"Because dads have harder jobs than mums," announced my seven-year-old, stopping me in my tracks, as we pulled into the playground. She was chatting about summer and playdates and conversations she'd been having with friends in school about seeing each other over the holidays. She'd worked out that one of her friends might be around, because ...
“We need to stop congratulating fathers whenever they pitch in. This perpetuates the belief that child rearing and housework are ‘women’s work’ and men are only helping out.” Thank you Deirdre for taking part in this interview series for Office Mum - could you tell me how many children you have and their ages? I have a boy, ...
“I usually collapse in my pyjamas by 8.30pm… I flake out on front of the TV, watching soaps…taking off my make-up and putting Sudocrem on my spots.” This week’s interview is with Lucy Kennedy; TV presenter on The 7 o’ Clock Show and mother of two. She talks about childcare, trying to do everything, working mother ...
Amid the strong support for the feelings expressed in Donna Hartnett's open letter to Enda Kenny, there has also been some "tough luck, you can't have it all" type responses (on Twitter, and some referenced here) I don't think that's the point at all - I don't think anyone expects to "have it all" - certainly not ...
“I’m a big believer in reinvention and now that my baby-making years are over and the child-rearing stage picks up a pace maybe I’ll completely turn things on their head. Or just win the Lotto and sit around knitting, eating cheese and slugging champagne for evermore” This week’s interview is with the lovely Helen O'Keeffe, a ...
“I was just 22 when Claire was born… We had no family in Dublin and crèche facilities were non-existent. I found a nice local woman with kids of her own to mind Claire and I had to return to work full-time the day she was six weeks old. That was very tough” This week I meet ...
“ 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 ...
I'm not great at saying no. And I have some colleagues at work who are not great at saying no. And some good friends who don't say no to their bosses easily. We have something in common - we are all parents - all working mothers. We all work, and are paid for, part-time hours. And most of us ...
“If the whole world worked part-time – three days a week, or five mornings/ afternoons – we would all be much happier, and less judgemental about each other!” I couldn’t agree more. This week I meet journalist Emily Hourican who is the author of the recently-published How To Really Be A Mother, a book about having ...
“it is the simple things that I find the hardest – like my child being invited to a birthday party mid-week and I can’t bring them, so have to ask another parent to bring him so he doesn’t miss out” The first interview for 2014 is with June Tinsley who is the National Policy Officer in ...