THE DOUBLE DUTY DILEMMA (OR IS IT TRIPLE?!)

The summer school holidays are like the fecking wild west. We set out with the best intentions - we get ourselves organised, we plan, we sort, we write lists all in an attempt to get through the summer to make sure everyone’s happy and thriving and living their best life.

But whatever we do, and however hard we try it always feel like we’re swimming the channel with our hands tied behind our backs!

We daydream about carefree days with the kids laughing & playing, picnics in the park & quality time with our families and loved ones.

But that’s never quite the case is it?

Cue the juggling act that involves balancing our jobs with the demands of parenting & the challenges that working mothers face during those summer holidays.

Yes, of course the summer hols bring with them the joy of spending extra time with our children, but for mothers, they also bring with them extra added pressures.

The double duty of handling work deadlines, emails & zoom calls while making sure the kids are entertained, looked after and happy can be overwhelming as we strive to be present both in the workplace & at home.

Sorting holiday care arrangements that align with work hours is a nightmare, logistically & financially - requiring planning well in advance we just don’t have the brain power of headspace for.

And then there’s the small matter of you. Time for you, space for you to breathe.

But we do it. We find a way to make it work.

To be honest if you’re here looking for an answer… I don’t have one. But I do have some advice. Everything is temporary. Give yourself grace and feel the feels.

I often find myself feeling guilty for working, then taking time off to spend time with the kids & then feeling guilty for not working. It’s an endless cycle.

Taking the kids away & wanting to be at home, being at home & wishing we were away. Going away & it not quite panning out, not going away & watching everyone on insta having the best holiday ever!

Then comes the waves of ‘mum guilt’ - of not being able to spend every waking moment with our babies during the summer holidays weighing heavily on our minds.

Balancing work commitments with the desire to create memorable experiences for our children is tough and the FOMO is real.

My advice.. stop looking outward. Focus on tuning into yourself & what your family need. Ignore the chatter of what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself what do you need & what does your family need - and do that. Unapologetically.

How do you make the holidays work? Seriously, I need answers. DM me.