Binky Felstead’s column
There have been days during the last few months where the weather has been cold and miserable and, with schools shut, many of us mums have been cooped up and also having to homeschool the kids as well as work. So I wasn’t surprised to read that working mothers are feeling depressed and lonely after a year of lockdowns. A survey reports 59 per cent of them had experienced a deterioration in their mental health during the pandemic and had the expectation of being the “default parent” looking after the whole household. I can totally understand that and it must have been especially difficult for those families who don’t have a garden and had nowhere to take the kids. So many women I know have had to work, homeschool and do household chores. It’s so much to juggle – and some mums have had minimal family support, due to restrictions.
I’ve had days when I’ve woken up and felt anxious, but I don’t work nineto-five and I fit it in around my two-year-old daughter, India [Binky runs app and lifestyle website Mama Being]. I feel so grateful to have a garden and to have ve my fiancé Max [Darnton], as well as India’s dad Josh [Patterson], to help. I’m expecting my second baby in the summer, so on the days I’ve woken up feeling stressed, it’s usually been after a bad night’s sleep with my hormones and the bump.
Us women are amazing and working mums really are superwomen – we juggle a lot of plates. For mums who have felt stressed, remember that self care is so important. I’d encourage you to take time out whenever possible; 20 minutes to do some exercise and get the endorphins going, put on some music or have a hot bath. If it means plonking the kids in front of the TV for half an hour, I say do it!