"My boss gives me a lot of flexibility and does not ever question me."
Meet Karen, a single working mum who adopted her daughter.
Good morning!
How are we all?
Hello to the new faces around here - we’ve seen an influx of subscriptions over the last week or so - so glad to have you with us. As always, if you’d like to contribute, please give us shout in the comments and we’ll send you a link over. You can be anon!
The freshest ep of Ellie’s pod, Help Me, I’m Poor is now out - and it’s all about Bridget Jones! Still thinking about the rent she paid for that Central London flat…
Have an amazing weekend.
Ella x
Today we meet Karen, an IT Recruitment Consultant and Founder of Go Goosey - whose main product is kids’ unisex quick dry after-swim onesies. Karen is a single Mum to a daughter, Erika, who is 12.
What is your approximate household income?
£48,000
Can you share your journey to becoming a parent?
I initially looked into adoption, but at the time, I felt there was some discrimination towards single adopters, so I embarked on the IUI and IVF route. After 4 failed attempts and a rollercoaster of highs and lows, I decided not to carry on. I then took some time out to heal, and then looked at adoption again and started the process.
Ironically, from start to finish the whole process took 9 months and I adopted my beautiful daughter at the age of 2 1/2 years in June 2015.
Did you save ahead of time for your child? Did you take adoption leave?
No, I did not save as did not have any spare income as it was just me. As there was no enhanced maternity pay at my job (this was introduced whilst I was on adoption leave, but I did not qualify due to timing), I had to take a loan so I could take the full year off.
What is your current working situation?
I work part-time 26 hours a week, but have a very flexible boss so can change days/times as and when, as he knows I will work more when we need it.
How do your employer support you in balancing work and parenting?
My boss gives me a lot of flexibility and does not even question or want to know if I need to swap times or have to deal with family matters, and is also supportive of my side business, and we swap marketing ideas to help us both.
Can you walk me through a typical working day for you and your family?
I get up before my daughter and call out to wake her and then have a shower, after 3 times of calling she finally gets up and slowly gets ready for school whilst I do packed lunches and sort out breakfast and feed the cats. I share drop off with some other parents so after drop off, I will then have breakfast, go for a short 10-minute walk and then back to start work for the day. Lunchtimes are either tidying up/doing a wash, packaging up Go Goosey orders or popping to the shops. After I finish work I am often doing social media or dealing with emails for the business and then I prepare dinner and go off to Pilates and sit down about 9pm to watch TV or go and read before bed.
How do you feel about your current work situation?
I am happy with my current work situation.
What are the biggest challenges you face with your current work arrangement?
Working from home can be quite isolating at times, and being a people person, I do struggle occasionally, but have also found it has allowed me to juggle my job and my business.
If you could change one thing about your work or childcare situation, what would it be?
I would occasionally like to work in an office with a big group of people, so I get that social interaction.
How has your perspective on work and career changed since becoming a parent?
It has totally changed as having flexible working has allowed me to be there for school drop-off and pick-up when she was younger and be around for her.
What advice would you give to other working parents trying to balance their careers and family life?
Surround yourself with a good support network, both family and friends and take time for yourself however small and have hobbies/activities that you do without your children as you need to support your wellbeing as well as theirs.
How do you handle moments of stress or overwhelm related to balancing work and parenting?
I tend to speak to close friends especially those that have adopted too to offload and whilst I work from home I do feel fully supported by my company and I have noticed and found that there is a whole community and free resources out there for small business owners to give us guidance and help and networking is great too.
How do you prioritise self-care and personal time amid your busy schedule?
I make sure I go to Pilates three times a week and do also have time with my friends, including the odd weekend away, supported by my parents. I do also like to take myself off to my bedroom which is my santuary for read a book and in the summer I sit outside with a nice glass of wine in the evening - as invariably the TV has been commandeered by my daughter!