LIFE & CULTURE

Zoë Foster Blake Opens Up About The Challenges Of Being A Working Mum

“No more telling my son, ‘If mum can juuust get this work done, we can play!’”

Australian author-turned-skincare-founder-turned-app-creator Zoë Foster Blake has spoken candidly about the challenges of working from home as a mother, revealing she feels like a “half-worker half-parent”.

37-year-old Blake welcomed her second child, daughter Rudy, in July last year, and since then has not only released a children’s book, but an app and several skincare products as well.

But despite her successes, Blake admits it hasn’t been easy.

Posting a photo of the work space she’s just leased to write a new book from, Blake writes: “No more working from cafes! No more telling my son, “If mum can juuust get this bit of work done, we can play!””

“Working from home while my kids are so young and squishy is something I cherish,” she continues, acknowledging that she’s lucky to be able to. “However, I now acknowledge that working from home means I do neither parenting, nor work, very well. Because as long as I’m being interrupted by adorable little people, I’ll allow it. They’ll be 14 one day and think I’m a loser: why would I knock back a cuddle when they think I’m wonderful?”

“Trying to keep everything balanced is one thing; strapping on skates then throwing oil on the floor is quite another. And as an author on deadline, and someone trying to do Good Stuff with @gotoskincare, I need to treat my work with respect. To be a professional. To honour it, and give it my focus, just as I do with my family”.

Kudos to Zoë for keeping it real.

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