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In Business & Blogging, General

The Working Mum – the less productive edition

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 10 Comments

Yesterday I was child free for no fewer that FIVE hours, a hardcore work day and a half with lots achieved (thanks Mum, thanks primary school!).
Today looks set to be slightly different. First of all I have Taylor at home, secondly I have a veg box delivery, then three or four couriers arriving (one of which had better contain the new printer ink!), a phone call or three and a new suite being delivered.

Just your average day in the realm of the working Mum! I have furniture on top of furniture, I can’t currently get to the kettle (this is going to cause a problem at some point), I believe the house-phone is on the sofa which has a large armchair on top of it and I’m pretty sure that *ding* sound was an email from an editor wanting a new piece doing “like yesterday”.

I’m not phased by this madness, in fact this is quite tame really but seems worse because of the quiet and organised environment I enjoyed so much yesterday.
I have fallen back on my trusty to-do list to get me through everything.

  1. Don’t freak out.
  2. Don’t touch the armchair on top of the sofa, it will fall on you.
  3. Consider ringing the furniture delivery company to see if they can deliver a takeaway coffee at the same time as the suite.
  4. Assume that you gave your work mobile number to everyone due to call and forget the missing house phone.
  5. Do pieces of work x,y and z and have a coff….doh! Drink water, it is better for you.
  6. Check emails and work out how to silence the *ping* noise that sounds super loud when it is new work with a short deadline.
  7. Send invoices, this will cheer you up no end.
  8. Sod it. Do what you can, deal with the furniture people, try not to get squashed, arrange for the old suite to be picked up and do some admin that can be stopped and started as required. Today is not going to be a head down and produce millions of words types of day so don’t force it. You have already decided to work this evening while the kids are in bed.
  9. Ask neighbour to make a coffee.

Yes, as super organised and calm as I usually am (cough), it seems that I am just going to have to embrace the fact that today is not going to be the most productive type of day, stop fretting and move on.

And find some sodding coffee!!!

In Business & Blogging, General, Women's Interest

The Working Mum #3 – Perils of working from home

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 4 Comments

I can list many advantages to working from home, the chief one being that I need little or no childcare  (just as well considering the costs!).

There are some downsides though. These are few of mine, sound familiar?

The fridge: When I worked in an office the fridge was in the kitchen which was not within the office. The fridge only contained whatever I’d brought in for lunch that particular day. Here the fridge and the cupboards seem to taunt me.  Curiously the fruit bowl is often silent. Fortunately I am now in the habit of bringing the fruit bowl into the living room (where I work). Genius! (I can still here them though…..).

Copywriter bum: I’m not convinced my bum has changed shape from so many hours sat on it but I do seem to suffer more nowadays from what I call copywriters bum. Most people call it coccyx pain, I call it a pain in the arse, regardless it can be painful if it is a problem you suffer with. Working on a strict deadline whilst hopping from bum-cheek to bum-cheek is not the most productive way of working, though seems to amuse anyone else who happens to be in the house at the time.
Please note that kneeling on a pc chair may help with the pressure but is likely to result in injury when the hair tips and you land on your nose. Just so you know.

Chewed pens: This is probably not very widespread but one that occurs daily. I chew pens. I gave up smoking years ago and seem to have picked up the disturbing habit of chewing on any pen, be it a cheap biro or a Parker pen. Not only is this disgusting for anyone who happens to try and steal your pen (no sympathy really) but this can also have severe consequences..
Please note that going on the school run with a blue ink-stained mouth is less fun than you would imagine.

Cute kids: These are my downfall. I work around Taylor (Kieran is at school during the week), starting very early and finishing late, and cherishing the 2.5hr nap he still enjoys. Occasionally I will even plonk him in front of Baby TV for half an hour if I am on deadline (he doesn’t seem to mind). Unfortunately he is cute, VERY cute. He knows exactly how to press my buttons and one flash of that cheeky grin and the pc is abandoned and I am rolling around the floor. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I’ve thrown it in because I expect I am not the only mother with a child who has a work-destroying grin.

Social Media: Oh my! Social media is a wonder in this modern technological age, it is also the top of my procrastination list. I just don’t have time to spend on social media I used to and have to be very strict with myself. I have to wonder if I’d ever used one of these nifty online timers just how much of my time was being taking up on Twitter and Facebook. It’s another voice calling you when you really are struggling through the most deadly peice of copy that ever existed but we have to be strong. It’s tough when I like to tweet like I talk (a lot!).

There are many advantages and disadvantages or rather downsides to working from home, these are a couple I can dredge up having had only one coffee today. Can you add any?

With a smile that this you can see why I end up playing instead of working!

 

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