24/05/2023
Brought this boy out for my meetings yesterday!
I remember he was only 6 months old when I first brought him to a client’s meeting. I was a struggling new mum then, trying to find a balance between work and being a caregiver. He woke up in the middle of the meeting and started crying loudly, so I had to end the meeting early and calm him down. It was a mix of mum’s guilt and advisor’s guilt as it feels like I couldn’t play my roles well.
Now 6 years down the road, this boy has grown, I have grown, we have grown together. I asked N if he felt bored when I was talking to my clients and if he would still want to join me in my meetings next time, to which he happily replied “Yes I want to go to your office!”
“Don’t u feel bored?”
"No, I can read Dogman, I can draw, I can do what I did yesterday!"
Here's what I learned:
- Things might not be perfect, but we can make the best of them. Sometimes I still feel guilty when I have to work and take care of him at the same time, but I try to do what I can by telling him what he needs to do when I'm working. For example, he has to read a book/draw/color when I'm talking to my clients so that I can focus on them. And then we can have some fun time together after that, like going shopping, getting dinner, and taking the MRT home.
- There are many ways to make memories with our kids, not just taking them to playgrounds, zoos, and parks. I still remember visiting my parents’ office when I was his age, it was fun to explore the office even though it was boring. The most important thing was being together. N and I had a good time even though we were doing different things.
I'm proud of how far we've come and how much we've grown. I hope he will always remember these moments and cherish them as much as I do (: I honestly dunno how long more we can do this, cos when the girls get to p1, I can’t be possibly bringing all 3 kids for my meetings 🤪
