Once upon a time, when I worked a lot more hours than I do now, I felt like I never had quality time with my kids. Each night when they went to bed, I thought about how another day had slipped by without me noticing. I would try to think back to conversations and interactions ...
If you're reading this, and you have children, do you work fewer hours per day or days per week than your partner? And if so, do you do that because you want to, or because you feel you've been forced to? I'm reading an article in the Independent this morning, which refers to Glassdoor survey results ...
It was subtle at first, almost imperceptible. Then a little more noticeable - a twinge, every time I bent down to pick something up off the floor. Which I now realise is a fairly constant activity. I couldn't pinpoint where it was - was something twisted or knotted deep inside? I googled. A hernia or kidney ...
I've never personally experienced any sexism. Or at least not as far as I can remember, which may mean it has happened, and I've brushed it off as a normal, unremarkable, everyday thing. And that's exactly the point Laura Bates was making when she set up The Everyday Sexism Project in 2012, a platform for women to talk ...
"Mum, do you think I'm a good singer?" This is a question that causes me to freeze every time it's asked. And it's asked at least once a week, and by all three children. I don't know why they're obsessed with asking this or what kind of X-Factor plans they have, but they really, really want ...
Until my mid twenties, I thought everybody saw numbers and days of the week in colour, and months of the year as concrete spots on an imaginary clock face. Then I had a very enlightening conversation with my sisters who told me they didn't in fact see Friday as yellow or any other colour, and didn't see ...
“I sometimes think we try to second guess our children’s feelings about us working” Tracy Hayes is a teacher in Belfast, lifestyle and fashion blogger at Pink Mum, wife and mother. Thank you for contributing to the series Tracy – could you tell me a bit about your family? I have one son Robbie aged nine and he obviously ...
This is Pineky: His name is pronounced Pine-key. My four-year-old adopted him in March. He's originally from Killiney Hill. Against the odds, he has survived for two months without getting lost; minded carefully by his self-appointed 'owner-parent-friend'. Until this week, when he disappeared for 24 hours. We knew he was in the car somewhere but couldn't find him. Then his ...
Bank holiday Monday morning. I checked the weather on my phone. Cloudy, rainy, and real-feel 5 degrees. I checked the weather through my window. Bright, sunny, and the illusion of warmth. Window trumps phone. Day-trip weather. I suggested Glendalough, everyone agreed. We'd need to be quick though. The last time we tried to go there, traffic ...
Denise Deegan is a mother and author, who has tried her hand at many jobs, including nursing, lecturing, and restoring china. Her children are now in their late teens, so she gives us a picure of what it’s like to come out the other side of working parenthood. Thank you for taking part in this interview ...