Hi Gina, tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do, how old are your children and what happens with your kids when you are at work?
I live in a little town in a small town in Ontario, Canada. I work from home as a remote/virtual PA. I have a variety of clients, but my main project is running the life of a busy (and demanding) lady who is based in Vancouver (2000 miles and a 3 hour time difference away).
I have one little guy who is 4½ - I always say he’s had a full-time job since he was 2 as he’s always been in daycare from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. Now he’s in kindergarten at “big school” and goes to afterschool, so he’s still a 9-5’er, but now he gets to take the big yellow bus.
1. One word to describe how being a WoMo makes you feel?
Empowered
2. What’s the funniest experience you have had juggling kids and work?
I have on occasion found my son ‘working’ on my computer only to discover he’s accidentally sent some non-sensical emails to people he shouldn’t.
3. What is the one piece of advice you could offer another WoMo?
Particularly, when WoMo’ing from home, I would recommend having a dedicated workspace and set core working hours and stick to them. Work and family life can very quickly and easily become intermingled when you place your working ‘tools’ e.g. a computer, in an easily accessible place, like the kitchen in my case. When I spend those brief, special hours between school and bed with my boy, the last thing I need is the screen glaring at me, urging me to work when its family time. It’s a delicate balance so you need discipline and to keep temptation out of the way.
4. What’s the least amount of sleep you’ve gone to work on and how did you cope?
I’m lucky enough that if we do have a bad night, I can usually sneak in a quick nap if I need to and know my clients are in meetings or on flights.
5. What have you learned about yourself as a WoMo?
That I have an intrinsic need to work – I really thought I would make a great lady of leisure after working for 15 years prior to having my son! But I tried that and was climbing the walls in no time and ended up spending all my time online trying to find projects and work to do. I also learned that I am a much better mum to my son because I take the time away from him to work.
6. If you had a working mother’s anthem or mantra, what would it be?
You are a better mother because you work full time
7. What is your guilty pleasure to combat WoMo guilt the best?
It’s not really a guilty pleasure but spending time chatting with my girlfriends who also have the same worries about the work/parenting balance really helps. I’m also part of a whatsapp group of friends that consists of many WoMo Sheros and there are always some nuggets of wisdom to take away from them (as well as some brilliant witty banter)!
8. Would you rather be dealing with a tantrum or presenting in a board meeting?
Whenever I have had to participate in meetings, I’m always the one with the shaky voice. Luckily, I don’t have to do that very much with my job, and any meetings tend be over the phone, which I can cope with. So I would take tantrums over presenting. Plus, weirdly I sometimes find that coming out the other side of a tantrum can be really satisfying (if I have managed to keep my cool, which definitely doesn’t happen every time!)
9. If you asked your child / children what your job is, what would they say?
“Mummy always works on her computer” which is a lot less fun to hear than when he is asked what daddy does “Daddy flies an airplane”
10. What’s the one thing you wish you’d known before you became a WoMo?
The balance between working and family time is always a fine line to walk and it can be difficult, especially when unexpected issues arise with my son or with work, such as illness or work trips. But you learn to cope and deal with things in a way you never expected you would be capable of doing.
11. To date, what has been your best WoMo achievement?
Apart from being “in demand” for my services, I think living so far away from friends and family is really hard at the best of times, especially with a partner that travels as much as mine does, so as a WoMo I have had work especially hard to build a new life and network of friends and resources I can rely on to help balance the life I’ve chosen here.
12. What do you want to teach your kids about working mothers?
That its normal. My mother worked, and I didn’t know any different. There can be an expectation of roles in the household and I’m trying hard to avoid that, so my son hopefully becomes a well-rounded human being.