I will be entering my 7^th year in RareJob Philippines, Inc. on September 2022. I am currently an HR Talent Rewards and Engagement Specialist, and I mostly handle the data management and analytics of HR Department, assist in compensation and benefits reviews, and spearhead the events and engagement activities for employees.

Work-life balance has been part of the company culture even before the pandemic. The company provides different avenues and opportunities to ensure that the staff can uphold their duties as an employee and their roles as a spouse, family member and/or as a friend.

That is what I love about the company because work-life balance is very important to me as a first-time parent. Being a first-time parent, there are a lot of adjustments I have to make to ensure that I provide the needs of my son, not only the material things but also my time for him as his mother. Being a parent is a 24/7 job with no rest days, no leaves, and sometimes, no breaks too – unlike with being an employee, you can enjoy even your shortest 15-minute coffee break.

When my maternity leave was about to end, I was torn between going back to work, and providing the needs of my child and being with him every hour of the day. I had to bottle train him since he was initially breastfed. It was a mix of emotions and priorities at that time. At first, I actually hesitated to go back to work. Separation anxiety is real! But I was able to overcome it.

When I reported back to work from my maternity leave, my whole life changed. As much I want to enjoy breaks with my co-workers, I had to go to the lactation room instead to pump breastmilk for my little one. Since I wanted to exclusively breastfeed him, I made the effort. I could no longer say “Yes” right away to dinner outs with the team, since the little one was already waiting for me at home. Not that I feel bad about these changes; changes make us go out of our comfort zone sometimes. It is different so it is hard at first, but you’ll get by. Also, these changes are all worth it for the little one who makes my heart melt and clings to me as if his world revolves around me. It is true that when you become a parent, your priorities will change.

Come the pandemic, our whole set-up drastically changed! At first, you would think, it is good that we can work from home, at least I could be with my child 24/7 while working. But it was hard! It seems that the concept of work-life balance no longer exists (haha!). Your home became your workplace, and your workplace, your home. It is very hard to find the balance, the distinction, and the separation at first. My spouse and I have to schedule everything to be able to meet our obligations as employees and as parents. We have to take turns feeding (since he started on solid food that time), cooking lunch and dinner, bathing and changing diapers, and everything in between. It was chaos at first, but we were eventually able to work in synergy.

Yes, the transition was hard at first, but my spouse and I thought that the pandemic is a blessing in disguise for us. It allowed us to work from home and see the milestones of our child. We were able to train and see him walk for the first time. We were able to hear his first words and call us “Mama” and “Papa.” We are thankful for this opportunity that every parent yearned to witness.

When I had already found the balance of working from home, I found my passion for cooking and baking. Since my little one started his solid food by that time, I was able to prepare his meals and ensure that I give him proper nutrition from the food that I prepare. I even baked (for the first time) a banana loaf bread for him. That was the start of my baking “career” (Haha!) – my baking hobby and the start of my home-based business.

The work from home setup is a blessing for a parent like me. We can do multiple roles all at once from time to time. We can see our child’s milestones and growth. We can give him our time and not miss anything because we are always with him at home.

Time and attention are very important to every child. This is because they are needy (in a good way) especially during the first few years of their life. Once I log out from work, I make sure that I already give my time to my little one and play with him. We watch YouTube Kids together, play with his favorite toy cars, and sing songs together while he acts out the song. I sometimes teach him random things from colors and shapes to alphabets and numbers.

Whether you are working from home or in the office, what matters most is that you spend every moment that you can with your children – or your family – and fill them with precious memories that you will treasure forever.