Help for Busy Mums was an idea I had a while back.
I was lucky enough to touch base with several people who have helped me put this project and site together. And I am indebted to all of them for the time and help they have given me.
I must also thank my lovely husband and our kids for their support and encouragement to set up Help for Busy Mums. Without them it would never have happened.
So about me and Help for Busy Mums
Well it seems like I have been a busy mum forever. Husband Steve and I have seven children between us, aged twelve years upwards. I have four kids and he has three – four girls and three boys. We both love spending time with our family. I feel very privileged and lucky to have such a large family probably because I was an only child from a very small family.
So my story goes like this. I married young and my eldest daughter arrived inconveniently into the world three days before my first wedding anniversary and a few days before Christmas.
To say motherhood was a shock is a total understatement.
I was, (well still am), a bit of a party animal, I worked for British Airways and my plan was to travel the world.
The journey over the next few years had its high and some pretty dramatic lows – which are not worth detailing here but meant I eventually ended up as a single parent of four dependent children working in pressurised sales roles primarily in the IT industry.
Although I was lucky and generally had pretty good employers.What was going on in my life was summed up by one of those personality profile tests.
This prompted my boss to ask one day “Is everything OK?” When I queried why the question?
He responded “Your personality profile points at you being like a duck.”
“Sorry?” I said. He then explained. “Ducks on the water…gliding along the top…and their legs going like the clappers underneath”.
I immediately understood the inference, “Oh no, not at all” I retorted with the biggest and most convincing smile I could muster.
Of course he was right. I was totally a duck on the water.
(For those of you that know me, the title of duck also has extra poignancy).
And I think I am right in saying that’s what lots of busy mums are – “ducks on the water.”
I often used to dream of having a wife – not in the traditional sense you understand, but to do all the odd bits and pieces I never seemed to get round to doing…..
And then as the children got older – I started wishing I still saw my old Health Visitor, she would have been so handy to talk little worries through with, and assure you “that behaviour” was entirely normal, just like she had done when you were fretting about teething and other baby stuff.
I always felt that although I was doing a just about alright job, most of the time looking after the kids. It might be nice to have another resource I could dip in and out of.
From that, the idea of Help for Busy Mums hatched. (Back to the duck)
Help for Busy Mums dovetails well with the workshops and one to one coaching I continue to do with corporate clients and individuals who are looking at ways to increase not just their efficiency but quality of their lives.
Help for Busy Mums is specifically non specific. Whether you have just had a baby or your children are about to leave home you are still a Mum. Over the years I could have fitted every type of mum profile. Young Mum, Working Mum, Single Mum, Divorced Mum, Stay at Home Mum, Old Mum, Mum of many Kids and now Step Mum.
Although in theory I should claim myself a bit of an expert. I really would not like to claim that title. Being a Mum is a journey – and sometimes the longer I am on it the more I know, I don’t know – if that makes sense.
I just see myself as the faciltaor of the information help and support a mum might be after. So if you have an idea, an article or information that a busy mum might find helpful do contact us and help some poor busy mum who maybe like myself be a bit of a duck. Gliding along on the water with the little legs going like the clappers underneath.
Hope that tells you a little about me, and why I set up Help for Busy Mums.
Diana xx
