"I am not back at work yet with my second - I don’t know how it will all work."
Meet Alice, who's struggling to make the puzzle pieces fit.
Welcome back to Double Shift!
It feels like we’re always either talking about the weather or time of year here but…how can we not when it felt like January dragged on for 84 years - and here we are almost at the very end of February!?
We saw an amazing stat the other day which said that from now, we’re getting 3.5 minutes more daylight per day as we head towards spring…almost there!
In other news this week, you may have seen the very annoying comments made by Sir Martyn Oliver, Chief of Ofsted, which suggested that remote-working parents are more likely to impact attendance at school. Suffice to say, working parents were NOT happy. Another way to demonise WFH…and another way to blame parents! We loved reading this piece by Sophie Hines which covers much of our ire:
“I’d really love to know how much of his career Sir Martyn Oliver has spent juggling multiple pick-ups and drop-offs of young children alongside his workload”
Quite.
We’re currently looking for more working parents to contribute to Double Shift! If you’d prefer to be anonymous when sharing your story, that’s absolutely fine with us.
To contribute, you can find our form here. It’s quite lengthy, so make sure you’re sitting comfortably with a nice cup of tea (or glass of wine!)
As always, all the very best,
Ella and Ellie x
Today we meet Alice, a self-employed Projects and Events Manager who lives in London with her partner and two children, three and one.
Can you share your journey to becoming a parent?
We unexpectedly fell pregnant easily despite my having fibroids and PCOS. I was told it would be difficult for me to become pregnant. I was told I had miscarried my daughter as I bled so much and only found out I was still pregnant at a follow-up appointment to ensure the miscarriage was complete. The pregnancy was high risk as I had a fibroid over my cervix. After having my first child, I had a miscarriage.
Did you save ahead of time for your child? What did maternity leave look like for you?
We did not save before our children. I do not get any maternity as I am a contractor. After our first, I took 11 months off - firstly returning to work 1 day a week then going up to three. I am not back at work yet with my second and to be honest, I don’t know how it will all work. My job is so demanding and client-focused. My partner also has to travel a lot for work a week at a time. So both of us travelling for our jobs would mean increased childcare needs - more money. My partner had two weeks of paternity with our first and then 3 weeks with our second.
How do your clients support you in balancing work and parenting?
My past contract was so flexible and allowed me to ease myself back into work and then increase as time went on - and flex up during busy times.
Can you walk me through a typical working day for you and your family?
I would drop my daughter at nursery and then make my way to work between 09:30-10:00 - picking her up around 16:00, then log back in once she is down.
What role does your partner play in managing childcare and household responsibilities?
He currently does nursery drop off and pick up when he can as he is now working from home.
Do you receive any funded hours for childcare?
No, we are not entitled to any funding and our nursery fee has increased by £300 a month to balance funding.
How much is your monthly childcare bill?
Child 1- £1900
Child 2 - £700
We are thinking of reducing my elder child to 3 days a week.
How do you feel about your current work situation?
I am just not sure how it will all work. If I take a big role. I will be unavailable for my children but this would mean we are able to cover childcare for them both to be in full-time nursery.
What are the biggest challenges you face with your current work arrangement?
Finding flexible, high-paying work.
If you could change one thing about your work or childcare situation, what would it be?
More support - because we are not entitled to any funding, the threshold for pay is higher in order for it to be beneficial for me to go to work.
How has your perspective on work and career changed since becoming a parent?
It’s taking a back seat…
What advice would you give to other working parents trying to balance their careers and family life?
Plan plan plan. Look at your company's maternity / paternity benefits. What is the work schedule like? How many people work part-time?
How do you prioritise self-care and personal time amid your busy schedule?
Still trying to figure it out.