Families

Marion's blog: Discovering the power of a helping hand

I met my husband in London but we are both originally from Australia, moving over to the UK in 2004 and 2005. Because all of our family is still in Australia we've never experienced the supp... Read More

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Alison's blog: Normality hopes

The time we were all waiting for is finally here. Schools are re-opening and we will have some of the much awaited freedom and peace. This second lockdown has been so much harder than the first ... Read More

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Caroline M's blog: Pet therapy

A year ago, our beautiful Poppy cat had to be put to sleep. She was my baby before I had babies. Everybody in my circle, from colleagues, to family and friends, was invested in her, having been treat... Read More

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Ally's blog: How did we do that?

This week my employer sent out a fairly lengthy questionnaire to everyone in the firm to ask us about how we thought we might want to work once the pandemic restrictions are no longer in place. It&rs... Read More

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Caroline P's blog: Lockdown 3

As we settle into Lockdown 3, we’re all feeling a bit blue in my house. My sleep is all over the place, and if something threatens to shift the delicate house of cards routine I’ve b... Read More

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Barbara's blog: Puppy love...

There’s been a theme in recent blogs that it is important to find time for oneself. This seems counter-intuitive, because the world has shut down and turned into an introverts’ paradise a... Read More

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Dolly's blog: I must go down to the seas again

It’s day 9865 in the lockdown household.  Positivity is dwindling.  Food is running low.  The Wi-Fi has forsaken us.  All is lost.  Thirty years and several kilograms s... Read More

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Linda's blog: Me time (what’s that?!)

When did you last do something for you?  I mean really for you.  Not something that was with or for the family or someone else that you were looking forward to.  Something that was ind... Read More

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Jon's blog: So this is Christmas...

As John Lennon famously remarked: "So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, and new one just begun". These words have resonated with me more this year than... Read More

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Uchenna's blog: Toy Story on Laminate – An art installation ...

New Year, same deal: 2021 has not yet distinguished itself from 2020. With the return to full lockdown, I‘m still incredulous at the sci-fi horror thriller unfolding with COVID-19 bei... Read More

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Sonya's blog: Presents

It is really exciting to be writing my first blog for WorkLife Central.  When I received the rota list, and found out I was to write my first blog in December, it felt that perfect opportunity t... Read More

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Victoria's blog: The holiday season

I have failed at Christmas. Completely and utterly failed and it’s only mid-December. My husband has failed too which takes the edge off a bit. We both have deals which are meant to close ... Read More

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Ruth's blog: A day in the life from 2020…

I am not new to home working, but COVID-19 has brought the experience to another level to my colleagues and family. My partner and I are now professional children-and-work-jugglers (no fancy costumes... Read More

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Maggie's blog: And they’re back... but for how long?

Along with many parents around the country it was with a huge sigh of relief that we waved our 3 children back to school at the start of September. Our 12 year old twins went off loaded down with the... Read More

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Marion's blog: Bringing back play

At the start of lockdown, my husband bought a gaming PC. I couldn't work out why he wanted it - it has been years since he'd played computer games and 2 small daughters get in the way of time... Read More

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Ally's blog: The squidgy bit

There was a period just after my second maternity leave when I was going through a redundancy process. While many people suggested redundancy from my job based in the City might be a good thing becau... Read More

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Caroline P's blog: Division of Labour

Since our au pair left us at the beginning of lockdown, my partner and I have tried hard to share the family and home responsibilities. I know that his intentions are good – but I also know tha... Read More

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Barbara's blog: Skirtgate

Son and daughter – 13 and 14 respectively – went back to school on 4 September, after six months of absence. It was the first day of school, but felt more like the first step in a new wor... Read More

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Lucy's blog: Getting creative with never-ending homeschooling

So, I don’t know how the ‘back to school’ has gone for you but for us, my daughter went into Year 2 for exactly 4 days before getting a cough and a fever. In any other year, we&rsqu... Read More

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Alison's blog: Blended family and new routines

September is for me the time to make “new years resolutions”, the time to get real. The list of things to do starts piling up and so does the stress level. This September feels ... Read More

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Jonathan's blog: Prem Pt 3 - How parents work with children ...

Trigger warning: premature birth  Our daughter Isabella was born in May 2019. She was due at the end of August. My previous two blogs charted how my wife and I struggled through the shock... Read More

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Angel's blog: Schools are open– work/life balance in action

My eldest started Reception at school this month and I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry. I had a small wobble when they sent me videos and photos from his nursery graduation, as parents we... Read More

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Dolly's blog: Who comes first?

The children come first.  Don’t they?  Isn’t that just…a fact? I now think not.  Several years ago (with two kids under three, a husband away fighting in Afghan... Read More

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Jon's Blog : Happily Ever After?

How's your summer been so far?  I'm guessing it's not been quite like you anticipated when you planned it earlier this year, or even last year.  We were looking forward to a sun... Read More

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Kemi's blog: Finding joy in the simple things

When I got the alert about my blog submission this week, I was very unsure about what to write about. Since my last blog in May I have experienced two very big unexpected changes. Firs... Read More

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Katie's blog: Still embracing it!

I wrote my last blog for WorkLife Central back in April at the start of lockdown. At the time I wrote about how I had decided I would embrace lockdown and how I planned to stick to a routine. Reading... Read More

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Addy's blog: Climb every mountain

I’ve been mulling over what to write in this blog for over a week now. Do you want to hear about where I am in my cancer journey (or my brother and mums)? Do we want more Coronavirus/lockdown s... Read More

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Caroline P's blog: Lockdown life

I started lockdown feeling really enthusiastic. I saw it as a challenge, and an opportunity. I would get my work done around the kids’ needs; I’d be invested in their home schooling, and ... Read More

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Ally's blog: School’s out - now what?

Has anyone else been filled with terror at the prospect of the school summer holidays?  It’s one of those things that I’m nervous about mentioning in polite society – I have vi... Read More

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Barbara's blog: Please don’t fill my tent’s smoke hole…

Working at the dining table in an open plan house means I have an uninterrupted view of the garden. There is a squirrel climbing up to the bird table for its daily seed heist and robins have gathered... Read More

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