I was working when I was pregnant with my first child, my company was generous with me as I had to be in bed for a while due to some complications, however I still had to go to work and had to start my accounting course at the same time. In actual fact I started work prior to marriage, and continued till date.  My career journey took many turns, but all I can say here is that it was from good, to better to best.  In most jobs, I didn’t have to prove that I was a good worker because of my gender, people knew how good I was. I was fortunate enough to have bosses who can tell the difference between women who are there just to earn money and those that are there for a career.  Not many girls that I know have had that splendid opportunity.

Back to my subject, while I was pregnant I was studying for a course that I passed, and when I had my baby I did another course which I passed too. Even though the child was restless, never slept at night, very colic, wants lots of milk and attention, I did it. How? with the help of my husband, he was sharing some of the responsibilities.  My son was scribbling on my notes and my books when we were in England (after doing two courses by distance the company decided to send me to England to complete the programme, so we spent two and a half years there), he was crying at night, and I was still nursing him but that didn’t stop me from my ultimate objective, my studies were important, so the years went by and I graduated.

Then I had my second daughter, who was very quite, it was a year later that I noticed that she grew so much without any hassle, the third one arrived and we were a family with three children.  They all went to great schools, I was helping them with their homework, taking them to their programmes and extra curriculum activities and so on, but still working, then I started my third course and studied for it, and I was still working, then we went overseas to do my fourth course, and continued to work, study, raise kids and so on.

Not easy, but we did it, did I stop for a minute to think if what I am doing is important or not? and if my kids and my family life was suffering because of what I was doing? if my social life was affecting my family life? Am I seeing my mum and sibling enough? am I traveling enough? is my house nice? is my furniture upto standard? am I going to travel to do stuff other than work?  many questions and they all came to my mind, however one thing was for sure on my mind all the time.

That thing is the love for my kids, whatever I did in my life is for them, and because of them.  Life is worth the struggle when the results means better housing, better schools, more quality time, better universities, better trip (even though they were short) better everything.  I wanted my kids to have it all, so I didn’t spare anything to do better in life so I can get them the best.

I hear that some people are gossiping about me and how I devoted my time to myself and deprived my kids, I would say to them that my kids and my work is part of the same currency, the head and the tail; the good thing though, one doesn’t need to flip the coin, both heads and tails are on the same surface of the coin.

Again I would say, anyone can achieve work and life balance, it depends though on how heavy the weight one puts on that scale.  A kilo on both side doesn’t equal the ton.  I would go for a higher weight on both sides of the scale than many would have done in my time.