The Daily Chaos of a WFH Designer Dadda (With 5 Kids, Bro!)

Every morning, I wake up with the enthusiasm of a burnt-out rockstar after a world tour. Shower? Check. Get the kids ready? Check. Send them to school? Lagi check. By the time I get home at 9:00 AM, I’m already in need of my first coffee fix. A quick kopi, then straight to the battleground—my studio.

From 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, I’m in full designer mode. This is the golden window where I can actually get things done. Emails, client work, maybe some self-doubt thrown in for fun. Just when I start getting in the zone, boom—12:00 PM. Time to masak lunch, because apparently, these kids cannot survive on air and imagination.

By 12:30 PM, I’m back on the road, picking up two of my anak bujang from school. The drive home is filled with exciting conversations like:
“Dadda, can we stop for ice cream?”
“Tak boleh.”
“Dadda, why not?”
“Because ice cream money is now petrol money.”

1:30 PM: Home. Feed the two kids. Remind them to chew properly because Dadda does not have time for an ER visit today.

2:00 PM: Back in the studio. This is where things get serious. Creative juices flowing, deadlines approaching, designs looking fire. Then suddenly—4:30 PM. Time to tutup kedai and transform back into “Chef Dadda” for dinner prep.

5 reasons why Dadda's coffee is always extra strong. ☕😵‍💫 #SendHelp #ChaosSquad #ButStillLoveThem

5:30 PM: Out again, this time to pick up the remaining squad from nursery. The car ride home is pure chaos. One kid is singing, another is reporting sibling crimes (“Dadda, Elyas gigit Aaron!!!”), while the youngest is just vibing, probably planning their next destruction project.

Dinner is war time. Someone doesn’t want vegetables. Someone else spills water. Someone is suddenly a lawyer, negotiating how many spoonfuls they must eat before they can leave the table. Dadda just makan quietly and pretends to be in a different dimension.

9:00 PM: Kids officially go to bed. But let’s be real, that doesn’t mean instant peace. There’s the classic “Dadda, I’m thirsty” or “Dadda, I forgot to tell you I need to buy some potatoes for seni tomorrow” moment.

10:00 PM: Finally, back in the studio. This is my real prime time. No distractions, no noise, just me and my designs. Maybe some lo-fi beats, maybe some old-school rock. Work till 12:00 AM, then collapse into bed.

And guess what? Tomorrow, we repeat.