Summer 2010
This month Balancing Act talks to Shauna Park, Director of children’s entertainment
company Over The Moon, (www.overthemoonni.com) who is married to Andrew and has two young children.
1. Tell us a little about your family
I’ve been married to Andrew for six years and we have two children, Seth and Farrah. Seth is two years old, Farrah one year old. Seth is an easy going little boy whereas his sister Farrah rules the roost in the Park household. She definitely takes after her mum. We also have a family dog, Tullulah Belle - a crazy cocker spaniel who loves the kids.
2. What job do you do and what time commitment is involved?
I am the director of Over the Moon, a professional children’s entertainment service that incorporates strong family values, a wealth of engaging experience and revolves most importantly around having fun!
I work full time, and as a new start business it involves working at weekends, bank
holidays and at times unsociable hours. In the evenings, once the children are in bed and we have a quick bite of dinner the laptop comes out again. At the moment it feels like I basically work 24/7 - in the middle of night when the children wake up, I often find my mind is racing with new ideas that I simply must jot down.
3. Do you use full-time childcare?
We have a wonderful nanny called Dani who arrives in the mornings at 8am to whatever mayhem is happening. She takes the children to activities and classes throughout the day, stimulating them. When I arrive home, the kids have already had their dinner, this means I can spend some quality time playing with Seth and Farrah before baths and bedtime stories. We are very fortunate to have both sets of grandparents always ready to lend a hand when asked. It is fantastic to have a great support network close at hand.
4. What sort of problems does being a working mum create for you?
When the kids are ill, I find that it’s me who gets the telephone calls and I am rushing
home to look after them, regardless of what I am in the middle of doing. I also feel guilty about working weekends which eats into my time with the children. Wedding fever seems to have taken over our social calendar this year which means more time away from the kids and extra guilt!
5. Do you feel that you’ve got your work/life balance right, or do you sometimes feel that it’s all a bit much?
My work load is heavy at moment due to Over the Moon being a new business, we
launched earlier this year, however I am passionate about what I do. I think that it is very important to enjoy your work and to feel job satisfaction. ‘Me Time’ has diminished somewhat since Over The Moon has started, I do try to go to gym about three times a week for my own sanity (even if it is an early start at 6.30am before the kids wake up) and golf on a Saturday morning if Over The Moon events or weddings permit! Finding time to spend with Andrew is difficult at the minute so we focus on family activities and having fun when we are all together.
6. Do you ever encounter negative attitudes to working mums?
Not since running my own business, most people I encounter are very supportive and I feel empowered as a working mum.....In previous jobs after having my children I found that some of my colleagues and peers saw me as a mother first and sometimes forgot that I was a successful individual, capable of achieving many goals.
7. Do you ever feel that you miss out on anything because you work?
I generally try to fit in everything I want to do, although most of the time I end up
exhausted. My life is a whirlwind at the moment. This is probably one of my weaknesses, my inability to say no and of course I wouldn’t want to be missing out on anything!
8. What effect does working have on your partner’s life?
Andrew has his own successful business and is also required to work long hours, so we are both in the same boat. However, he is very accommodating when I need him to come home early to help with Seth and Farrah. He is a great dad and they love spending time and being spoilt by daddy. Andrew now comes along to lots of Over The Moon’s events, either as a taxi driver or a childminder!
9. Do you think your kids would rather that you stayed at home?
Seth is entering the terrible two’s stage, although to date we have only experienced the
odd tantrum. He sees Over The Moon staff at events and calls them my new friends! He is also acutely aware of my dress sense and knows by my outfits when Iʼm going to work! Farrah on the other hand doesn’t seem to mind as long as she is fed and watered.
10. Do you feel that you tend to make more of your time with your kids because
you work full-time?
Definitely...I feel guilty about working weekends and therefore make a point of pencilling family time into the diary in advance. I find that coming home after a busy day with Over The Moon I am ready to spend some down-time doing jig-saws and playing with the children, I really enjoy this time with them and fully appreciate that this stage won’t last forever.
11. Do you feel that government could do more to help working mums meet their
commitments?
I think the childcare vouchers scheme is a great idea, I had no concept of how much of our income would go towards the cost of childcare. Any additional help from the government in the form of additional playgroup places or early years facilities would be fantastic. We also make use of the Child Trust Funds although with the recent change in government this has changed.
I am a big fan of healthy eating and would like the government to introduce healthier
foods in all schools and crèches. Still too many organisations and restaurants provide
unhealthy kids menus, sausages and chips being the standard choice. What’s wrong with a baked potato for lunch followed by some fruit?
12. Will there be a time in the future when you might decide to stay at home
rather than work?
Not at present. It is currently easier to go to work. I had my children pretty close together so I have experienced two maternity leaves back to back. As much as I enjoyed my time at home with the children I feel I need to do something outside of our home, for myself and my own sanity!