The Juggle is Real and so are the #proudmumma Moments in the years that follow!

Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions for me.

Our eldest son Callum, set off from home with great excitement and confidence as he embarked on a new stage of life – the life of a University student, housemate and part-time job seeker.

He was as proud as punch a few weeks earlier when he connected with a schoolmate who was looking for a housemate and the wheels were set in motion.

With the majority of his possessions taken down on the weekend, I packed him up with a few bags of groceries, kissed him goodbye and wished him luck.

As I waved goodbye, my heart sank. I shed a few tears – tears of sadness, optimism and pride and walked back upstairs to compose myself before a coaching call with a client at 11am.

And you thought that was the #proudmumma moment!

No, that came this morning.

I awoke to a text Callum sent me last night – no words just a photo of his first meal.

That was the #proudmumma moment!

It was validation that in amongst all of the juggling and the questions that I silently asked myself over the years, I was a good Mum.

We had raised an independent and (in most cases) caring young man who knew how much I would have appreciated a photo of his homecooked meal, even if it had a tad too much tomato sauce for my liking.

That photo without any of his words said it all “Mum, I’ve got this and you’ve taught me well. ”!

Me, as a busy mum and a businesswoman is all he has known. My practice was 9 months old when he came along. Our house was always busy, our schedules jam packed, there was never a normal week and everyone had to pitch in to make things work. And that still is the case today.

He knows how hard I have worked to give him and his brother the opportunities in life, sport and schooling and now the ball is in his hands to build on that to create a life and a career he loves and is proud of.

So anyone doubting themselves right now as they do the juggle, especially those with real little ones ……………..

What you and I are doing, is raising a generation of independent, self sufficient children/young adults who will see men and women more on a level playing field with regards to career opportunities, household responsibilities and being in control of their own destiny.

I’d also like to acknowledge my husband, Jason and the role that he has played over the last 20 years.

He saw how passionate I was about my career and he didn’t have that same passion or income earning ability at that point in time. He backed me 💯% and took on a considerable share of the household and parenting responsibilities. He’s a great cook (so I’m not solely responsible for instilling that quality in the boys), he did school drop offs and was there most afternoons while the boys were in primary school and coached their sporting teams.

Jason is the cool, calm and collected one. He never rushes, he doesn’t multi-task or plan ahead and he doesn’t do social media.

I on the other hand, love juggling projects, multi-tasking at speed, planning ahead and managing the logistics of our family diary. I love the connections and conversations I have on social media and love my growing private online Facebook community for accounting practice owners “The Balanced Firm” – click here to join.

Our mantra has always been and still is

“It’s all about the balance and not the money!”