Name: Sharon Hewitt
Age: 42
Job: Founder and managing director of Chiltern Relocation
Industry: Property relocation
Employer: Self-employed
Salary: ?85,000 turnover
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Have you always worked while you had your children?
Yes
What was the motivating factor for this?
The property industry is constantly changing and things move on very quickly. I knew that if I gave up work, even for a short period, I would lose the up to date business knowledge and this would made it difficult for me to re-enter the industry.
I?m someone who always loves getting stuck in and interacting with clients and the public. I need to be stimulated every day and interacting with adults. I know I would have soon gone stir crazy at home all day with two young children, so working has always been important for me.
What are the best bits about staying in work while you have raised your children?
I think that the foundations of self-worth that you get from working reflects back into the family life. Working helped to keep my self esteem high, and boosted positivity about myself, and this was channelled back into my family life and made me happier and more relaxed with my children. I think if I hadn?t worked whilst raising my children, I would have felt quite isolated and less satisfied.
If you could have your time again would you make a different choice?
No, definitely not!
Has working and raising a family been challenging? If you how?
Yes, it has been challenging. You have to learn to compromise. As an individual I always wanted to give 100% to both my work life and home life, but at times it?s just not possible, and it?s important to realise that. Sometimes you have to do the best that you can and be happy with it ? no-one is superhuman!
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What is available to mothers now that you wish you had access to when your family was young?
I think there are better childcare facilities, more after-school and pre-school clubs, and more summer care available to mothers now compared to 10 years ago. I really feel that there?s still not enough support on offer out there, but there was even less on offer when my kids were little ones!
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How have you managed to stay on top of your career with the demands of motherhood?
I found it was necessary to tread water for a few years.? I do think that when you return to work you are looked over for promotions or extra responsibility; you are seen as unable to take on too much. However, by staying at work I stayed up to speed with all the industry developments which I would have otherwise lost touch with.
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What has been the high point along the way?
I think the high point for me was realising that I can do the job well enough to set up my own company and make it a Daily Mail Award winning success. I couldn?t have done it without having kept a hand in the market whilst my children were younger, and it would have been foolhardy for me to have attempted it without the experience and knowledge that I have accumulated over the years.
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What is your worst experience along the way?
I think my worst experience was when I was working in Reading and had a call from my daughter to say that she had missed her stop on the train to school and ended up in London by mistake. That feeling of powerlessness, being unable to help her straight away without arranging cover – that was very hard. Missing a football match, a school play, a music recital ? anytime when I have had to compromise and haven?t been there to support them has been hard.
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Any tips for expectant mums, or mothers who feel that you can’t have a successful career and a happy family life at the same time?
If you have the right infrastructure, the right childcare and support, you can make it work. If you don?t then something?s got to give! Avoid going back to full-time work straight away – take a lesser job or a part-time role. Expecting to go straight back in to the demanding level you were working at pre-children may be unrealistic. But whatever you decide, remember to make time for yourself ? that?s the most important thing.