Our Blog

Freddy's blog: Making new friends

Our big drive at the moment is to make new friends. It’s a strange mission to have in your mid-30s (37 is still ‘mid’ isn’t it?) but we moved back to my wife’s home town... Read More

• Families

Ellen's blog: You, me and anxiety

I had an amazing experience last week at the WorkLife Central event “Living with Anxiety” with Nick Elston. When I walked into the room, I felt (as I do again now) an overwhelming urge to... Read More

• Wellbeing

Dolly's blog: Home alone

It’s been 12 years. Can I leave my kids on their own yet?!  After a decade of live-in childcare we are now fending for ourselves and I’m enjoying the freedom of walking naked ar... Read More

• Families

Caroline's blog: Connections

With Mental Health Awareness Week looming, I’ve been thinking about one small concept I believe has a massive impact on our mental wellbeing. Conveniently, it’s one we can easily track in... Read More

• Wellbeing

Addy's blog: Schrodinger’s Cat

I have decided I am Schrödinger’s cat. For those of you who are not up on your quantum mechanics or fans of “The Big Bang Theory” here’s a layman’s guide to wh... Read More

• Careers

Hayley's blog: Three

I realised as I was about to start writing this that, other than writing on here, I have written a lot less over the last 12 months than I did in the 12 months before that. I used to write regular bl... Read More

• Families

Rosie's blog: The rite of spring

The change of season is upon us and the warm sun and longer evenings are welcome as leaving for work in the dark and getting home in the dark seem like distant memories. It’s a time of year for... Read More

• Families

Sarah's blog: The guilt trap

I read an article once which I think summed it up perfectly – life as a working mum can seem like one long exercise of never measuring up! I think the guilt factor is ever present for all ... Read More

• Families

Maria's blog: Light at the end of the tunnel

Only about 3 weeks ago all parents of year 6 found out which secondary school their kid/s will be going to in September. It’s a big step for anyone but in my case it felt huge, let me expl... Read More

• Families

Peace's blog: To board or not to board?

'I don't really care about going to this one, I just want to go to the one up the road where most of my friends will be going', says my nine-almost-ten year old, currently in Year 5. ... Read More

• Families

Freddy's blog: Being a boy-boy

World Book Day and lots of our children will have gone to school dressed up as their favourite characters. I say lots because my wife overheard someone in the supermarket who was unsure if her daught... Read More

• Families

Catherine's blog: The holy grail

Flexible working conditions while maintaining career trajectory – we talk about it all time and it can often seem like the Holy Grail – a tricky quest that I for one have often wondered d... Read More

• Careers

Dolly's blog: More or less?

I appear to have accidentally bought a house in France... Well, not a complete accident obviously. More the somehow unexpected culmination of 7 years dreaming, French holidays and an Internation... Read More

• Families

Caroline's blog: Hairspray and penalties

As a family with 2 working parents, we try to protect our downtime, and make sure our tots don’t overcommit to too many extra-curricular activities.  My Disney Princess has chosen activiti... Read More

• Families

Addy's blog: Job hunting again...

Following from my last blog “No llama, no drama" where I detailed my childcare nightmare situation, I’m happy to report new Nanny has settled in well and picked up our routine with m... Read More

• Careers

Hayley's blog: A different type of work life balance

Most of us walk the delicate tightrope that is known as work-life balance and it is a regular topic of conversation on these blogs and WorkLife Central events.  We all want to achieve the perfec... Read More

• Families

James's blog: Finding time for children to be children...

Last year I attended a career development course provided by my (then) employer.  One session in particular on the course struck a note with me.  The session took as its starting point the ... Read More

• Families

Rosie's blog: New Beginnings.

The New Year has started in our home with the usual taking-down of decorations and disposal of seemingly endless bags of wrapping paper and other assorted rubbish. Now that the decks are clear it giv... Read More

• Families

Maria's blog: New Year’s resolution: the work-life balance u...

I am writing this as the new year has started. Every new year whilst I think of meaningful resolutions (most of which are broken by this time!), I tell myself I will somehow find a way to better bala... Read More

• Careers

Peace's blog: Seedless grapes and Artificial Intelligence

It's December! 'Tis the season to be merry. The glow of fairy lights and baubles create a festive atmosphere that is inescapable. At this time every year, the world takes a magic glow, people... Read More

• Families

Freddy's blog: Events did not rhyme quite as he had thought

I write from work, where I’m under pressure after taking responsibility for a major project that has been failing because nobody understands it (and I don’t either) as well as on the usua... Read More

• Families

Ellen's blog: The wonderful NHS

I don’t think we have had a WorkLife Central blog yet about experiences of the NHS? Mine was wonderful and marvelous, but I now feel pretty guilty because it turned out to be rather a drain on ... Read More

• Families

Dolly's blog: Trick or treat

Controversy alert... When I was a kid, this time of year was all about bonfire night. Bonfire night was special, partly because it was the only event of significance between summer and Christmas... Read More

• Families

Caroline's blog: Hat trick

They say all good things come in threes, but I have not, as yet, found any professional body which gives recognition to the hat-trick we are about to achieve.  Sadly, we haven’t scored goa... Read More

• Families

Addy's blog: No Llama, No Drama

My 2 year old daughter has a t shirt that says “No Llama, No Drama” and I think I'm going to make it my new moto in life!. Since coming back from a nice trip abroad in August, life se... Read More

• Families

Marva's blog: Give it a rest

The children are back at school now after what, as I’m told by my 15-year-old son, was a very well deserved and long-overdue break from the rigours of being a full time student. At what I ... Read More

• Families

Hayley's blog: What do I tell my son?

Ok, so the title to this makes it sound like it’s going to be about something far more important than the latest publicity stunt by Piers Morgan. But (a) I thought if I wrote “papoose&rdq... Read More

• Families

James's blog: We are all superheroes

A few weeks ago I was walking my daughter to school when someone stuck in the voluminous local traffic wound down their window to shout something to us. At the time, my daughter was on my shoulders a... Read More

• Families

Rosie's blog: Balance? What balance?

It is invariably the case that pride comes before a fall (I think) and I am no less guilty than the next person for having moments (albeit quiet ones, mostly) of self-congratulation which inevitably ... Read More

• Careers

Maria's blog: World Mental Health Day

This is particularly close to my heart as following my late husband's sudden death by sepsis just over 6 years ago, my concern for my daughter's mental health then, now and for the future too... Read More

• Wellbeing