Welcome to the #MoreThanAMutha project and let me start by introducing myself!
I am Laura, a Mum of one. William is 9 years old and I love being his mum. But, when I became a mum I felt as though lost some of my identity and everything else I was, was over looked somehow.
In the past 9 years I have been referred to as “Williams Mum” far more than I am ever called “Laura”. Being referred to as “mum” by people in authority (teachers, doctors, etc) leaves you feeling like the least valued person in the room when everyone else is worthy of being called by their name!
I think being called ‘mum’ by everyone other than my child, has been key in the loss of my identity and left me wanting to shout “I am more than a mother, learn my name!” and I imagine many other mums feel the same.
The biggest thing I noticed when I became a mum was that my confidence levels plummeted. It was scary, and pretty impossible, to go back to work because childcare options simply weren’t there for me as my son is severely disabled.
I was terrified to start my own business, but I did it anyway, and for the last 6 years I have run a pretty successful cake decorating school (Enchanted Cupcakes). But even as a successful business owner, people still see me as a Mum and not much more.
Statistics show that once you become a mother, your job opportunities and chances of promotion reduce dramatically.
* 54,000 women a year are pushed out of their jobs due to pregnancy or maternity leave
(EHRC 2016)
* 1.3million mothers are looking to get back to some sort of work
(My Family Care Survey 2015)
* 44% of working mums say they earn less than before they had children
(Working mums research 2017)
All these things happen because society see mums as mums, and forget all the other things we also are. That needs to change.
The #MoreThanAMutha project is a gentle reminder to the world that we are not simply someone’s mum, we are women in our own right and we are a force to be reckoned with. Being responsible for a small person doesn’t mean we can’t achieve our goals with a little hard work (and some well planned childcare.)
Let’s share empowering stories of all the ways in which we are more than someones mum. Whether that be a mum who owns their own business or has an interesting job. Or women who are campaigning to change the world around them. As well as inspiring stories of mums who are also their child’s nurse or carer, mums battling difficult times or doing things you wouldn’t expect of them. Let’s celebrate all the ways in which we are #MoreThanAMutha.
Let’s share tips and advice to boost our confidence so we can all reach our goals, even when we are having a wobble. And lets build a community where we can celebrate, and remind ourselves of all the ways in which we are #MoreThanAMutha.
More Than A Mum pin from Black & Beech