Often we hear about the arrival of a new baby taking it’s toll, comments like ‘you’ll never sleep again’ and ‘good luck with that’ ringing in your ears as you go on mat (or pat) leave.
Yet for me with my two children deep in their teenage years, with exams coming at us thick and fast, this is the time no-one mentions. The time when your kids still need you, need your time, your support and the contents your fridge, more than ever. Except that the times are not all routinely scheduled in with a Gina Ford timetable, and you can’t plan when those ‘big conversations’ will arrive. It might be whilst you are driving, washing up, putting your feet up ready to watch a new episode of Queer Eye (just me?) or when you are heading off to bed. Suddenly their big issue will be the most important issue in the world, and they need you to listen.
In this world of social media, gaming, trolling, cyber-bullying and revenge porn, parents are having to cope with more and more issues, coaching their kids and listening to new types of issues with their teens. And it’s important to grasp the moments when they do want to talk and catch them when those moments come.
Flexible working is not just for new parents, it is for everybody.