1.  Please introduce yourself

Hi, my name is Adesola Lajuwomi. I’m 31. I actually dislike the term sahm because me and my kids are rarely ever at home. We unschool and learn through exploration. We moved from the UK to Nigeria in 2019 and haven’t looked back since!

I have 2 children. 3yrs and 14 months. I’ve been a full-time mum since my son was born. 

I was a fashion designer. Studied fashion and marketing at uni, showed a collection at Lagos Fashion Week. When I returned to the UK I was making custom orders from home. I was still sewing until I was around 8 months pregnant with my firstborn and my back had had enough lol. 

It was a battle truly. Society makes you feel like you have to do both now and I’d grown up in a household where my mum was the breadwinner and had multiple jobs. My husband and I had this conversation long before we got married about what we wanted our family roles and responsibilities to be. We had decided on a homeschooling route to instill the right foundation in our kids.

Moving to Abuja meant leaving all my family and friends in the UK. In the past 2 years, I’ve not had 1 day out without carrying my kids. No date night out with hubby cuz there’s no one I’d trust to leave my babies with. I don’t really see it as a challenge, I like to put things in perspective. This is just another season/phase of life for us to embrace as these young people really do grow up so quickly. 

I love the flexibility it brings. I love that we can enjoy our time together, that I can be fully present in observing their growth, interests, learning. It’s such a beautiful thing. I love that we can do things together like cooking, cleaning, going to the bank, etc. and at the same time they are learning valuable life skills.

I haven’t had to make money because we live within our means. We like to live by our priorities and values. My biggest priorities being health and making memories with my family. So I don’t joke with budgeting for healthy food (which is usually more expensive) and planning our outings. 

8. How do you currently make money (if you do)? 

I’m currently not making a dime of my own. Lol. My husband sends me his salary and I plan the house accordingly each month. He takes a percentage to cover his personal expenditures like car, golf, airtime. I budget for everything from house maintenance to our weekend family outings and it works for us. 

The title stayathome is just wrong in this day and age. Especially in Nigeria where a lot of people have house helps most will think what are you doing all day if you are not cooking or cleaning.  I have help but still, cook all our meals. My kids help with chores as I don’t want them to grow up not being able to do simple things for themselves. 

Not really, most likely because we moved away from everyone who could comment lol. The main consensus was around having my own money “just in case”. I’m sorry but I honestly don’t think God can do great things in your life if you stay in that negative mindset of what if things don’t work out. 

Sometimes you’ll see things on social media that make you question am I doing enough, am I doing the best by my kids. The reality is social media is a perfectly crafted picture. Nothing more, nothing less. I’ve unfollowed a lot of “perfect people or families” for my own peace of mind. I see my kids living their best life and I’m grateful to be able to guide them as best I can. 

It’s impossible without a supportive partner. If you are both not 100% in this decision then you will consistently be battling with the notion that you need to do everything. It’s not possible to put your all in multiple avenues. One will suffer. 

I’ve found that you don’t have to be by yourself for self-care. We love eating out and trying different foods. I actually love spending time and have lots of fun with my kids. Every day is an adventure. They’ll come with me to the hair salon or nail bar the same way I’ll go with them to the park or zoo. 

Have a proper conversation with your partner. It’s a decision that you both have to fully commit to. Discuss what will have to give if you don’t have 2 salaries, budget and plan. What are your priorities as a family? 

Sometimes you may doubt yourself but follow your heart, trust God and live every day full of purpose.  

Are you a stay at home mum and would love to share your journey with us? Please send a mail to thecuddleblog@gmail.com stating your interest. 

 UI Zoo was our next stop on our Ibadan adventure. 

The University of Ibadan Zoological Garden was established in 1948 primarily as Menagerie to support teaching and research in the Department of Zoology. With time the animal collection grew in number and diversity and the Menagerie gradually became a full fledged Zoo in 1974. It welcomes a large number of visitors from far and near every year.
The University of Ibadan Zoo, like most modern zoos, displays wild animals primarily for the conservation of endangered species, as well as for research purposes and education, and so also for the entertainment of visitors.
The garden is home to a wide array of animals comprising mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. [Source]

First Impression: 

The attitude of the woman at the pay point was also not nice at all. My cousin made a statement that it’s how they are in Ibadan, lol.  There were vendors outside that sold snacks and drinks.

When you enter, you’d start by seeing a few animals and honestly not expect so much because you won’t really see from the entrance how big the place is but when you walk in, you’d see how many more animals they have.  The place also brought so many memories for my sister from her childhood excursions. Apparently, the state the zoo is in is like a shadow of itself from years ago.

Gate fee for university of ibadan zoo: 

500/Person 

Some of the Animals they have: 

The zoo has the most animals I’ve seen in a zoo. 

• Geese 
• Hyena 
• Lion 
• Giraffe 
• Camel 
• Jackal 
• Ostrich 
• Bob cat 
• Snaksssss - different species
• Crocodile 
• Baboon 
• Monkey - different species 
• Crocodile etc. 

What we loved about the place?

We loved that they had a lot of animals to see. The environment looked clean and all the animals were labeled with names, Yoruba names, igbo names and a little story about them. 

The highlight of the trip for me was seeing the giraffe in all it’s glory. 

What we didn’t like?

The toilet wasn’t clean. I didn’t like that there was a vendor selling toys and marketing to the kids which I didn’t appreciate. It made our kids cry for things we didn’t want to buy. We didn’t like that some of the animals looked so lonely and unkempt. The Lion was also sleeping when we were there. 

Wished the place was more maintained than it is. 

Other things to note: 

Get some snacks and water for you and the kids. You will be tired after the walk around the zoo. 

Cuddly Ratings

I would give it 4/5 cuddly loves. 

Have you been to the University of Ibadan zoo before? What are your thoughts?

What we first noticed was that Agodi gardens is located around the secretariat and from the outside it looked really nice and they had music playing at the gate. There is a security guard, a pay station, signs to wear a mask, washing hand station - that wasn’t enforced. 

First impression: 

There is a food court where they sell things like rice, chicken and chips, soya, etc. 
There is also a pool and to access the pool, you have to pay differently which is also N500/person 

What we loved: 

We loved the scenery, we loved that there was a huge space for the kids to play and we swam. The pool was shallow enough for the children to play in and have confident fun in the water.

What we didn’t like: 

We noticed more people came in towards the evening when we were leaving and it gave the place a little more life, if you don’t mind the crowd, you can schedule your visit to the later part of the day so it can be a bit more lively for you. 

Cuddly loves: 

Rating it 3.5 cuddly loves. 
Will I go back, if I had the chance? Yes! 

Have you been to Agodi gardens before? What are your thoughts?