Doing the right thing (never again)

Do you ever do something because it's the right thing to do, and afterwards wish you'd taken an easier, less selfless route, as your well-intentioned plans backfire all around you? I don't mean big life choices like whether or not to take a year out to work for Doctors without Borders (à la every US medical ...

Weighing in on childcare

Childcare Office Mum

As a mother to three children under six, most of my adult conversations every day are with other parents, most of whom have kids in childcare. Over the last few days, a recurring topic is the news story about RTE's Prime Time sending undercover researchers into two Dublin creches, and gathering video footage of children allegedly being mistreated. See ...

More Guilt – and Some Practical Tips for Dealing With Exhaustion at Work

It’s lunchtime and I’m under my desk having a snooze. Well not really, but that’s where I’d love to be right now, as I scribble these notes and drink my third cappuccino. My baby was up all night, and I’m beyond exhausted. OK he’s not technically a baby anymore, and it wasn’t quite all night, just 1am ...

Never tweet your heroes…

It started on Monday morning when rushing around getting ready for work, I tripped over a basket of clean washing (it was clean, somehow that matters) and sprained my finger. Just my little finger on my left hand, but oh my, the pain, and oh goodness, the ramifications. I couldn't type so work was extraordinarily unproductive ...

double standards and a nice cup of tea

tea - office mum

I should have been in bed, it was heading towards midnight on Sunday, and I was due up at 4am to head to the airport for a work trip. As usual I was feeling 90% apprehensive - worrying about leaving the kids, anxious that the baby would wake during the night and not understand why I'm not there, certain that ...

Seven tips for going back to work after maternity leave

office mum: maternity leave tips

No matter how much you enjoy your job, and certainly if you don't, returning to work after maternity leave is often daunting. Even if you feel "ready to go back" it's hard leaving the little person with creche or childminder. It's difficult the first time, and it's no less difficult after subsequent babies - not ...

Is there anyone out there?

Office Mum: stork and baby

It's after midnight, and like any mum whose baby wakes somewhere between 1am and 5am, I'm tucked up in bed, fast asleep, getting some precious zzz's in before it all kicks off. Except of course I'm not - I'm sitting up watching tv, finishing a glass of wine, and tapping out words on the internet. And I ...