The Unconventional Mother Who Raised Eyebrows, and a Book – Esther Katende

My name is Esther Katende Magezi, I am a lawyer and not a writer! Well, that is what I thought! I am also a lecturer of law.

I had a deep seated passion to raise my children right. So I attended a Parenting Seminar by Dr. Steven Mukolwe where he taught that from the moment you give birth to your child, you should prepare them for a life outside your home. Raise them for that time when they will be out of your home! Raise them intentionally. With that, there are several unconventional decisions I made concerning my children, that the world was not exactly ecstatic about.
For example, I took my kids to school (day care) when they were 8 months old. I got them into piano classes at 2yrs, when most of the piano teachers were convinced it could only happen when the children were six. My daughters were also enrolled into taekwondo at 4 yrs, and later, a professional swimming club from 5yrs. They are now 15, 13 and 10 years of age!
I was criticized left, right and center! “You are over burdening the children!” ” Stop being a helicopter mum!” “The children have no breather!” And in the midst of all this, I expressly made it know to my kids ( 2 girls and one boy) that they were expected to get straight As in class without compromise.
Further, against all odds, I enrolled my children into a Christian international school. That was really the straw that broke the camel. The world said; “You are wasting money!” “Stop showing off!” “Let’s see how far you will go with this…” etc.
Of course I was not deaf to the criticism; my heart was bleeding. But I had confidence that my decisions were being directed by God, and He was with me. And He kept cheering me on.
I started journaling the reasons for the decisions I made. I felt that I needed to explain why I had made the decisions I had made. I wanted to be justified. I craved to be understood. Especially by my children, when they grew up.
I therefore named the book “Decision Points; Memoirs of a Working Mother. To explain my thought process and the direct hand of God in the decisions I had made, concerning the children that God had given me stewardship over.
I have a YouTube Channel where I occasionally talk about parenting, with different people, or by myself. Whenever I meet a young mother who asks me for guidance on a parenting issue, I make a video on that topic, so that my thoughts on the matter, as an older working mother, can be heard by other mothers out there.
‘Decision Points’ has been nominated for this year’s ACABA awards, and in case you want a copy of the book , it is available on Amazon.

 

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Patricia Henry
Patricia Henry
2 years ago

What a brave soul. Society is hard to deal with and it seeks to drive you off track; don’t give in.
💪

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