In her column, Tracy shares experiences and lessons learnt as she navigates life and grows with her two boys. To share your views email Tracy on tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za
Image: Graphics
As a career-orientated mom of two, the task of managing work deadlines, school pick-ups, and navigating between the two roles often feels like training for a triathlon—with no finish line in sight.
It all starts at 6am when my alarm clock sings its unwelcoming tune.
There’s no time to snooze, I finally understand the “you snooze you lose” phrase, so I leap out of bed like a ninja and so my day begins.
We start with negotiating: “Mommy, can I sleep a bit more, I am still tired, I hardly slept…
“Good morning baby, no we need to get up before we are late for school.”
Then comes the breakfast rush, the second part of negotiating: “Mommy, why can’t I have a sweet for breakfast?” This is a question I’ve fielded more times than I care to admit.
I find that allowing them to have breakfast while watching their favourite tv show doesnt help a lot, but it does help to a certain extent “if you don’t eat I will switch off the tv”.
Once the cereal bowls are cleared, it’s onto the school prep and the double, triple, checking.
Lunch packed? Water packed? Taps closed? Teeth brushed? Face shiny like vaseline? And into the car we go.
My big boy and I during the first day of school drop off which also happened to align with my work task for the day. Picture: Dad
Dropping off my eldest is like a carpooling karaoke, interviewing adventure on its own, then off to drop the youngest at daycare.
Time to switch hats - mommy-to-work mode, this often starts with sipping lukewarm coffee in the car.
But the fun really begins when that school bell rings for the end of the day.
School pick-up is a game of Tetris: navigating traffic, grabbing forgotten water bottles, and dodging the occasional meltdown over who gets to sit in the “cool seat” (it’s the same seat, by the way).
And let’s not forget the dizzying social lives these little ones have! Between soccer practice, ballet lessons, art classes, and playdates, parents are sometimes left feeling more like their personal assistant more than their parents.
Once we’re back home, it’s homework time, which is often punctuated by groans of “I don’t get this”, while turning my chair to check emails and conduct interviews while he “tries to figure it out.”
Then comes the whirlwind of dinner, post-dinner clean-up, and, of course, bath time, all assisted by daddy—which always ends with a puddle on the floor and a toddler running away in their towel giggling mischievously.
Now, if there’s one thing I’ve been strict about since my kids were little, it’s bedtime by 8:00 pm sharp. A routine is always best, they say, and it’s the one thing that keeps our household running smoothly.
Pajamas on, teeth brushed, and stories read—it’s all part of the nightly ritual. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one ready to pass out by the end of it all!
Through it all, I somehow manage to keep my career moving forward. I prep for presentations during nap time, respond to emails in between bath time, and plan my next day as I pack lunches.
Sure, I’m tired, but it’s the good kind of tired—the kind that comes from giving your all to the people you love, because you know by Saturday they will be up brighter than the sun just to spend time with you (or with their toys).
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za