I’m the first to admit that I have ‘Mummy Meltdowns’. At times quite often. I don’t cope very well when my husband, who works at a newspaper, has to go away on one of his many trips taking him interstate or overseas. In fact I dread it when he goes away. I can’t pretend to be a wonder woman when I’m simply not. I get cranky with him, I get cranky with my kids and I just manage to keep my head above water and the house ticking over. Extras don’t get done and it’s difficult. That’s just our reality. I’m still working out ways to cope better with all the juggling—and, I’m certain I’m not alone. I’ve gone to see counselors, I’ve taken up yoga and I’ve learnt meditation. And none of it provides the perfect solution—I guess there just isn’t one.

And I don’t know a single working mother who doesn’t find working, balancing children’s needs alongside the interests of her and her partner’s careers really, really hard. The thing for me has been to acknowledge my faults and to try to change them. Acknowledge that my life has changed—it’s different now. Seek help when I need it. Learn some techniques to relax. Try to slow down when I can. Be in the now, the moment. Value the present with my children because that time can never be recaptured. Be realistic about what can be achieved every day. Schedule some ‘me’ time every week. And as my children get older and, hopefully, more rational, it may, just may, get a little easier (I hope).