Uchenna's blog: Manifesting Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Commander-in-chief Senior won the prize for best dressed in her year group as the magnificent Mary Poppins for World Book Day. Yes, I admit it: I projected my desire unto her to solve one of the greatest riddles for parents of young children: how do I find good childcare?

Mary Poppins has the answer to that of course – it’s all about the magic bag where you open it, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious things pop out, and all problems are solved. So, I am actively manifesting that in my life because childcare is the backbone to holding down a job, self-care, and enjoying a social life – whatever that may look like in our new world. I think about my naivety prior to becoming a mother with "Of course I can do it - my mum did five!" Casual shrug.

Now, I'm like: just bow down and respect her and other women on the motherhood path and what it means to give life, to sacrifice, and to nurture children to become responsible adults. And it is incredible that the government has rejected calls for an inquiry to look into UK childcare costs, which is the third highest in the world, according to analysis from the OECD. How on earth can gender equality progress unless there is affordable childcare?

Scouring websites in the early morning for suitable costumes, I realised how much of a big deal World Book Day is because things were sold out, or hovering over items, I saw flashing messages that over 100 people have looked at this! No pressure of course.

When Commander-in-Chief Junior told me that his elder sister had won the competition, this was not in the spirit of championing her. Sibling rivalry is real – no matter how much I said that her achievement is our achievement - because he wanted the walk of glory during the morning assembly in his costume representing Bernard A. Harris Junior, the first African-American astronaut to perform a spacewalk.

Her recognition brought a pep to my step where I basked in the feelgood adrenalin that the kids’ costume lobbying campaign had paid off. This moment of awe was my equivalent to Little Simz mother’s facial expression when her daughter secured a Brit Award last month. As every Nigerian mother saw in the playback, her mother’s astonishment was in seeing that the rallying cry behind every prayer, gesticulation, and investment to make her child rise had culminated in this.

How do we celebrate these wins Nigerian style? It’s too cold to toast with Haagan Dasz. It’s about finger-licking jollof rice and chicken, and blowing up WhatsApp with pictures of my pride and joy to family and friends. Me, an Alpha mama? Of course not!

Uchenna works in strategic communications and engagement. Her/She has led initiatives on employee engagement and diversity and recruitment for different companies. Uchenna marvels at the new zest of life and clarity her Commanders-in-Chief have given her.

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• Families