Alex is one of the lucky few who doesn't struggle to find time for his family. From left: Alex, Kaung Sint Thu, Khin Sint Thu and Ma Ei Ei Khine. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo

AUNG Ko Latt’s alarm has gone off at 6am for the past 21 years. It could be part of the reason that he is one of Myanmar’s most famed and respected directors.

The motivated father of two has always run a tight ship and he says his children, now adults, have reaped the benefits with successful careers of their own.

His son, JMe, is a famous hip-hop star and his daughter Michelle produces music videos for major record labels.

“I have always made time for my family,” he says. “Even now, I set aside every Sunday for family time with my kids. We go to church together and then we have breakfast somewhere. Michelle, JMe and I are like friends. Our discussions are very open and candid.”

Aung Ko Latt makes it sound so easy, but even he admits that building a professional profile and raising kids at the same time is one of the most challenging tasks he has ever taken on.

For a first-time parent, one of the most difficult times is the first year.
Architect Stephen Zaw Moe Shwe recently welcomed twins into the world and finds that his already busy schedule has been stretched more than ever.

The twins were born in Bangkok at the end of July and are yet to make the move to Yangon, where Stephen is currently working.

“I go back every weekend,” says Stephen. “It’s tiring and I miss them when I’m in Yangon.”

He has moved his workplace into his home in preparation for the big move.
“Soon I will be able to be with my family whenever I want. The fact that my wife is also an architect will make it easy for us to work on individual projects together.”

Maintaining a healthy relationship can be just as hard as looking after the kids. For singer Alex and his wife Ma Ei Ei Khine, a healthy relationship reflects a healthy lifestyle, both at home and at work.

They have it all — the exquisite house, the cute kids, the successful careers, and if that isn’t enough, they also won the Ginsomin Successful Couple Award for 2006.

“My life is a gift from God,” says Alex. “I believe that everything I have is a product of 12 years of hard work. I deserve it.”

Twins Khin Sint Thu and Kaung Sint Thu, 7, enjoy the time and work that both of their parents have put into them over the years.

Ma Ei Ei Khine is a stay-at-home mum and Alex works at night.

“I send the kids to school every morning and fetch them around 3pm,” Alex says. “I work out during the day and spend time with my wife. When the kids are home, I feed and play with them and set aside recording time from 7 to 10pm when they are in bed.”

He makes a point of taking the family to Shwedagon Pagoda regularly and enjoys watching foreign movies with the family — PG-rated, of course.
“When I find that I have a lot of time to myself I will work on revamping my Volkswagen.”

Alex is currently working on a compilation album and his solo album is due out in 2008.

Some parents aren’t as lucky as Alex and Ma Ei Ei Khine. An inevitable problem that arises during parenthood is deciding which parent will stay at home, if any. And it's hard to say which role is easier.

Mother of three Aye Aye Myint, 50, says she often stumbles across people who relay the common misconception to her that housewives are ladies of leisure.
“Housework is work that is never finished,” she says. “Stay-at-home mothers are just as stressed, if not more so, as fathers who work every day.”

Her husband has worked overseas for 16 years as a civil engineer and rarely visits his family.

Aye Aye Myint found it tough to find any sort of balance as a fulltime mother.
She had all of her children close together and raised them virtually alone.

“As the children grew older and changed, my worries changed and grew with them. It is a fulltime job,” she says of the past 25 years of her life. “Not only did I have to take care of the kids, but I had to look after the house and balance the budget with money that my husband would send.

“There would be times when the expenses amounted to more than he could send. I would never trouble him because I felt bad enough that he had to be away from his family in the first place. At one point I had to sell the car and my jewellery. When I had enough money again, I bought the car back.”

She still has worries even though two of her children have graduated university and her youngest is studying medicine.

Having lived much of her life for others, she says it is hard to break the habit of worrying about other people.

She wakes up at 4am every morning to prepare food for monks and her family and admits that she doesn’t know how to relax.

“Just being at home around my family helps me to feel safe and I find that it relaxes me. That’s enough.”

Being a stay-at-home mum isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Career woman and first-time mother Ma Nandar, 29, is the Promotion and Merchandising Executive for Revlon Cosmetics. Her daughter is eight months old.

“I don’t feel like I make the most dutiful housewife,” she confesses. “I have had to concentrate on my job for the past seven years and it has been hard to make the switch.”

Most of the household chores are carried out by maids, but she tries to chip in as much as she can.

“I cook once a week and do the shopping on Sundays. I try to look after my daughter when I am not working,” says Ma Nandar.

A nurse helps her husband look after the baby during the day.
“When she gets older I will have to work more and she will need a full-time nanny.”

Ma Nandar says that finding a balance between work and family has been a challenge.

“The only way to handle this is to completely separate my home life from my work life. I leave all of my work stress at the door.”

Everyone’s lives are different — some are simpler than others. But it seems that finding a balance between work and home is a top priority for most. Once that balance has been perfected, everybody benefits.