The Working Mum #1

Add to bulletin board: 

  • Don’t try and write with Ben and Holly on in the background, you will start writing in Nanny Plum’s voice, which is fantastically sarcastic but doesn’t work when writing about a company’s newest line of products.
  • Don’t add kisses when you send an email to work colleagues, even if they are very nice.
  • Remember that the to do list is your friend, folding it into pretty shapes, using it as an example of how green you have become by putting it in the recycle bin and eating it nibble by nibble  are all forms of procrastination. Procrastination is just a big fancy word for being being a lazy bugger. 
  • Coffee is your best friend.

 

I am a working Mum. I’m in the very lucky position to be able to work full time from home as  freelance writer.

I love the work that I do! Sometimes I write press releases, sometimes I ghost blog for businesses, sometimes I write advertising pieces, sometimes I write newsletters, quite often I find myself writing website copy and very occasionally something completely random pops up like someone needing an urgent piece of copy on the history of the toilet.

My work is varied, doesn’t pay too badly and it enables me to be at home full time.  I have a 5yr old son who is a school and a 1yr old son who is at home. Surprisingly I can still manage to work full time hours; starting at 5am doesn’t hurt with this.

Doing the big juggling act can be a struggle sometimes and occasionally balls get dropped. This is fine, and as long as I don’t drop any of the children or any food, we will survive!

I am going to record some of the fun that comes with working from home. You never know. I might look back on these posts one day and learn something from them.


Toddlers: An Instruction Manual for Surviving Years One to Four by Joanne Mallon

Toddlers, an instruction manual When I was pregnant with my eldest, Kieran, I bought every baby and toddler book going. The baby ones were glanced at then put on the lovely nursery shelf so that I could read for the 30,00th time the “How you know you are in labour”, “What will happen in hospital” and “What you will need” leaflets from the midwife service.

After Kieran was born and started toddling around I dusted off my “Know your Toddler” books, certain that they would hold the secret to ensuring thet oddler years were as pleasant as possible for all concerned. It became evident pretty quickly that these books were a load of tripe! Page after page of condescending nonsence that served one purpose only and that was to convince me that I was the worse Mum in the world, ever!

So why am I now blogging about a toddler guidebook? This one is different! Toddlers: An Instruction Guide to Surviving the Years One to Four is written by Joanne Mallon, a journalist for 15 years, a parent for 12 years and a life coach for 10years. It does not contain one ounce of condescending bullshit. This books features extracts from the real toddler experts, Mums and Dads (including me!).

Joanne works her way through all the aspects that we know and love about owning our own piece of toddler-dom from sleeping, eating and potty training to discipline, interacting with siblings and new babies as well as looking after yourself. Curled up reading this book I found myself swinging from snorts of laughter (she has a great way with words!) and I-remember-that-well nods. I’ve done toddler years and survived with most of my sanity and furnishings intact. Now I find myself facing those brilliant discovery years again for the second time and am so glad, having read the book, that I have it here if I want it or to remind me that it is ok to want to scream into a pillow, even if the sofa has new swirly permanent marker patterns.

Toddlers: An Instructions Manual for Surviving Years One to Four is available in paperback and in Kindle format and is NOT to be missed!