The Cityparents Blog
Since Cityparents was founded in late 2012, we've published a weekly blog sharing the real life experiences and perspectives of individual members balancing work and parenthood.
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Uchenna's blog: I can't play that game
My darling son,
Today you asked me to play cops and robbers. You wanted to be the criminal.
I could not do it.
It hurt too much because I saw George Floyd. You don’t know who he ... Read More
Sonya's blog- What to do now with my spare time?
My son started school in September 2020, and I have continued to work part time. I had considered using my new ‘spare time’ when he was at school to either do a course in gardening ... Read More
Victoria's blog: The invisible woman
My mother-in-law was a stay at home mum for much of my husband’s childhood – a fact that we tried to explain to our six year old over the summer. He listened to our explanation, frowned a... Read More
Ruth's blog: Moving on
By the time this blog is published, we will have moved house. “It’s a big adventure!” we tell the children, describing our new house. We are lucky to be moving about 10m... Read More
Maggie's blog: Is there a generational divide when it comes...
It was recently National Work-Life Week and like many employees around the UK, and indeed the world, I’m currently considering how to get the hybrid work-life balance right. It’s a hot to... Read More
Marion's blog: I want it all....(but I can't have it)
One of the parts of me that I have missed since becoming a mum is not spending enough time doing things I love/have previously enjoyed doing. Before children, I used to participate in all manner of a... Read More
Addy's blog: What's in a word
Last week I was privileged to be invited to a “What’s the T in LGBT+” event which aimed to “look to amplify the voices of the trans community and its allies so people learn fr... Read More
Caroline M's blog: Plugged in....
Twosecondsjustaminuteoneseconesec.
Unfortunately, my children believe this is a legitimate word. I am constantly distracted. With half an open ear, I tend to overuse this word– to show the... Read More
Ally's blog: Refresh and reset
So once again it’s back to school time - that long summer holiday that filled us with a panic of “how do I arrange 7 weeks of childcare?” has flown by, tricking us with the grey ski... Read More
Julia's blog: Rebalancing
Yesterday, I finally peeled the summer spreadsheet off the wall, the blank physical absence a reminder of the new space in my life: that, at least for now, daytime timetabling is the responsibility o... Read More
Barbara's blog: She who dares...
Last April I secured a promotion, after a round of interviews where I had to face some tough competition. I was delighted as it was a new role that had been created to lead the design and implementat... Read More
Dolly's blog: What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger
I can’t lie - it’s not been a good few months. In edited highlights, our lockdown puppy was attacked by a salivating Alsatian that bit him so hard his leg bones snapped. Upsho... Read More
Linda's blog: The dangers of rose tinted glasses
Last autumn, still raw with guilt for prioritising work over my children during lockdown, I vowed to take some additional time off with them this summer. To ensure there was no way that I could... Read More
Uchenna's blog: Diary of a burgeoning activist
When I first heard my daughter, Commander-in-Chief Senior, utter "maybe later?" in response to my emphatic “no” as she reached for the doughnut, I knew that statement was not fr... Read More
Sonya’s Blog: Returning to the office after a pandemic
When I returned to work after having my son in 2016, I found the process really stressful and upsetting. I had just over a year off work, and I had an amazing time on maternity leave. ... Read More
Victoria's blog: Feeling valued
In my previous post, I looked forward to some nice routine surgery for a break from my work and my life. Unfortunately, my routine surgery became emergency surgery that knocked me out for six weeks. ... Read More
Ruth's blog: Last week of term
I am writing this on Monday evening, this being the last week that my daughter will spend in Reception. We have been amazed that she has managed a whole school year and bar a few days of self i... Read More
Maggie's blog: Masks off, diary full, so why am I not rejoic...
As I write this Boris has just announced that from 19th July masks, and all of the other COVID regulations that we’ve lived with for the best part of 18 months, are finished. I thought that thi... Read More
Addy's blog: Leaving on a jet plane (don’t know when I’ll be...
I write this blog coming to you live from the sunny hot beaches of Alicante in Spain. After much heated debate in our household my husband and I decided we would be brave and make our annual trip to ... Read More
Marion's blog: One hour at a time
This pandemic has been raging on now for what feels like forever, but in reality, is a little short of a year and a half or so. During this time, we have followed the rules, stayed inside, stuck to w... Read More
Caroline M's blog: Failing
I suspect I won’t be alone in saying there were many days throughout the lockdowns where I felt I failed at everything- work, childcare, home schooling, nourishing and nurturing not just my fam... Read More
Ally's blog: Your back-to-the-office training programme
At one point the declaration was made that the office was dead - long live WFH! But no sooner did we adjust to that than - hey-ho - the office has been resurrected. Apparently even Google... Read More
Barbara's blog: The persistence of memory
My Italian mother broke her femur on 23 June 2020, just as lockdown was easing in Italy. She spent a whole month in hospital recovering, because she lived alone and could not be discharged, as she ha... Read More
Dolly's blog: London baby
And it goes a little something like this…
After 15 months marooned in a scenic but achingly dull corner of rural Wiltshire (devoid of non-supermarket retail, decent coff... Read More
Linda's Blog: Let's talk about grief
In a few weeks it will be the 5th anniversary of my mum’s death. Writing that, even now, feels strange and wrong. My mum died suddenly and unexpectedly. I had a child at ... Read More
Uchenna's blog: Life lessons from the tooth fairy
When we run out of household items these days, the tooth fairy is our go-to banker.
A lover of yoghurt, my five-year son, aka Commander-in-Chief Junior, was upset that none was provided for brea... Read More
Sonya’s Blog - Friends at two metres
My son started school in September 2020. Whilst it was in the midst of global pandemic it felt completely natural and my son adapted extremely well. There was the understandable anxiousne... Read More
Victoria's blog: Burning out
I like googling the symptoms of ‘burn out’ during my copious free time. It gives me the same sense of satisfaction as acing a quiz. Difficulty concentrating? Tick. Trouble sleeping? Tick.... Read More
Ruth's blog: How was your weekend?
[Monday morning. Two colleagues start a video call]
Hello! Happy Monday!
Hi! Yes, you too! How was your weekend? Get up to…anything?
[They exchan... Read More
Maggie's blog: It’s a birthday but not as we know it
With the anniversary of going into lockdown 1.0, everyone in the UK has presumably experienced a COVID impacted birthday. In our family of 5 people, our birthdays are concentrated into 2 months. We h... Read More