KGI Blog | Lessons From Circuit Breaker

Published by Christina Chua, 20 June 2020

What I learned in the 2 months of Circuit Breaker – Balancing work and family

They say everything happens for a reason — and for me, the two months of circuit breaker has left a lasting impact on me in terms of how I view work-life balance and learning how to be a more present parent moving forward.

It was a challenge at first. Working remotely at home was normal. As a front-office employee, I am used to functioning outside of the office as I was always out for meetings at different places. In between, I would attend to my e-mails and queries via my mobile phone when I had time. The tricky part was balancing between working from home full-time and caring for two kids, one aged 10 and the other 5. That was a real headache as I wasn't used to having my children around while working!

My 10-year-old son who is in Primary school was struggling with home-based learning (HBL) as it was something new to him as well, and I had to regularly guide him to ensure that he logs in to his Zoom lessons on time and completes his school assignments. Although my 5-year-old daughter did not have much HBL since she is in Kindergarten, trust me — she was so excited to see her mommy at home every day, and kept on interrupting my meetings and demanding attention!

Initially, I was frustrated. Whenever the duo disrupted my work, I reprimanded them for not being independent. I then felt guilty for flaring up, and the cycle repeated a few times before I started appreciating the precious family time that I have with them. I realized that over the past few years, while I was working hard to fulfil my career and financial goals to provide them with a good life, I may have missed giving them the one thing that they desire most — quality time. They are not a distraction. If anything, these 2 angels have always been my source of motivation and inspire me to be the best version of me. 

As we exit from the circuit breaker, many of us are returning to office gradually, including myself. While we settle into the new normal, be it working-from-home or working-in-office, one thing I will remember by heart is that work-life balance is indeed possible, in contrary to conventional thinking. With realistic expectations, some trial and error and a disciplined routine, we can achieve a decent balance between work and family, which is beneficial both to our children and us, as we are less likely to feel burned out at work. Our children will also grow up with the love, attention and quality time that they need to build the confidence and happiness required for them to develop into healthy adults. After all, one day, our children will grow up and eventually lead their own lives. We need to cherish and celebrate every milestone while they last.

As much as I am thankful that my family is safe, my heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones to COVID-19. I would also like to give a big salute to all the frontline healthcare workers for working round the clock to care for patients and battling against the coronavirus. While we welcome Phase 2 of Safe Reopening, let's continue to be socially responsible and prevent the virus from spreading in the community.  

Tell me, what was your key takeaway from the circuit breaker?