Our Blog

Tom's blog: Downtime

We're spending half term on holiday in a part of rural France we love and the weather has been unseasonably hot, which left me facing a dilemma this afternoon: Should I pour myself another glass ... Read More

Ellen's blog: Job searching

I can’t continue like this - I am exhibiting signs of turning into a very middle-class housewife. Today while my kids were at school/nursery, I attended a pilates class, went to Waitrose to buy... Read More

James's blog: Holidays

I'm writing this blog while on holiday.  I've been looking forward to this holiday for ages; becoming giddier with anticipation and excitement as it approached in a way that hasn't h... Read More

Dolly's blog: Defining success

It’s that time of year when the latest round of promotions are announced and many a working mother watches and sighs as she gets overtaken by a more junior and/or childless colleague. ... Read More

Louisa's blog: An important lesson

"Like many thousands of others,   I hoovered up  ‘Lean In’  when it was published in 2013 , eager to absorb the thoughts, musings and advice of Facebook’s chief... Read More

Helen's blog: Mummy's new job

After 3 blissful and exhausting years as a full-time mother since the birth of our daughter, I decide to return to work and am delighted when I’m asked to join the Citymothers Operating Committ... Read More

Citydad's blog: What's your cruising altitude?

When my son was born in 2009, I took two weeks of Paternity Leave to be with my new family after his birth, and my wife stayed at home for the next, relatively short, seven a... Read More

Tom's blog: Daily reminders

Over Easter I was speaking to an elderly friend at church (let's call her Rose), who lives a long way from her two adult sons. We were chatting about my kids (for whom Rose is something of a surr... Read More

Esther's blog: Why trust women?

I can ’ t believe how quickly it seems to have happened, but it is nearly time to open the next application window for the Citymothers Mentoring Scheme — Louisa will be sending an an... Read More

Ellen's blog: Au what a lovely pair

As I contemplate my return to work (yes, I’m still “looking for my next opportunity”) my husband and I have accepted that we will not be able to cover school-holiday childcare unles... Read More

James's blog: Clients Care?

I work in the legal profession and my employer recently agreed, after lengthy negotiations, to my working a four-day week to enable me to look after my daughter one day each week.  There were a ... Read More

Dolly's blog: How are you coping?

As employers wake up to the (commercial) importance of mental health, my in-box increasingly contains assorted invitations to training sessions designed to help us cope. The elephant in the room... Read More

Sarah's blog: Dinner

This weekend we all sat down together at the dining table to eat supper! For most families that may be commonplace, but when both parents work and weekends are filled with numerous activities, i... Read More

Rosie's blog: Having it all

The way of a working parent can feel like a tightrope walk. As we achieve a sense of equilibrium, another factor is added to our ever-changing list of items to juggle. The idea is peddled that the ch... Read More

CityDads Blog: No More Excuses - A Guide to Working Out

One of the many things I've got my dad to thank for is for moulding me into someone who enjoys exercising. From the age of about 10, we would head off together every Monday evening, ra... Read More

Esther's blog: Stress in the City and how to alleviate it, p...

At the beginning of last week my attention was very much focused on delivering a seminar for Citymothers on managing stress, with two psychologists Dr Fran Smith and Dr Sara Chaudry, both distinguish... Read More

Tom's blog: Daddy's little princess

After watching her brothers in a school nativity play, my 2 year old daughter told me she wanted to be the King. I said that would be tricky, but she could marry Prince George and become the Queen (t... Read More

Ellen's blog: Job search - staying mindful of mindfulness

Having left my job in November and taken a 2-month “holiday”, I recently began a job search, between the hours of 9am and 2pm in order to accommodate my new responsibilities of getting my... Read More

James's blog: I really like Dolly's blog

I really enjoyed reading Dolly's blog last week.  It made me realise just how little I know about my wife's work and home routine and how she feels about it.  And it also made me wo... Read More

Dolly's blog: The Night Shift

It's often said that working mothers might leave the office earlier but then log on from home after the kids are in bed.  Sitting in a diversity training session recently, the trainer made j... Read More

Sarah's blog: Why every firm needs parents

I have changed a lot over the past nine years. In that time, I have gone through three pregnancies, taken three maternity leaves and have been bringing up three children. All of this whilst building... Read More

Citydad's blog: Shared Parental Leave - A gift for all the f...

While focusing on getting everything sorted for Christmas over the last month or so, as well as getting on with my usual day job, I have also been helping to spread the word about the new Shared P... Read More

Louisa's blog: Can there be another way?

I am not a lawyer, though I aspired to be one in my early teens until a careers-advice session with my sister, two years older than me and hell-bent on becoming a barrister (which she duly did) ... Read More

Dolly's blog: Homework

Is homework really worth it and what, actually, does it demonstrate? My kids are 8, 7 and 4. The youngest doesn't really get homework (even I can cope with his weekly storybook) but for the ... Read More

Tom's blog: Degrees of exhaustion

I read an article in the Evening Standard last week about Karen Blackett, who's an inspiration for all sorts of reasons (CEO of MediaCom, OBE, first business woman to top the UK Powerlist, makes ... Read More

Ellen's blog: Life Changing

In October I took the decision to make a big decision; I left my job and decided to give myself a three month break during which I planned to make a serious dent in my enormous to-do list (on which t... Read More

James' blog: Less is more

I recently returned to work after a summer of bliss spent looking after my young daughter.   The time that I took off work coincided with the end of my wife's maternity leave, and so ... Read More

Esther's blog: Citymothers and Cityfathers Mentors Ahoy..

Louisa and I decided I should jump the queue and blog out of turn to draw your attention to the fact the current application window for the Citymothers Mentoring Scheme is now open but is closing in ... Read More

Anthony's blog: Using some flex

"Our household is 12 months into an experiment which took us 2 years (or more) to undertake. Let's call it "The career break" (because that's what it is). I wanted to let you k... Read More

Sarah's blog: Pace of Life

  "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" Ferris Bueller in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.   As a... Read More