Mothers Who Work: Tips, Advice on Work, Starting A Spare-Time Business, Family and Wellbeing
For mums who are SERIOUS about making money
It’s not uncommon that parents and grandparents bemoan the generational change in activities. These days, many children spend endless on gadgets of some sort and they just don’t have the same experiences of yesteryear.
With the school Easter holidays now here, many of us are full of mixed emotions. On the one hand, it’s always great to spend some (more) quality time with the children. But on the other, keeping them busy and happy for almost three weeks can be a task…an expensive one, at that.
So here are few things to remember while you get through the holidays:
Lacking self confidence can come across very negatively when speaking to people – and even more so when you’re in a job interview.
You know that you’re really shy and coy, but to the other person or people on the interview panel, you look aggressive, or arrogant or awkward. These are all deal breakers when you’re trying to get your next dream job.
There’s nothing more irritating than doing your job (really well!), working your contracted hours and being made to feel like you’re doing something wrong because you’re leaving on time.
But how do you manage that when you’re colleagues are constantly making comments that make you feel like you’re letting the side down, or aren’t doing enough?
Crunches, planks, elbow to knee sit-ups…they all seem like a lot of back-breaking effort. And, well, not all of us want to roll out a yoga mat to firm up our wobbly bits…or get our hair dirty.
So, Motherswhowork.co.uk has been on the lookout for tips and advice on how to tone abs without having to clear the clutter and make way on the floor. Yep – standing ab exercises.
Spring’s on the way, and that means the bikini season isn’t that much further behind. No pressure, then, for the rush to lose weight and firm up those wobbly bits…
But the answer might already be at the tips of your fingers. Yes, believe it or not, housework really can help you burn those calories.
According to fitness experts British Military Fitness, housework really does pay!
It’s a dream for many, but somehow you’ve managed to go freelance or set up your own business. Hurrah!
But what all your friends and observers don’t see is how you often struggle to get some structure and enjoyment into your day. While they wish they could ditch the monotonous 9-5, you miss some aspects of it.
So what now? Do you throw in the towel and go back to the hard grind, under the thumb of an ungrateful boss or inflexible employer? No – here are some tips to rescue your working life before anyone notices.
When it comes to Mother’s Day, chocolates, flowers and perfume are a kind gesture, but we could all do with some me time away from the family just to recharge, rest and do whatever (or nothing) we want to do.
While going away for a spa break may not be feasible for everyone this weekend, when you need a night away, something simple, clean and relaxing I tried last weekend was a stay at the Travelodge in Convent Garden in one of their newly refurbished rooms.
No one plans to be a single parent, but the reality is true for many mums (and dads) in the UK and the world over. And likewise no one plans for the one steady income coming home (we’re talking about couples in this instance) to get cut though redundancy, companies folding, or losing big contract.
In the UK, there are 1.8 million single parent households, and 650,000 of these homes bring in no money outside of benefits. It’s clear then that if you find yourself in this situation, you really aren’t alone.
But what can you do to stay afloat and not drawn in the cost of living? Getting a job seems the obvious option, but that can take a while…here are some immediate things you can do to survive on one income (even if it is just benefits).
We live in a world where people like to put other people into a box. Being a working mum comes high on that list…if I had a pound for every time someone told me (not asked me) how difficult it must be, I would have a nice little fund for my caramel lattes for the rest of my working life.
Being a mum in business is no different. Here are some of the ridiculous myths, and the real truth.
Look into the back of the boots of a busy um’s car and there are usually two distinct types: the super tidy and the fashionably disorganised.
Whichever type you are, here are some tips on what should be in your car boot, so you don’t have to feel guilty if yours looks bare, and to give you the comfort to declutter if yours has one of everything in it.
Yesterday, we touched on the need to strip back a little and ditch multitasking…if you missed it, you can read the article here.
I’ll go into a bit more detail today about exactly what monotasking is and how to start.
There’s an app for just about everything today – whether you own an iPhone, Android or Windows phone, there is something to distract you at some point in the day. Serious working mums will know that using a diary system of some sort is very beneficial, but life happens, and sometimes things get lost, or your leave it at home because you’ve changed your bag…or an important page gets ripped out by your toddler.