Working Moms challenge

Having a son taught me has taught me lessons about LIFE and LOVE

My biggest challenge is having to be both the nurturer and the disciplinarian. 

Discipline is one of my major concerns, it breaks my heart to mete out punishments for unacceptable behavior, but I find it highly necessary to instill discipline. I’m clueless about how long I should wait before I give him a hug (so I don’t undermine the objective of the disciplinary action), you know, things like that. Gosh! I won’t be surprised if I get diagnosed with bipolar disorder!

The Universal Working Mom problem of juggling family and career. Even if I want to pursue a lucrative career in big firms, which I know to be highly competitive and to foster a dog-eat-dog culture, I have to opt for work that is less taxing on my time and energy as a parent. I need to conserve my energy so I can still be a good mom/parent to Luigi. Striking a balance between career and motherhood is, needless to say, tough. While it’s convenient not to have to consult anyone for child-rearing-related decisions, it makes me second-guess myself if I made the right decision.

Luigi is my priority over climbing the corporate ladder. Almost all my free time I devote to doing things with him. Owing to the new role I was assigned in my previous company ten years ago, I had to deal with a learning curve which necessitated me to work beyond hours. Because of the diminishing quality and quantity of time I was spending with my son, I made a decision to look for another company, which I hope won’t take too much of a toll on me.

One time, my heart skipped a beat when my toddler Luigi reached for my eyeliner pencil. I was relieved when he used it to draw on paper, instead of using it as a makeup tool.

Luigi becoming a fop or effeminate was one thing I used to worry me before, but thankfully, he's growing up around male cousins and I see to it that he's exposed to good and strong male role models. And - my apologies to advocates of gender deconstruction - I think he's naturally inclined towards conventional boy interests and activities. Concerning him being a mama's boy, it's quite inevitable because he's also an only child.

Having Luigi has changed me. I am now more self-assured and self-actualized. I don't need people to validate me and I no longer have this insatiable need to please people. 

My priorities are now in this order: God, family, and career. Do I miss my old life? Yes, I do at times, especially the part where I didn't have to be responsible for anyone. But I wouldn't have my life NOW any other way.