Why COVID testing is another blow to working mums

Words:Lydia Newell, Career Coach for Mums – Founder of Works For Me Coaching Read to the end of the post for an amazing giveaway for mums who are trying to figure out their careers during COVID.

My eyes were watering and I was doing all I could not to vomit. I was trying to focus on the sounds of my little boy watching Hey Duggee on my phone to keep him busy, but all I could hear was my husband Adam gagging on the back seat.

What a moment.

A family trip to a drive-through Covid test centre isn’t exactly my idea of fun, but apparently this is the new ‘normal’.

Earlier that day our little boy had been sent home from nursery with a temperature. We were pretty sure it was because he has 4 teeth coming through at the moment (poor little guy!), but we were asked not to bring him into nursery until we had received a negative Covid test.

I get it. It’s important to take precautions, and I’m so thankful the nursery are doing all they can to keep our kids safe. But sat in that drive through test-centre, gagging on a covid test swab, it dawned on me how often T gets a temperature.

He is 18 months old, he’s teething, he puts everything in his mouth – hello germs!! Temperatures and coughs are quite a regular thing in our house. In that moment of trying not to vom I realised I would quickly become a pro at doing these tests!!

As a working Mum this thought brought up a whole bunch of feelings:

Of course I will do everything in my power to keep T safe and healthy, so if that means getting tested for Covid on a semi-regular basis because he has developed a temperature, and I did cough a couple of times yesterday, then so be it. I haven’t explained the ordeal of testing an 18-month-old who doesn’t understand the instruction ‘open your mouth’ – I’m sure you can imagine how that played out!!

But when T can’t attend nursery because we’re waiting for test results, that means I can’t work. Admittedly, at the moment I’m still working from home but our office opens again later this month. I dread to think how many carers leave days I might need to take before the end of the year.

I’m really fortunate to have a brilliant manager who is a Mum herself, and understands that my priority will always be my son. But what about working Mums who don’t have that luxury? What about working Mums who are stuck without childcare? What about working Mums who are worried about being made redundant in the aftermath of Covid? 

It is genuinely concerning to see the impact that Covid is having on parents, and particularly on Mums. Being a working Mum was a juggle pre-Covid, but now ‘having it all’ feels even harder.

Alongside my part time job working for a homelessness charity, I run Works For Me Coaching; a career coaching business to help Mums find a career that works for them and their family.

I’m hearing from women at the moment who feel pushed out of the workplace, unsure of their future career prospects and fearful about what to do next. Should they stay in a situation that doesn’t fit with their family life, and feel thankful they have employment? Should they hope that the Government will introduce a policy to protect working Mums? Should they make a change to their career to reduce some pressure, knowing that there’s a chance it may have an impact on their career in the long run?

How is the Covid Pandemic impacting your career? Have you hit the point where you know something needs to change?

Making decisions are hard anyway. Then throw in the uncertainty of a global pandemic… I’m really sorry I don’t have the answers for you here, but I do have some suggestions of some things you can do to try and gain some clarity on where you go from here in your career:

1.Start journaling:

As a busy Mum, I really have to force myself to do this, but I find that my jumbled thoughts make much more sense when I give myself the space to get them out of my head and onto paper (or a voice note if you don’t like writing). Here’s some questions to start you off: Which areas of your life are you feeling stuck or unhappy? Why are you feeling that way? What can you do about it?

Grab a glass of wine or mug of tea and get everything out – what needs to change?

2.Change your daily routine:

What does your typical week look like? What small changes could you introduce to create a bit of variety? For example trying out new recipes, a new morning routine, trade out Netflix for a new hobby

I’d encourage you to start small and commit to try one thing. Sometimes reclaiming the hours outside of work can make a difference to how you feel in work.

3.Do your research:

There can be a lot of fear around the unknown, so spend a bit of time doing some research on the options available to you. Weigh up your options and make a decision.

It can be really helpful to ask yourself how you’ll feel if you’re still in this work situation in 5 years time. Your response will probably let you know whether you’re making the right decision or not! 

4.Make a plan:

Think about your priorities and your values. What changes need to be made to make sure your career fits with the things that matter most to you? What kind of time-frame are you looking at? Who do you know that can help you make this change?

5.Take action:

Set yourself some goals, and break them down into small baby steps. Aim to move a bit closer to your goal every month.

About the author

Lydia Newell is a Career Coach for Mums – Founder of Works For Me Coaching Need some support with making a decision on the next step in your career? SIgn up for the End Career Paralysis training: www.worksformecoaching.com/free-training.

Lydia has just launched a competition on Monday 21st September to win 6 weeks of 1-2-1 career support with her. the winner will be announced on Monday 12th October. To enter, simply comment on the competition thread on the Works For Me Coaching Facebook page: www.facebook.com/worksformecoaching