Is it me or does the start of the day always feel like a stressful experience, even when you set yourself up to succeed? Despite my best laid plans, something happens at the point of leaving the house which means that we descend into a melting pot of shoes, bags, helmets, distraction and generally moving at a glacial pace. And so I start each working day feeling as though I’ve already run a good chunk of a marathon.
Fast forward to being sat at my desk. Deep breath. Let’s get focused.
Ping – an email. Don’t forget to bring cardboard boxes in to school tomorrow for our castle project.
Note to self – find a cardboard box in the recycling that’s not too dirty and put it by the front door.
Ping – MCAS (My Child at School App). Notification. Tomorrow is census day and we have a special census day menu. Please choose what meal your child would like or they won’t get fed. It’s pasta.
Note to self – persuade my son that he does like the pasta at school really.
Ok coaching. Deep breath (again). Read through previous session notes. Clear my mind. Log on to Teams. The world stops moving for the time that I’m coaching – just me and the person I’m working with in a bubble. My supervisor once described coaching as a dance and it’s wonderful when the dance flows and moves effortlessly. Today I had the opportunity to support someone who wanted to think about their relationship with their boss and how stifled they’re feeling. Her reflections and revelations were deeply felt and made a huge difference to how she was feeling about the situation.
I love this. I’m good at this. Why does the school keep ringing me? Please let my son be ok.
Finish coaching session. Ring school. The Head thought you’d like to know that your son didn’t like the pasta at school today. Perhaps you could send him in with a packed lunch next time pasta is on the menu.
Note to self – make a packed lunch for census day tomorrow. Go shopping first.
Ping Class WhatsApp – can anyone cover swimming tomorrow at school otherwise the ratios will be out.
Note to self – sign up to swimming volunteering.
Admin time. Finally. A chance to clear the mountain of emails and other To Do’s that are clouding my vision.
Ping – an email. Please complete the online form for your son’s flu vaccination. Link doesn’t work. Email school. Arghhhhh.
Ping Class WhatsApp. Can anyone else get the flu form to work. NO!
Back to the emails. Nursery invoice reminder. If you don’t pay today you’ll get charged interest.
Note to self – pay nursery invoice.
Programme design time. Great. I like this bit. An opportunity to get creative. I work together with my business partner to design a complex programme for a client who wants to support their leaders to become more behaviourally flexible. I feel really proud of the programme we’ve put together and can’t wait to be with the group and to try it out.
Ping MCAS again. Year 3 are going on a local walk as part of their geography lessons. Please indicate whether you will be available to come on the walk with your child.
Note to self. Can I go on the walk?
Ping Email. Beavers – tonight is a night hike. It’s raining. Wear waterproofs and bring a head torch.
Ping WhatsApp – don’t forget to bake cakes for the cake sale on Friday. Come on ladies – we need to beat the Year 1 total!
Phone rings – nursery. Don’t worry, your son is fine but he has just bitten another child.
Note to self. Talk to youngest about using his words, not his teeth.
Alarm – school pick up. Yay!
Get home. Sit and read with my son who painfully sounds out the word Shampooch every time he sees it. Mind racing about the emails I’ve not replied to. Get him changed for ballet. Prepare supper and get out his Beavers uniform, waterproofs and torch.
Go on a Beavers night hike with a group of tired, wired and slightly out of control 7 year olds. In the dark. And rain.
Bedtime story and chat about the day.
Collapse on the sofa after running back upstairs about 15 times to answer questions about the Christmasaurus, what lunch is tomorrow and whether I’ve got the right shaped cardboard box for making a castle. Sew on some beavers badges.
Go to bed. Another productive day!
If this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone. Many women manage the juggle of parenthood and are the ‘default’ parent when it comes to school/nursery communication and admin. Even if you share it with your partner, the constant interruptions and distractions can make the working day feel like an impossible juggle.
We all have moments of brilliance where we do fantastic work. And we all have the hair-tearing moments of frustration and overwhelm at the constant bombardment of child-related admin that keeps on coming. As a wise woman once said to me – you may be good at juggling but your children aren’t balls!
For many women, they constantly tell themselves that they’re not doing a good enough job, or they feel guilty for not being able to volunteer at school, or for not being ‘good enough’. But actually, they are amazing. If you employ one, hold onto them.
Anyone who can manage the volume of stuff that comes with working and parenting is someone you want on your team. Even if they sometimes need to go and volunteer for swimming.
