Oh, the joy of the daily routine…

Wake up, still exhausted. Organise the kids. Repeat yourself approximately ten thousand times. Drop off grumpy little gremlins and somehow make it to work, miraculously avoiding food stains, toothpaste smudges, or the dreaded snot trail on your shirt.

Once you’re there? If you’re lucky, you’ll only deal with a few idiots. You’ll wolf down a sad sandwich, chug your fifth coffee, and whisper “just let me survive” to the universe while side-eyeing the clock until home time.

Then? You guessed it. Pick up the tired and slightly deranged children, whip up dinner while blocking out cries of “I don’t like that!”, battle bedtime chaos, and collapse on the couch with half a biscuit in your mouth…only to be woken by a child standing over you asking why green is called green or where the clicking noise is coming from.

At this point, you zombie-walk to bed knowing full well you’ll be woken multiple times through the night before the whole circus starts again.

And that’s without factoring in:

• The Mount Everest of washing

• The endless life admin

• The shuttle service to 42 after-school activities

• The constant snack negotiations

• And your official role as Head Squabble Mediator

Holidays? A Cute Idea.

Just when you think, “Ah yes, a break!” boom, it’s Easter or Christmas. Time off technically, if you’re lucky to get some leave, but now you’re a full-time party planner, present buyer, and emotion wrangler. You run around orchestrating joy, only to have a large man in red or a hyperactive bunny take all the credit.

The kids?

• Fighting over toys.

• Stealing each other’s chocolate.

• Arguing over who’s breathing too loudly.

And you?

• Haunted by the phrase “Can I have a snack?”

• Running to the pantry like some possessed snack bitch.

By the time work resumes, you need a holiday to recover from the holiday.

Life in the Fast Lane (With No Pit Stops)

If you’re anything like me, the whole year flies by in a blur…like a carnival ride that never slows down long enough to catch your breath. There’s no margin for illness, injury, or life.

Maybe that’s why so many people are leaning into more flexible work setups. One of the rare silver linings from the pandemic? It reminded us that maybe, just maybe, this pace isn’t sustainable.

We’re Always “On”… and It’s Exhausting

The internet and smartphones have made a lot of things easier, but they’ve also chained us to our work. Add a shaky economy, and suddenly both parents are working full-time just to cover the basics, with no downtime, no breathing room, no chance to reset.

Something’s gotta give. And it might just be the outdated idea that productivity only happens in an office chair between 9 and 5.

The Power of Working From Home

For many industries, remote work stuck around post-COVID and thank goodness for that. It’s not just about staying in your PJs (although, yes please). It’s about:

• Skipping stressful commutes

• Saving money on fuel, parking, and takeaway lunches

• Fewer sick days

• Fewer forced chats about Suzie’s cat’s birthday

• Actually. Getting. Work. Done.

In fact, studies have shown people are more productive when they’re not trapped in a noisy office with constant interruptions.

But Not Everyone’s On Board…

So why are some companies trying to drag us back into the office full-time? A few reasons:

• Declining CBD office capacity

• Struggling local businesses

• Empty leases = financial pressure

But here’s the thing, the future of work can’t be driven by nostalgia for old systems that clearly weren’t working for working parents.

A New Era of Work-Life Balance?

The truth is, flexibility is good for everyone. Employers that offer it are keeping their staff happy, engaged, and actually staying. Those that don’t? Scrambling to fill roles as people walk out in search of something better.

And thank goodness, because let’s be real: We weren’t put on this earth just to clock in, burn out, and hand our best hours to a job while someone else gets the fun parts of raising our kids. That can’t be what “success” looks like.

Flexibility = Superpower for Working Mums

Juggling career goals and family chaos is an Olympic sport. And flexible work is our superhero sidekick.

It’s not just about avoiding traffic or ditching heels for slippers (although that’s a bonus). It’s about showing up for the school play. It’s about being there when your kid forgets their library book again. It’s about creating a life that works for you, not around your job.

Flexible work isn’t a trend, it’s a flipping revolution. And it’s high time we started treating it like the game-changer it is.

So let’s raise our coffee mugs (or sippy cups, or wine glasses, no judgement) to a future where work fits into life, not the other way around.