You might have noticed a new face around here! HoneyKids Asia's new Editor, Syaz shares all about her background, including how she met her husband on Friendster and her past life as a D-list local celebrity
Hi! I’m Syazana Hishamuddin, or just Syaz (pronounced “Shazz”) for short. You might have seen me pop up on your feed or read some of my work on the site over the past couple months but I’m here to officially make an introduction!
I’m not new to the parenting media space, having worked my way up from Editorial Assistant to Editor in another great parenting platform over the span of seven years. Prior to that I’ve dabbled in digital marketing and fashion writing, and I currently side-hustle as a bridal makeup artist on weekends… Yup, there’s almost never a quiet moment in my week!
A little bit about my family
I’m a mum to two rascals – my daughter Inaya (4) and son, Is’haq (1.5) – and it’s only thanks to the support of my husband and wonderful helper that I can do all the things I do. Some of my proudest achievements as a parent include breastfeeding both kiddos almost back-to-back (for 2 years with Inaya, then 18 months with Is’haq!), committing to cloth diapers, finding the best free and low-cost activities for the fam and giving my kids a taste of the region through travel.
On the flip side, I’ve also lost my cool aplenty, made mistakes and continue to offend some elders for my parenting decisions… But at the end of the day I’m all for ‘good enough’ parenting, as my predecessor Kate Noble once put it so perfectly.
Some fast (and fun) facts
I’m a true blue Singaporean, having gone through the typical education route of a local primary school, secondary school and polytechnic. As with most millennials, the internet raised me (I met my husband on Friendster… who else remembers the pre-Facebook era?!) so I’m pretty obsessed with all things social media but am still trying my best to keep up with Gen Z slang (no cap… I think). I’m equal parts a fan of mee goreng mamak at the hawker centre as I am a good hummus platter at Blu Kouzina – so she’s flexible honey. I was also once in a local TV singing competition and went by a stage name (yes, I now proudly wear my ‘has-been’ title).
Getting comfortable with change
It’s been a whirlwind past few months here at HoneyKids as I’ve learned to adjust to this stellar team, made up of superstars: Jay whose passion and background in all things literature makes her our go-to for kid-friendly book reccos; Rohini the architect-turned-lifestyle-writer who’s always dishing out fab advice; full-time working mum Esther whose work ethic is absolutely enviable; and the incredibly well-connected Amanda who was holding down the fort effortlessly before my arrival (you’re plenty familiar with her cheerful smile, I’m sure!).
My favourite part about working at HoneyKids and Honeycombers is the incredible team dynamic. We’re about 30 teamies strong and there are so many amazing personalities working together, supporting each other and making magic! Make sure you follow us on all our platforms so you get the latest updates right at your fingertips: Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and Podcasts.
You’ll be hearing a lot more from me from here on out, so I hope you don’t get sick of me just yet!
If you’ve got a great story idea to share, I’d love to hear from you.
