Blogging has been part of my life for a period spanning four calendar years now. When it started up back in 2015 I had literally no clue that it would lead to a means of me building a flexible career around my children. It wasn’t easy, a huge amount of time was invested right from day one, and there probably (?) hasn’t been a single day when I haven’t interacted with my blog, checked into it in some way or another. more “2018: Time to do some Flexible work? #CleanUpTheFWord @DigitalMumsHQ”
For the final six weeks of 2017, I made a cameo appearance back in the world of working. The land of peanut butter sandwiches chucked together at 7am, styling my hair and applying actual make up in the darkness of the sleeping house, handing the kids over to the grandparents and legging it out the door ALONE. more “Tales from the grotto”
Over the past few weeks, something’s been niggling. A passing comment, a throwaway conversation between two strangers have left a sense of self doubt and worry about our family set up. more “Is being a SAHM setting a bad example to our daughters?”
It’s been three years since I left work. Three years of wearing whatever I like, running to my own schedule, and being based at home.Blogging has however become my job of course, but it isn’t quite the same as a guaranteed income, a workplace that you head off to each day, seeking solace in conversations about stuff other than kids, and what’s going on ‘out there’. more “Santa’s little helper – a christmas job”
For almost three years now I have been spending my weekdays rocking the ‘at home’ life. Whatever you prefer to call it…unemployed, stay at home Mum, in between jobs, ‘taking time off my career whilst the kids are little’, and dodging horrendous childcare costs etcetera etcetera. more “WAHM: Having it all or Doing it all?”
There will no doubt be many FFS moments, muttered under breath, this summer holidays. Fortunately for me, and the flexible approach to work I’ve been able to adopt, childcare headaches won’t be causing any of them. more “For Flex Sake; #CleanUpTheFWord”
A few weekends ago I was finally lucky enough to get my hands on a ticket to a ‘Lucky Things Meet Up’ event in London – a seminar and networking event organised by Sunita from ‘Lucky Things Blog‘. The theme of the event was ‘Career confidence’, and whilst I planned my journey and my outfit it occurred to me that this perhaps was the worst themed event I could have gone to. After all, I’m on a career break, being ‘just’ a stay at home Mum, doing ‘not much really’ as I so often respond to the question ‘What are you doing now?’. more “Measuring success; #IAmABlogger”
I’m often asked what it’s like being a stay at home Mum, and if it makes me happy. My standard response is this;
“There are some days I’m tearing my hair out and it’s bloody hard work, yet there are other days when I feel like the luckiest person on the planet”. more “The HOORAY moments of being a stay at home Mum”
Having spent 3 years at home, apparently “not working” (although being a mum is without doubt the biggest career change of all), I finally decided to bite the bullet and head back out into the real world. more “GUEST POST; How I Re-Trained To Become A Legal Secretary”
Leaving full time employment to become a stay at home mum can be one of the most rewarding times of your life. But, it can also be one of the most challenging. Apart from being able to spend all your time with your precious bundles of joy, you life can feel somewhat lacking as you leave behind the part of your brain that used to be stretched in a work environment. more “Thinking of going back to work? Two things to make stay at home Mums more employable”