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SCMP Reporter

Kelly Chen Wai-lam  may be a Canto-pop  princess to many,  pampered by a team of stylists, make-up  artists and assistants, but these days the singer-actress is learning  all about motherhood. 
Chen gave birth to her son, Chace,  in July last year after tying the knot with  businessman  Alex Lau Kin-ho in  October 2008.  
 How has your life changed after the arrival of the  baby?
 I have always wanted to have a baby, but dreaming of one and having one  are totally different experiences. There are a lot of responsibilities. Chace is  my priority  and  having my own child makes me realise  what a mother really is.  I appreciate my mother more because I know every mother needs to sacrifice so much.  
 What are the biggest sacrifices you've had  to make? 
 Mostly to my career. I can't  go on tour now because  a tour  lasts for  months.  I can't do films either because most films are now shot  on the mainland and I can't bear to be  away from my son for more than 48 hours.   If I have a job  overseas that takes longer than two days, I will fly home in between,  even  if I have to fly back the next day. There are many career mothers in Hong Kong and our common goal is to take care of both our family and career.   
 How do you and Alex delegate the parenting jobs?
Chace is both of ours, so we must raise him together. Now that I don't have to work as often, I look after Chace more  in the day  and  when Alex comes home after work, he spends  time playing with the baby.  It's funny - Alex used to run away from Chace when  his nappy needed changing  but now  he  helps out.  He is  very good at that now. 
 Do you  talk about how to raise  Chace?
We don't want to give Chace too much pressure, but one thing we have  agreed on is to make sure  he  learns Chinese as his first language. Alex spent most of his early years studying abroad and his Chinese is  poor, which can be a real challenge for his work.  He reckons  Chinese  is more difficult than  English and, most importantly, we are Chinese.    
 Any midnight crises so far?
 Chace has been a good baby  and doesn't cry all night.  But the most terrifying moments are when he is ill.  The doctor warned me that  babies usually have a fever after injections, but I  panicked when it  happened to Chace.  Hearing him cry just  tore  me apart.  
 What's the best part of having a baby?
Every day my life is filled with joy. Just looking at his little face makes me smile and when he smiles at you, it just melts your heart. 
You are a celebrity. How  worried are you that Chace will  grow up with unwanted attention?
We are not  very concerned as long as the photographers and reporters don't jump out unexpectedly and  shock us. I have lived in the entertainment world for so long and the media has been treating me very nicely, so they are just  big brothers and big sisters to Chace. But I hope they  use long lenses and take pictures  from a  distance because  I don't want to scare Chace. I do let people take pictures of him. However, if you ask me as a mother if I want my son to have unnecessary exposure, the answer is no.
How would you  rate yourself as  a mother?
An eight for effort,  with some room for improvement.  I really try my best to be a better mother, but there are  many things I  have to learn.
How is little Chace doing?
He is doing excellently. He is only eight months  but  is already bigger than an average one-year-old.  He is always craving  food and I can't bear not giving him any when he  is hungry. But the doctor is a bit concerned that Chace is growing too fast, so we  now give him  mashed baby food instead of milk because it is more filling.  I allow him to suck his thumb as a compensation for food. 
Do you have any expectations?  
My husband and I are  very open-minded  about his future, as long as he is happy. He can be a rocket scientist or  a painter if he wants. Our role as parents is to provide him with the opportunities to find what he likes.  The rest is entirely up to him. 
Do you expect to  expand the family? 
I love children. I would love to have more but it won't be  soon. I  gave birth  by Caesarean section and the wound still hurts sometimes. 
Would you prefer a boy or a girl next?
A girl would be perfect, so I can dress her up in  cute princess outfits and accessories. But it would be fun to get Chace a little brother, too. Boy or girl, it really doesn't matter.  
Your new Putonghua album comes out on March 16. How is it?
It's called Wei Guang (Dim Light). The entire album is filled with happiness. Perhaps  the songwriters and lyricists were all inspired by my marriage and my baby.  It's hard for me to portray sadness now, I guess.



Q&A: Kelly Chen