Meet The Stay-Home Career Mum

Motherhood and career do not necessarily have to clash with a set of clear priorities and a dose of creativity. Melanie Lee elaborates.

There are hard choices to make when one becomes a mother. Should one choose wholehearted devotion to family, or should one continue to climb the corporate ladder? For the high-achieving yet family-centred Asian woman, this is often a tough call. However, in recent years, many women have realised that these two choices are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and that it is possible to be actively involved in raising the children while forging one’s career path at the same time.

Take Joan Leong, 29, for example, who has a three-year-old daughter, Clare. The former video producer and photojournalist managed to kill two birds in one stone and fulfil both her personal and parental desires by setting up her own photography business, Joan Leong Photography, earlier this year. Joan had always wanted to do her own thing before turning 30, and was also looking for ways to maximise her income. At the same time, she wanted to spend more time with her daughter. “This arrangement works because I get to decide my hours and plan my schedule. When I’m not working, I can spend time with her instead of wasting time in the office. I feel less guilty as a mum now,” she says.

While Joan does get babysitting help from her mother-in-law during her busy periods, there are still times when Clare is around while she is working. On the surface, this situation may seem potentially disruptive, but it has proved to be a good training ground for developing Clare’s independence. “During these times, I’ll set her a play activity or let her watch television and she’ll happily entertain herself for hours. My daughter is amazing that way. However, I need to make sure that I keep my end of the bargain and give her my full attention when I’m done with the work,” Joan explains.

While some may envy Joan’s work situation that allows her to spend quality time with her daughter, she admits that it is “very difficult” sometimes to be there both for her daughter and her business. However, what is evident is that this balancing act has honed her to become a more focused and disciplined mother and businesswoman overall.

Four Tips For Being a Smashing Mummy Entrepreneur

1. Plan, plan, plan. There is no choice but to be super-organized on a daily basis to ensure you get a smooth and efficient workflow while ensuring time with your loved ones.
2. Work with your children. Childproof your office space so your children can spend time with you while you answer emails and file invoices. Get them involved in the little tasks like stamping envelopes.
3. Schedule all-day dates with your children. Allocate a day or two each month to spend exclusively with your child. It also gives you a break from work!
4. Take care of yourself. The only way you can take care of your children and your business is to ensure that you are well yourself. Spoil yourself occasionally with that massage or girls’ night out to rejuvenate.