to do for that day – could be very frustrating!

I have learnt a few things on this journey that have helped to reduce the pressures that come with the terrain.

• 24 hours a day is not enough to do everything I need to do. Learning to prioritize what is most important per day and time goes a long way in creating the space needed to be part of my children’s lives.

• Ask for help when you become overwhelmed.  In fact, actively look for opportunities to delegate some assignments to others, (for instance to your spouse), to help out.  The children need their ‘imperfect mum’, not a Superwoman.

• You might get caught up in the stress of everyday life (including Lagos traffic jam), but it is always good to take a step back and unwind with the children as it is a healthy source of emotional relief.  Supervised use of technology with the children has been a game changer in recent years. Use it to your benefit.

htuR #EMBA28