What if there was a book for this?

Working parenthood is full of joy, humour, delight and discovery. It is also one of the most unpredictable, difficult and stressful pathways we walk as we strive to tread a delicate balance between fulfilling our ambitions at work, being the parent we want to be, the partner we want to be and holding onto the person we wish to be.

I remember a good friend (a working parent) reading a blog where I distilled a couple of things I thought might be useful from all I'd learnt in coaching and all the reading I'd done. I referenced where to go for the in-depth view: further reading from some truly excellent academics, researchers, neuroscientists and psychologists. Her reply made me think:

"I loved the way you shared nuggets in practical ways in your blog but I found the books you pointed me to were hard to get into and I simply don't have the time to read them all".

It's easy to assume what we know is what everyone knows so what we have to share is not that significant. Or that there is more value in pointing people to the original in-depth source than skilfully distilling a couple of salient points that can be easily absorbed and put into practice. When we specialise in a field, the likelihood is others can really benefit from the time and effort we have put into learning so much: we can share some well-chosen nuggets that make a massive difference. This can be especially when it comes to time-poor working parents.

I am pleased to share that I am therefore writing a book crammed with as many helpful stories, excellent coaching tools and simple activities that help working parents to think and feel better. If you haven't got access to coaching and would like access to some of the gems we use or you have had coaching but want something to refer back to, this book could be a great solution.

I set out with the intention to make this a warm, practical and insightful guide, combining lots of real people's voices with coaching tools and activities. Thanks to many brilliant, kind and honest clients and interviewees who have shared their stories and reflections, the book offers a warm embrace from other working parents and ways to change the way you think through activities that anyone can try.

You are definitely not alone; in fact, you are in the very best of company.

We cover prioritisation, choosing who to listen to, extricating yourself from sticky situations, knowing what success means for you, resourcing yourself, how to manage all the emotions, to name but a few key topics.

Whether you're looking for practical tools that will make a real difference, reassurance that you’re not the only one who finds this hard or a shot of wisdom and support when you need it most, this book has your back.

There will be plenty of working Mums’ voices in this book; there is much to share and learn. But this is not a book only for working Mums. We include working Dads in our discussions and hear their experiences, especially those who are balancing the equation by taking a 50:50 or greater share in parenting and domestic responsibilities. We have much to learn from these, as yet, untapped voices. We tap into different family formations. All the activities and resources are practically useful to everyone, agnostic of gender and role.

The first draft is in to the publisher! There is a way to go in getting this to the final version and onwards for publication but it is happening.

What is it called? Well, in true teaser style, I will be sharing this very soon....

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Georgie Rudd (PCC) is an Executive and Working Parent Coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation. She works with professionals to unlock game-changing thinking that enables sustainable success, their way. She works with leaders across management consulting, professional services, financial services, property, retail and Formula 1.

If you'd like to find out more about 1:1 working parent coaching, training, talks or group learning get in touch: georgie@ruddcoaching.co.uk