First of all, many thanks to Singapore Parent Bloggers for this wonderful idea of a blog train that too on a topic which is near and dear to all the parenting bloggers!! So far many of us have written and must say I could totally relate in some or the other way with all of them.
I am not going to elaborate too much on my daily routine like at what time my family does what because it is much similar to many others who have written earlier. E.g.. Morning 6 O’clock die-die must get up, get kiddos ready for school and drop them and the cycle continues for the remaining day, week, month and year…with a few exceptions like weekends and school holidays.
Let me share with you what are the exciting challenges that I face as a mom, as a FTWM, as a FTWM blogger mom throughout the week in general and how I try my best to cope up. While I do this, will give you the glimpses of my little world!
- Actually, I am an incidental blogger. RainbowDiaries is a natural but unplanned progression of my other social media adventures. A few years ago, I founded two pretty large Facebook Groups having more than 13500 members and a Facebook page that now boasts of more than 1700 likes. Never thought till end 2014 that I would seriously write a blog. I had created a blog and left it there with one odd post. I was reluctant, clueless about the blog for much part of 2014 and then suddenly something just struck in the mind and I started writing regularly. Got some great comments, encouragement from hubby, parents and friends so continued writing. Now, it is a hobby-turned-passion-hopefully-doesn’t-become-obsession stage of my blog-life!
- Well, as a mom or dad, we all anyways struggle and juggle. Office work and /or house work, Kids schools, studies, their illness, our duties as a spouse and hundred other things. Kudos, to all of us! I too have to handle many fronts and have to don many hats at the same time.In the morning, am like a zombie who cooks and gets kids ready for school. Having a full timer helper is a boon but kids would always want “MOM”. They don’t find pencil cases, their hand phone, hair clips every single morning!! I have no clue who vanishes this stuff even if everything is kept ready the night before. Phew… Then finally dear hubby drops them to school and I ruuuunnnnn to take bath and get ready for office. I am sure we moms have the art to take bath and get ready in lesser time than Maggi mee takes to cook.
- Time on the way to office is the most valuable time. What all things I can do in those precious 50 minutes? have a power nap, do some thinking, draft blog posts, put on some moisturizer and foundation, comment on other fellow bloggers’ blogs, take some photos and post on Instagram, publish latest news or interesting pieces of info on my Facebook page n groups, have a look at the PowerPoint I have to present in the office.
- I am an IT professional in the field of training and consultancy. The job is public facing and involves corporate training, conducting seminars, designing course materials, meeting clients and so on. It also demands that I am updated with the latest software in the industry be it Microsoft, SAP or SAS. I love to talk so love this job! When in office, I am totally into my work. So blogging and other social media have to wait. Only occasional updates, a few posts here and there in the break times, check emails…
- Again while coming back from office, I optimally utilize travelling time. When MRT gives proper network then do stuff online and when it goes underground with dim or no network then I continue drafting my posts or enhance photos. Writing a blog post really takes considerable time. I also let my helper know which veggies to chop and keep ready.
- Back to home and mad rush begins again…cooking dinner – I prefer home-cooked food for the family as much as possible. Evening is also the time to help the kids to do the “blood boiler homework”…
- It is a different story that most of the times, I have no clue of solving P5 Maths sums 🙁 So instead of teaching my daughter, I myself start learning…:D!! Frankly speaking, why I really should be “kaypoh”ing in how much Andy, Nadia, Si Quan and Devi are saving???
- Younger one generally comes up with the excuses that he is tired or he has already written alphabets etc. etc.
- After a mild dose of nagging / yelling, finally this ordeal gets over for me!at least till tomorrow evening…
- It is a different story that most of the times, I have no clue of solving P5 Maths sums 🙁 So instead of teaching my daughter, I myself start learning…:D!! Frankly speaking, why I really should be “kaypoh”ing in how much Andy, Nadia, Si Quan and Devi are saving???
- Then dinner time, hubby is back from office, some family chit-chat, fun and Zzzzzzz…
- Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I wake up…some kind of creative urge makes me write blog at odd hours. Eg. it’s 3 AM now…and am drafting this post..now this is a bit worrying! Need to do something about it…
- Done, 5 days gone of the week…
- We all know that it is never a smooth ride being a parent so whatever routine I wrote above is always subject to change! Sudden fevers, stomach pains and all such stuff can derail the whole schedule. Rushing to Paed / KKH at odd hours of the night, feeling sad to see the poor little things not well and meeting professional deadlines at the same time can really test us as a parent! 🙁
How blogging has made my weekends more exciting and fruitful?
Before, I started blogging my weekends were very lazy…We did the same same things every weekend. Go for Grocery shopping, take kids to the beach / mall, giving them long drives, play on downstairs playground, Swimming…
After I have started blogging, thanks to media invites and other events, we have exciting activities lined up for kids. Eg. Visiting indoor playgrounds or latest exhibitions / movies and so on.
So along with our old laze-around weekend routine, we now have exclusive and specific activities to look forward to. Say cheers to Family Bonding!
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Has Blogging made me a better parent? perhaps, Yes!!
It is somewhat difficult to confirm this fact at this stage but yes, to an extent, I have improved as a parent.
Parenting is an ongoing journey and there are always new lessons to learn. As a Mom blogger, thanks to all product reviews, kids activities and writing freelance parenting articles, I have become more aware of the current trends. Blogging is also helping me hubby and me to do things for the kids more consciously and with more focus.
Needless to mention that blogging is a great tool to jot down my experiences as a parent. These experiences would serve as invaluable memories and a guide for our kids once they grow up and become adults.
So, that’s my take on “Week in Life – A blogging Mum” – Exhausting but rewarding, Somewhat overwhelming but fulfilling 🙂 🙂
This post is part of a link-up with other Singapore Parent Bloggers to share a week in the life of a blogging mum and dad. You can peek into the life of 29 other families over at Week In Life of Blogging Mum and Dad linkup here.
Next article of this series will be by Prissay Tan of Punggol Babies.
Punggol Babies is a collaborative blog by families living in Punggol, initiated by The Loving Mum, Pris and My Father Say.
In this blog, Pris and others share about the fun things they do, the itsy bitsy details of raising the kiddos through play and anything random that pops into their heads.
Proud to be a part of SPB
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Amazing post idea!
You are such an inspiration to us. I am glad that you will be able to balance your time and handle it very well.
Isn’t blogging fun? I love writing about life and featuring snapshot photos, and seeing where mommy life takes me. Also many people can relate when you just write about your own life.
Busy busy busy! Being a mom is a full time job in it’s self! Congrats to you for being able to balance it all!
Sounds like you have a fulfilling productive life. That’s the way to do it.
You are such an inspiration. I admire how you balance everything and get to it.
Finding a good balance for ourselves and our families can be difficult. I’ve found that sometimes what works best for my children doesn’t work best for me, or visa versa. So we tend to play the “try” game. We TRY to achieve certain goals each day and if we don’t then we just shift them over to the next day!
Your kids are just precious! I honestly have no idea how you can handle the emotional juggle and physical demand of having a job and raising kids. My hat goes off to those that do it! I know it must be hard!
It sounds like you have such a full and happy life, routines are always hard but it looks like you’ve found a balance that really suits you and your family. I think it is great that you spend such lovely quality time with your children at the weekend!
Such a motivating read! Making use of your commute time is so key. I’m in NYC and typically don’t get wifi on the subway so I often download a few podcasts before my hour long commute.
And here I thought my life was on the busy side. You are just cruising through life at high speed. It’s such a wonderful example to set for you girls these days. To show them women can accomplishes both the home and business world.
One of the most unrecognized “jobs” ever. But I embraced it with a fulfilling satisfaction because that is what maked me whole. It can be tough and grueling at times but I don’t regret one moment of it. Now they are all grown up and here I sit with extra time on my hands until I found “Blogging”. You are doing great and moving with a positive mindset and you will be just fine. Great article, loved reading it. Take care.
A mom’s work is never done. You are super busy!!! Keep being you though, you are doing a great job! You got this! 🙂
OMG, this I get! And I agree with you, motherhood is exhausting BUT it’s so rewarding. Sometimes I wonder how I did it without my little one.
I’m a mother of 3 and after taking care of the kids and hubby I know exactly how you feel but Wow your story is inspiring I started blogging and I’m still trying to get familiar with all social media. I’m looking forward to a successful experience like yours
This is a cool blog prompt! It’s fascinating to hear how others find time to blog, especially when they have full time jobs and other commitments. I don’t have kids, but I work fulltime & blog (and maintain social media platforms related to my blog) when I’m not working. It sounds like you’re doing a fantastic job managing everything!
Yay to all the FTWM. It’s really hard trying to do all the mom things, blog and work full time in a pretty demanding industry. Well done for doing it so well Shubhada
Inspirational to see the way you are handling blogging and motherhood altogether.Kudos!!
You motivated me! Thanks for this wonderful post 😀 I know it’s difficult to be a mom, manage household works and blogging. However, if we are passionate towards blogging, we will come across every obstacle. Kudos to all mum multi tasking bloggers 😀
regards
https://beautichy.com/
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That’s quite hectic but I am sure at the end of the day, you’d be finding something to cherish in running this gauntlet too ?
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Very interesting details you have noted, appreciate it for posting.
I admire FTWMs a lot, especially those w/o helpers. If I were to work FT outside, I will be drop dead tired at the end of the day. Envy that you still have the energy to cook and go through homework with your kids!
Amazed by how you manages your time and day, but I have always suspected that Mothers have superpowers! Mothers are metahuman with extraordinary superpowers to mend time, fast-moving and ability to do anything! Thanks Mothers!
Huhu, really not easy to become parents nowadays, so many challenges ahead, gambateh!
Wow, I am very inspired by what you done with your kids! Indeed blogging and sharing about our kids started out as a hobby. It is out of love for our children. =) Happy advance mother day!
Wow! How do you get home in time to cook dinners on weekdays?! It’s always such a challenge to even leave work on time ? Indeed, our days are a little more colourful these days when we get to fuse our passion for writing as well as our mothering roles. Thanks for sharing a piece of your life! ?
Wow! How do you get home in time to cook dinners on weekdays?! It’s always such a challenge to even leave home on time 🙁 Indeed, our days are a little more colourful these days when we get to fuse our passion for writing as well as our mothering roles. Thanks for sharing a piece of your life! 😉
It’s helpful that you are in the IT line so that the technicality of blogging doesn’t bog you down. 😀
You had me chuckling at the blood boiler homework! Yes, my kid is in P2 and already my hubby and I have to spend time guiding her in her homework! I can’t imagine how it is for those with more than 1 kid in school, which will is akan datang for me in a couple of years, sigh.
Mums are the best at multi-tasking but do catch up on your rest too. Late nights till 3am can be very bad for the body 🙂 I’m sure your kids love it when you take them to interesting places and gets boasting rights for being one of the first few at new places when you get media invites!
Wow! that’s a lot of things to multitask. Now I’m slowing down for some personal time. Primary school math can be a headache. . I learn the math too.. but now I got to catch up with sec math!! We are such amazing and wonderful parents.. ?
Phoebe
BPDGTRAVELS
I can imagine the excitement challenges that confronts you juggling up all your daily activities. Its a real handful. But I trust you got a strong heart to accomplish all. Keep growing with ease, Shub!
Is not easy to become blogger mom as you need to multitask between your work, kids, housework and blogging. I really impress with Mummy blogger. Salute them
this multitasking mum is really super, respect, as a mom too i always feel overwhelmed with too much work, but doing things i love really give me energy again
As long you find it productive and not pressuring, having a hobby is good for mental health
Mother day is comming soon.. Happy mother day in advance. No doubt that my mother do a lot of multitask too.
wow so inspiring ! :’)
So true that mums are good at multi tasking and remembering 10 things in mind at one go.
Great to know more about you. Not everyone can handle so many tasks at one go. Being a mum itself is a full time job! Kudos to you!
Always felt that as a mom, there’s more things to write about when it comes to content. As a single dad, I can say that there’s not much I could write, especially when it comes to family. Somehow, it just doesn’t click for me.
Not easy to do blogging when we have family.
Salute you indeed. Gambate. 🙂
I am glad that Blogging have been a fruitful journey for you and your family! I hope that in the future I can be like you too a successful Mummy Blogger =D
i do agree on the picture, where mum does the work of twenty. Superb! 🙂
It’s definitely not easy to be blogging when you are wearing so many hats! I
I’m glad blogging has brought you many benefits and joy~
It’s true for the lazy part. I let myself busy for whole day to attend events and photoshooting.
With so many roles to play, life is really not easy. But when you see your happy kids, it will be all worth it.
Althought I am not a mum, i totally understand it is not easy because i am a working adult. Thanks for sharing.
I think it’s great that you already have a thriving community before you started blogging. Anyway, yeah, if there’s anything I love about blogging, it’s being able to take my kids to great places and events that they will enjoy too.
its great how you can multitask without it sounding like a chore! i need to be more organised myself
it’s not easy to multitask 🙂 looks like i should learn too!
It’s not an easy job but we somehow manage to make it work anyway, sometimes I don’t even know how! It sounds like you have it all together, and that’s really amazing! Keep up the good work!
Glad that you have fun blogging. I think you are really pretty 😀
You must be really proud of yourself. Way to go! Life is too short to be doing just 1 thing 😉
It’s nice to see how you were an accidental bloggers. I think most of blogs starts that way and eventually develops its character and following.
Things can sometimes get out of hand with all the things we have to balance as a mum, blogger, etc, right? I sometimes ended up doing online work or laundry in the wee hours of the night. I guess the key is prioritize and keep a healthy balance of things. Carving me-time is also important to ward of burnouts.
oh yes I do a lot of blogging “work” like photo-editing and drafting during travel too.. thank god for awesome iPhone apps!! ;p
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
I salute you for being able to do all these! I don’t have a family to raise, so my time is mostly spent for myself and my mom (who’s not getting any younger, by the way) and sister. I really admire parents who work yet still raise their kids well and still find time for themselves. More often, they put others before their own needs. Blogging is a good way to express yourself and have some “me” time as well. 🙂
Mom = Multi-tasking, gambateh!
Being a mom, and a working mom at that, is a career in itself. I really admire and have high respect for moms like you who can juggle work with being a wife and mom and so effectively at that. Kudos to you!
Keep up the good work!
wow…u r so amazing..how i wish i could be a multi talent mum too!! im so busy everyday with kid n have to work…must keep it up!!
LOL @ kaypoh-ing at how much “Andy, Nadia, Si Quan and Devi are saving”..
I don’t have a 9-5 job but I understand the chaos of it and truthfully, I sometimes get more stressed because my job sometimes requires me to shuffle my schedule and sleep hours to get by.
And here I am, still single. I wonder if I can manage things if I’m married and with kids.
Omg! Awesome… Hats off to you for the multi-tasking lady that you are!!!
Hello fellow mom blogger! I know exactly how you feel. I only get to blog when the kids are sleeping, like right now haha. It’s really crazy to be doing too many things at the same time but it can’t be helped. It is exhausting but rewarding, that’s why we love it!
Indeed as parents, our priority is our kids. My blogging came about as my way to deal with the stresses of my day job. Now, I can only do my blogging later at night, after my tutoring duties.
So true dear and think we have a kind of superpower even though while coming back to home.we are dead tired but still manage to cook.best meal for family.
Multi-tasking is really Mom’s forte! Kudos to you for holding a front-facing consultancy training job and still managing such a successful blog!
Really exciting. A blogging Mum, with less difficulties with home activities. Exhausting but rewarding in the ending like that.
I can truly relate and have to say that blogging is not only fun but it’s also stressful as well. Not sure if I’m a better mom but I have been able to do a lot more with my kids but it also takes up a lot of my time too.
It really does sound exhausting! Multitasking is a vital skill based on your schedule. While I still worked for a corporation, travel time was crucial to me too. But in a different way, that was the only time in the day that I got to read. So my 45 minutes to and work and then later in the evening when I returned, were spent with a book in hand.
The sentence “learning how to shower in a shorter time than a maggie mee takes to cook” had me burst out laughing cuz it IS so true! Also, I never really have time to wash my hair until 10pm, when my kids sleep.
It’s really struggle or juggle!
I too get ready faster than the time taken for maggie mee to be cooked!
This is so interesting! I was previously in the Industry focusing on the training and consultancy arm of the parent company too! Oh man. I miss those days of achieving own personal goals!
But having said that, I don’t think I can juggle well of I am a FTWM… so, that explains why I had become a sahm for 3 yrs now! Kudos for the way u are managing your working life!
I just joined your group 🙂 I agree with your end statement – exhausting but rewarding. That summed up the beauty of motherhood nicely.
Having a primary 4 girl, I can identify with you struggling some maths questions.. Lol
“I am sure we moms have the art to take bath and get ready in lesser time than Maggi mee takes to cook.” A resounding YES from your fellow FTWM like me, haha!
Like you, I tick as many things to be done while in transit and/or during work break but I still haven’t tried blogging/drafting post on transit though. Gotta start doing so one of these days. 😉
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