Mum goes back to work after ‘maternity leave’ of 28 YEARS – oh, and 13 children!
AFTER raising a family of 13 over three decades, you could be forgiven for wanting to put your feet up for a bit.
But for Emma Hann, 48, returning to working life after 28 years of motherhood is all the relaxation she needs.
She and her husband Roy, a 48-year-old nurse, have brought up 11 girls and two boys, who range from three to 27 years old.
Mrs Hann’s new role at the family’s Empire State Coffee in their home city of Dundee might be a world away from looking after the children – but she says that she feels ‘very lucky’.
Mrs Hann and her brother Scott Campbell, along with his wife Kadzi, bought the cafe earlier this year. Two weeks ago, she walked through the door to start her first day of work away from the children in almost three decades.
Mrs Hann said: ‘It’s been a little bit overwhelming, but it’s very enjoyable. I’m very lucky.
‘This is the first time for a long time that I’ve not had a half-day nursery or school on. I’ve always had one child in nursery half-day so I couldn’t commit to any work when I only had two hours or so.
‘But recently it was getting to the point where I realised I’ve got some time on my hands to go into doing something.’
She added: ‘I still needed something flexible, though. I would have worked anywhere, but I’m very lucky that my brother and his wife decided to take on the coffee shop and included me. I’m in a truly privileged and unique position in that I am able to work around the children.’
The Hanns are proud parents to Rachel, 27, Sophia, 25, Polly, 24, Charlotte, 22, Alice, 20, Annabelle, 18, Jennifer, 16, Isabella, 14, Jonas,13, Enos, ten, Eva, nine, Posy, seven, and three-year-old Meg. Charlotte is also employed in the coffee shop.
The flexible hours mean Mrs Hann can start work after dropping off the children and leave in time to pick them up.
She said: ‘It’s just perfect. At the moment my husband and I are really pushing the limit for what we can take on but it’s been very smooth so far.
‘I’ve got a huge little army behind me and supporting me.’
Last year, the family expanded further when Polly and her husband Michael Watt had a son, Lachlan.