Walking back to the car after the school run, I called to Sam to hurry up, then caught myself, realising that for once, there was no reason to hurry. It was 9am. We had just dropped Clara and Emmie to school. And both were invited on playdates after school – both being collected by other mums. ...
A good friend told me last week that she's changing jobs - moving from a chilled-out project role back into the mayhem of daily operations. This is the reverse of what she wanted when going back to work after her second baby was born three years ago - in fact for many working mothers, chilled-out project roles ...
Since starting Office Mum, I’ve been fortunate to get to know some really inspiring women who work in the area of helping mothers to balance careers with family. They’ve very kindly joined forces to contribute to this post, in order to give you some of their top tips for juggling work and home – setting ...
"Well what if we leave a bit earlier tomorrow?" I said to my daughter on the way into school last week, in answer to her complaint that she wouldn't have enough playtime before class started. "Yeah, we said that this morning too, and here we are, running at the last minute," I heard behind me - ...
Babysitting. Something about which I have vivid memories; a teenage part-time-job. And now it's come full circle, as what seems like five minutes later, I'm all grown-up and paying a teenager to mind my kids. Having had three childminders (counting the runaway one) and about forty different creche minders (high turnover), I didn't expect that leaving the kids ...
Are we a child-friendly society - do we embrace children and their parents in all areas of 21st century Ireland? Or do we corral them into suitable times and places, conveniently out of the path of mainstream everyday life? Fiona Carey thinks we have a way to go. When the Bray-based mum of one was unable to ...
“ if you want to be a head of IT in a big, multi-million corporation, you are going to have to work very different hours than someone teaching a couple of classes in the evening time. I think if that’s your ambition, then finding time for your children will be more challenging… “ Mirva Walsh is ...
Working mother guilt is a myth, according to widely publicised survey findings from UK parenting website Mumsnet. 48% of the 900 mothers polled said that they were happier having a job than being at home, sparking a range of newspaper articles on the topic, including this one by Bryony Gordon who said: "The idea that working women feel ...
Ambition. Motherhood. Not always easy bedfellows. When women become mothers, they often see that career progression is hampered. Sometimes because they want flexibility and are therefore seen as less suitable for promotion. Sometimes even without seeking flexibility, they are put on the mommy-track, on the assumption that they're less interested in work. But often, the career progression is ...
This is how it goes in my house: "Kids, dinner's ready, come to the table." Then with a little less patience "Kids! Please come to the table!" Multiply this by pointlessly high number. Give up calling, start threatening and/ or physically lifting them into their seats. Cue dinner responses: Eldest: "What's this? I don't like this dinner. Why do we ...