When I was much younger, being a mother seemed like a dreadful chore. I was convinced that I would be a lousy mum as I enjoyed the freedom of singlehood so much and I could not handle the responsibility of caring for a small creature, a.k.a. a baby.

Being the youngest child in a fairly big family, I had seen enough and heard too much from my sisters on the challenges they faced in pregnancy and parenting; the sleepless nights with a cranky baby, the tussles with growing up boys, the neverending homework-mania and the lengthy bills to clear every month. Hence, I concluded that parenting was a really tough job and certainly not for a free bird like me.

However, after tying the knot with my long-time partner a few years back, having a baby seemed like the logical thing to do. We both had a sound financial income, a promising career and supportive parents. We had a new home and there was plenty of space to allow for another family member. So, I told myself - let's try having one baby, just one. If it doesn't work out I will just stop right there.

To my surprise, and all my close friends, too, I totally enjoyed being a mother and now I am a proud mother of two lovely kids, and considering having a third one.

This is what I told my friends after the recent delivery of my second baby:

“I have a new female boss. She is demanding, loud, impatient, non-negotiable, gives confusing feedback, insists on on-site standby, works me 24x7, gives me sh*t sometimes and on top of all these, she doesn't even pay.

“No doubt she gives me loads of chores, but along with that she brings tons of joy, too.”

Babies may not pay us in dollars and cents, but their smiles and chuckles are the most priceless reward that no salary nor bonuses can compare with.

Becoming a mother is definitely the right choice. There were some sacrifices I had to make, including change of career path, but I never regretted it even for one second.

To the married ones out there, happy parenting! To the single ones, if you choose not to become a parent, you just do not know what you are missing.

Pui Hua