Before Kids versus After Kids

Before I had kids, I used to resent another mum at my previous job who would stroll in at 9:00 am with baby vomit on her shoulder. I thought, "I've been here since 8:00 am! Has she even looked in the mirror?" But now, with three kids of my own and running a business, I've come to realise how challenging it is to balance work and parenting.

My mornings are a whirlwind of chaos. From the moment I wake up at 6:30 am, it's a full-on assault just to get everyone out of the house on time. Feeding, dressing, packing school bags, and attending to various needs of my hungry and demanding children feels like a military operation. Even the smallest things, like getting the preferred cup colour wrong, can throw us behind schedule.

Leaving the house is a task in itself, often taking us several attempts. I have to start moving towards the front door well before the actual time to ensure we make it to the car on time. On a good day, I might manage to quickly shower and tie my hair in a ponytail in the car, arriving at school just five minutes late.

Once the older kids are dropped off, I return home with my two-year-old to tackle household chores. Making beds, doing laundry, emptying and refilling the dishwasher—all while my little one creates chaos as fast as he can. From crawling into the dishwasher to pouring flour on the floor, he keeps me on my toes. And let's not forget his precise demands for a snack, complete with specific measurements and ingredients.

Around 11 am, when my two-year-old goes down for a nap, I finally have a brief moment to focus on work. I tackle urgent tasks on my to-do list, making work calls while enjoying the rare quiet in the house. On the phone, I may sound composed and professional, but behind the scenes, it's bloody chaos!

By 2 pm, my little one wakes up, and the cycle begins again. Afternoon tea, bottle-feeding, school pick-ups, and shuttling kids to their various activities fill my afternoons. Meal preparation for a family with different preferences becomes a frazzled affair, followed by homework, bath time, stories, and bedtime routines.

At around 9 pm, when the kids are finally in bed, I collapse on the couch. If we're lucky, we might catch an uninterrupted episode of a TV show before I head back to my office to squeeze in a few more hours of work. It's past midnight when I finally crawl into bed, ready to do it all over again the next day.

Through this whirlwind of responsibilities, I've come to realise that most parents face similar challenges. We manage to keep everything together, even if it feels like a facade at times.

To all the mums and dads out there barely getting by, know that you're not alone. We do what we can to survive each day, maintaining our sanity and ensuring our children are cared for.

And to that working mother who used to arrive at 9 am with baby spew on her shoulder, I admire you and I am sorry I judged you. You handled the chaos of three kids and still managed to excel at work. Hats off to you!