My career background is in TV and video production. For many years I storyboarded, wrote, filmed, edited and voiced-over programmes on a broad range of subjects including heart and hip surgery, sports coaching, space satellites and corporate promotion. I was also a partner in the company, so marketing our company and producing our company website also came under my remit. I worked hard and put in long hours with the aim of producing perfect results every time.
When my first son was born, life as a stay at home mother came as a bit of a shock to me. Although I had always wanted children and loved looking after my little boy, I felt somewhat inept in my new role as home-maker. I found that my time was no longer my own. My job had been project based and I often collaborated with powerful personalities such as CEOs, directors, academics, scientists and celebrities, so I wasn’t used to the lack of adult company or the repetitive mundane tasks which come hand-in-hand with motherhood . I felt very isolated at home with a small child. In short I realised that, despite all my expectations to achieve perfection in my career, I was not a perfect stay at home Mum. Fortunately I benefitted from the incredibly valuable support of a close antenatal group. Coupled with this I had also joined the local Bristol NCT group, so I always had somewhere to go if I wanted to get out of the house. Fortunately I had plenty of people to turn to for advice or someone to go for a coffee with when I needed some adult company.
A year later, just as my son turned one, my husband and I moved out of Bristol. I loved my new home and the fresher air, but although my parents live nearby, I didn’t know anybody in Portishead. I came across odd events listings here and there, but there was no comprehensive what’s-on guide in Portishead, so starting again in a new town with no social network or local knowledge, albeit only a few miles up the road, proved to be a very steep learning curve.
Seven busy years on and the mother of three growing sons, I have built up a lot of local knowlege. I know a large network of Mums, some from my years of running the local NCT playgroup, some from the three different schools and playgroups my boys attend and lots more from the various coffee mornings, singing groups, swimming clubs etc. which they (and I) have attended over the years.
I realised recently that my experience put me in a great position to set up the web resource which always seemed to be lacking. Our website will share local information to make life easier for other busy parents and hopefully help them make the most of their valuable time with their children. So once again welcome to Practically Perfect Mums!
