The Rules of Raising Angel (A Proposition)

Moms, i salute all of you, every mom and mom-to-be in the world. For unconditional love and care you give to children. Being mom is definitely a real job. It may require all competencies mentioned in, let’s say, a CEO post vacancy, with a life long contract. Briefly, it costs you blood and tears. But it will pay you HEAVEN, mom.

There is no such thing as a full-time mom or part-time mom (or outsourced-mom?). Mom will always be mom, whenever, wherever. Whether she delivered naturally or under surgery. She gives breasfeeding or formulas. Mom knows the best, for children, family, and her self.

Raising angel can be a bless and a test at the same time. Every parent wants all the best things for their children, even before they are born. When mom find out that she is expecting, it will give excitement to the whole family.

Post-natal is the happiest moment after nine-month of anticipation. And mom’s life turns upside-down since then. In the early life, baby totally count its life on mom’s hand. Gentle touch, soft voice of mom are as important as nutrition from breastmilk. Those give the fundamental and stimulation for baby to grow physically and emotionally. This critical nursing stage demands mom to be at best condition to express breastmilk and babysit 24/7, while keeping house in order as well as (not to forget) working the relationship with partner.

But there is no perfect life, especially for working mom, specifically in Indonesia. The labor acts allow maximum to 3 months of maternity leave. In reality, some companies allegedly cut the maternity leave period, plus some adverse actions to pregnant worker. The situation can be worse when a female staff get particular pregnancy or maternity problems that cause her to get rest. I always remember when my ex-gentleman-boss said repeatedly,”A woman worker usually gives her best performance in the first two years, and then it diminishing slowly, in most cases starting from the day she get pregnant.” It’s a challenging statement ladies! I bet he vow not to recruit female worker ever since then.

Yes I have read that some moms are succeed in keeping motherhood and office stuffs in balance. They do pumping between office hours, in any location, to provide breastmilk stocks for their little angels at home. But it only applies if mom get helper which now become the primary issue for most of working-household. Quit from the job may be an alternative solution. But in this economy which single income can not support family needs, it could be a bad decision. Nevertheless, nurturing is way more sophisticated than breastmilk and helper availability matters.

The beginning years is golden year in a baby’s life. Its has the right to get appropriate treatment from appropriate people. We need an emphatic-yet-fair on-demand-maternity-leave policy. At last, for the sake of our next generation well-being, I propose revision on government maternity leave policy. To enable moms accomplished their noble mission from God completely.

(Ilustration from likemails.com)