The Intersection between Motherhood, Career and Identity. Blog Link Up

Intersection between career and identityToday I wanted to talk about my experience of motherhood, career and identity. And I would love you to do the same. If you have written a post about the cross-roads of career and identity, please feel free to link up below (your post needn’t be motherhood related).
This is my first ever blog link-up and I’ll be honest:
I really hope I don’t stand here with a full bowl of pretzels and no guests.

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I went to the kind of high school that told its students “girls can do anything.” And we believed it. There was nothing in the way of our dreams, least of all our gender. All career paths were wide open. The war had been won and equality surely assured. Our mothers may have faced discrimination and difficulty but we would walk easily on the road they paved for us.

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Every Single Morning …

Every Single MorningI wrote this blog post last year for my other blog, Chasing His Sunshine.  Really, the only thing that has changed is that I am no longer breast-feeding and we are getting marginally more sleep. Other than that, situation normal.

This a post about what my morning looked like. And pretty much the morning before it and the morning before it. So if you have had one of those mornings.  If every weekday morning tends to be one of those mornings. This is for you – you are not alone. Read more

The Harshest Critic of the Stay at Home Mum: Herself (a guest post)

Today I have Kate from One Small Life guest posting on the blog. Kate talks about the complicated criticisms stay at home mums level at themselves, the presumptions made about other people’s thoughts and the reality of it all. I found myself relating to so much of this beautiful post and I thank Kate for sharing so honestly.

the harshest critic of the stay at home mother

It was that time of year.  Time to get to know the parents of the kids my kid shares a classroom with.

We sat in the sun sipping chai and chatting pleasantly when one of us began asking around the table what we did.  There was a lawyer, a physio, an accountant, the director of a promising start-up – the rest I’m unsure of.  At first I was listening with interest.  What an interesting group of women.  Then my head got fuzzy.  Because I realized soon I would have to say something.  And what would I say? Read more

Why breastfeeding is like being a teenager again

Why breastfeeding made me feel like a teenager againMy breastfeeding days made me feel like a teenager again. Hear me out on this one.

Baby E gave up breastfeeding a few months back. I no longer have to wear tops that can pull up or down. Sadly, my membership in the itty-bitty-titty committee has also been reinstated. I haven’t quite said good-bye to my comfy (and now very roomy) nursing singlets. There may still be the odd maternity bra or two in my rotation. But, on the whole, I am glad to be out on the other side.

Here’s why the months I dressed for breastfeeding reminded me of being 14 years old. Read more

Motherhood & Career: Tearing our hearts in two – How can we feel less torn?

Balancing Babies & Work: How can we feel less torn?

I can still remember the feeling acutely. Driving into the daycare centre to pick my baby up, panicked as the clock neared 6pm, worried about the work I had left undone at the office and above all excited to see my son. That roller-coaster of emotions occurred on a daily basis when I worked full time. I felt, like many career mothers feel, that I was completely torn between two lives. That I was not capable of delivering the same quality of work and quantity of time to my career that I once could and that I was not giving enough to my child. Even though all evidence pointed to the contrary, I was convinced I was failing at both roles. And after I filled my mother role, my career role and my growing self-doubt role, there was precious little left over to give to my husband, the house and (last on the list) myself. I know so many working women who feel like this. But perhaps we are our own worst enemy. Maybe, as well as looking critically at work practices and our situation, we need to challenge our beliefs.

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Financial advice from my six year old

Financial Advice

Sometimes you end up having fascinating insights into your children’s thinking. Lately, Master I has been pondering finance.

It all started when his Dad brought home a 2000 Indonesian Rupiah note. We were a bit mean. We lead him to believe (for a heartbeat) that he had received a $2,000 note. He now understands that it’s a different currency. He hasn’t quite grasped that it’s actually only worth 20 cents. Fantasies can be difficult things to quell. He has told me a few times “but it has 2,000 written on it. SOMEONE will think it’s worth a 2,000 and then I can buy quite a bit of lego.

“I don’t think so darling, and if you managed to convince someone, that’s called fraud and it’s illegal” Read more