Ho, ho ho.. the pandemic and upcoming lockdown cannot put a dampener on our festivities. And even if it ends up that we can’t see all of our lovely friends and family come 25th December, we’re confident that Father Christmas will still be able to do a ‘socially distanced’ stocking and present drop. In fact,…
Tag: Dad
Toddler lockdown activities
If you’re anything like me you’ll be scratching your head for new ideas on what to you with your toddler during lockdown, especially on those overcast days when you can’t get outside… Here are some of our favourite things to do, all based on recommendations from friends and family, and our old friend Google of…
Parlez-vous lockdown? The parent edition
I recently read this seriously funny piece in The Telegraph all about the 26 key terms we’re now all using as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Whilst it had me nodding away in agreement and giggling to myself at some of the references to my working life, I noticed a few key terms and…
Shared parental leave: a revolutionary concept, but sadly moving at a glacial pace of change
A guest post by Paul Guess, Case Management Officer, CABA Shared Parental Leave (SPL) was introduced in April 2015. When asked about it, the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg explained, ‘more and more fathers want to play a hands-on role with their young children, but too many feel that they can’t.’ The SPL scheme…
Mindful parenting
Ever feel like you are about to lose your rag with your little one?! With a very headstrong and vocal toddler, who seems to have a meltdown over me doing something as simple as cutting up her croissant at breakfast, there are definitely times I need to step away and take a breath. Mindfulness and…
“Why I Didn’t Want to Share Parental Leave with My Wife”… a guest post from Paul Sweeney
It was a few months into my wife’s maternity leave before she looked at me and asked: – “Do you want to share the leave?”. It wasn’t something I’d really considered. The blur of two weeks paternity leave post-birth aside, I was of the opinion the extended leave rightfully belonged to her. An opportunity for…
A Pregnancy Pause or career suicide?
When I was on maternity leave (not all that long ago) I came across a US campaign called The Pregnancy Pause. I had heard of this term before whilst speaking to one of my clients about maternity leave rights, but didn’t know it was an actual movement. In a nutshell, it’s a campaign to help new mums explain their baby induced hiatus to prospective employers. The main crux of…
Diary of a mum heading back to work
I recently spoke to New Mum Fun, Joanne Allen, about her imminent return to work and how she was feeling about leaving her little one. Joanne was kind enough to document her feelings journal style for us. I hope you enjoy her honest and open account of returning to work. Given I only have three…
How employers can help their staff with KIT days
I wrote this piece for a publication focused on employee rights and HR. Whilst I know it is focused on the employer, rather than the employee, I do hope it gives you some tips about how best to work with your boss/ line manager etc to make your transition back to work a little easier……
Clock is ticking.. what are the 10 things I should do before my mat leave ends?
I recently asked my parent friends and followers a question; what’s the one thing you wish you had done whilst on maternity/paternity leave and didn’t get to do? Here are their top 10 Kelly Allen, a fellow blogger said: “I wish I had gone for a meal completely by myself with a good book. No…
