Full Time Housewife

Since I quitted my full time job last October to be a "Stay-at-home-mum" or SAHM, I haven't in the truest sense been a real housewife. I've my mum who comes over every weekday to prepare dinner for us so I seldom have to worry about meals for the family. Hubby works from home most of the time, thus at any one time, I often have 3 or more adults at home helping out. At the same time, I get to work on 1 to 2 days a week doing training for airport staff.

But this last week, both Hubby and my parents have to go overseas at coincidentally the same time. Hubby had to be in KL as his big bosses are there this week and my parents went on a sponsored holiday to Guangzhou at exactly the same time. Also, for the whole of this month, I have no training assignments as the program was put on hold due to courseware revision. Thus, for the past 4 days, it was the closest I've ever been to being a full-time housewife.

I have to think of what to cook for lunch and dinner everyday, drive KK to school at 1pm and pick him up again at 5pm. After I send KK to school, I'll sometimes pop over to the supermarket (like many of the aunties I see there) to buy some groceries or run a few quick errands. Back home, I'll have my lunch, play with XX and perhaps do some blogging and checking of emails. After picking him up from school, I'll sit at the playground watching KK play for a while before bringing him home to wash up and get ready for dinner. After dinner, it's more time with the kids and some TV before getting them ready for bed. Sounds like a real boring routine, huh? However, there is a small sense of satisfaction and accomplishment for me.

Satisfaction comes from playing with my children and witnessing the 点点滴滴 of their growth. When I walk around the neighbourhood during lunchtime, I see office workers at lunch and I start to appreciate that I don't have to report to office at a fixed time everyday, look forward to lunchtime and then rush back again for some meetings, missing out some 9 hours of my kids' growth everyday. (That works out to 45 hours a week, 180 hours a month and 2160 hours or 90days = approx 3 months in a year!) Maybe there're some mummies who really enjoy working but I think for most mummies, not working is not an option. Looking at them, I really thank God for my fortunate circumstances.

Accomplishment. I've always been working full-time and had the help of my mother (staying close by has its advantages) that I sometimes wonder if I can cope at home if I'm left to my own devices. This past week is kind of like a trial of the life I'll have in Australia and I'm pretty proud that I coped pretty alright.

OK, so I cheated a little. I have the help of a domestic maid who can help me take care of the kids while I cook, prepare the ingredients for dinner and wash up. She is definitely a great help in relieving some of the duties and pressure off me so I have some time for myself, to play my piano, blog and enjoy a cup of tea. Well, since I'm paying for the luxury, why not enjoy it while it last?

At least for now, I've proven to myself that my children and I won't starve to death with my limited cooking skills and I won't go mad facing my kids 24hours a day.