I am rediscovering school. 15 years after I left school, I now call myself a student once again, for educator training.
Let me coin a new term for my new role - student mummy. And while I'm at it, let me add wife, daughter, daughter-in-law... phew! We women are a tough lot!
So now, I've taken the bold step to add 'student' to my already demanding roles. What are my thoughts? Wah! Siong! (Singapore's lingo for 'it's downright stressful and demanding). In the first week alone, I've had two presentations, a 300-word assignment and a 200-word online session to prepare, all due within the week! This explains my exhausted brains. I have at least two early days that start at 830am, which means I'm up at 530am, out by 630am as it takes me two hours to get to the wild wild west where the birds don't lay eggs. And then there are days when I'm not back till 8pm.
Since school started about a month ago, I've been spending less time with EV and AA, as compared to past year when I had my maternity leave and took extra time off work. I miss them terribly every moment I'm in school. My heart melts each time I return home to see AA reaching out for me, or hear EV say 'mummy play with me.'
I don't deny that being a student is hard. Being a mummy with two young kids is even harder. But what I have learnt from the past crazy month is not only do I have to treasure every single moment with dear EV and AA, but how crucial it is for me to have good time management so that I can maximise time with the family, and yet be able to juggle long school days as well as heaps and heaps of readings and assignments.
It is not easy being a student. And I hope that my kids will not have to face the huge amount of stress that I am facing now. I guess they won't, unless they become a student mummy, or daddy, like me.
In a way, I think the term 'student mummy' does fit even if I'm not in school. After all, I study the art of parenting every day. That makes me a student of the school of parenthood.
So what have you learnt today in your school of parenthood?
Linking up with
I have learn to stop procasinating and just DO IT!!.. It will get more things done and you will be more satisfied at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! It's really about taking the bull by the horns, and just CHARGE!!! :) Satisfying, but sometimes, just need a little breather.
DeleteMeant to leave a comment the last time but had difficulty on my mobile.
ReplyDeleteYou are so brave to step out! Kudos to you, and all the best in your training!
Thanks! :)
DeleteSheehs I'm so tired just hearing about your day! You go, girl!
ReplyDeleteHahaha.. I felt so tired just writing it. But all is good. Just have to keep myself motivated at all times of the day. The kids are a great motivation! :)
DeleteThe deadline for my thesis was only 1 month after I gave birth to my girl so I know exactly what you mean. On top of breastfeeding every 1.5 hours deep into the night, I was also typing furiously on my computer hoping to submit and finally graduate. It was one of the toughest moments for me, but hey, I get bragging rights for enduring through and emerging victorious. You will too :)
ReplyDeleteWow! Power! One month after? You're amazing! Thanks for the encouraging words! :)
DeleteI've lived that life back when Layla was first born. I was in the middle of a counselling dip, and she was born exactly during the term break. :) A month later, I was back in school for lessons up to four nights a week, and she was three months old, I started freelancing again. So the days were filled with babycare and the nights were filled with work. But I was seven years younger. :)
ReplyDeleteAll best in your studies!