A SAHM's Story

As a kid, I've never dreamed that I would one day become a stay-at-home mum. A teacher, yes. A CEO, yes. A mother, yes too, but I didn't go so far as to think that being a mum would become my full-time job. Then as time passed, I fell in and out of love, I thought about marriage and motherhood, I decided on my ideal number of kids (I hear you ask how many? Okay, I thought I would only want two), but still, never did I expect that I would be where I am today.

I guess you never know what fate has in store for you, right? It turned out that the hubby was sent to Sweden for a good 5-year period and I ended up quitting my jobs (yes, I had two jobs at that time) to fly over and join him after his first year. Things moved rapidly from there and before I knew it, I had become a mum and I went through the first few years of motherhood in a home away from home.

It was then I realised that being a mum was not just my destiny, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Even though it drives me up the wall, brings me tears and makes my heart break, the truth is it makes me want to become a better person, gives meaning to my life and lets me love, care and rejoice in a way that I've never felt before.

Time flew and fast forward to three years later, we returned to the tropical island when I was in my third trimester with the second child, I had then become a full-fledged SAHM and was more adept at changing diapers than churning out Excel sheets, I had absolutely no desire to join in the rat race or climb the corporate ladder and I had only one wish in my mind - to be the one to look after my kids.

While I might not have many fortes (I am terrible at geography, politics and have zero sense of direction), eight years into this journey, I guess I can safely say that I am doing not bad in this role of a SAHM. Or rather, I just try to be the best I can be. Yes, even with three kids and no helper, I've not gone bonkers (yet), I've no intention of giving up and surprisingly, I go to bed with a exhausted body but a happy, thankful heart.

Here's sharing all about my SAHM journey, a journey that has seen its ups and downs, a journey that is tough and mind-boggling yet gratifying and fulfilling, a journey that brings me so much laughter and tears, joy and sadness, hope and despair that I feel like my emotions are constantly all over the place, a journey that is like no other I've been on and cannot be described, only felt.

The series is divided into three broad categories, namely:

Reflections of a SAHM
-> This will be where I share my innermost thoughts and let out my emotions. Good or bad, happy or sad, I just hope to keep it real.

Tips from a SAHM
-> I'm not an expert and I'll never be the perfect mum but we can always learn from each other. So I'll be sharing some tips and advice that I've learned along the way.

Life as a SAHM
-> In hoping to document more of our family moments, I will be sharing more pictures and anecdotes from my everyday life as a mum.

Hereby, I just wanna say thank you to those of you who've been reading this blog all along, especially to the ones who wrote in to share your stories or drop me kind words and advice too. Thank you for all your encouragement, it truly means so much more than I can say. I hope that some of these heartfelt posts will resonate with you, strike a chord or two or come in handy for you someday. If you have any of your own SAHM experiences to share or have anything to ask, feel free to write in to me anytime too.

And the story begins...

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Reflections of a SAHM
Is motherhood all rainbows and butterflies?
Why you should never call me a Tai Tai 
"What's a stay-at-home mum worth?" on Talking Point 
A year older as a SAHM 
10 things I've learnt from my kids 
Not a sacrifice, but a privilege 
The story of the missing dryer 
最幸福的事
I am ME

Tips from a SAHM
8 ways to be a happy SAHM
12 rules for a happy marriage
How to be a SAHM and not feel like a bum
15 tips to dining out with young kids
12 tips to travelling on public transport with young children 
When sorry seems to be the hardest word 

Life as a SAHM
Through the eyes of my child
Knowing that I am rich
Getting used to the chaos
Remembering I'm still me 
15 signs that you're a mum of 3
 

Happy reading! And remember, while we might not be perfect mums, we will always be the BEST mums for our children. So let's rock it, fellow mummies!

P.S. For the record, being a mum of four is..... AWESOME! Yup, never regretted biting off more than I could chew. And to be honest, if I have more hands and legs (and money), I would actually hope to have half a dozen kids or more. We are good for now though and these kids are what make my life whole. And messy. And chaotic. And never a moment's peace. Welcome to the life of a SAHM!