My journey as a Working Mum.

Happy International Women’s Day to all my network.

I’ve always fancied sharing my warts and all journey of working-mummy life. I’d love to write a book on this topic BUT I’ve zero time so let’s settle for a blog. I love reading about people’s journeys. So, if time constraints allow, please let’s start some sharing. Also, in society today it would seem that everyone is being far more open. Some of this might make you cringe, however, more importantly, if my truth can support future and current parents then I guess it’s useful.

I hope to inspire you, make you smile, help you relate, and maybe reassure you if one day you plan to have a family.

I’ve many fond memories of having it all some would say, a great career in the recruitment sector and children that are very settled that Mummy goes to work before they wake and stays away from home too. Some days feel seamless but some far from it.

Before we get onto the current day, let’s rewind. For anyone in my network with a baby now and facing the world of work again maybe you’ll relate? It’s the most rewarding role in the world but it’s also the most exhausting…

Let’s rewind to 2014, as well as raising my baby boy I was very focussed on staying connected to work. I diarised all my 10 KIT days and set agendas for each one, I got suited and booted and made sure I gave it my all. At the time I was breastfeeding my son. I had to cart with me my breast pump as many parents will know you need to stay on top of it or you could get poorly with mastitis, also if milk supply dries up it’s sad if you’ve chosen that path. I remember locking myself in a coat cupboard to express milk to discover all the office knocking on the door for their coats at lunchtime – as the ‘hum’ on the breast pump echoed through the cloakroom I wanted the ground to eat me alive. How embarrassing, I think this was the start of me entering a new thicker-skinned phase. My priorities had changed after all. I knew my son would be weaned by the time I started back so I just pushed through. 8 years on it takes a lot more to embarrass me.

Can you relate to your children starting nursery or a new setting - picking up every bug possible? From sickness to coughs to colds – why are they constantly full of snot? Two weeks after returning to working mummy I had tonsilitis. A week after recovering from that I was being sick in a plant pot at 6am at the train station on a Monday morning. I remember thinking will work believe I’m off again? Again, just push through.

Our industry is known for long hours and there’s not really a cut off at the end if the day, recruitment can be 24/7. Becoming a mother made me hyper productive, absolute ninja with time. I’d ensure my meetings didn’t overrun, I also stayed away from water cooler group chats and general office gossip. I was there to work and enjoy my day with my colleagues.

My working day would start at 5.30am – into the office and firing away from 7.30am. I left the office at 4.30pm to allow me enough time to commute and be home to bathe my bundle of snot and joy.

Has anyone else experienced comments such as, “Part time are we?” or, “You off?”. How frustrating, whoever said that didn’t know I’d been in work since the crack of dawn after night feeds and given it my all. I’d never come into work and talk about the lack of sleep I had, just pushed through.

Moving onto the current day…I have two wonderful children aged 4 and 7. My daughter is the feistiest human I know, and this comes with many challenges – thank goodness my parents come to my house at 8am everyday to cart them to school. I’m extremely lucky to have a super support network.

Juggling my Director role and both children now there’s loads that goes wrong and I keep telling myself that’s ok. I forget to RSVP to party invites, I ALWAYS forget to give my son his guitar on Tuesdays, I end up running up the road after my team scrum with a guitar on my back. There are good days and days wracked with mum-guilt. I chose this path and I enjoy my work, but I have to constantly remind myself to accept the many imperfections of the journey.

I’ve learnt so much about perspective. Those niggly situations that were mountainous in my early career – a gatekeeper hanging up on me mid-pitch, a candidate not turning up to an interview, a squabble amongst teammates – are all much easier to navigate and accept. 8 years into being a mum these ‘niggles’ feel so far from what I can cope with now. In fact, why did I fuss so much in the past? I am way more connected to what is the priority.

I’m 6 months into my role at Hays and I’m fortunate to work for a company that allows me to feel valued every day and celebrates working mothers. The balance is there, I leave my desk when I need to at the end of the day, I take time out for important school events, I’m in control but it’s taken all that experience to get there.

Here’s my daughter emulating mummy, baby in hand and full throttle on her laptop. I’m raising a multitasker I know it.

Thanks for reading.

Good luck on your journey. We got this.