Cliché interviewer: “So Jade, tell me, what is your strength and your weakness”?

In my pre-kids’ days, my strength is that I am a perfectionist, and my weakness is that I am a perfectionist. And no lie. I would arrange my desk like a Pinterest board, with every pen, paperclip, and sticky note in its designated spot, colour coding all the appointments in my calendar – mate, you should’ve seen my pantry!

It has been 6 months since returning from maternity leave 2.0. And let me tell you, the transition from mummy-mode to work-mode has been a wild rollercoaster ride and is still very much ongoing. Returning to work after having a tiny human (x 1 AND x 2) attached to your hip is like going from 0 to 100 in terms of chaos. Gone are the days of morning cuddles and baby babble. Now it's all about alarm clocks, rushed breakfasts, and mismatched socks (because let's be real, who has time to find the perfect pair?).

The biggest learning curve for me, and a very tough pill for me to swallow is this. Imperfection is the new black and you’ve just got to rock it. So what if we occasionally show up to work with spit-up on our shoulders or Cheerio’s in our hair? It's all part of the #ParentLife aesthetic. If anything, it's a conversation starter, a way to bond with your colleagues over the shared struggle of adulting while keeping a tiny human alive.

Now, let's talk about multitasking. Remember when we used to brag about our mad multitasking skills? Well, having a baby takes multitasking to a whole new level. Picture this: you're on a conference call, trying to sound professional while simultaneously cleaning a spew and singing a lullaby to keep the little one from unleashing their vocal talents at the most inconvenient times. It's like the Olympics of multitasking, and we're gold medallists.

And the "mum brain" phenomenon. It's like our brains have been replaced with a giant ball of mush, and we can't remember anything beyond the baby's feeding schedule. Names? Dates? Yeah, good luck with that. But hey, at least we have an excuse for forgetting our boss's birthday (sorry James!) or calling our coworkers by the wrong name. Blame it on the sleep deprivation and watch as their confusion turns into sympathetic laughter.

But amidst the chaos and sleepless nights, there's one thing we parents have mastered: adaptability. We've become pros at handling curveballs, improvising when we forget crucial items (like nappies...oops!). So, when the unexpected happens at work, we've got this! Missed a deadline? Blame it on a sudden baby emergency. Couldn't find your notes for the meeting? Call it "mumnesia" and watch your coworkers nod in understanding.

Let's raise our half-full coffee mugs (or full wineglasses) to embracing the beautiful mess that is post-maternity work life. Let's celebrate showing up, giving our best and accepting the mismatched socks, the wardrobe malfunctions, the breakfast for dinners, the ‘whoops I forgot to brush their teeth’. We may not have it all together, but we're rocking this parenthood gig while juggling careers like true bosses!



Remember, perfection is overrated. Imperfection is actually so much more fun.