“I think it’s more Mum sadness than Mum guilt. It’s not guilt, as I believe I have the right balance for what is needed, considering all factors. It’s sadness that I don’t get to savour every moment. This is contrary to much advice out there, and I say it only to show a different viewpoint of what works for me, but I don’t factor much ‘me time’ in, and I’m happy with that. Children are young for a limited time, and I know there will be a time they choose to spend it with their friends and on their own activities over time with me. So, then I’ll have extra time to read the books I want, choose massages, go to the gym etc… So, at the moment, most of my free time out of work I dedicate to spending with them.”

“Having the right support system around you that suits your lifestyle and schedule. I use working in a global position to my advantage. I can do calls with our team in Toronto/New York in the evening when the children are asleep, and in turn, I’ll take the time to do school pick up or take my youngest to playgroup etc… I believe the one good thing that came out of the pandemic is a more flexible working style. My husband and I are also good at doing bedtime and then going for a quick dinner to catch up every week, whilst one of our mums looks after the children when they sleep.”

“Firstly, I think we shouldn’t underestimate the pressure on parents today. Not only is there pressure to have it all, but also constant pressure from social media. I open my feed and see continuous reels of parenting advice. Whilst some can be very helpful, it’s also important to remember the reels we see on parenting advice don’t know us, they don’t know our child, and they don’t know our situations. You have to figure out what is right for you and your family, and what is right is likely to change often. I also read a great quote that says happiness is a measure of reality relative to your expectations.”

“There are things my husband is great at and things he is less so at. And vice versa for me. And whilst we can all try to improve on what is needed to make us a happy functioning parent, I believe being equal isn’t about both being good at everything but accepting your strengths. And where you both need help. Basically, I have learned to accept I’ll always be better at packing the kids’ bags and expecting differently will result in my unhappiness, but I also never have to drive on any family trip, which to me is a fair trade-off.”