One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus

Am I the only one thinking that we have hit the part of the summer which can only be described as inexorable? ?We are on the very, very slow crawl back to school. At the start of the summer there is so much energy, so much to look forward to, ?so much total joy at what lies ahead. Like most working parents I have spent the last three months (THREE MONTHS) cajoling, entertaining, driving, feeding and yes of course enjoying my children (two of which are teenagers so that is saying something).

A couple of generations ago this kind of seasonal circadian rhythm living totally worked. All hands were needed to bring in the silage and cut turf. It didn’t matter how small or big you were, there were jobs which needed to be done. Today though with a lot more people working in corporate jobs rather then in the bog the three month hiatus from schooling life is a tricky one to manage for most parents. Throw in two full time jobs and a constant battle over phones and PlayStation and the shine wears off it pretty quickly.

The WorkJuggle is real. But really it shouldn’t have to be this hard? No doubt hybrid working has helped. If nothing else the pandemic proved that bums on seats does not equal productivity. Many jobs can be done from a mix of home and the office. The thing about hybrid working though is you do need to actually be working and not bringing kids to the park or calling in to an elderly relative. The time is not your own. Really the answer is flexible working. The recent Gartner Global Voice of the Candidate report found that flexibility was the top reason for candidates accepting an offer. We have some many incredible candidates with amazing experience but just need a little flexibility, for whatever reason, at this time in their lives. And still employers can be reluctant to engage. It is so frustrating as we know what the answer is (that and maybe shorter school holidays!) and yet it can be hard for companies to move from the status quo. We do work with some great companies but honestly would love to work with many more as we really believe in what we are doing. We think it can make a hugely positive impact not just for companies but also families. If you are an employer who is curious about how to make it work or just want to make it happen in your own place for your own selfish reasons then drop us a line ??

Finally, I was in town yesterday and saw some ?brave souls venturing out with children clearly trying to have a “Good Day Out”, you know the kind; entertaining, lots of fresh air and ideally a little educational as well. All I can to them is you are my heroes. I salute you.

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Till next time,

Ciara

?What we are Watching

Renegade Nell of course! Completely batty and totally enjoyable. There are no plot holes just magic, pixies and all sorts of dark arts happening at unexpected times. Starring the fabulous Louisa Harland from Derry Girls.

Listening To

The Rest is History. It was a recent recommendation and now the whole family is hooked. My favourite one so far is about the Archduke Franz Ferdinand , a story you think you know so well. I never realised both himself and his wife were killed leaving three very young children behind. The podcast makes their story, a beautiful love story, so fresh and real I was blinking back the tears while driving the car. Its a bit like crying at the end of the Titanic film, you went in knowing the ending yet it still gets you in the end.

Reading

"Boy Swallows Universe" . It was a recommendation from another podcast which I listen to. I had never heard of it, it is a coming of age story from an Australian author called Trent Dalton (am sure it is getting more traction now it is on Netflix). It starts slow but by the end of it I had that gorgeous feeling of just being so glad a book had come into my life. Totally recommend.