Why My Me Time Starts When The Whole House Is Finally Asleep

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Weekend? Apa tu weekend? The weekend hustle is REAL ya tuan-puan.

Kadang-kadang eh susah nak explain what it's like to someone who hasn't walked in your shoes. Forget trying to explain it to others, even I look back 15 years ago, when I was young and single, and wonder why some makcik-makcik were always kanchong, anti-sosical, or even a bit strict with their kids. Now I get it. I used to think I'd be the perfect parent till I actually had kids. 😂

Seriously though, trying to juggle my boys with their packed schedules rasa seperti managing my CEO schedule business billion-trillion; packed. Just last night, I sent them all to Maths Catch class. I genuinely love sending my kids to these kinds of "extra class" or courses. I mean, who doesn't want their minion to be continuously learning and, let's be honest, busy. Kan

Their weekend schedule is next-level. We're talking archery class, soccer practice, UPKK classes, and Jawi classes. So, weekends are only free after 12 am – both Saturday and Sunday. Itupun kalau latihan bola Fateh tak postpone petang or malamnya.
And here's the main rule that often makes things tricky: I really don't like taking the kids out after lunch. You might wonder why. Well, it's because that's their important "nap time," usually from 2 pm to 4 pm. If they miss their nap, our fun outing quickly turns into a messy situation with lots of crying, fighting, merajuk, and meltdowns. Believe me, I've seen enough car-seat struggles to last forever.
On top of all that, there's the traffic in Johor Bahru. With the new special economic zone (JSEZ) bringing in more peoplefrom, the city is always full, even on weekdays. Weekends are even worse! Getting stuck in long traffic jams, especially in the late afternoon and evening, is just not fun for me. You know what I mean, right

I know, I know, some might say, "Just take them all out at once on the weekend, skip the nap" But imagine being stuck in that traffic, with chaos erupting in the car – kids screaming, someone needs to pee, someone's hungry, someone's complaining about their brother looking at them funny, berlaga bahu with each other sikit dalam kereta pun boleh buat gaduh. Add in our unpredictable Malaysian weather, and your mood just poof goes out the window. The stress is real kengkawan.
And don't even get me started on grocery runs. Yes, I could go by myself early in the morning on the weekend, like we used to before. But now, it feels so rushed and just not "syok" when I'm constantly checking the clock to pick up the boys. Tesco Lotus opens at 8:30 am tau sekarang. So, I could be there early, but then it's Fateh at 9 am, Adam at 10 am, Yusuf at 11 am, and finally Iman at 12 pm – all from different places. And honestly, grocery shopping are my secret ritual, my precious "me-time" that I really look forward to every week. TAPI~ 🥲
So eventually, if I want to actually enjoy some proper me-time or family time out and about, it still has to be after lunch. I'd much rather us spend some real quality time together

"What about spending time at night?" you might ask. Ah, malam eh? My boys have kelas mengaji and kelas agama every single weekday evening. Setiap malam. And these aren't just any classes; they're "special" ones. I waited a whole year to get all 4 of them spots because they're that sought after and limited. So, taking a day off is nearly impossible, especially with a long waiting list of other eager kids. Plus, at this stage of my life – almost-40-ish, a long, uninterrupted sleep is absolutely essential. Pukul 8 je mata dah tak supportive.
Once in a while kelas agama yang dekat tempat kita ni send the students to join "Usrah" or "Kuliah" or any related-event on weekends, which just goes to show why they're so special – active, engaging, and limited spots. When these activities pop up, we just have to sacrifice other weekend classes. Or sometimes I love to send them to local community college courses, which often offer really good classes. Jadinya, kena berkorban sikitlah.
And on top of all this, don't even get me started on trying to plan a balik kampung trip or a holiday. We literally do not have the time. It feels like we're constantly on the go. So how?

P/S: Being a "Perfect Parent" was my funniest pre-kid delusion.

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