Meet Regina Gall
Working mom of three
Learn how Regina manages her everyday family life and overcomes society’s demands for perfection.
Learn more
Rahman Abdullah, father of three and carer of multiple family members.
Giving children the emotional warmth and support they need
46-year-old system administrator Rahman Abdullah takes care of his three children Rehan, Aman, and Seleena together with his wife. He is fully committed to his role as a family man and sees himself as an important role model for the future family life of his children. The family had to overcome a particularly difficult test in 2019 when Abdullah’s mother fell seriously ill with cancer.
Rahman, how do you feel about taking on so much responsibility for the care and support of your loved ones?
I like to do it because I know that just as I am there for my closest people, they are there for me. Luckily, my family is quite independent. As things are now, it feels good and I enjoy supporting my kids and my wife as much as I can.
But things can get really difficult when my wife and I are both at work and there’s a situation where we’re expected to drop everything immediately. In such moments, we try to support each other, but of course, that doesn’t always work out.
Also, when my mother was seriously ill, we went through a rough patch. I wanted to take care of her, but I was also needed here. It was not easy to be “present” everywhere at once. A lot came together at that time, but I am an optimistic and solution-oriented person. Of course, we had discussions and conflicts but ultimately, we got through as a family.
"It’s important to me that my children know I’m there for them as their father and that they’ll pass this on to their children."
Are you still able to fulfill your own needs, even though you put so much time into caring for others?
The good thing is - although I’m not always that sure whether it’s ideal for myself - that I can put my own needs on the back burner.
This may sound a bit strange, but the time spent driving to work or - in the past - my mother’s house, can sometimes be enough for me to unwind. I turn up the music and enjoy having time for myself. Or on weekends, when my wife goes to bed earlier, I just stay awake for a bit longer.
Insights into the task-juggling life of family manager Rahman
This must sound familiar to many parents: You’re needed at home, the kids have a doctor’s appointment or get sick, but you can’t take any time off from work. These moments are also the most challenging ones for Rahman and his wife. We had the opportunity to accompany the family for a while and get a glimpse into their busy everyday life.
When asked where his priorities lie when it comes to health products for the people he cares for, family manager Rahman stresses how crucial it is that they work the way they are supposed to. After all, high product-quality is most important when you’re taking care of your loved ones.
