The working mother diaries….

I know that many people have many passionate views about work and motherhood and combining both. It’s vital we have those discussions publicly and privately so that issues like paid maternity leave and workplace flexibility stay in the forefront of policy debate.

But it’s also important that we take the time to acknowledge the often absurd, real and personal moments we all experience while trying to do both. I had one such moment last week when I stuffed up my babysitting arrangements and ended up with a recalcitrant 3 year old and a meeting I’d totally forgotten about.

Since I was in shorts and bare feet, I quickly threw on some proper clothes, dressed my daughter (the baby was at the park with a friend) and announced she was very lucky to be coming to a meeting with mummy and that there might be something yummy to eat when we got there.

I arrived at the cafe where we were meeting, late and flustered. Quickly introduced my daughter to the woman I was meeting with. She didn’t have kids, I clocked that immediately. As we tried to start our meeting, I ordered a muffin for Coco and when it arrived and was the size of her head, I thought it would buy me at least 20 minutes.

I was wrong.

As she began to pick at it suspiciously, I became aware of some unhappy noises.

“What’s wrong?” I asked (big mistake).

“What’s this?” she demanded, jabbing at something orange nestled in her muffin.

Oh God no. Please God No.

NOT FRUIT.

“Um, that’s a yummy apricot” I sing-songed gaily.

“I don’t LIKE apricots.”

Things pretty much deteriorated from here until we got to the point where she began wailing: “YOU’RE SO MEAN TO ME MUMMY AND YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE ANY FOOD.”

At that point I got an uncontrollable attack of giggles as the woman I was meeting with tried to smile along and not look aghast.

In the end I had to abandon the meeting, scoop up my daughter WHO NEVER GETS ANY FOOD and beat a hasty retreat.

But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love being a mother and I love my work.

When have your worlds collided?