News — flexible working

(First published on The Contented Calf Website on Wednesday 13th January 2013.)    I’ve noticed recently that I’ve had to answer this question a fair amount recently – various registration forms for either of my girls, a market researcher I spoke to yesterday at the station and notably when Contented Hubby registered 9MO’s birth. He decided for me that if I’d written a book I was an Author, so that’s what I am on 9MO’s birth certificate!! Pre the birth of 3YO, it was easy I was a ‘Marketing Communications Manager’. Simple.  Straight-forward. Now, I tend just to go for...

This summer it will be ten years since I worked full-time in a corporate office. TEN YEARS!!?! HOW did that happen....?? Well.... I know how that happened. I had a baby. And then another. And then we moved to America. And then back. (You can 'read all about it' ;-) here...) And here I am, fast approaching ten years since I first left my job, and nine years since starting down this road as a 'mumpreneur'. And with that has come a lot more of working from home. I was very lucky when I was working full time that I...

(First published on The Contented Calf Website on Wednesday 30th March 2011.) I always feel like March is actually the real start of a new year, not January. So, Happy New Year to you all !! In January I still feel in the depths of cold, dark (and in recent years, snowy) winter and all I feel like doing is hibernating. I exist in a fog of tiredness and early nights. But by March the days are getting longer every day, even before the change to BST, and the increased light seems to give me increased energy and enthusiasm for...

Many years ago, when 9YO was still very small, I was lamenting to a (male, without kids) friend of mine about how one of the things I really missed about work was being strategic. In response, he asked me the seemingly simple, innocent question, designed to make me miss my work life less: "Why can't you be strategic in how you're raising your kids?" He wasn't being facetious, or uncaring. It was a genuine question. I can't remember exactly what my response was. I wasn't rude. I didn't smirk, or rant. I think I just said something short about 'fire-fighting'...

(First published on the Contented Calf website on Tuesday 7th June 2011.) My good friend Leonard and I caught up on the phone the other weekend for what turned out to be one of our ‘Power-Chats’. Ladies, you’ll know what I mean: We talked about literally everything in our lives We analysed said everything to the nth degree Leonard’s OH came to the phone a few times asking if she’d forgotten about his existence (the call lasted 1hr 59 mins!!!!) We both finished the call feeling revitalised and happy. Topic number 834 of the Power-Chat was my work-life balance. As you’ll...