How I juggle running my Management Accountancy Practice and raising young children

Being a busy working mum is really tough. My kids might be a bit too young to get too much FOMO, but I certainly feel it for them. Unfortunately, it’s one of the things I have to deal with as I juggle my practice and my family, but I remind myself on a daily basis why I do it. Here I share the ups and the downs, and why I think it is important that my kids see that Mummy works hard.

My finances, my freedom

I’ve always worked, and earned my own money. We didn’t have loads growing up, we weren’t poor by any stretch of the imagination but there were plenty of times when I felt that I wanted more than I had. I knew I needed my own money, some that was completely mine to spend on whatever I wanted, I didn’t have to justify it to anyone.

I also saw both of my parents running their own businesses and knew that’s where I wanted to end up – being my own boss!

What I do to manage the juggle

1.        Flexible routine. One of the best things about being your own boss is the flexibility that comes with it. I review my priorities, in work and personal life, and make sure I fit my schedule around them.

2.        Setting boundaries. This works both ways, I make sure I silence WhatsApp notifications when I’m trying to get some ‘head down’ work done, but also turn my email notifications off whenever I can. This means I can focus on what’s going on in front of me, rather than always looking at my phone.

3.        Support systems. We don’t have family nearby to help with the kids but I’m lucky that my husband understands the importance of my work as much as his, and helps out whenever he can. We also use after school clubs, which the kids love so I don’t feel guilty!

4.        Outsourcing. In my practice I don’t currently outsource that much, just a bit of bookkeeping. As I grow the business I plan on taking on employees to make sure I don’t overload myself and miss out on life. Personally, I have the luxury of a cleaner, and an ironing lady – delegating these tasks means I have more time to spend with the kids when I’m at home.

5.        Embrace imperfection. Sometimes my kids watch TV (***she whispers!***) and that’s OK (I remove a lot of the guilt by ensuring they watch something vaguely educational and that the subtitles are on!). We all watched TV growing up and we turned out ok, right?! My point is, it’s ok to let the kids do their own thing sometimes, it’s all part of the balance.

 

Winning at Mumming

The reward of the juggle for me is how happy, healthy and lovely my kids are. Sure, they have their moments, but they’re turning into well-rounded, smart and kind little people, so I must be doing something right!