5 May 2022Do mummies have superpowers? It sure would seem like it! With their extraordinary ability to do it all and handle everything around them with grace and love, it’s little wonder mums are regarded as superheroes.
After their inauguration into motherhood, a number of mums may find themselves at a crossroad. They have a deep desire and responsibility to care for their children and family with their utmost efforts. As much as they would want to devote all their time to their children and family, many mothers have a career prior to motherhood. There’s no need to pick a singular path though! Here is where balancing motherhood and career comes in.
Balancing motherhood and your career
Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too — guilt free! We keep hearing about work life balance, but what exactly does it mean for mothers? The first step is to accept mum guilt is normal but it doesn’t have to hold you back, and know that with some creative methods, time-saving hacks, hands-on parenting partners (like your spouse, parents or childcare), and open communication you can be a fulfilled working mother. Consider connecting with a motherhood or with a working mothers support group! The key is to find what works for you, because motherhood and work life balance is not a one-size-fits-all.
The same applies to self-employed mummies too! Mummypreneurs are becoming more prominent and balancing motherhood and career is key for them to do it all too.
MLB’s very own Mummypreneur
Meet Marian Wong, co-founder and resident mumpreneur right here at Marian’s Lactation Boost (MLB) in Singapore. This is her journey to successfully balancing motherhood and her career. Marian founded the business in 2015 as a way to help family and friends build their milk supply since lactation products were not easily known or available.
Seeing their challenges to obtain tasty and nutritious lactation products, she was inspired to kickstart MLB, research recipes and understand how to build better milk supply. Through word-of-mouth from friends and family who successfully increased their supply as a result of her bakes, MLB flourished. Tips were shared which also resulted in positive outcomes.
Then came the blessing of motherhood and with it the delicate balance between making sure both her work life and family life has enough attention. She is determined not to neglect either aspect of these two important areas of her life. This is the greatest challenge she has had to overcome in her journey so far.
As working mothers will understand, both motherhood and work life requires immense attention. No doubt it has been challenging for Marian to manage such demanding areas in her life. Thankfully, one of the key factors for her success is her supportive and hands-on partner both at work and at home. Kelvin, her husband and co-founder of MLB, is there to pick up where she is unable to.. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work!
Marian also ensures that in order to have a successful work life balance, she plans her daily schedule right down to the finest detail.. This is to prevent mix-ins and having to compromise either family or work time or having to choose one or the other.
You can do it all
Drawing from her own experience, Marian has some advice for aspiring mumpreneurs and working mothers:
- Acknowledge your own strength. You have the power to do more than you think you can. Take time to plan what you want to accomplish and how you can go about them with an “I can” attitude.
- Know it’s perfectly normal to feel guilty at times. You may feel guilty when you’re with your kids and not at work, or vice versa. But you can always shift your focus and not let guilt get the best of you. By understanding that quality outweighs quantity, you can plan your days such that you are giving your best both to your family and at work.
- Build a strong support system. Plan with your partner, both at work and at home, on how to best build a system that is beneficial for you.
Now with both motherhood and a successful business specialising in delicious lactation products like cookies, muffins, tea and even ice cream under her belt, the journey is entirely worth it for Marian.
What is Marian’s most rewarding and favourite part of being a mother? She says, “It’s coming home to children with smiles on their faces and telling me how happy their day has been, and that they missed me and how much they love me.”
With some planning and creativity, it is possible for working mothers to have the best of both worlds!
This Mothers’ Day, we have the perfect gifts for all our amazing breastfeeding mothers. Don’t forget to check out our Bundle Deals for some thoughtful and yummy presents.
Happy Mothers’ Day to all the superhero mummies!
