Life can be tough during this lockdown period especially if you are a working mom. Not only are you obliged to continue putting your 110% in your day job, taking care of the kids at home can also pull your attention away and drain you throughout the day.
We interview Amanda who works as a regional marketing manager for a e-commerce firm and happens to be a mom of 2 energetic and cute kids! She shares her experiences working from home and how she strives to seek balance between work and family.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family.
Amanda: Hi guys, I am really blessed with a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful kids aged 4 and 1. My husband Dennis is also the founder of Naiise, a marketplace for creative products in Singapore.
Give us a day in your life as a working mom in this current COVID-19 climate.
Amanda: Covid-19 has given us a lot more time to spend with our kids which we are thankful for. That said, working from home and having the kids around is also challenging, particularly on busy days. I’m thankful for my husband, in-laws and helper for helping out on this front so that I can still be productive at work.
What is one thing you're still trying to master as a working mom?
Amanda: Giving 100% at work and 100% at home. Sometimes it feels like the math will never add up, but every day, I’m trying to do my best at both.
What are the best things about being a working mom?
Amanda: Being able to continuously develop and grow myself as an individual and pursue fulfillment outside of home. That said, fulfillment means different things to different people and I think being a Stay Home Mom is also equally challenging and fulfilling, if not more. I think it’s a personal decision at the end of the day
Could you share with us 3 tips on how to balance work and family?
Amanda: I don’t think I’m fully qualified to give tips as it’s still very much work in progress. But I’ve found these to be quite helpful
1) Make sure weekends are family time. I’m a bit of a workaholic so I try to make sure the weekends are packed with family activities so I don’t have time to check too often on work stuff.
2) Be conscious. Sometimes I get frustrated at my kids for wanting my attention when I am in the middle of work and I have to constantly remind myself that they DO deserve all of my time, attention and patience. Trying to be constantly conscious about my tone and mindset helps a lot in keeping the balance.
3) Go easy on yourself. There will be times when nothing feels balanced at all, and when that happens, slow down, re-balance and get going again! A good mom is a happy mom, so love yourself a little more and chart your own course even if it means making a big change.
We understand that you recently went on a staycation during phase 2. Tell us about that experience!
Amanda: We had a staycation at MBS over the National Day weekend and the kids loved it! I don’t know what is it about hotels that make them so excited but they were just so happy to be pottering around the room (and basically doing the same thing they do at home). Guess it’s the “hotel feel” ha ha.
What is the first thing you would want to do with your family once we enter phase 3?
Amanda: My answer would probably be the same as everyone else’s: go on a vacation. It’s been a really, really long time since we traveled and my daughter hasn’t even being abroad! Now that the kids are at a wonderful and fun age, we really hope to be able to bring them somewhere fun.
You have been using Pristine Aroma reed diffusers for awhile now, could you share more about your "Pristine Experience"?
Amanda: It’s been great! It looks and smells good and I really love the wallet-friendly prices which makes “indulging at home” feel a lot less sinful in these uncertain times. Spending so much time at home also means we are paying more attention to our environment, and keeping it nice smelling is definitely up there in terms of priorities!