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A Mother's Work Meme
I came across the A Mother’s Work Meme on Stressy Mummy. This meme was set up by Mother.Wife.Me and Pret-A-Mummy to talk about how society values and supports working mothers (or not, as the case may be).
The rules of the meme are simple:
1. Please post the rules.
2. Answer the questions in as much or as little detail as suits you.
3. Leave a comment on mother.wife.me so we can keep track of the meme.
4. Tag 3 people and link to them on your blog.
5. Let them know you tagged them.
Tweet loudly about taking part (well ok, that isn’t a rule, but how about if we start a hashtag – #amothersworkmeme).
Questions:
1. Did you work before becoming a mum?
Yes, for several years. My first "proper" job was as a solicitor, however this was fairly short-lived. I left the world of law to set up my own retail business, selling cards, gifts and baby products in two shops in Manchester. I fell pregnant by accident, so at this stage I had to rethink my plans and work out what I wanted my priorities to be for the next few years. As much as I loved my work and being my own boss, more than anything I wanted to be at home with my son. However this wasn't possible as I had a business to run. Handing Little J over to a childminder at the age of 9 months was heartbreaking, but it was only for a couple of days a week. When I was at home with him I had staff running my shops, and I caught up with paperwork, marketing and ordering stock while he napped!
2. What is your current situation?
Things are completely different! We now live in Scotland (only a few miles from where I grew up) and Little J has a little sister of 18 months. I love working, and I have never really stopped. Shortly after we moved I started freelance writing and editing (a career I have dipped in and out of since graduating), which is something I can do from home and fit in to family life. My children always come first, but it is really important to me that I keep working, using my brain, and earning my own money. Last year I set up StorkUp with a friend and every spare second has gone into this. It's not easy, and I often find myself answering work emails and writing blog posts at midnight, but the beauty of an online business is that this is possible! While the kids come first, I think it's important that they see their mum working hard and being passionate about something she really believes in. I'm a happier, more fulfilled person because I work, and I think this makes me a better mum.
3. Freestyle– got your own point you’d like to get across on this issue? Here’s your chance…
I despair of the whole "Can women have it all?" argument. I think it's pointless and only serves to make working mums feel guilty, inadequate or selfish - or all three. For what it's worth, I don't think anybody can have it all. Life is about making sacrifices and being responsible for the choices you make. It is simply impossible to give 100% of yourself to every part of your life. Children are resilient and adaptable, and I firmly believe that if they know they are loved and feel secure in the family environment, this is far more important than whether Mummy works part-time, full-time, or not at all.
I'm not going to tag anybody, but feel free to join in if this is a subject you can relate to.
The rules of the meme are simple:
1. Please post the rules.
2. Answer the questions in as much or as little detail as suits you.
3. Leave a comment on mother.wife.me so we can keep track of the meme.
4. Tag 3 people and link to them on your blog.
5. Let them know you tagged them.
Tweet loudly about taking part (well ok, that isn’t a rule, but how about if we start a hashtag – #amothersworkmeme).
Questions:
1. Did you work before becoming a mum?
Yes, for several years. My first "proper" job was as a solicitor, however this was fairly short-lived. I left the world of law to set up my own retail business, selling cards, gifts and baby products in two shops in Manchester. I fell pregnant by accident, so at this stage I had to rethink my plans and work out what I wanted my priorities to be for the next few years. As much as I loved my work and being my own boss, more than anything I wanted to be at home with my son. However this wasn't possible as I had a business to run. Handing Little J over to a childminder at the age of 9 months was heartbreaking, but it was only for a couple of days a week. When I was at home with him I had staff running my shops, and I caught up with paperwork, marketing and ordering stock while he napped!
2. What is your current situation?
Things are completely different! We now live in Scotland (only a few miles from where I grew up) and Little J has a little sister of 18 months. I love working, and I have never really stopped. Shortly after we moved I started freelance writing and editing (a career I have dipped in and out of since graduating), which is something I can do from home and fit in to family life. My children always come first, but it is really important to me that I keep working, using my brain, and earning my own money. Last year I set up StorkUp with a friend and every spare second has gone into this. It's not easy, and I often find myself answering work emails and writing blog posts at midnight, but the beauty of an online business is that this is possible! While the kids come first, I think it's important that they see their mum working hard and being passionate about something she really believes in. I'm a happier, more fulfilled person because I work, and I think this makes me a better mum.
3. Freestyle– got your own point you’d like to get across on this issue? Here’s your chance…
I despair of the whole "Can women have it all?" argument. I think it's pointless and only serves to make working mums feel guilty, inadequate or selfish - or all three. For what it's worth, I don't think anybody can have it all. Life is about making sacrifices and being responsible for the choices you make. It is simply impossible to give 100% of yourself to every part of your life. Children are resilient and adaptable, and I firmly believe that if they know they are loved and feel secure in the family environment, this is far more important than whether Mummy works part-time, full-time, or not at all.
I'm not going to tag anybody, but feel free to join in if this is a subject you can relate to.
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