In the first episode of Growing Pains Season 2, we talk to mum-of-two, and MTV VJ turned conscious parent Marissa Nasution about all things conscious parenting and get her thoughts on whether mums really can have it all.
About our guest – Marissa Nasution
It’s fair to say Marissa has ticked the box when it comes to exciting careers to date. Before relocating to Singapore in 2018, Marissa lived in Indonesian and was a hugely successful TV host. Fast-forward to 2022, and she’s mum to two daughters and now a professional speaker and coach, with a degree in Organisational Psychology to boot! Oh, and she’s also an advocate for conscious parenting. We sat down with Marissa to find out more about how she balances it all and get her take on that burning question: can mums really have it all?
Key points we covered in this episode to take a listen to…
04:00 – What is conscious parenting? Marissa explains how conscious parenting is a modern-day philosophy that focuses on raising the parent rather than fixing the child. It’s about revisiting your childhood and breaking free from transgenerational and toxic parenting patterns. Ange and Marissa talk about what this looks like in practice and how our desires and wishes for our children can often be ours and not theirs!
23:00 – How important is mindfulness for parents? Mindfulness is an important part of conscious parenting. Marissa talks about how we need to look after ourselves and be aware of our own emotions and how to regulate them.
35:00 – Burnout and being a mum – what does it look like in SG? Marissa and Ange discuss burnout – what it is and the signs to look out for, and why it’s so prevalent in Singapore. They also discuss the role of social media in creating unrealistic expectations for mums and encouraging us to be constantly “on”.
44:00 – And that burning question… Can women have it all? And the answer is… yes! But how? Marissa’s advice is to find a purpose in life that you are truly passionate about so the time in your career is joyful. She also talks about being truly appreciative of time and looking to achieve a balance between work life and family. This involves focusing on one thing at a time and keeping the boundaries clear. A key takeaway for Ange? The importance of quality time and being present.
Want to know more? Check out these resources…
Marissa and Ange talk about how boys should feel all emotions and how emotions should never be blue and pink. Bottom line: It’s ok for everyone to cry. For more on this, check out our article on gender neutral parenting.
Looking to tackle those gender stereotypes with your own kids? Be inspired by the awesome work over at SCC Rugby Academy when it comes to girl’s rugby.
Heard the saying, “kids should be seen and not heard?”. What’s your take on it? Is it the perfect example of a transgenerational, toxic parenting pattern? KISS92 DJ, Jill Lim, gives us her take on it.
Want to read more about conscious parenting? Check out Marissa’s recommendation – The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children Book by Shefali Tsabary.
Watch this space for Episode 2, dropping soon!