This Professor Brings Sick Child To Work, Shares Plight Of Working Moms: 'Challenging, But Not Impossible'

Last May 2023, we asked our readers to submit photos capturing the raw and unfiltered moments of motherhood. Out of thousands of entries, we carefully selected the top 100, and then handpicked the top 10. This article is part of a series that delves into the stories behind the 10 winning photos of the Smart Parenting Motherhood 100 photo contest.

If Mommy Ena Marie Dizon's name rings a bell, it's because this isn't her first time participating in a Smart Parenting contest. She was also one of the ten finalists in the My Smart Parenting Story contest back in 2021, which led to her becoming part of the brand's network of mom ambassadors known as the Smart Parenting Mom Squad.

As a professor at the University of the Philippines Mindanao and a hands-on mom to two boys, you would wonder how she always manages to make time to join contests like this. She has been a staunch advocate of mental health among mothers, and she maintains a blog that empowers moms. The prize money, for her, is just a bonus.

All of these activities are part and parcel of the daily hustle she embraces in the name of motherhood. Hence, her entry in this year's Mother's Day photo contest is fittingly titled "Kayod," a word that resonates with every mom who carries her burden, but feels that no one sees them, not even themselves.

Plight of working moms

Mommy Ena shared with Smart Parenting the story behind the photo. "The day the photo was taken, I was bombarded with plenty of things at work, and my youngest child, Calix, was feeling under the weather due to roseola infantum. This eight-month-old baby was longing for comfort because he had a fever and wasn't eating anything except for breastfeeding. Since I couldn't take a sick leave or postpone my class due to a very important academic matter, I decided to bring Calix to work. He felt calm and comforted when I wore him in a baby carrier while delivering a lecture. We don't have a helper at home," she said.

She added, "It's just my husband and me who take care of our two boys. At that time, I was eager to juggle motherhood and my profession simultaneously. It was both challenging and fulfilling."

"We need to emphasize that there are still safe spaces for working moms, and we need more of them in today's time." --Ena Marie Dizon

Mommy Ena believed that the photo was a good representation of how working moms today balance their roles as employees and mothers. Some may easily dismiss the situation by saying, "Bakit hindi ka kumuha ng yaya?" but for her, that solution doesn't work for everyone. "This photo highlights the struggles of working moms without reliable help or those who choose not to leave their children at home for various reasons," she emphasized.

Titled "Kayod," the photo also depicts how working moms are strong enough not only to fulfill their tasks and care for a sick child but also to brush off criticisms about their parenting.

"People often judge us and say that bringing children to work is distracting. However, we need to emphasize that there are still safe spaces for working moms, and we need more of them in today's time," she said.

Mommy Ena emphasized that she wanted the photo to show that there are people who understand the challenges faced by working moms like her. "You get to know those who genuinely care, and some of them are my students. It takes a village to raise a child."

Challenging but not impossible

"The photo was taken by one of my students at that time, Gab Pelayre. He is a media student who always brings a Fujifilm camera to class, and he used it to capture the photo. I simply asked him, 'Hey, Gab, picturan mo kaya ako? Susubukan kong isubmit ito sa SP Motherhood100 Photo Contest.' And he did," Mommy Ena shared.

"These moms work not because they prioritize work over their kids, but because they can actually work while prioritizing their kids. It's challenging, but it's not impossible." --Ena Marie Dizon

She told Smart Parenting that the photo was taken during her lecture series on media representation. Interestingly, she was discussing how the media portrays women in today's society. "It was very timely because people often think of working moms as the 'boss' type or the ones who 'choose work over children' because that's usually how the media depicts them."

Mommy Ena added, "But during our discussion, with Calix in the baby carrier, they changed their mindset about the real representation of some working moms. These moms work not because they prioritize work over their kids, but because they can actually work while prioritizing their kids. It's challenging, but it's not impossible."

READ ALSO: Why This Teacher-Mama Is Unbothered With Comments Like 'Paano Trabaho Mo Kung Lagi Mo Dala Anak Mo?'

Not less of a worker

Being a mom is already difficult on its own. While many moms would love to give up their careers to care for their children, not everyone has that privilege. There is still much work to be done to ensure that mothers feel supported in their workplaces. "When you become a mother, sometimes you have no choice but to be present in BOTH worlds. Thanks to safe spaces for women and children at work, being a mother does not make you any less of a valuable worker," she said.

Nevertheless, Mommy Ena hopes that through her photo, working moms will feel seen. She reminds them of what truly matters, "You and your baby will overcome the situation, but your children will never forget how you made them feel—especially during the moments when you showed up for them despite the criticisms."