Miao Chin – Mum / Senior Project Executive, StarHub Ltd

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After working with one of the local telco dudes,  for more than a decade, I felt it was time for me to throw in the towel when my son was ready for Primary 1. Fortunately, the two heaven-sent bosses flatly rejected my thought of leaving and counter-proposed a work from home option. I did not look back since.

So for the last 2 years,  at least 3 mornings a week, after my 6 year-old girl goes off to the child care centre, my bouncing 8 year-old and I will soak in about 30 mins of Vitamin D either battling (in our minds) with Lee Chong Wei or pedalling against Armstrong.  Otherwise, terrorising the neighbourhood in roller blades is not a bad idea too.  Can exercise be more fun than this??

Then comes to lunch.  Unlike my girl, my son’s approach to food has always been sustenance first, pleasure second. It goes without saying that my constant challenge is to make tasty and healthy lunches to get the best bang.

Burdened with the unenviable task to feed the leader of the next generation, I oft have to come up with concoctions like ‘magic porridge’ or purple noodles that cooks fast and goes down his stomach even faster.  Satisfaction level goes up by several notches whenever he asks for seconds.  While he has not gained much weight so far – I attribute that to his very high metabolism rate – neither has he lost any nor fallen seriously sick in the past two years.

After he finishes lunch and goes to school, my precious hours of uninterrupted work begin.  As I usually join him for an early lunch, I am able to catch up on my work while my colleagues take their lunch break.  What’s more, since there are lesser chances to be tempted by desserts or snacks, I notice my productivity level also increases as the body no longer has to process the excessive sugar.  That’s one sure way to lose weight!

I am still holding a full time job so workload remains unchanged.  Not to abuse the trust my bosses has given me, besides email and phone, I also keep myself contactable via other online channels like whatsapp, hangout or skype.  Being so virtually connected to the office, there are times I have to remind myself to ‘leave’ the office and purposefully carve out a ‘disconnection’ time to unwind and relax.

Balancing the challenges of work and the pleasure of motherhood, I know (and am thankful) I am living out a life that many mothers can only dream of.  On days when I do not have to attend meetings, knocking off is now as quick as shutting down the laptop.  A hop and a skip and I am already in the kitchen ready to make dinner.  Who needs to jostle with the rest in trains and buses now?

To say the least, working from home allows me to stop and ‘smell the roses’.  I begin to take in my surrounding with greater interest like never before.  Before, it is a constant blurry background of people going about their business.  Now, I recognise and smile at the grandfather and his grandson who take a walk twice a day or wave at the mother whose young son likes to hug at every lamppost he passes by.  Even butterflies and the dew among the bushes can cause a leap or two in my heart at the right moments.

These are the days when I feel I can take on all the world issues, straight from my little white table in the living room of my house.    🙂

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