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Under the gaze of Najwa
(JP/Berto R
(JP/Berto R. Wedhatama) (JP/Berto R. Wedhatama)
(JP/Berto R. Wedhatama)As an accomplished news anchor and television journalist ' and as a wife and a mother to a 12-year-old son ' Najwa Shihab embodies the concept of equality.
Television viewers are familiar with Najwa's bright eyes and wide smile, as well as her powerful remarks in her current affairs show Mata Najwa (Najwa's Eye), broadcast on Wednesday nights on MetroTV.
Najwa looked fresh and ready when meeting The Jakarta Post at her office at MetroTV's national news headquarters in Jakarta. She had only recently returned from the US on a work trip, saying that she was fighting jet lag by staying awake during the day.
However, Najwa said the challenge to balance her personal and work commitments was getting more complicated by the day.
Serving as MetroTV's deputy-editor-in-chief for the past six months, Najwa said she found it harder to find time for her husband and son.
There are routines she keeps with her 12-year-old son, Izzat Ibrahim Assegaf, to maintain their bonds. Najwa says she always makes time to prepare her son before going to school.
'I usually wake up at dawn, starting the day with morning prayers. I work out a little, then I prep Izzat for school ' but he's 12 now, so I no longer do detailed grooming for him,' she says.
Najwa and her son leave the house together around 7:30 a.m. She drops him at school before going to the office.
'I try to be home by around 8 p.m. as long as there is no breaking news.'
With limited free time, Najwa focuses on her son when she's home ' trying her best to stay away from her smartphone. Cooking is not her forte, but she's certainly can handle soccer madness.
'My son is crazy about soccer ' in fact my whole extended family are all soccer fans. So, I usually accompany Izzat for weekend soccer practice, or sit on the couch with him, enjoying English league matches at home,' says Najwa. 'I also have to be up to date on anything about soccer, so I can at least communicate with him.'
Najwa admits that juggling work and home has never been easy.
'It is a tough thing to do. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't.'
To keep fit, she prefers more protein and less carbohydrates in everything she consumes, limiting herself to eggs and beef, fried tofu or tempeh, or cereal or oatmeal with skim milk for breakfast.
She said that she faces the classic problems of working mothers: guilt from leaving her child alone for work and not being able to go all out in raising her child, as well as missing out on some important things along the way.
But Najwa says she is grateful for a family that has always supported her, from her husband to her mother-in-law.
'I believe there are a lot of working mothers out there who feel the same, but I'm really grateful for having a great family. I'm really depending on them.'
