A corporate mother and wife struggle everyday: a great source of inspiration

A corporate mother and wife struggle every day which is a great source of inspiration

Kathrin Rozario

Mornings can be a rush, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be quality time. My five-year-old baby boy is an early riser, so my day always starts with family cuddles in bed. As a mother of a young child, I always feel like I am juggling work, family, and home commitments. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to achieve the work-life balance I set out to achieve. But, regardless of what happens on any given day, I’m always mindful of trying to be both physically and emotionally present in their lives. The time we spend together in the morning clears my head, energizes me, and reminds me of what I’m working for. After all, I couldn’t hope for anything more than to be an inspiration to my son and husband as a mother, wife, and corporate woman.

While there’s certainly no right or wrong way to start your day, what’s important is to find a routine that works for you and stick to it as much as possible. As a woman in a job, you’ll reap the benefits – both professional and personal. This is how Julie (41) describes her daily life. She works as a senior logistic manager in a foreign buying house in Dhaka. Previously, she worked for the MGH group as a senior merchandiser for a long time and for Camio knitwear as manager.

Afroza Julie started her career in her college days, back in 1998, as a part-time salesperson in Archie’s Gallery, At that time, her job was very challenging because my family was against my job. Everyone discouraged me, except my father. The only man who became my supporter in doing my job after my HSC exam was my father. From then on, I made it my goal to be a successful corporate woman and to build my own identity. I can still remember the day of my first salary-it was the most joyful day of my life. In the year 1998, my three thousand salaries changed my life completely and made me confident for the rest of my life.

Yes, from then till I am a working woman and am now in charge of the freight forwarding and operation team at Ocean Group. I have to work a minimum of 9 hours in the office and during shipping time, up to 10-12 hours a day in the office or from home.

My day starts at 5:30 in the morning, I play with my baby boy and discuss my day plan with my husband. I go to the kitchen to make breakfast and pack our lunch, which is cooked at the back of the day. By 7:30 am, my helping hand comes to take care of my child. My mom stays in the same block of Lalmatia where I live, and she visits my house 2-3 times daily to see my baby and lend a helping hand. My daily pickup time for the office vehicles is at 8:15. This is the busiest hour for me to freshen up, get dressed, and go to the office.

At work, I greet everyone at the office with either a “hi” or a smile and drink a dark cup of black coffee while I read the headlines in the newspaper. Then I go through my day, all exactly according to my time schedule. I am a professional, one who has everything under my control. I stick to my pre-planned agenda. Throughout my meetings, I present my ideas to the rest of my coworkers with confidence and passion. When I get a break, I try to call my baby and get an update on what he is doing. Generally, during lunchtime, I call my husband and share our lives. Generally, my office time is from 9:30 to 7:00 pm. Due to traffic, it takes an hour or more to reach home. On the road, I plan what to cook and if I need to buy anything, so that after reaching home I can cook fast. Reaching home, I gave my baby and had some snacks with him by the time my husband came from his job, who works for a well-known telecommunication company in Bangladesh, and took our baby for a walk while he teaches him rhymes, and I, with my house helper, prepared dinner and lunch for the next day. By 10:30, we usually have our dinner and by 11:30, we go to sleep. Sometimes I cook two-three meals a week to have some time and relax.

When I get some free time, I watch television, go for a walk on the roof, listen to some music, or spend my time reading. The best thing is that when I read something, my boy also takes a book and reads it with me. When I am not at home, he generally watches cartoons, draws pictures, and my mom takes him to school and brings him back. Sometimes, my husband takes him to school. Without my husband and my mother’s support, it would not be possible for me to maintain everything. They are my key strengths. I always wondered how come a single mother maintains everything. Really, I salute them and their courage. 

So technically, I have only 6 hours to sleep, manage the day, read, respond to potential or existing clients, network, and manage household chores and errands. However, this list is not exhaustive as it does not include the role of a mother! In the last two years, due to COVID-19, I have got extra time at home because I maintain an office from home and have had very good family time with my husband and my child. Now everything is going back to normal and my daily job started as before. As a mother and a working woman, I always try to follow some daily life rules. I always put my family first, I work for them, and they are my key to success. Not only is my husband also the rules for going to bed by 11:30 On weekends, we also don’t follow our bedtime rules. My two days aref is the best time for us. We go out to watch movies, visit relatives, parks, and arks, and it’s our picnic day. All of us wait for Thursdays; it’s our family time.

Julie’s word – I’m sharing with you is that, whatever life you have, you can choose to use your position as a learning lesson for your children. And I hope that while my boy grownup, he will able to describe me as a strong woman who took chances that required sacrifice, never feared to fail, stumbled but rose up again, and yet showed them love and made her family always a priority in the process.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.