This month our LM mum of the month is Yemisi Odusanya, popularly known as SisiYemmie. She talks to us about motherhood, her journey in discovering what she loves to do and her views on family and the role of a parent. Read the interview with LagosMums below. We feature mums who share their stories while in the the midst of balancing their various roles, they always inspire others with their stories.
SisiYemmie please introduce yourself?
My name is Yemisi Odusanya nee Aiyedun, also known as SisiYemmie on her blog. I am a wife and mum to my adorable 6 month old son Titobi. I am a personal life style blogger, content creator and Editor of Cosmopolitan Nigeria. I have one son…one like many! He occupies my thoughts 24/7, his name is Titobioluwa, which is a Yoruba name and means “The Greatness Of God.” I got married in May 2014 so I have been married a year and 6 months. I do consider myself a newlywed.
How do you keep your marriage and relationship exciting?
I am in a long distance marriage so there’s not much I can do but video calls and chat. There is only so much we can do. Whenever my husband is home we try to visit our favourite restaurants which is something we enjoy doing, also just “chilling” because after time away you need to spend quality time with each other.
Tell us about your motherhood journey?
My journey to motherhood has been dramatic, I got pregnant immediately I got married and had my baby exactly 9 months later. Someone mentioned that my labour and delivery story was the stuff Nollywood movies are made of, I did not disagree. I was a bit unprepared for motherhood but I have been loving it with the perks and challenges. I LOVE BEING A MUM!
Are there any challenges/funny situations as a Mum you can share with us?
The biggest challenge is knowing that I have a responsibility to mould this child into what God wants him to be and to be useful to his family and society. It is such a huge responsibility, but I am taking it one day at a time. There was a time I would never ever look at poop but now, I’m queen of the diapers.
I will share a funny moment – I complain that my son does not look like me but the other day he farted and the whole place really stank so bad that I had to admit that deep down this boy is my child…I thought my fart was the worst!
What biggest lessons have you learnt from motherhood?
Motherhood is teaching me how to be selfless, how to prioritize, how to plan and how to care. I am learning everyday. Selflessness is the biggest lesson, I want to sleep but my Tito wants to play, Tito wins!
What are the different hats that you wear?
Just a few hats really, wife, mum, I am so blessed to be able to work from home and doing what I love and having quality time with my son.
What support system do you have in place? How important is a support system to a mum today?
A support system is extremely vital, I have my family, my in laws and great friends who always chip in to help and I appreciate everything. I could not do it alone.
How do you balance all? Does the word “balance” exist?
There has to be balance in everything we do and so far I have been doing a good job of balancing career and family because I work from home and also my husband isn’t home, so I get away with a lot of things i.e blogging when I should be making dinner for the family. When he is around we can talk about balancing.
What one thing do you think should never be missing from every home?
Love. Love brings a family together and everyone needs it to thrive. The home is the heart of the Nation. When there is love, there is peace. There is too much tension in the world.
How do you relax?
I relax by watching Youtube videos or well scripted Yoruba movies (they teach a lot of life lessons), I like watching my favourite shows and browsing through social media (twitter especially) after having a good meal.
Please share how you overcome fear? How did you start blogging?
It is a journey, confidence helps you overcome fear and the only way to be confident is to do something repeatedly and try to do it better over time. I started blogging afraid; most of my content I share requires courage, because people will always judge you. I have a weekly vlog where I share daily bits of my life, that requires a lot of courage. However I always remember a saying “Do It Afraid”
What have you found out about the social media world as a top blogger/online personality?
I have found out that social media is what you make of it, with social media you can recreate yourself. Use it wisely. My advice to anyone that wants to consider blogging is to do it already! Stop waiting till you have the perfect camera, laptop, editing software…you can never start perfect. Start where you are, use what you have and let your passion drive you.
What is your philosophy on life?
Life is simple unless you are not. I try to remember it in my daily life.
You can find SisiYemmie and follow her on – YouTube, Blog, Instagram and Twitter.
