If I had to describe my life in one word, it would be full — full of roles, full of deadlines, full of dreams, full of things I want to do, and honestly, full of things I still wish I had time for.
The Mom Guilt
I am a corporate employee, a mompreneur building Stitcharoo Kids from the ground up, and a mom to a little boy who asks me almost every day: “Mommy, can you play with me?” And on more days than I would like to admit, my default answer is: “I’m very busy, anak. Maybe later...”
Every time I say that, guilt hits me right in the chest. Because he is my why. He is the reason I wake up early, push through long nights, and even started Stitcharoo Kids in the first place. So when I say “I’m very busy,” it feels like I am contradicting everything I am working so hard for. In the relentless pursuit of that better future, I sometimes fear I am missing the present.
My constant fear: That the time I spend working is time he is spending alone, feeling a little less connected, a little less seen.
The guilt is real, and it is magnified when I compare my chaotic reality to the curated feeds online. I envy the moms who manage weekend getaways, the moms who organize grand adventures and create picture-perfect memories. I am truly happy for them, but it is hard not to feel that I am falling short. That although I am doing so much, it still is not enough. That maybe Parker is missing out because I cannot give him the same experiences.
Finding Gold in the Grind
But here is the beautiful truth I am gradually learning to embrace in this messy, demanding life: Connection is not measured in grand gestures; it is measured in simple, unfiltered moments.
While I may not be able to do the grand gestures right now, I have found pockets of gold in our everyday life that are truly irreplaceable:
The Daily Drive: Bringing him to school is not just a commute. It is when I get to listen to him talk about his excitement for school, sing along to his favorite songs, and hear his detailed, often hilarious, stories. This small pocket of time in traffic is so precious to me.
The Stitcharoo Sidekick: I have stopped separating my work from his life. Instead, I include him. He is my chief inventory sorter and counter, my enthusiastic product tester, and my energetic little helper at pop-up markets. Watching him confidently shout “Anyone want some clothes?” is gold.
Our Kid’s Day Ritual: At Parker’s request, we celebrate Kid’s Day twice a month on the first and last day. Nothing fancy — just a simple surprise, like a new set of art crafts or a quick, focused activity together. He taught me that bonding does not need to be a spectacle.
The Magic in the Mundane
The moment that erases all the guilt and validates all the hustle? The sheer, unbridled joy in his eyes.
It happens when I simply sit down on the floor and engage in his imaginative play. It happens every single afternoon when I pick him up from school and he sprints into my arms. In those moments, I realize that what he truly craves is not the biggest, the loudest, or the most expensive thing.
He just wants me.
Connection is the most important, and connection thrives in simplicity.
This World Children’s Day, I want to encourage all my fellow busy parents: Let us stop beating ourselves up over the lack of big experiences. Let us look closer at the beautiful, messy, and unfiltered childhood we are creating.
The time you spend playing together, the comfort of the meal you cooked, the simple act of counting clothes together — these are not lesser moments. They are the foundation. They are the simple, powerful moments that teach him they are seen and they are loved.
So here’s to the little things.
The messy things.
The in-between moments that do not look like much — yet mean everything.
A childhood filled with unfiltered moments that feel small to us… but magical to them.
Happy World Children's Day! What simple, everyday ritual connects you most with your child? Share your unfiltered moment in the comments!