I am a mum I am a superhero!
Listening to the local radio show the other day - they had a phone in - all about mums and how hard they are to employ! How unreliable they are and how you cannot trust them to not have more and more babies! People started to phone in - wouldn't they be distracted from their work, need to work flexibly and be called away because their children were ill!
The programme seemed to pose the question should you employ mums? Should we even bother with them?
Well I am here to tell you why mums and dads make in my opinion the best workers!
So whether you are a business mum or a mum who owns a franchise or a parent going out to work and doing their best to balance their life and work I am here to tell you, you are doing an amazing job! Here is why!
I started my own business four years ago when I had my first child! I did not want to go back to work, I wanted to work flexibly, be my own boss and love what I did as a job.
I was a teacher and on the senior leadership team at school. I was disillusioned with my work because I felt increasingly absent from the classroom and sent most of my time preparing paperwork for OFSTED. I looked into childcare costs, travel (we live near London) and on balance decided it was not worth leaving my baby to return to my job. A no brainer really! Did I make the right decision? Yes!
I now run two businesses and work with many, many mums and dads. Most of my colleagues are parents and they are without doubt the, most exceptional bunch of people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
1. They are dedicated - most parents who choose to work love what they do and make the most of their time at work. They enjoy the balance of working and being at home and enjoy the opportunity to flex a bit of grown up muscle when doing their job - quite frankly being a mum who runs a business or owns a franchise is a holiday compared to a day juggling home life - we are very grateful for a hot drink and a sit down!
2. They are expert time managers - we have a virtual office here at The Story Frog, which is run solely by mums, we are all "stay at home mums”. We are lucky we get to go to work in our pyjamas some days and my daily commute is a walk down the stairs. It is not always easy, we squeeze in a bit of work when we can and we have to manage our time effectively. We give it our all for every minute that we are there because we don't know when the next minute will be.
3. We are motivated. We love our children and want to show them how successful we can be, we are absolutely not going to let them down and want to make them proud!
4. There is no end to our patience! Let's face it if you are a mum or dad and a primary care giver you have endless patience! Whether you choose to stay at home, work part time, full time, own a business or franchise or run a company your patience is never tested like it is as a parent. Nothing fazes us, we can get up in the morning and make everyone else breakfast, get everyone else ready and out of the door and still kick some ass in a board meeting or at a checkout or in the classroom/hospital, wherever and whenever we work we are there to get the job done!
5. We are not easily distracted! Since I started my business I have happily bounced a baby on my knee during training sessions, updated my website with porridge in my hair, regularly breastfed during Skype meetings and changed nappies during important calls to clients! There is literally nothing that could distract me at work! Mums can deal with anything!
6. We are resilient! There is nothing anyone can say in business that is worse than what our own toddler, midwife, health visitor, our own mother or another well-meaning stranger has said to us! We bounce back! We don't mind! We know we are doing it right and it is working for us so we just keep calm and carry on!
7. We have stamina! Think you can't spend a whole day at work on no sleep? Ever been on a flight with a baby or small child? Yes you can! We have reached new levels of tired that even the busiest of shift workers hasn't reached and do you know what? We keep going - parents never stop! We are used to it!
8. What if they have another baby? Erm! Doesn't procreation make the world go round, I mean isn't it kind of important to keep producing little humans so they can - pay our pension, look after us when we are sick and basically keep the human race alive and kicking! Well yes we are doing all of that and working and if we need a break to get started for however long - you’ll get over it - it is kind of important!
9. Mums are superheroes! It is true we are! I remember having that exact thought just as I gave birth to my youngest! I am in fact a superhero! Look what I can do! And if I can do that - I can do anything!
