FollowI’ve been a stay-at-home mum with a freelance writing job since 2007. That’s 18 years of juggling motherhood, house chores, and deadlines—a life that’s fulfilling, yet stressful. For 10 years, I also ran an online store that sold women’s and children’s clothes. Managing three young daughters and writing for a living with a side business is no easy feat. Though I had a full-time maid for a decade, things took a sharp turn in 2011 when our helper decided to go back to Indonesia. Cass was only 3 years old then, and my real test of multi-tasking began.
Some days, even a 300-word article takes me two days to complete. I can spend 15 minutes writing a paragraph, only to be interrupted—by laundry, cooking, chauffeuring the girls, replying to emails and clients, or just managing the day-to-day affairs of running a home. Each interruption breaks my train of thought, and I often need hours before I can return to writing. But I push on—because, like everyone else, I need the money.
Over the years, I’ve told my daughters this one piece of advice repeatedly: never give up your career to be a full-time housewife, no matter how wealthy your future spouse may be. Always have your own income—for emotional strength, financial security, and self-worth. If there’s anything the pandemic taught us, it’s that nothing in life is permanent. My husband’s catering business was shut for almost two years during the Covid lockdowns. If not for my freelance writing and the savings I had, I shudder to think how we would have pulled through.
My husband now says he’ll work until his last breath—not just for the money, but to keep his mind active. That’s something I truly understand. When you stop working, your brain slows down. I’ve always said, when my girls are all grown up and independent, I might just return to the workforce and find a job that’s less stressful but enjoyable. I don’t mind being a sales promoter or pharmacy assistant—anything that keeps my body moving and my mind sharp.
I can’t stand idleness. Doing house chores day in and day out without meaningful interaction or purpose can drive anyone mad. To still earn money in your 60s means you don’t have to pinch from your EPF or depend on your kids for pocket money. You can travel, enjoy life, and buy what you want with your own hard-earned cash. That, to me, is real freedom.
So yes, I’ll keep working. For sanity, for security, and most importantly, for myself.
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