Nearly seven years ago I became a mum for the first time. The twins came early like many babies do. We were ready as much as we could be. I had my bag packed ready to go. I never left the house without my neonatal card so that wherever I was I had it at the ready.
When the babies were born they were whisked away from me, due to being premmie. I of course was still attached to machinery so a nurse had to assist with all this. Hubby went to the NICU with the babies. After all was organised, I was placed in a wheel chair (as I could not move my legs from an epidural) and hubby escorted me to the NICU to see the girls.
After I saw the babies, I then went to my bed upstairs in the ward. All other new mums had their babies with them, this was a fact that was obvious by the screaming and seeing the little of bundles in the cots next to my room mates for a time.
Mum and her baby
It might sound strange but I had a disconnect going on. I was so tired, sore and just needed rest. I managed to get some sleep and then got woken up by nurses and other noises at the hospital. I lay there in the bed thinking, did I just have babies? It felt so odd, to have babies and not be with them. It was like in a weird way it did not happen. It could just be the fact of not sleeping for 30 hours plus did this.
I made sure that I worked on getting the babies breast milk and visited all day and nights as well. I even changed nappies in a humidicrib! This is rather difficult as the nappies were so tiny and so were the babies. Plus you can only have hands go in a certain area of the crib. You will know the awkwardness if you have done this task. NICU nurses should get medals for these amazing feats.
What was your first experience of motherhood? Were your babies premmie? Did the same thing happen to you? It was a strange feeling suddenly to be someones mum. I did have practice with my wonderful cat, but it is not the same is it? Well there are similarities but very different on the whole. The similarities is that you have to feed, take care, and give heaps of cuddles. One difference is your cat does not talk back and your child will.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Branson went on to say that unless you have a job that requires you to fly a plane or the like, you probably can do your job remotely. He even went on to say, “Companies that forbid the practice, such as Yahoo, put pressure on families and limit opportunities for women, according to the Virgin Group founder.”
Brilliant. Yes you have hit the nail on the head! Many women myself included are highly skilled and educated. They wish to give back but due to family commitments it makes things difficult. Working from home is ideal. You don’t have travel. You can focus on the tasks at hand and of course get more done. There are so much on offer now to make telecommuting easy for all. There is Skype, Google Docs, Dropbox and more. Why not hang onto your best assets and knowledgeable employees that want to work and will go above and beyond.
Happy that she has a work from home job.
If you find that one or a few staff members are not pulling their weight. Well you give warnings and then you make the decision to either let them go or forfeit the telecommute option.
I for one would give 120% to be able to work remotely in a good job with great pay. (I have noted that lately some work from home roles are underpaying for what they expect you to do. One full time role was a management role and expected 40+ hours a week, conference calls overseas via Skype and to manage maybe 100+ websites. This they were paying at least 60K less than the going rate for this position. Not sure if it was the company or the fact that since you are working from home they have undervalued everything. The work is still the same, the job is still the same so therefore the pay should be the same as well. What do you think? I do accept that you don’t need to travel anywhere for your role and that is a bonus but why should you get short changed?)
Employers are doing themselves a disservice. Brain drain is a big issue. It does not have to be simply mothers or fathers wishing for a more flexible family friendly lifestyle. If you don’t treat people well, they walk. Loosing staff that know all your processes is tough. It takes a long while before you can train new staff to know what the former staff knew inside and out. This is a cost to the business in knowledge and also to money. You need to retrain and rehire.
Many employers offer you the world and then don’t deliver. They promise flexible work and telecommuting options, however whenever you seek to use this option there are myriad of excuses for why it cannot be applied to you and your role. You have not been here long enough was what I always got told, and another amazing one, we need you here to manage things.
One place I worked for I was there five years and I lived the furthest away. A day here or there would have been amazing, but no it was not to be. The girl who lived less than 30 mins away was always working from home. You would have thought three years somewhere and putting in extra hours and working on projects that were successful would have qualified. No it did not.
I wonder what the magical number is that qualifies you to work from home from a corporate or organisations point of view. Is it what value you can give them? Or more like is it seen as a perk and not a value to the business?
In February 2013, Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s Chief Executive put a stop to employees working from home. She believes that working side by side is better and more helpful for business and staff members. I do understand that interaction is nice and having catch ups is always something to look forward to. This can still happen if you have a fortnightly or monthly catch-up with say a team that is working from home and see how everyone is going. Maybe on these times you get everyone to come into the office to touch base and have a day in the office, although the rest of the work is from home. Now there’s an idea. What do you think?
Marissa Mayer is not the only one that has adopted this notion of side by side working. In the Sydney Morning Herald article it also mentioned that Patrick Pichette who used to work at Google as the Chief Financial Officer has also the belief that working side by side is more productive. How did Pichette work somewhere where they encouraged working remotely with “Google Apps” to allow employees to work from home to now saying that working side by side is more productive? In the article Pichette says the following:
“”The surprising question we get is: ‘How many people telecommute at Google?’ ” Mr Pichette said at a talk in Sydney on Monday. “And our answer is: ‘As few as possible’.
“It’s somewhat counterintuitive. People think, ‘Well, because you’re at Google you can work from anywhere.’ Yes, you can work from anywhere, but many just commute to offices . . . Working from the office is really important.”
Coffee and tools to work from home. Off to get a lot done!
I do understand that brainstorming and bouncing ideas off people does help a great deal, however quiet time to reflect and think is needed also. Maybe it could be a bit of both, some days in the office and some days working from home?
It is 2015 and more kids are tech savvy and will be wanting flexibility when they enter the workforce. I want it now and I’m not considered a kid. Why are we still that rigid when it comes to having staff work from home? As long as the job is getting done that is the main thing.
From the businesses point of view it is a cost saving if staff don’t have come to the office and have a permanent desk, phone and computer. They don’t need to provide this if you have a remote role (I know some places might give you a phone or laptop but that is rare). All they need to do is to maybe have a hot desk when you come in for team meetings and catch ups with your manager or team. Easy really. I just don’t see why it is so hard, especially in this age of technology and options.
I believe companies that don’t offer work from home and flexible options will not attract the right people in the future. We are moving to a work environment where you don’t have to be in an office. You could be on a beach or in your house with your pj’s on. As long as you are hitting your KPI’s the rest does not matter. For major corporates to not look beyond an office job is silly in my book, there are a lot of people with excellent skills that can do a great job from a home office, they just need a chance to show you they can.
What are your thoughts? Have you tried to work from home? Were you successful? Do you have a job that is a telecommute role? If so please share how it works for you.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
I started my blog nearly seven years ago. I did it due to being at home with my new born twins and feeling disconnected from my previous life as a producer of websites and content.
I wanted to have something of my own. I was suddenly a mum to two new lives that I had to be there for. I loved this and still do. However I do love to work and to have something for me, and this work has become my blog.
Hubby does support me, but I feel he would be more supportive if I was earning a wage from the blog. Do you find that others don’t see value in something that does not give you financial gain? As a mother who stays at home to look after kids, I do feel that I am undervalued due to not earning a wage. Do you feel like this?
Getting ready to blog
Why is it that just because your hobby or passion does not earn money it is irrelevant!
I suppose coming home to a messy house is not ideal. I don’t love it either and I try, however I like to update my site and somethings are topical and of course I need to keep my site current. No one wants to frequent a website if it is not changing.
However I have left hubby with some things to tidy and he managed to tinker on his computer all day and find other more important things to worry about. So why is it that I am questioned over valuing my work or my passion over something less interesting like housework? I do get it that I am supposed to do some of it, but I would really rather be blogging all day and night if I had my wish. Sad but true. I just love it.
This is not a rant over men being terrible to women, or not supporting their passions. It is more of a question on the whole of society. Why is more value put on roles that pay a lot of money? I suppose this is the eternal question.
Women who do something and it is seen as tinkering or not really employed. If you have a job that is part time it can be belittled to not being a huge role and not that important. (I know a part time job is just as hectic as a full time one can be, plus you still have the house and kids to sort out!)
My main aim was to build a site that has value. Has a community and if that makes money that would be the icing on the cake. I would really love it to earn truckloads of cash but that has not happened. Maybe in the next year or so it might. Maybe my swish redesign will work its magic once live?
Don’t worry it is not all bad, I have been paid for sponsored posts, advertising and an affiliate deal. So there are some things that are working very well, however I would love more of them to tell the truth. I’m sure I am not alone on this. A lotto win would not go astray while I am wishing.
I know others have made it big with their blogs and have turned a passion and their much loved hobby into a thriving business. One day I say! One Day!
Some bloggers that have made heaps and heaps of money are:
Here is a list of top 50 earning blogs. You will see what they earn and how they fare against the others. I think what they have done is brilliant. Built a business that works online and from home. How cool is that! I bet they had their doubters when they were starting out, or getting to the tipping point. How silly would they feel if they had given up?
Without my lovely blog and attending blogging events I would not have gotten some work from home jobs. They were short term contracts that I helped corporates with their social media management. I loved it and it also allowed me to blog and to earn at the same time. However without the blog these jobs would have never have happened. I used my experience building communities, blogging on my website and others to help these organisations. See the blog has paid off in a way.
I was also lucky in 2013 to win a blogging contest that allowed the whole family to have a trip to the Gold Coast mostly paid for. Thank you blog I say! Wouldn’t you say that this is payment from the blog? I would!
I know I am not earning a full time wage but the blog is definitely picking up steam. Emails have come in the last few weeks to test out products, attend functions and to write on others sites, and be a guest editor. The blog is gaining in readership and authority. This can only mean one thing. World domination is imminent. I’m sure you agree, right?
My blog is my outlet. It is my own empire that I can do with what I wish! Yes you heard that right. My little piece of the pie. I know currently it is small and I’m no Rupert Murdoch, or Arianna Huffington, but you have to start somewhere.
It is my baby and no boss can tell me not to publish or to do one thing or another. It is all up to me. I control the direction of my site. I like working hard at something and investing in a site that could one day change my life completely.
What hobbies or passions do you love doing? Is it your outlet? Does your partner poo poo your time you pour into your sewing, craft, blog or other hobby? Have they had to eat cake when your passion has had a big win?
Have you been terribly lucky with all your hard work and now the website or passion is now earning a good income? Let us know. Who is laughing now?
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Healthdirect Australia who manages the national Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service conducted a survey to find out the concerns parents have being new parents, about pregnancy and the birth of their child or children.
Did you know that many parents have thoughts that they are unable to share with others. Sad really. Every parent has probably had the same thoughts and sharing will make you not feel so alone.
Pregnant and wondering what it will be like being a mummy.
“The online survey of 1,011 expecting or new parents found that 53 per cent reported experiencing some issues that were so personal they couldn’t tell anyone.”
I do understand not wanting to share very personal information but at times having a person who you trust can help a great deal.
What were your biggest fears when you were pregnant?
Mine was just around the health of the baby and that the birth went well. Initially I was thinking that we were having one child, but that thought soon ended and the worry over a multiple pregnancy entered my head. I was fine but my doctor was rather concerned.
From the survey they were:
Something being “wrong” with their baby (49%)
Miscarriage (42%)
Coping financially (34%)
Baby crying… please go back to sleep!
Emotional support is a big thing that is needed in the first stages of parenthood.
71% needed significant emotional support in the first six months of parenthood
Men and women looked to their partner, friends and family as well for their support network.
GP’s was next on the list
Online forums was noted to be a good source of support as well.
I for one was super tired and a zombie like person after the birth of the twins. Constantly getting up every three or so hours to feed babies, change them and to make sure all is well with little people made me very, very, very tired!
It is no surprise that one of the biggest challenge once you have a new baby is the lack of sleep that parents face, especially the primary care giver. The next major issue was if your little bundle does not sleep at all. I was very lucky my kids slept well, I don’t know how I would have managed with babies up non-stop and I with no sleep either.
Factor in recovering from birth and if you have other children to care for as well. This would push your limits.
Sleepy baby
One third of respondents reported experiencing miscarriage. 32% sought counseling. It is difficult to talk about loss, feelings and pain.
“Pregnancy, Birth and Baby was set up specifically to help people struggling with issues around pregnancy and birth, and that includes pregnancy, stillbirth, neonatal and infant loss. We’d encourage anyone dealing with a tough time to call us on our 24 hour help line on 1800 882 436, or visit our website at www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au.
I have my down times when everything feels horrible and like I am a complete failure. Yes I suppose everyone goes through this. Terrible mother moments, and self-doubt creep in.
I then look at all the good things that I have done.
My kids are:
Happy
Healthy
Smart
Love hubby and me
Giggly
Funny
Active
Considerate
Helpful
Caring
They are also sometimes naughty, silly and don’t listen but that is kids for you.
On the whole. I am doing a good job. I think you are too. Don’t beat yourself up over some little things. So what if the house is a mess. So what if you did not have a shower to drop kids at school. If you brushed your teeth and hair and managed to get kids dressed and sorted for school that is an accomplishment in itself. You can always have a nice relaxing shower or bath while kids are at school or care. This way you can relax!
Focus on the positives. Take small wins and if someone offers to help you accept it. When the kids were babies I had family come over all the time to help me out. It was a nice time and much needed.
A father with his new little baby. Finally sleeping. Now not to move!
Oh and one other thing. If you are pregnant and about to give birth. Freeze about three months of meals in a freezer. If you have to add rice or salad that is easy, but having all the hard cooking done makes things ten times easier, especially when you are tired and don’t have the time or energy to cook.
Don’t worry about reaching out for support or help. This is what these organisations and groups are there for.
Anything that helps and makes you feel better is a positive and is good for the family.
See below for all the info about HealthDirect Australia and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby.
ABOUT HEALTHDIRECT AUSTRALIA: Healthdirect Australia is a publicly funded company, established to provide all Australians with access to trusted health information and advice, when and where they need it. We deliver a number of health services, including Pregnancy, Birth and Baby- free 24hr advice and through pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of parenthood. For more information visit: www.healthdirect.gov.au.
ABOUT PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND BABY:Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is an initiative of the Federal Government and offers free, confidential information and support to women and their partners through pregnancy, childbirth and the first year of parenthood. The service is also available to friends and relatives.
Becoming a parent can sometimes be challenging or overwhelming, and it’s reassuring to know there is expert help and support available whenever you need it, 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
By phone: call 1800 882 436 at any time of the day or night. Our staff can answer any questions you may have, give you advice on what to do next, and redirect you to other useful services.
Video call: Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is one of the world’s first health services to offer a secure, high quality video call option, 7am – midnight, 7 days: http://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/video-call
Online: The Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website provides information for expecting and new parents on a range of topics. The information is easy to understand, up to date and has been subject to Healthdirect Australia’s strict quality assurance processes: www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
It is 2015 isn’t it? So why does it feel like we are living in the 1900’s or worse?
I know the 1900’s were not all bad but if you were female and wanted to be accepted as an equal, work in similar fields like men and earn equal pay it was not a great time for you.
However you could mistake our current time for having the same issues. Yes crazy right?
In the news just today was a report about a senior female surgeon, Gabrielle McMullin, who told trainee female doctors that it is best to have sex with a male who harasses them, as it is easier than not having a career at all. Why is this acceptable to tell trainee female doctors that this is okay! Why is a woman telling other women that this is a good way to advance your career? Just shameful and horrible in my book!
Happy International Women’s Day. How do you celebrate?
“Dr McMullin referred to the case of Dr Caroline Tan, who won a 2008 sexual harassment case against a surgeon while she was completing surgical training at a Melbourne hospital. Dr Tan was vilified and has been unable to find work at any public hospital in Australasia despite the legal victory, she said.”
If someone harasses you and puts the hard word for sex, you have every right to say NO! Saying no and not engaging in sex, or anything should in no way impact your career or your person.
Below are more quotes from the Sydney Morning Herald article:
“Her career was ruined by this one guy asking for sex on this night. And, realistically, she would have been much better to have given him a blow job on that night,” Dr McMullin said in the criticised ABC interview.
“What I tell my trainees is that, if you are approached for sex, probably the safest thing to do in terms of your career is to comply with the request; the worst thing you can possibly do is to complain to the supervising body because then, as in Caroline’s position, you can be sure that you will never be appointed to a major public hospital.”
I am not sure if Dr McMullin was just stating the facts that the work place culture is so bad that it has allowed this sexual harassment to be tolerated and not reported. I do understand that women don’t report crimes due to wanting to progress in life and their careers, however this does not help anyone. It keeps the perpetrator in the environment to strike again. The cycle just repeats itself.
I’m also at a loss to why a female surgeon would be teaching this to young female doctors. She is helping this terrible culture of harassment to continue by allowing this to be accepted. If more people stood up to these men who feel they can manipulate and dominate others, the culture would not allow the silence on these terrible incidents.
Why is it okay to let women or young girls be used sexually in order to gain in their career? Sex should not be a tool to be played with, and it is actually irrelevant in the role as a doctor and other careers as well.
Being female should not make you a target and silenced. This needs to change and NOW! Not later!
As said in my introduction; We are living in 2015 not in the 1900’s so why oh why do women still get underpaid for the same job a man does? Are we living hundreds of years ago? Are there laws to make sure there is no discrimination, Yes there is! However I am not sure how this is applied to equal pay as it does not seem to be happening. If it was, pay would be equal and my rant would be for nothing.
Many women are highly qualified, can do an excellent job and match or can outdo the competition. Fair pay for fair work I say! So why are women still being short-changed? Is it that we are too nice? I have heard that it is due to the fact we have babies and go on maternity leave. I personally don’t see how the possible thought that a woman might have a baby or not make her earning potential drop. Some women never have children and some do.
How about this for size, women live longer than men so we need the money! Pay us more so that we can invest in family, and the economy. If we had more savings for retirement maybe many women would not have to be on the pension due to struggling with little savings. Now there’s a thought! More money in the pocket would help women and society! Easy really, right?
Is the issue due to the fact that we don’t negotiate well enough? Or is it that corporations feel that they can get away with underpaying women and making more money off our brilliant and fabulous skills. I am not sure why it is still happening.
I for one am very frustrated about this. However how do you find out what others are getting paid and men who do the same job? I doubt they will tell you what they earn and many organisations have a private policy in place to protect this information. So due to all the secrecy you are flying blind.
You can do your homework for your industry and negotiate but that is about it. Do you think we should have more transparency on salaries? I do. If we were more open about what role gets paid what, women and also men would know what is fair and equal.
earnings for women in 1985 and now. From http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2015/03/australian-gender-
Why does it feel that we have come so far, but still not far enough. I still don’t understand why underpaying or harassing women helps our society. If we got paid equally it would benefit everyone. The money goes back to the family and helps fund education, feed everyone, put a roof over peoples heads and much more. It also shows that women are valued for their contribution and skills.
Why are women still penalised for being a mother and the caretaker? These unpaid roles save society a lot of money, it is mainly women caring for kids, elderly and the sick without getting a cent or nearly anything for this service. It is a massive saving to families and society. Fancy us sending a bill for our work. I am due over six years back pay! Bring it on!
Since today is International Women’s Day we can address these issues or put more thought into why they occur. It would be nice if the heads of companies and the like address the fact of equal pay and strive to make their workplace a harassment free environment. No woman wants to work in an environment that has a horrible culture and also underpays women, they will go elsewhere where they are valued.
When will people wise up to treating women as equal helps everyone. What do you think? Send in your thoughts.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
The last few days I have been a bit lax, yes I started with great intentions to do my stretches but things got out of hand.
Headache,
Kids not getting ready for school,
Headache,
And then helping at school for home reading.
I love helping at the school but it does mean that when I come home, that my wishful early start to the day was not to be.
I know I should get with it, and get up early. I am planning this for next week, so that I can focus on me and have my time without any interruption. Once I have done my exercises I feel great. The stretches from Body Beyond Birth really do make a massive difference to my mood and how my body feels.
Did I mention the headache?….Well I have had one for a few days now, and I find that when I get to that time of month or before, I get bad headaches. Do you suffer from this as well?
I like to get out in the fresh air and to change my environment. A bit of exercise somewhere different can make all the difference. Having kids stay over at relatives for the whole weekend can have the same calming and happy effect. Pity that the latter is not happening although I have been wishing and praying.
I was on a roll and was doing my stretches and exercises online. I charged the iPad and have done them in the garden, the bedroom and the living room. Sounds kinky but it is just me with the iPad doing my exercises. Yes boring but they make me feel amazing and so tall!
I just love this stretch. What is your favourite stretch or exercise to do?
Having an exercise program that is portable is great for me and other busy people. I would never have been able to do my stretches in my garden if this was not so.
After I have done my walks (on both days I have done well over 10,000 steps thanks to my FitBit for this info) I did some of the meditation videos that are on the Body Beyond Birth’s program. This allowed me to relax, refocus and just be. It helped me feel better.
Do you find that meditation is helpful? I do! It really helps me and makes a massive difference. I feel lighter and just calmer. Very helpful as a parent to two energetic kids or anyone that is feeling stressed or tense.
I will do my stretches tomorrow before I leave the house and have the option to pick a yoga work out or maybe another meditation video.
Feeling relaxed with meditation.
Due to hubby and the kids wanting to go to the pancake place for breakfast I might need more than stretches tomorrow. I might have one, yes just one…. I promise!
After they have had their fill with pancakes, I’m off to the shops to get ingredients for some of the yummy recipes that Becky and Jackie have on the site. Once sampled I will showcase them on the blog.
How are you going trying to fit in your exercise into your day? Do you get up early to make sure you don’t miss out? Or do you love doing it in the afternoon? Let us know what is working for you? Send in your comments.
I AM TRYING TO WORK ON SOMETHING THAT IS RATHER IMPORTANT AND NEED TO CONCENTRATE! CAN DADDY HELP YOU?
I told hubby before being bothered that he had to sort dinner and everything else. He was happy to do it as I was busy. Great I thought, until the Weet-Bix meltdown began.
For the last couple of days the kids have not been feeling well, and one is coughing and had a slight temperature. The other had a bit of a temperature also, but it was nothing to worry about. So we did the normal fluids, painkillers, kisses and cuddles and that was it.
The kids of course requested to have Weet-Bix for dinner. We thought fine, they are not well and at least they are eating something.
When the twins are feeling unwell they like to have Weet-Bix for dinner. Yes this could be a parenting fail. But I think if they are sick, it is better that they eat something than nothing.
Just to explain: I’m the mum who gets the interest of the worried doctor due to kids looking thin and underweight. My kids have always been at the bottom 3rd percentile on the graph in the blue book you get when you have a baby.
I know my kids are fuss pots with eating, however they were on track for their milestones and have been ahead for some of them. This was good as one doctor we saw in the early days was convinced the twins might be delayed, so wonderful this was not to be.
So as you now understand if my fussy eaters, when sick desire Weet-Bix, we let them.
Hubby prepared the Weet-Bix but was not prepared for the outcome.
This is how it all unfolded:
Hubby brings Weet-bix to children.
One kid takes a look at the Weet-Bix and starts screaming and crying.
She says, “That is not how you make Weet-Bix!!!!” “Mummy does not make it like this!”
This child was so upset and annoyed by the way the Weet-Bix was, she had to physically remove herself away from the food and could not touch it as she was in such hysterics.
Not the way Weet-Bix should be! Daddy why did you do this she said!
Hubby also got told:
“How could you?”
“That’s not how you do it!
This is not correct!”
All of this was accompanied by waving of arms, crying and putting hands on face in major disappointment.
Due to hubby’s loss at what the issue was, and of course dealing with a traumatised child, I piped in and said,
“If you don’t like it, you can fix it. Go to the kitchen and do it the way you like it”
She took the matter into her own hands, left the room and went to the kitchen.
She returned with a bowl of Weet-Bix created in the way she likes and wanted in the first place.
Weet-bix made by the child in question and just the way she likes it!
Daddy said that she reacted like he had given her a pooh sandwich.
Have you ever done something for the kids to have a hysterical reaction to what you did?
What was the thing that made the child/children so upset? Was it as simple as not organising the Weet-Bix like the child wanted?
Note: Daddy put the flakes of Weet-Bix in the bowl as well as the last biscuits. He was being thrifty and good to use every last part of the box. However if you use too much of the end flaky bits it makes it clump and just be a big mess. I think that this is what the issue was.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
“I have two children who are so close in age it’s like having twins.”
Really? You know what? I reckon having twins is the only thing that is like having twins.
Lately, I’ve had a lot of mothers say that although they don’t have twins, they understand what it is like. Bless you, all but what the?
I am not taking anything away from the hard yakka of having kids whether they are 15 months apart or five years. It’s just that having two children of different ages is not like having twins. Having twins is the only thing like having twins.
The girls at a little over 2 months.
Like all mums of twins, I had two kids instantly – and I was a first-time mum. I had no choice but to dive in at the deep, deep end. I had to get used to it quickly and woman up. Yes I said woman up.
I carried two bubs for nearly nine months then kapow, out they came. Two babies to breast-feed, two babies to cart everywhere, pack for, strap in the car, unstrap, nappy change, bathe, dress, calm, entertain, fret about. And all when you are one person.
I fed the twins at the same time every three hours or so. I woke up both babies to feed them burped them, change their nappies and then put them back down for naps. I felt like a robot with so little sleep. Most new mums are sleep deprived but make mine a double!
Breastfeeding just one bub at a time? How amazing would that be? I can only dream!
You would not imagine all the things I had to take with me to go to the park, the shops or even just a park visit. It was like I was leaving home every time I packed up the bags. Nappies, wipes, burp clothes, multiple changes of clothes, pram, bottles with breast milk in them, cool bag to keep breast milk okay and more. I felt like a packhorse!
I made sure to only leave the house after a feed and had some milk just in-case one was hungry or I got stuck. Hey, all mums do this but I just needed double of everything!
And even now when they are six and at the same level wrangling two people who want to do everything “now” or worse, yesterday because they do everything on high speed running everywhere, never walking, I wish I had an older child to help me wrangle them to a safe stop. Oh, and my kingdom for some hand-me-downs instead of having to buy two of everything – and often two of the same item but in two different patterns, colours, styles.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Katoomba Hosp. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
Mums with kids who are 15 months or say 11 months apart have children very close in age – agreed – but they are not twins!
When you have bubs one at a time you have kids at different stages of development and can leverage that to get things done but also spend special one-on-one time with each of your kids. While one is playing with blocks or napping you can feed bubby and truly be with your baby.
Achieving one-on-one time with the girls has been a challenge. I have listened enviously when other mums talk about having that precious time alone with each of their children when they first came home. Or later when baby number two is asleep so they can play with their toddler or taking toddler to the park when their oldest first goes to school.
I have found ways to get that one-on-one time with each of my girls but it has not been easy. When just one would wake in the night I often thought it was her deliberate way to get special cuddles with mummy. I still do. Hubby and I take a daughter each to different things on the weekend to get that quality alone time but we have to wait until Saturday each week when his work week is at an end.
Julia with daddy. She was 3 months old and we flew to Coffs Harbour to visit her grandparents. Her first plane trip and she does not remember it.
Okay, okay so twins is not all pushing a bolder up a hill – or a double stroller through a busy supermarket aisle. There is no playing the noise police to ensure an older child doesn’t wake the baby. Or packing for different ages and stages when you leave the house. Or complaints about those hand-me-downs.
And I do get that siblings who are close in age can share a special bond and even be super close. Great, but they are not twins so quit saying that.
Or am I the only one that feels like this?
Do you have twins? Have you had other parents tell you they have kids that are like twins even though they are not? Do these parents think they understand how hard it was for you early on and when they are older?
Mummy with Lillian. We flew to Coffs Harbour when the girls were 3 months old. Lillian’s first trip on a plane and she does not remember.
>
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
This post has also been published on Kidspot. Discuss this issue with other parents.
Sign up for my newsletter
Stay current with all the things that are happening on Mummy to Twins Plus One. Don’t miss a thing by signing up for my newsletter. This newsletter will list all giveaways and fabulous things that are happening.
In 2015 I have decided to make things easier on me. Yes you heard that right, I am looking at solutions to give me more time and to stop some of the stress that goes with these tasks. Task number one is food shopping with kids. I can hear the sighs and ahhaa’s while I am writing this. I did do a couple of home deliveries last year but swore to keep it up and it did not happen.
Now we are in a new year I have just had my first home delivery of food products, and also a nice bottle of gin for my occasional refreshing mummy beverage. I was not worried about kids while shopping as I did it all from the convenience of my home.
Shopping trolleys will be a thing of the past with online shopping
I did not have to get changed or have a shower to go shopping. The best part of it was that the kids were not distracting me, from what I went to the shops for in the first place. I could focus on the task and get what I needed rather than every 2mins or less tell a child to stop creatively dancing in the aisle, or to get out of someone’s way, or that whatever they ask for it is going to be a NO!
Plus the other one that I keep on repeating, “Stop touching that, touching is not looking. You look with your eyes not your hands!” I am sure I am not the only one that has found the relaxing way to shop is online and it has definitely made me want more of this serenity while doing the food shop.
I would in all seriousness go clothes shopping than get the weekly shop for the house. Ladies I am sure I am not alone on this!
To go to the shops I would have to put two kids in the car, get them out, be a stressed out mummy while at the shops, get kids and shopping in car, get home, get kids and shopping out of car, and finally put shopping away but not before giving the kids something to do to allow me to get it all done. The kids do help with items that they can carry and help put away but once it gets a bit hard, I am on my own.
One thing that I noticed once I did the online shop, I thought that since I had ordered it they were in my kitchen. Yes very silly. However I had mentally gone to the shops but not yet received the product. Have you done this before? Or is it just me? Maybe I need more sleep?
Do you shop online for your groceries? Do you find it makes life easier and less stressful? I do, and I will be making sure the rest of the year I do more online orders. Spending hours at the shops for food when you could be doing other things is no brainer. I do understand that you might need to go to get the odd item and that is fine, but for big shops it is the way to go!
Next Post: My 2nd installment about our Maritime Museum Adventure
Kids having fun at vacation care. Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Do you use vacation care? I only used a day here or there, but the last school holidays I sent the twins three days in a week. It has been a god sent. Yes me time in the holidays. Who would have thought, being relaxed in the school holidays. I was not meaning to have them in for three days in one week, however the vacation care provider has great activities to do during the holidays. One in particular was drumming and music and the other was a craft day that was themed and of course carried over to another day.
Due to the kids love of music and of course creating as much artwork that is humanly possible I thought they would love it. It would be a win for me and them. They would have fun with kids, some their friends from school and new kids. While at care the twins will be taken to excursions or otherwise known as different activities for the day. You don’t have to sign up to these excursions but it is only a little bit extra and it makes the day much more fun for the kids.
I realised that I was much more relaxed due to having more me time and also less stressed. In hindsight I did the last school holidays all wrong. I was run off my feet entertaining the girls. Although I enjoyed it I am only one person with limited resources. A care facility can and does organise so much better events and excursions than I can.
Next school holidays I am doing it smarter and booking the kids into a few days of care.
Other mums commented on how relaxed I looked and it was like I went away on holiday. NO holiday on a fancy island or resort. Just the simple thing of having some time for me. Quiet time to allow me to do whatever I wanted. Sewing, blogging, resting, catching up on TV shows, going to the shops that are far away (yes having the kids in care allows me to travel down the mountain and to go to the shops. Fancy going to a dress shop without the worry of kids touching everything!)
So come the next holidays I am going to do it the right way this time. I cannot afford too many days of care, but a day here and there is a great help and allows me to do my own thing. It is a holiday after all. I find it sad that it seems like it is just a holiday for the kids. When is it my holiday time? Yes I know very rarely, but you have to try and find time for you and your mini holidays.
Do you use vacation care? Has it been as amazing for you? Do your kids love it? I love it, but it is mainly due to me being able to do whatever for a day. A full day rather than a school day. YES!!!! I hear you say, where do I sign up.
Centrelink also gives you a subsidy for care so you pay a certain amount but this depends on the percentage for your rebate. If you are interested you can check with Centrelink. This does make it cheaper and more accessible for all.
Do you have left over nappies? Has your baby grown out of them and you have just found a bunch that you don’t need? Don’t throw them out, give them to someone that can use them.
On Friday while at The Bloggers Brunch, I heard a lovely talk from a volunteer from The Nappy Collective. She said that some mothers who are struggling have a choice; buy food for their baby or buy nappies.
I know what I would choose…food outweighs the nappy option. However this is not much of a choice. Nappies are essential for the baby but food is more essential. I cannot imagine being faced with this dilemma and have to sacrifice an essential item for my child. I know that many have done this and more might be placed in circumstances out of their control, then are faced with decisions like this.
“Every year there are 350,000 babies born in Australia” (Nappy Collective Video). There are so many nappies that can be collected to help a family in need.
Many women are in this predicament due to the following:
Not enough money to spend on essentials. All the money goes to keep food, and a roof over the families heads.
Domestic violence – The mother and child/children leave and end up with just the clothes on their backs and not much else. Many women flee to a shelter or the like and are reliant on donations until they get back on their feet.
Relationship breakdown. Divorce is a big one that means that women mainly are left with little to no money and of course they are predominately the primary carer for the kids. This means that what little money they do have is like the first point, goes on essentials for life rather than some other essentials.
“Nappies are a basic essential child care need. A new born can require 10-12 nappies a day and toddler can require 6-8 per day. Families with limited incomes may have to choose between clean nappies and other basic needs such as food for themselves. Lack of frequent nappy changes can cause subsequent health issues and can be very distressful for an infant, potentially compounding an already stressful situation. Low income families may also not have the opportunity buy in bulk resulting in an inequality of spending power.
By passing on your leftover unused nappies you are providing a resource to these families which can reduce a financial burden and assist with healthy growth and development of their children in early childhood. Parents have more time to focus their energy on their parenting and other daily challenges they face. “ (The Nappy Collective Website)
So what can you do?
Donate your nappies that you no longer use. Don’t throw them out! There are people that will use them and be thankful for them!
Get in touch with The Nappy Collective to find out where you can drop them off so you can help a mother and family in need.
Get Involved: Business can become a drop off point, you can sponsor The Nappy Collective and of course you can volunteer as an individual.
We have just missed the collection for Oct/Nov but there is one in Feb/March of 2015. Contact The Nappy Collective to learn more.
Unused nappies will not be the same again to me. They will be sent to people who need them and can really use it to help their family. Make sure you spread the word and help families that really need the nappies.
I used so many nappies when the twins were babies. I cannot imagine not being able to afford nappies for the twins!
Mother having fun with her child. She has more free time due to having a wife/housekeeper. Yes, that would be nice right! Image courtesy of Chaiwat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I read with interest the article, “Modern Mothers Need A Wife” that was on Women’s Agenda.
I am a stay at home mother but like to try and fit in some work for my blog and other things. I also wish to try and earn some money while the kids are at school and don’t wish to be trapped to housework in my free time.
I do understand it needs to be done but sometimes, and lately, due to being ill it has not been done at all and some areas of the house very sparely, for example, the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. However a glance at the house in its current state you would think a bomb has gone off and no one has been here to clean up any mess at all.
In the article, it discusses Annabel Crabb’s new book, “The Wife Drought”. Women who have stayed at home as mothers and carers have supported the careers of men and I do agree that women do need the same if they are to climb the corporate ladder and keep the home front clean and tidy. Yes, it is hard when you have to physically leave the house and work long hours. As a woman if you do have a full-time job, you end up coming home to another full-time job, the house, kids, cooking, and more! It never ends.
I know this is sexist but I still find it in 2014 that men who come home from work seem to clock off and have a rest while they sit wondering what is for dinner, even though they might have got home before their wife. Why can’t the husband or partner organise dinner for a change? I don’t understand why due to me being the woman or the wife that I now have to cook dinner for everyone just because you have not been bothered. Does this happen to you? It is assumed that you will do it even though you have worked a full day, and to also organise everything else while he (it is normally a man so forgive me if it is different in your household) sits down with a beer to unwind and be left alone to relax.
Now if I had a wife, all this would be sorted. We don’t need to reference the role as a wife, but it could be a housekeeper or helper. The dinner would be sorted, the house would be tidy, and all things that you would normally fuss about after a hard day at work or out and about would be organised. No reason to stress, no reason to argue with your partner/husband/wife.
You can be happy and ready to start the day again knowing that all the things that helps make the house run is sorted! How good would that be?
I do have a friend that is now a stay at home dad. He does some jobs from home to keep his hand into what he is skilled at doing, but his partner earns a good wage and it made sense for her to be the person that worked full time and he would look after their baby girl. My hubby has always said that if I earn heaps of money he is more than happy to stay at home and care for the girls. We have just made a decision that was better for us financially and it is that he works while I look after the kids.
Have you thought if you had a wife helping you at home your world and things would be better? Would you be able to contribute and do more? Earn more money? Be happier and not so stressed?
My aim one day is to get a cleaner for the house as I hate doing it all and it takes so much time and energy. I never liked it before kids so this has not changed. I know being clean and tidy is necessary and helpful, you even feel better in a tidy room with no clutter. I do need to do a de-clutter so I am bad as have not done that as well.
When I have a little bit more money I am hoping to engage a cleaner to come to the house as I believe outsourcing some things will allow me to do more, be less stressed, happier and of course the fact that hubby and I will not argue over who has done what. The reason this has not happened is due to cost so that is why I am doing it all myself.
Are you like me and would like a wife to help you out? If I hired a wife I would need to pay them, however, I feel upset that all my work has been unpaid. Really not fair, but I suppose we have saved the money by not paying others so it is a saving in a way. I, of course, would not expect to have someone help without payment, but if you are the type of person that loves to clean and wants to do it for free I am happy to hear from you about a job opening.
Let me know your thoughts. Would having a helper with the house and kids help you? I know I would love it.
Do you have a housekeeper or a cleaner already? How has it changed your world? Send in your comments.
New mummy cuddles. Both mummy and baby are tired. Image courtesy of papaija2008 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When I had the twins I was so exhausted. Yes I am sure you can imagine. I had over 30 hours of labour that the doctors and nurses thought was not happening and of course it went on forever and ever! I just wanted to go to sleep. This could not happen. I had the first baby and blanked and forgot for a while that I had to do another. Silly really, but this is what happens when you are sleep deprived and physically exhausted and have mentally left the building as well. I am sure I am not the only one that has done this. (Let me know if you did this too, well if you had multiples)
After I had the babies, they of course went straight to intensive care so I tried to catch up on much needed rest in-between doctors/nurses visits and the NICU ringing for breast milk that I had not made yet! OH GOSH THE PRESSURE!
Once our stay in hospital was over and I was finally home with my two precious bundles of joy and I was of course super tired and zapped of energy. Thank god I cooked and froze dinners for three months to help. More on the blog later about that. I will share some of my favourite meals I froze and what made it easy in the first three months home with new born twins.
One thing that was clearly apparent soon after having the twins was that I was constantly bending over and this in turn was making my neck, shoulders and back ache. This was very annoying. I loved being with the babies but since I had to feed them and at times ended up in awkward positions it of course was not good for me. Has this happened to you?
Not only did I ache, I had to keep on doing the same activity that made me sore! OH how annoying. What can be done you ask?
I went to the gym and found that they did not focus enough on exercises that stretch your body the other way. For example if you are constantly bending and leaning over, why can’t we stretch backwards? Have more movement with stretches that allow you to move the other way rather than constantly putting pressure on the part that hurts or is causing an issue.
Here are some great exercises to help the back, neck and shoulders (Note, this is just what works for me and I am not a fitness expert):
This is one of my favourite exercises. It makes my shoulders feel so much better. Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Backstroke. Swimming backstroke stretches and flexes the muscles that you are not using that much and it feels great as your body is having the other side exercised. This I find helps me feel more balanced and helps my neck and shoulders.
Yoga. Stretching and relaxing with yoga no matter your skill level I find very beneficial. You can either go to a class or have a DVD at home so that you can do it at a time that is easy for you to add to your routine. If your kids are older maybe get them to join in. If your child is still a baby sneak in a relaxation session while they are sleeping if you can.
The cat pose, the tree and the spinal twist ones are my favourite. Not sure if I have listed them correctly but hopefully you know what I mean. I also like the mediation relaxation on the floor at the end. It helps centre you and makes me more relaxed.
Stretch your arms. I like to put my arm on a door or wall. Then I lean the other way so this gives you the stretch on the other side of your body. I do this to both sides and then it makes all joints and arms feel much more relaxed.
Meditation. I find a small window to meditate with nothing going on. I know this is hard if you have a house full of kids and activity. I do find that the times the kids are at school I take a part of my day to just sit still and do nothing. I like listening to the stillness, the quiet and just love it. No one yelling, “Mummy!, can you come here!” Sometimes it just takes those moments to make my shoulders and neck relax and it makes the difference to a calmer and more peaceful day.
Walking. I know it is not exactly exercising the back, neck and shoulders, but it is low impact and it gives the body movement and takes you to a different environment where you can breathe in the fresh air and relax. Don’t under estimate a good walk around the block or say around the park.
Aqua Aerobics. I love this form of exercise. Not only is it good for your joints being low impact, you are doing more as you have to use the water as an added weight that helps you tone up and get fit. You can push yourself as hard as you like or take it easy depending on your fitness level.
I like most mums don’t take enough time for themselves and I should. It is hard to fit it all in and I hope that some of these tips might help you. It will soon be daylight savings and I cannot wait. More daylight, in warmer weather to be outdoors.
NOTE: I am not an expert in exercise. Check with your doctor if these are right for you.
Do you find that exercise programs don’t have stretches to help with the fact that we are bending and leaning over more? I do! I feel that we need to focus more on posture, relaxation and stretching. If we did more of this we might not be having such ailments like headaches due to neck pain and so on. I suffer most from headaches due to tension in my neck.
Let us know what you do to relax and make the aches go away. I must say a massage and a weekend away does wonders also, however does not happen often.
How true is this! Keep believing and keep the dream! Image from Pinterest.
Do you have wonderful day dreams? I do and I have some that are playing non stop and that I am working to achieve. Lately I have felt like quitting the blog, but I have stuck with it. I am sure that you have had moments where you doubt yourself. Having these thoughts are all normal and something I know others have gone through as well.
So I’m dusting myself off from the negative talk and doubts and soldiering on to build my dream.
I don’t want to think of something that might be, rather I would like to give it a go and see what will happen.
I love dreaming and dreams help build the future. Image found on Pinterest.
Have you been close to quitting something? Did you hang in there? Is your dream now a success?
Let us know what happened? Did your dreams become a reality? Are you happy about your decision to continue with your dream or did you decide to move on and do something else? Send in your comments.
This great graphic shows the changes over the last 100 years in relation to motherhood. We were obviously on track with picking a popular name for one of our girls, however that was not the plan. We picked family names and wanted to make sure that they were the only one in the class with the name. When I went to school there were five Maria’s in the class.
I wish mums would get paid for all that they do. Alas this is not so. So what would the amount look like like if we were paid a wage? What do you think you would earn if you were paid a wage/salary? Check out this great infographic below:
Click image to see a larger version. What if Mom Got Paid for Being Mom? [INFOGRAPHIC] via H&R Block
If you are a mother and have 2 kids and want to work you will not get much for your efforts. Sad to hear, but it is true.
According to an article by Stephanie Peatling in the Sydney Morning Herald due to having children, tax, child care costs and lost benefits, women are earning as little as 20 cents for every dollar. Is it any wonder that women are not returning to work?
There is no incentive to do so.
Also if you start to earn more money the more you lose in benefits that help you actually work in the first place, so a lose lose if you ask me.
I do understand that the benefits need to help people that need it, however if you lose the benefits that help you put your kids in care, how do you afford to work to earn the money?
I’m not understanding why women are still losing more their pay. Kids are a joint effort, the father or partner needs to help out too. The way this article reads the woman is the one that ends up getting less money and that is all just because she wishes to go back to work and try and get child care for her kids. Again the article does not say that men are disadvantaged due to this.
Aren’t men in the family with the kids and the women too? So therefore the solution to have everyone get access to jobs and be paid well should be a priority for all not just women.
It appears like one person out of the family is penalised for wanting to work and that is the mother.
According to the article:
“The worst situation was for families with two children where both parents earned an equivalent full time wage of $40,000 a year.
In that case, the woman kept only 20 per cent of her take home pay if she worked three days a week but 17 per cent if she worked full time.”
In the article it says that you need to have a high earning partner and you also need to earn a decent amount to actually get more in the hand:
“Families needed to have one partner earning $100,000 a year with the second earning about $60,000 a year and only have one child for the woman to keep more than 60 per cent of her take home pay.” This is still not right, you lose 40 per cent of your pay but it is an improvement on the other examples in this article.
I for one don’t see how earning this is possible with 2 kids to care for (hang on this example is for a couple with 1 child – so I would get less since I have 2 kids, Oh the joys), get to and from school and get to a day job all while caring and doing things as a mother.
This to me would only be possible if your workplace was flexible and you could work remotely part of the time or solely from home. For me working from home is ideal, I earned a very good salary in the city, however the city is 2 hours away on public transport faster in the car.
However when you mix in caring for the kids and of course school drop off and pick up it is impossible to be everywhere for everyone. Also putting kids in child care negates earning any money at all, so I am not working currently (Until the dream job appears that allows me to work from home, then I will work, or until the kids are at school and more self-sufficient)
Basically the extra costs are due to child care costs. Due to the second child you fork out more money, no matter what the couple earned as soon as they had 2 children the woman took home much less from her pay over a couple with one child. I suppose this is obvious but it does not help the country and the population if we are saying just have one child as you will not earn any money if you have 2.
What to do if you have twins or more children?
You instantly have the second or third child and this gets very expensive for couples.
If you don’t have family or friends to help, child care is the next best thing, although expensive.
I have always thought that the more women that worked or contributed to the economy we would be better off. Although to do this women and families need help to allow them to do this. I am not sure what can be arranged and any fix would cost the government money in regards to benefits for families.
However in the article it states that, “If an extra 6 per cent of Australian women worked, the size of the economy would grow by about $25 billion a year, the Grattan Institute modelling found.”
Due to this great increase for the country and our economy maybe it is an important issue for the government to ensure there are benefits for women and families to allow us all to work. Having more money in the households all over would be a great thing for the individual and the family itself. What things and opportunities could you be exposed to with more funds? Who only knows as it is a guessing game without the funds to allow.
Ms Elizabeth Broderick who is the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner has said that “”Your brain isn’t delivered with the placenta” and ”My advice to all young women is to remain attached to the labour market”.
I do agree and that is why I have continued online study to keep my brain active and to have adult conversation. Also a completion of my Master’s in Project Management will allow more job opportunities in the future.
I do agree to it is a good idea to keep a job to be in the workforce, as women we are the ones that care for kids, aging parents and the sick. Due the caring and the breaks from the workforce we are left with a lower superannuation pay out and less to live off in our old age. Working also helps if there is a breakdown in the relationship and you are secure with your own ability to earn and have savings.
Money is power and allows you to have freedom to do things and go places.
However while I do agree with Ms Broderick in reality it is harder when you live further away from the city that allows you reach your earning potential, and you have no family to help and child care costs are too expensive that it eats up all the money you would earn. So if it is not going to earn me any money currently there is no point working, although I do miss it.
I want to work to help our family build our little empire and to also build something for me as an individual. While there are no flexible options and help to care for kids I will have to stay at home with my adorable and wonderful twins.
Ms Broderick also said, ‘”You can be committed to a family and a job and not have to choose.” I find this hard as this is dependent on how much money you have to pay for care, and if you have family to help you look after the kids. If I worked in the city and had the type of job I had before I would earn a decent amount, but it would be full time.
How do I get kids to school? I would have to be at the office when they need to be at school in the Blue Mountains, and I would have to be in Sydney. Then who picks them up? There is no guarantee when I would get home as I might be stuck in meetings and not get home till say 7 or 8pm.
I would have to hire someone to be there for the kids for before and after school. Ms Broderick’s comment I believe is only so, if you have help and money to allow you to work. I currently have to choose not to work due to no help and no money. What about you?
Do you work as well as having kids?
One of my friends does and she only gets an extra of $30 a month after all the child care has been paid plus other bills.
Is it worth it to only get an extra $30 a month? I don’t think so? But that is me.
Have you got a flexible office?
Do they allow you to work from home?
Or have you started your own business to allow you to have your own hours and the flexibility?
PS. If it was up to me this is what I would do:
1. Give all working parents benefits to allow them to have subsidised care for all kids.
2. Mandate companies and businesses to have more flexible options and working arrangements. Maybe come into the office 3 days a week or work remotely and come in 2 days. Or it could be all done via a work from home arrangement. With all the technology and infrastructure we have, why do we still need to be an office these days?
3. With everyone moving further away from the cities and the jobs, why not adopt a more flexible approach to working? All companies that I have worked for rave and rave about their work life balance and flexible options but they have never let me experience it. Working from home was never granted even after being at a company for over 5 years and my role was as a web designer that was all done online. Go figure.
Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
