Working from home: the parent edition.
Hey Jemma, could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you and your role at Street Group?
Hey, I’m Jems! A wife to Brett and a busy mummy to 3 children. I’m a little obsessed with crime podcasts and love listening to these whilst working! I think I’ve listened to a few too many and now my husband is starting to worry that if he gets on the wrong side of me I might actually get away with murder!
My role at Street Group as a Data Entry Associate involves a lot of investigatory work a bit like Sherlock Holmes (although I don’t have a magnifying glass) and inputting data into our database.
How have you found balancing life as a parent whilst working remotely versus working from the office?
It has been very challenging adapting to working remotely however it has also been very rewarding, not only can I work but I can also work my hours around my children. Although it is hard to switch off from being a parent and concentrate on work especially when all you can hear is “Mummy?”.
Is it OK to change our names? I’m sure their volume increases by ten decibels while I’m working.
Schoolwork is going well however it seems to take them FOREVER. If I hear myself say “If you just get on and do it, the quicker you can go and play” one more time I will go crazy. All joking aside though I’m grateful for the extra time at home with them. We are happy (yet stressed) and we are all healthy.
How has this changed your routine whilst working from home? And how do you find the right balance between work and home?
I find myself dying my hair more often to get rid of the grey hairs, thanks, kids! My work routine hasn’t changed too much although I actually start work earlier just to get a little peace and quiet and a few hours of solid work completed before the Tasmanian devils wake up for breakfast and create a complete whirlwind around me. I love not having to commute into Manchester and now I can catch up on some much needed zzz’s and also finish in time to be able to collect the kids from school (when we are not homeschooling).
If there is someone reading this who may be struggling with balancing working from home and looking after their children, do you have any advice that you could share?
Take each day one at a time. Don’t be too hard on yourself, everyone is going through this together and if you’re having a bad day… so what? Give the kids a day off from schoolwork, grab a hot chocolate and have a snuggle on the couch with them. Alternatively, you could grab a bottle of wine and lock yourself in the bathroom. Either one will help! Life is way too short to be so stressed. Give yourself a break and recharge. Be sure to have a healthy work-life balance and switch off from work. It can be hard especially whilst working from home but we all have to remember that everyone is finding this hard whether they are a parent working from home and homeschooling or a single person who is feeling lonely. Talk to your colleagues, friends and family and keep in touch with people.
What has been a positive outcome from working at home?
For myself, working at Street Group, it’s having management who understand how we are feeling, allowing us to be flexible where necessary and having a team who are willing to jump in and help where possible. I also love the fact that Street Group are continually organising social events so we don’t become too distant from our colleagues and continue to maintain the culture we have. We are all a crazy but friendly bunch and I couldn’t be more thankful to work for such an amazing company. Tom and Heather (Street Group Co-Founders) are super laid back too and make working at Street an absolute pleasure. They really appreciate their staff and make sure we know it!
As a mum, I love the fact I have my kids around me, hearing their voices while I’m working and getting extra hugs. I’m not missing out on time with them, I get to be both mummy and Jemma. The best of both worlds.
To find out more about life at Street Group, visit streetgroup.co.uk, our Glassdoor page, or visit our careers site.
