This year is flying. Is it just me or anyone else feel the same? Emily is 5 months, it’s May, MAY, summer is nearly upon us and in just a few weeks, it will be officially a year since I moved from my hometown to Ramsgate. Woo! Time has gone too quick! Waaaay too quick. It’s really quite something. Emily isn’t small anymore either. She’s now developed this super strength, a gorgeous joyful giggle, goes mad for her jumperoo, has an amazing personality, has the ability to switch her moods on and off and is just an amazing little person. And I, well, I have gone back to work. It’s happened. Is it too early? I’ve wondered about that a lot but when is a good time really to go back to work? Thankfully with the jumperoo, her bouncer and an endless playlist of Hey Duggee, Emily can be fully entertained whilst I work from home. Yep, I’ve gone ‘back’ to work but from home, not to an office.
Whilst most people’s maternity leave ends and they make the all important decision about what to do next, I thankfully have worked in roles where I can work from home. Using my social media experience, I’m working with two restaurant brands in London, all from the comfort of my own living room, with Bing, Mr Tumble and a happy energetic Emily as my team mates. In the past, working from home has been a struggle. It’s difficult to find motivation when you’re by yourself and have to manage your time just like you would if you were in the office. As for now, as a parent juggling working from home and being a mum, whilst I’m motivated more than ever, being able to time manage is really difficult. Mainly because of Emily. As any parent will know, that nightmare struggle to try and get out of the door and be on time, anywhere, is difficult and working from home with a baby is super hard. Daily it depends on her mood. All of last week, Emily was the happiest that she could be, even before her jumperoo arrived, she was happy with her continuous stream of CBeebies, with the occasional cry sneaked in for effect. But now, a week on, she’s either figured out I’m up to something or noticed my laptop is here to stay, so the games begin. Yesterday Emily was in a funny mood and point blank refused to be anywhere, sat in anything and would only be happy stuck to my hip, unless it was nap time. The day even started off well as I did my exercise warm up, Emily insisting she wanted to be part of it, so I put her in the baby carrier and worked up a new type of sweat whilst she shrieked of laughter. But as soon as we came downstairs, the games begin. Time flew out of the window yesterday, little wax achieved, formula wasted, porridge thrown, endless green tea drunk, all whilst trying to stick to my new diet and hitting deadlines.
It’s a new experience for sure, but whilst it will take a while to get used to working around Emily, I can still be with her as she grows up, meet my friends during the week, attend classes and choose the hours that I want. I can be flexible and still have my time with Emily. We’re lucky that we don’t have to put her in nursery at this age, pay extortionate fees and juggle a career around her. It’s only a small amount of work at the moment and I’m fine with that. I don’t want to miss her childhood and with this, I can do it. But hopefully tomorrow, Emily will be in a better mood than today! Let’s see what happens hey!