Kriiiiing! Kriiiiing! Araw-araw, naririnig na naman ang mga nakaririnding tunog ng alarm clock. Reactions to the sound of an alarm clock on school days vary. ‘Yung iba start the day full of excitement while others get crazy. The situation of a working mom is quite challenging at madalas nakakabaliw. Krung-krung has been popularized by actress, Sandara Park, years ago. Dati ang meaning nito ay cute, fun and crazy. But right now, the meaning is stuck on being “crazy.” So kapag tinawag kang krung-krung, ang ibig sabihin nito ay nababaliw o kaya baliw ka na. Huwag naman sana. Pero aminin nyo, mga working moms, naranasan nyo na bang gumising sa umaga na hindi nyo malaman kung ano’ng uunahing gawin at tila antok na antok pa kayo? Hindi mo malaman kung mamalantsa ka ba, magluluto, o kaya maghahanda ka na rin sa pagpasok mo sa opisina. Well, kung ganito ang morning routine mo, you are not alone.
Statistics shows that 75 percent of all mothers today work. Batay ito sa isang blog na isinulat ng isang nagpakilala bilang Ms. J sa definitelyfilipino.com. Although working moms are accepted in our society nowadays as a norm, it does not mean that moms should give away their parenting role. Their priorities should be set. The teaching of family values and faith is the first priority of every parent.
Ang ina ni Jose Rizal na si Teodora Alonzo ay laman ng mga history books hindi dahil humawak siya ng itak upang makipaglaban sa mga dayuhan. Siya ay nakilala dahil sa kanyang dedikasyon bilang isang ina. Kung paano niya hinubog ang batang si Rizal sa mabuting asal at pananampalataya ay talagang dapat tularan. Remember that at an early age he developed his keen observation and imagination through the storytelling of his mother so that at the peak of his life, Rizal made a great contribution to the revolution of our country. Kaya nga ganoon na rin ang pagpaparangal mismo ni Dr. Jose Rizal sa kanyang ina. We can raise up “hope for our nation,” only if parents, ensure holistic development of their children.
One of the challenges of being a working mom is having less time to fulfill their role at home. Malaking ginhawa kung magpaplano. A campaign slogan on tv says, “magplano, magsiguro, I am ready.” Ito ay tungkol sa paghahanda sa mga paparating na sakuna, ngunit maari rin itong gamitin sa pagiging working mom. Planuhin mo ang mga kailangang gawain. Plan ahead so that you can do multiple tasks such as visiting your sibling and teaching socialization to your children at the same time as they play with their cousins.
Maganda ring mag-isip ng mga pamamaraan kung paano gugugulin ng makabuluhan ang mga day-off kung saan you can have fun with your family. Play with them. Sabi nga, “children spell love as t-i-m-e.” The longer you spend meaningful time with your child, the warmer they will feel your love. Instead of going to the mall, gumawa ng photo albums o kaya ay balikan ‘yung mga luma ninyong albums at ikuwento ‘yung mga hindi makakalimutang karanasan. Be observant during these activities. Note how your children interact and the words they use. Madalas nababanggit ng mga bata ‘yung mga salitang naririnig nila, mabuti man ito o hindi. This is when we have the opportunity to encourage, as well as admonish them.
Financial stability is the primary reason why mothers are forced to leave their homes and go to work. It is a valid reason, and I honor the mothers who are willing to do extra work on top of their home responsibilities. However, here’s a final thought to ponder, kids won’t stay kids forever. You may not have the opportunity to train them when they’ve grown up. You have the best opportunity to instill Christian values now. Pray with them before they sleep and when they wake up. This will not take too much time. Five minutes and you already have a meaningful communion with God together with your child. Remember, this is your task, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6).
