mama boss

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Why a gender equal society starts at home

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Why a gender equal society starts at home

This term - for the first time ever - our junior school introduced the uniform option of trousers for girls. Previously, they had needed to wear a loose tartan tunic with either a plain turtleneck or shirt and tie (I know - at least my 5 year old already knows how to get dressed for the boardroom), and now they can opt for long grey trousers like the boys.

The idea was a slow burner. A couple of innovators came in on the first day of term with trousers, tie and shirt (respect), a handful more joined them a couple of weeks later with the trouser and jumper option, and my 7-year-old daughter – an early majority in this respect - took until half-term to bite the bullet.

The weather plus the current girl craze for handstands (no-one wants to show their pants off at this age) has helped sway a late majority and now we are probably at a third of the female population of the school in trousers (my 9-year-old won’t go near them).

Which I think is brilliant. Because it’s been a child-led innovation and it shows just how little they are even aware of the gender stereotypes that society and we as parents so often unconsciously project onto them.

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5 reasons why all mamas should try life coaching

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5 reasons why all mamas should try life coaching

So why would you need a life coach when you’re doing perfectly well on your own, thank you very much…

Well, ARE you? Truly?

Are you living the life that you envisaged for yourself before the life bomb that is kids? Are you, for example, being paid to do what you love? Are you mothering in a calm and positive way? Are you successfully managing the work/life/parenting tussle? Do you feel confident and happy? Are you proud of your body and the way that you look? Are you carving out some regular me-time?

Sadly, most mamas aren’t doing many of the above, regardless of how talented, balanced and brimming with self-esteem they were before embarking on the parenting adventure.

Not that it’s anyone’s fault. The will is usually there. Just not enough energy to go round after everyone else’s needs have come first…

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How to manage the mama juggle...

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How to manage the mama juggle...

Breakfast prepared and wolfed down? Check. Teeth washing/hair brushing/face cleaning/bag packing supervised? Check. Snacks/games kits/coats and shoes dished out? Check. School run done and dusted? Check. And it’s not even 8.30am.

Now all that remains is to deal with the carnage that has been left behind before getting on with YOUR stuff. Sound familiar?

It’s not exactly the most calming start to the day.

And yet if you are an ambitious, multi-tasking mama who also either runs her own business or works for someone else, this is just part of the course. It’s called the MAMA JUGGLE.

Its just one more responsibility that was secretly allocated to you when you unwittingly signed the Motherhood Contract (from which you are never allowed to resign): managing the house and all of its contents, their upkeep and emotional wellbeing…

The question is, how do you manage it successfully?

A solopreneur's secret superpower - sleep

A solopreneur's secret superpower - sleep

We all know how important sleep is for our mental, emotional and physical well-being because we’ve all experienced what it’s like to feel like we’ve not had enough: grumpy, unmotivated and not fully able to function.

If we want to be firing on all cylinders, we need to count sleep as one of our major fuels.

And yet sometimes it can be so elusive. Why? Because it is SO easily influenced by how we feel: anxiety, stress, worry, fear, excitement or nerves can all prevent our bodies from reaching the necessary state of physical calm in order to fall asleep.

But if you are a solopreneur, aka the marketing, strategy, admin, sales and accounts department rolled into one (not to forget office manager as well as the heart and soul of your brand), these feelings – and more – are often part of the course.

Because you are relying entirely on yourself to grow your business.

Not only can this feel lonely, it can also be stressful, especially when you know that as a result of tiredness, your precious productivity will stall.

So to make sleep into the superpower that it has the potential to be, we have to know how to pause, unwind our bodies and switch off our minds. Not easy when you have a million and one things swirling around your solopreneurial brain. Which is why I’ve listed 8 awesome ways to help you get there!