In honor of Mother’s Day we are having a week dedicated to moms around the globe. I asked some of our team to choose mothers in their community and find out more about them.
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To start it off in Cambodia I chose Kai-o and Toung because they are the second mothers for my children and I am for theirs. When we first moved to Cambodia Kai-o was the first person we hired. She started out as a very shy housekeeper and has now become one of my best friends. Toung was our first cook and despite being tiny, she makes some of the most amazing food in Cambodia. Over the last six years Kai-O, Toung and I have all had kids and they are all growing up and going to school together. Kai-o is the nanny for my kids and Toung is still our cook, but they have taken on roles well beyond this, they are really part of our family. I interviewed them for our Mother Of All Weeks to find out what being a mom means to them.
Kai-o
Hometown: Damdeik, Cambodia
Age: 28
Married: 2006
Kids: one girl, Sabai (named by me, it means happy), she’s 2-years-old, two weeks older than Couper.
How many kids did your mom have?
My mom had 18 kids. (I had Nary translate because I thought my Khmer was bad, but no, my Khmer was right-on, her mom delivered 18 children.)
How many do you want to have?
I would like to have three kids, but I want a break between them so they can help me take care of each other.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
When Sabai is happy, I’m happy. I can’t imagine not being a mom. Once you have a husband, then you become a mom, if I wasn’t a mom then I wouldn’t have anything.
What is the hardest thing about being a mom?
When Sabai cries and I can’t get her to stop, it’s hard to see her sad and it’s boring when she’s just grumpy and I can’t make her happy.
What piece of advice did your mom give you that helped the most?
She told me to always love Sabai more than anything else. That if I did everything for Sabai I would be happy.
What is the most important advice you will or have given your kids?
I would tell Sabai to listen to the people older than her and get good ideas from them and also to study hard.
What are your dreams for Sabai, what do you hope for her?
I hope she can work in the office. I don’t want her to have to work like me and be the cleaner, it makes your knees hurt. I want her to be able to have an important job in an office.
Why Kai-o is a mom I admire: Kai-o has a cleft pallet so she has a severe speech impediment, we tried to get it fixed, but she’s too old to get the operation. Because of her speech Kai-o was never allowed to go to school so she can’t read or write. Despite having no formal education Kai-o is one of the most perceptive and smart people I know.You only have to show Kai-o how to do something once and she remembers, she has learned an incredible amount of English in the 6 years I’ve known her and she takes such joy in life. If there is no one I enjoy watching my kids with more than Kai-o, she is always equally amused by them and she just “gets them”. I see her with Sabai and I know she works as hard as she does because she wants as much for Sabai as possible. There is no one I would rather have helping me raise my kids than Kai-o.
Toung
Hometown: Pua, Cambodia
Age: 28
Married: 2003
Kids: one girl, Sray Nut, aged 5 and one boy, David, aged 2
How many kids did your mom have?
Six kids, including me.
How many do you want to have?
I don’t know, maybe 3 or 4.
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
I like to have a younger generation that can grow up and help keep the family. They will grow up and help me and they are the next generation in Cambodia.
What is the hardest thing about being a mom?
When they don’t listen to me I find it so frustrating.
What piece of advice did your mom give you that helped the most?
My mom told me to get on well with my husband and to work hard so my kids can go to school.
What is the most important advice you will or have given your kids?
They need to listen to me!
What are your dreams for Sray Nut and David, what do you hope for her?
I want them to work in an office. I hope they are smart enough to go through school and work in an office.
Why Toung is a mom I admire: Toung is no-nonsense. In fact, everyone in our house is scared of her because she can be pretty tough. Despite being the “tough-mom”, I know that Toung loves her kids and wants what’s best for them. She does Sray Nut’s hair every morning and always has her in clean clothes. A lot of Cambodians let kids get away with everything, but Toung likes kids to behave and I like that. She is always willing to play with my kids, do their hair, get them something to eat and just be there for them. When we first told Toung we would pay for Sray Nut to go to school she cried she was so happy, she may be tough on the outside, but on the inside she has a huge heart.
Love this post. Really I think it is my favorite so far. I like it when you interview the people there and include pictures.
Thanks! It was fun interviewing them and seeing how some answers were the same as mine and others were really different. I cried when I wrote Kai-o’s because she’s so amazing! Look out for the US, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand later this week!
I totally cried when I read why Kai-O is a mom you admire. Kai-O radiates love and joy and you know that no matter who you are she cares about you. She’s one of those extra special people we all should admire. I’ve only met her once, yet she holds a special place in my heart.