A mum has admitted she doesn't want to see her kids everyday - saying it doesn't make her a "bad mum" and that spending time apart makes her a better parent.
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00:00I don't want to see my kids every single day.
00:03If I had to have them full-time for any reason,
00:07of course I would, of course I would,
00:09and I would embrace it and I would make that our life.
00:12But here's something that I was very stern with
00:16when we had kids originally and we were together,
00:19that being parents is a 50-50 job.
00:23Nothing sits all on me,
00:25and I think society still sits everything
00:27on the mother of the children,
00:30which personally to me feels really unfair.
00:33Now, since we've had kids,
00:35so my oldest will be seven next year,
00:39so let's say for the last six years,
00:41I've raised the kids and worked full-time at the same time.
00:47I run my own business from home.
00:49I've also done 18 months in lockdown during that time.
00:53So I have constantly been on the go
00:56dealing with work and children.
00:59I've not felt like I was the best mum
01:01because I was splitting my time to work at the same time,
01:05and I didn't feel like I was the best businesswoman
01:07because I was having to deal with the kids all the time.
01:09It was a constant juggle.
01:10For seven years, I've had a kid at home with me full-time
01:14as well as working.
01:16Now, when the kids go to school
01:20and when the kids go to him,
01:22I have space to get my work done
01:27and get myself back on track
01:30because six, seven years of grinding, hustling,
01:35I supported our entire family financially.
01:38He worked and he did earn money,
01:40but my income was far more significant
01:45and I covered most of our costs.
01:47I covered the huge bill of getting us back here,
01:50and he's not afraid to completely admit
01:52that I carried everything on our shoulders.
01:55And with that came postnatal depression,
01:58health issues, other mental issues,
02:01because I was so incredibly run down from doing everything.
02:07And as much as I'd never wish a separation on anyone,
02:09for me, this is my chance to feel finally
02:13like an equal parent and 50-50.
02:16So now he has to work out how to juggle kids and his job.
02:20And of course, we've organised our co-parenting relationship
02:23so it is much easier on him
02:25because I am used to juggling work and the kids.
02:28And I do have the flexibility to work at night
02:33or work early hours in the morning
02:34or work around the kids.
02:37He doesn't because he has a physical job
02:38that trades time for money.