Before becoming a full-time mom, Auntie Vanilla had a successful career as a Senior Project Specialist at an IT company, where she was highly motivated at work. To better care for her young and active son, she resigned from her full-time position and found new purpose in life by getting involved with her son’s activities at OneSky, where she attended play sessions and courses alongside him.

“My son is two and a half years old now and has so much energy. When he was born, I continued working full-time, but later I decided to devote myself to caring for him at home. I learned about OneSky through a mothers’ group online and signed up to get involved. I love children, especially my son, so I was eager to take the caregiver training course at the Centre,” she recalled. 

After completing the course, Auntie Vanilla became a community helper. She enjoys the work, commenting that, “The environment here is perfect for children, and the staff are very friendly and supportive. The pressure is much less than in the corporate world.” She also finds value in supporting a charity where she can help children grow.  

Initially, Auntie Vanilla helped decorate the center and prepare activity materials for teachers. Later, when the Centre staff learned of her IT background, she was promoted to Administrative Assistant, taking on tasks like digitizing cafeteria meal records and providing general office assistance. Witnessing firsthand how her efforts benefited families at the Center left Auntie Vanilla feeling deeply fulfilled.

While becoming a full-time mom presented financial sacrifices for her family, she has since found unexpected rewards outside financial gain. “Now I get to spend more quality time with my son as he receives love from everyone here. I can leave the office on time and never have to stay late. Even my husband jokes that he has his ‘wife back,'” she said.

Auntie Vanilla also takes pleasure in re-entering the workforce, commenting, “I feel more involved in the community. Even working just a few days a week gives me satisfaction. While my job has changed, I enjoy learning new things. I have improved my communication skills and it is like achieving a new level of success.”

Aunt Vanilla likes new experiences and she said, “At OneSky, I learn from watching how other mothers care for their children. Knowledge builds up each day, just like a mountain growing from grains of sand… So I don’t feel I have really sacrificed at all. Overall, I’m much happier now!”

OneSky welcomes families with children aged 0-6 to join and participate in activities for free. Caregivers can attend caregiver training courses to improve their parenting knowledge, meet fellow caregivers, reduce anxiety on the parenting journey, and learn new skills to prepare for re-entering the workforce in the future.