In celebration of Mother’s Day on May 10, Jinni shares her story about motherhood. Married to Calvin, creative director at Hairloom, they have two sons – Zane, 6, and Lex, 4. Read on for a special Mother’s Day treat at the end! 
Being a mother is a tiring but fulfilling role. From infancy, to toddlerhood and beyond, I’ve experienced the many ways having children can change your life, as well as the different challenges that each stage brings.
There’s the physical aspect of motherhood that truly takes up so much energy, which many mothers seldom talk about. For example, at the infant stage, you hardly get enough sleep – sleep comes in cycles of 2-3 hours, especially if you are breastfeeding. By the time the baby has had his fill and has fallen asleep, you have another 1.5 hours before the entire cycle starts again. There’s hardly any time for yourself – and any spare moment you have, you have to be mindful of how you spend it. You also have to balance your time to make sure that your husband doesn’t feel neglected!
Your body changes, and you have hormonal changes. Your entire life changes.
And obviously, time for grooming falls by the wayside. Even basic activities that you take for granted pre-baby, like going to the toilet, is now a rush – when the baby cries for you, you have to drop whatever you’re doing to tend to him. Other than taking care of your baby’s physical needs, there’s also the challenge of managing your own emotional journey – handling your child’s temper tantrums, comforting them while they cry, and trying to do a good job at it at the same time. Even when they start sleeping through the night, other demands will take their place, like fixing nutritious meals for them and dealing with teething.
Then there’s also household chores and other daily tasks to take care of, especially if you’re a working mother. At the end of day, you’re just exhausted! Even picking up the phone to reach out to a friend seems like a lot of effort, let alone bothering to groom yourself. When so much attention is needed from you by your children, there’s sometimes little to spare at the end of the day. I’m sure many mothers will be able to identify with what I have described!
But as things have calmed down and the kids have grown up and are starting to be more independent, I’m realizing more and more the importance of grooming yourself – when you look good, you feel good. It’s so simple, but it’s true! As a mother, you hardly have any time for yourself. But keeping up your self-esteem is important and goes a long way in helping you perform your roles as a mother, wife, and any other role you play in your life, as best as you can. 
Other than having support and appreciation from friends and family, which are real blessings, it’s also great to give yourself a break and to take the time to look and feel beautiful. The effects are almost immediate – my mood changes and get uplifted whenever I get a massage or even just a simple manicure.
So to all my fellow mothers – I strongly encourage you to take some time off to pamper yourself. And what better way than to do that, than to get a flattering cut and colour? Which is why for the month of May at Hairloom, we have a special Mother’s Day treat – all mothers will get a free shampoo massage and hair treatment with any chemical process at Hairloom. Also, buy two Glam Palm flat irons at $400 instead of $500!
And if you want to treat your mother to a hair session at Hairloom, let us know when you’re booking the appointment for your mum – and you’ll get a 10% off the total bill, on top of the Mother’s Day treat!
We want to recognize all the work that mothers do and help them to look and feel their best, which is our way of showing appreciation for them. Happy Mother’s Day!