Treading the path of motherhood and career

One of the greatest joys for any mother is holding their baby for the first time and caring for it thereon. Whereas being a mother has been described as a full time job, the ins and outs of the capitalistic world dictate that a mother will occasionally have to leave their babies to go and fend for the family, or at least work to bring something to the family table.

Many mothers are always looking for ways to balance motherhood and career without hurting any of the two. A google search for background on the subject offers many options, many pointing at the need to focus on a plan, get organised, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood.

Linda Lisa Mukasa had to make a choice to take a break from work because she could leave the work and priceless moments of raising her adorable son to a nanny, a stranger.

She was the Client Relations Manager for Liquid Silk, a social hangout in town. As a stay-home mother, she is still able to put her abilities to work. At the moment, she is channeling her energies into Brand Purple, which is a mother company to the Purple Party events as the brand and finance director.

Juggling this and motherhood is about balancing her time. She explains, “Being a mother is a full time role regardless of the nanny’s help. I am a wife too which means more responsibilities but at the end of the day, career brings a lot on the table so I try as much as I can to manage my time promptly for all that. I cannot run away from any of them.”

Brenda Nanyonjo shares the same sentiments, adding that it is not easy balancing between motherhood and career, and having someone to take charge when she is at work was an option she could not rule out.

After four years of maternity leave, she called up her aunt for help finding a good nanny. Even then, she is emphatic that it is important to be in charge. When she is not at home, she makes sure that she calls home once or twice a day to check on how the baby is fairing.

“Sometimes, I will go home in the middle of the day or send someone there. I am lucky I have a very good nanny and I have been with her since I was pregnant,” Nanyonjo, a fashion entrepreneur, explains.
For Mukasa, an average day leaves her enough time to attend to her baby because she is home much of the time and only leaves home for town when she has meetings or errands to run.

This is more ideal. Before, she worked six days a week. She would wake up to prepare her son for school in the morning on a daily basis then prepare breakfast for her husband.

“For my former job, I could afford to be in office at 11am and work until midnight or beyond. Besides my job at Liquid Silk, I would juggle with my side projects like Purple Party where I am a co-director and the Sisterhood, a charity organisation. I always had to spare time to visit my farm in Mukono,” Mukasa explains.

Quick thoughts

Fran Durekas, Founder and Chief Development Officer for Children’s Creative Learning Center, suggests “setting aside 15 minutes each Sunday to review and prepare for the upcoming week’s schedule. This helps eliminate surprises during the week.