Ilona Tan (left photo) and Dinie Hazwanie (right photo) with their loving families.
Discover the heartfelt experiences of two dedicated working mothers, as they navigate the complexities of motherhood and their careers.
Motherhood is a profound journey filled with unique challenges and rewarding triumphs. Ilona Tan, a Civil Servant, and Dinie Hazwanie, a Cohesion Specialist at HomeTeamNS, skilfully balance their demanding careers with the joys and responsibilities of raising young children.
Both celebrating their first Mother’s Day, Ilona, 36, and Dinie, 26, cherish these moments. Dinie looks forward to a leisurely breakfast with her husband and child, while Ilona plans a festive meal surrounded by her extended family, including her mother and mother-in-law.
Here, these inspiring women share how motherhood has reshaped their perspectives and influenced their professional lives, offering insights that resonate with working parents everywhere.
Reflecting on her journey, Dinie finds that being a working mother has humbled her. “I hadn’t anticipated the sheer amount of effort and resilience required of working mothers who juggle office duties in the day and tend to their children afterwards.”
Ilona highlights the importance of having a supportive network, “I’m very blessed to have the flexibility to work from home two days a week; a reliable helper who is trustworthy, capable and caring towards my child; and strong family support, all of which make balancing my professional and personal life feasible,” she remarks.
From dealing with home matters to career progression, having spousal support is crucial for both mothers.
Dinie values the shared responsibilities with her husband, highlighting how critical this partnership is. “He has helped me in so many ways. We try our best to divide our household duties equally but on days that I’m overwhelmed, he steps in,” she says.
Ilona echoes this sentiment, highlighting the emotional support her husband, INSP (NS) Jason Chua, a Home Team NSman and HomeTeamNS Volunteer, provides. “My husband’s primary job is to care for me and keep me happy! And I am not kidding — one of the things he does best is to look out for my welfare and ensure I am well taken care of, even as I devote my energy towards caring of our baby,” she says. “I’m appreciative that he watches out for me by reminding me to take breaks and to go out and have fun. He also plans activities just for the two of us.”
Every effort to communicate is vital, even those that do not yield the expected outcomes. “Remember, we are a work-in-progress. Every attempt at communication — successful or not, is still a step towards understanding each other better,” says Dinie. She and her husband use tools like TimeTree, a scheduling mobile application, to manage their weekly schedules, ensuring they respect each other’s work commitments without interruptions.
Ilona stresses that life’s changing goals and opportunities mean that conversations between spouses must evolve too. “The bottom line lies in trusting and empowering each other continually,” she explains.
Ilona remarks that motherhood has taught her to optimise her time, ensuring that she is fully present wherever she is. “It feels like time expands when having a child,” she says. “I’ve learnt to stay completely engaged in the present moment. For example, during office hours, I focus on dealing with work tasks. And when I’m at home with my family, I immerse myself in family time without the distraction of work lingering in my mind.”
Dinie shares that motherhood has been a transformative experience in self-discovery. “Becoming a mother has made me much more understanding,” she reflects. “I’ve moved beyond seeing issues from a single perspective. Now, I approach problems with empathy, trying to understand all sides of a situation.”
When she went back to work after her maternity leave, Dinie struggled with the stereotype that mothers often lag behind in the workplace. “I tried my best to prove the naysayers wrong, but I realised that, at the end of the day, the true challenge was with myself, not with them,” she says.” If you choose to have a positive mindset, things will naturally turn out well.”
“What makes me feel appreciated as a mother is when my child smiles at me when I return home from work, or when I wake up in bed with my child tenderly touching my face,” says Dinie, adding that she views these small gestures of affection as significant tokens of appreciation.
Ilona concurs, saying, ” Every single little thing counts. We should celebrate all the little appreciations and blessings in life, be it a kind word, a helpful colleague or a touching gesture from family.”
“There are many new experiences that a young mother may find challenging,” says Ilona. “But hang in there and persevere through them. Each child is unique and all the books you have read will not fully prepare you on how to care for your child well. You have to trust in yourself and tackle each situation with your best effort.”
Dinie emphasises the importance of community support. “I have only been a mother for a short period of time, but a valuable lesson I’ve learnt from my peers is the significance of mutual support. Always make it a point to check in on each other.”
Looking for something fun to do on Mother’s Day for the whole family? We’ve got the best facilities to make the occasion extra special!
T-Play
The interactive themed playgrounds at HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok and Khatib have been crafted especially for kids and families. Children under five years old require adult supervision – a great chance to bond as parents and kids explore activities and stations designed to engage children’s brain development, motion co-ordination, and sense of direction. Find out more here.
TactSim
Active and adventurous parents can bond with their children over some friendly shooting competition at this airsoft facility at HomeTeamNS Khatib. Players can enter the arena alone if they are at least 18 years old while players age 14 to 17 years old can participate if they have a parent physically present with them. In the player-vs-player arena, take part in short skirmishes in game modes such as ‘Capture the Flag’ and ‘Supply Run’, or test your shooting skills at the shooting range. Find out more here.
Aqua Adventure
Located at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir, dive into an ultimate kaleidoscope of adventure at this massive two-storey indoor water adventure centre featuring Singapore’s first 85-metre long black hole slide with Aqualucent Strips, an Aquatic Rope Course, as well as climbing walls, and a laze pool. For the entire month of May, HomeTeamNS members get to enjoy 50% off on aquatic passes. Find out more here.
