BEING a mother of two, running her own medical practice and being a Member of Parliament couldn’t have been that easy.
But somehow MP Dr Lily Neo, in her 50s, managed to juggle all three roles. Credit goes to her mum, 70, who looked after her kids while she worked. She said proper time management helped too.
Dr Neo and her husband, Dr Ben Neo, in his 50s, have two children. Their daughter Elaine, 27, is a doctor, while their son Elvine, 22, is studying medicine at an Australian university.
Her mother, who lives with the family, played a crucial role in looking after her children while she was out working eight to 10 hours a day, recalled Dr Neo.
The MP for Jalan Besar GRC said: “When I was off to work, I knew my mum was with the kids at home. That gave me the assurance and peace of mind that someone was keeping an eye on them. I could concentrate on work.”
Like Dr Phua, Dr Neo would spend time with the children to figure out their homework after dinner. She said: “It was a way for me to unwind after a hard day’s work. Spending time with my kids really helped me to relax.”
When she first became an MP, her kids were already older – her youngest was already 12, so that helped, she recalled.
Still, she admits that it was a conscious effort to schedule both work and family life. That might mean delegating tasks or even working during lunch, she said.
When her kids were younger, Dr Neo recalled discussing with other female MPs who were mothers about their families and how they juggled their time.
This meant, for instance, taking time-off when their children were having crucial exams like the PSLE, she said.
The MP, who first became a mum when she was 28, had this advice to women who are putting off having kids.
She said: “Don’t leave it too late to start a family. Children are joyful, they make life worth living.
“Coming home to cuddle your kids, that’s something that cannot be replaced by anything else. If I had to do it (have kids) all over again, I would.”
This article was first published in The New Paper.
