Bagong Nanay

Tag: working mom

  • Freda Dador-Agustin: The Secret to Balancing Family, Work, and a Business

    Freda Dador-Agustin: The Secret to Balancing Family, Work, and a Business

    Hello, #BagongNanay.

    First of all, I see you. When you are exhausted and at the brink of tears, finding out ways to calm your child, I see you.

    I see you. When you are staying up late to search for a new job. I see you.

    I see you. When you can’t seem to figure out what kind of business you want to start. I see you.

    I’m going through all these too, so I get you. Let me tell you – you are doing great, and you don’t have to be so harsh on yourself, okay?

    This is why I want to share the story of a Bagong Nanay who has gone through all these too, and proves that it’s not easy, but it can be done.

    Here’s the #KuwentongBagongNanay of Freda Dador-Agustin – a mother, a development worker, and a business owner.

    1. How are you juggling being a mother, a development worker, and a businesswoman at the same time? Share your top 3 hacks.

    Now that I am working from home [because of the pandemic], it became easier for me to manage my time. I don’t have to go to the office, and waste four hours of my time in traffic. 

    1. Make a daily routine. Write down all the things you need to get done daily, in your work, business, and mommy life. Aminin sa sobrang dami ng list natin, hindi kaya matapos in one day, so you also need to prioritize tasks. I am still working on this. Guilty ako because? Procrastination is real. Haha!
    2. Ask for help. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Sobrang totoo itong si Mareng Village, and I have an incredible village that’s been helping me. From my husband to my mother, to my friends, to my colleagues, my boss – lahat sila andyan to help me. So do not be afraid to ask for help. ‘Yung simpleng group chat with your friends will keep you sane.
    3. Make time for ME TIME. All-caps para intense! It is important to make time for yourself. Sabi nga nila, you cannot give what you don’t have. If you are unhappy, you cannot give happiness to your child. If you are unhappy, it will reflect on how you answer your customers and colleagues. So very important talaga to fill up your love tank. Do what makes you happy. That will help you balance your stress, increase your energy and help you focus.

    Make time for yourself. Fill up your love tank. Sabi nga nila, “you cannot give what you don’t have.”

    Freda Dador-Agustin, on balancing family, career, and business

    2. What are the struggles of having to fulfill these three roles?

    Take it from me – struggle pa rin ang time management kahit may daily routine. Minsan, kulang ang 24 hours sa dami ng need i-accomplish. Especially pag walang donor sa work and walang client sa business, kain oras maghanap ng mga clients and donors. So minsan lead generation palang, ubos na ang maghapon ko. 

    3. How do you practice self-care?

    Again, it’s very important that you make time for yourself. So I make time to do what makes me happy. Happy na ako when I get to sit down and watch Netflix or YouTube videos while munching on my favorite snacks. And as a people person, I enjoy chatting with my friends on social media.

    4. What can you say is your biggest achievement yet as a Bagong Nanay? 

    My biggest achievement siguro is I was able to raise a happy and healthy child. Praise God, we haven’t experience being confined in a hospital. He rarely gets sick. So feeling ko achievement ko na ito.

    Mommy Freda and Red, 5yo

    5. What’s your advice to Bagong Nanays who are planning to get back to work or start a business?

    If you are planning to start a business, do something that you’re good at. And of course, do something that you are passionate about. Sa business namin na Graphics Create, my husband Jec is a graphic artist by profession. Ako naman, I love to chika-chika. So swak na, may taga-market, may taga-design.

    6. In only six words, describe what kind of Bagong Nanay you are.

    Nako, ang hirap, taga tawa lang kasi ako. Haha! I am a “mommy that finds humor in anything”. Walang kwentang nanay. Hahaha

    Red got it from his mama!

    I am Freda from Rizal. I am the Bagong Nanay of Red, 5 years old. When I’m not doing the laundry and washing the dishes, I love watching Netflix and YouTube videos.

    Want to share your #KuwentongBagongNanay too? Send me a message! 😊

  • HACKED! By working nanays

    HACKED! By working nanays

    #BagongNanayQOTW: Anong hack mo to manage both work and family?

    Last week, we focused on our full-time nanays – what their past jobs were before they chose to stay home and put their family first. This week, mga working nanays naman ang bida.

    Being a #BagongNanay is a tough job already, and to have a full-time job means you need another set of superpowers.

    I remember having a home-based job right after I quit my full-time work. Namiss ko kaagad yung daily grind, kaya nag-apply ako sa onlinejobs.ph as a communications manager for a Canada-based health company.

    We didn’t have a yaya or anyone else to help us with taking care of my then 9-month-old baby. So my schedule was crazy and unhealthy that I lost a lot of weight and I felt like the stress affected my breastmilk supply.

    So after four months of full-time work + full-time Nanay, I decided to quit. My husband supported me on my decision. Of course, I wanted to still contribute financially and not really stop working. But without anyone to help me, I was killing myself. So I just opted to do freelance work and started a reselling business instead.

    My boss was shocked that I had to leave that early. We enjoyed working together, but I told her, we are in the business of health and wellness. But your employee is turning into a zombie. Wag ganun, mamsh.

    So I thought of asking our working nanay followers on Instagram how in the world they are able to manage both working and taking care of their family. I am so happy with the hacks they shared!

    “YouTube Kids.” rejjventress

    Mommy Rej shared that sometimes, walang choice kasi minsan, lahat sila need mag-work. They would resort to letting her child watch YouTube Kids to keep him entertained.

    In one of the webinars by Mommy Mundo that I attended last year, a pediatrician said that giving screentime is not bad. It’s all about setting limits and making sure that the content that your child is watching is fit for their age. A tip that she shared is to check on your child once in a while, engage him/her with what they are watching so that there is still interaction happening.

    “Music!” arkaydee

    Mommy Rachel says playing a lot of music and dance helps her manage work and nanay life. It’s a good way to bond with your child too!

    Sometimes, when I need to cook or do something, I put my child on her high chair, give her crayons and paper, and then play Cocomelon or nursery rhymes on Spotify. Her eyes are not locked on the screen, but she is happy coloring while listening to her favorite rhymes. Win-win!

    “Work when they are asleep.” eringoesgaga

    For Mommy Erin, she works on graveyard shift. She works at night when her kids are asleep, and sleeps a bit in the day. She said, “the trick is to talk to them and let them understand why you need to work so they try and don’t disturb you. She adds, mahirap pero wala namang mahirap sa willing, and kakayanin naman.”

    Grabe talaga ang super powers ng mga nanay. I wonder how many hats a mother could wear. Salute!

    “Have a detailed daily routine.” fredaagustin

    According to Mommy Freda, “mas okay if alam ng anak mo yung daily routine niyo para both kayo ma-manage yung expectations per day. Better if detailed talaga yung routine with time and activity.”

    I think this is a really nice hack that moms can follow, once their child can understand setting expectations and following routines. I can’t wait for my toddler to understand that I have to work! Haha. Pero cherish ko muna ang moment ngayon.

    “Train them to do their school work.” mamee_aizy

    Check out this hack from Mommy Aizy: “Been working at home for seven years kaya sanay na sila na they cannot disturb me during work hours. I trained them to do their school work as [early] as four, and daily routine schedule works for us.”

    Ayun! Like Mommy Freda, daily routine schedule is key. Ang galing lang na kayang mag-cope ng mga kids once they understand why their mom needs to work, at the same time, ang galing na kinakaya ng mom to work despite the hardships that they experience.

    Thanks to everyone who shared their answers! Whether you are a full-time nanay, or a working nanay, saludo ako sa’yo, #BagongNanay. Walang hindi kakayanin para sa mga mahal natin.

    Should you need someone to talk to – mag-rant about work or mag-ask about nanayhood experiences, join us at the Bagong Nanay Community on Viber. It aims to be a safe space for first-time and modern moms to talk about motherhood, life, and anything under the sun. From one nanay to another. No judgment.

    Ikaw, #BagongNanay? Anong hack mo para kayanin maging working mom? Share mo naman!