Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 30

Barbaric Baguette Eating Banned at Bulford Army Camp Officer’s Mess

Oh no Hagar can’t have sandwiches for lunch anymore. I had heard about this infamous email beforehand and I have mixed views about it. I think manners are important and it’s useful to understand the more appropriate models of behaviour and maybe this should be delivered at formal functions when receiving delegates from other nations, or any other ambassador based networking, such as with other services, local communities, etc, etc; but should not be so closely adhered to at informal dinner parties. I would consider an informal dinner party at a senior officer’s house to be a relaxed environment where your deportment wasn’t so strictly judged. As a spouse, I wouldn’t expect my behaviour to be professionally judged by my spouse’s professional peers. At the end of the day Hagar should be judged on how he well he delivers military effect and not whether his wife writes an excellent handwritten thank you note.

I believe a modern, professional military to be capable, efficient, productive and effective and the professionalism of the service should not be judged on whether an individual eats a sandwich at lunch time with his or her fingers.

See this article in today’s Telegraph

Here is the article:

“Sandwiches have been banned from an officers’ mess after a commander noticed many soldiers were eating them with their hands as he insisted “a gentleman or a lady uses a knife and fork.”

Major General James Cowan issued the note after he noticed officers were eating sandwiches with their hands and failing to stand when commanders entered the room.

His three-page letter criticised standards at Bulford Camp in Wiltshire where he said he had seen a many “frankly barbaric” techniques and habits displayed by soldiers and officers.

The note, addressed to ‘Chaps’, said: “Quite a few officers in the divisional mess seem to be under the impression that they can eat their food with their hands. The practice of serving rolls and sandwiches must stop,” the Sun reported.

The letter penned by Maj Gen Cowan, who is in charge of 20,000 soldiers and 2,500 officers in 3 UK Division, most based at Bulford, also criticised poor grammar and writing, advising against the “wanton use of capitals, abbreviations and acronyms” because they can leave the reader exhausted.

His note gave a string of etiquette tips.

Maj Gen Cowan advises on the correct way to use a knife and fork, saying “holding either like a pen is unacceptable.”

On the subject of marriage, he is equally direct, advising officers never to sit next to their spouse at dinner or risk showing insecurity. He also clearly outlines that he expects a junior officer to “make an effort at conversation” with one of their superiors.

A spokesman for the Army insisted the three page note, where Maj Gen Cowan also suggested soldiers should stand up when commanders enter the room, was meant to be taken as fun.

They said: “This note was part of a light-hearted correspondence between a commander and his officers about an expected code of behaviour.”

Maj Gen Cowan’s six tips on etiquette:

* Sandwiches

“Quite a few officers in the divisional mess seem to be under the impression that they can eat their food with their hands. The practice of serving rolls and sandwiches in the mess is to stop. A gentleman or lady always uses a knife and fork.”

* Dinner party

“A good party relies on good conversation. This requires you to come prepared to be free, funny and entertaining.Thank you letters are an art form not a chore. It is generally considered better manners if the spouse is the person who writes.”

* Knife and fork

“The fork always goes in the left hand and the knife in the right. Holding either like a pen is unacceptable, as are stabbing techniques. The knife and fork should remain in the bottom third of the plate and never be laid down in the top half.”

* Officers

“Ten years ago, officers would stand up when the commanding officer walked into the room. This doesn’t happen any more. I expect a junior officer to make an effort at conversation. Start by introducing yourself and talk on any civilised subject outside work.”

* Successful marriage

“I recently went to a Burns night, spoilt only by a curious decision to sit husbands next to wives. The secret of a successful marriage is never to sit next to your spouse at dinner, except when dining alone at home. It displays a marked degree of insecurity.”

* Grammar

“In common with officialdom the world over, military writers love to use pompous words over simpler language. Combined with underlining and italics, the wanton use of capitals, abbreviations and acronyms assaults the eye and leaves the reader exhausted.”

The post Barbaric Baguette Eating Banned at Bulford Army Camp Officer’s Mess appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Guest Post: Why living in Durham is a great idea if you have children

If you’re looking for a long-term place to live and an area that boasts a wealth of attractions without being overly busy, then Durham could be an ideal option.

Home to a number of iconic sites, including Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site, this is no ordinary county. A county of contrasts, Durham boasts a thriving shopping scene as well as breathtaking countryside and dramatic coastline, making it simultaneously an exciting and tranquil place to live.

 

Buying in Durham

There is a wealth of different types of properties available to buy in Durham and choosing where and what type of property to buy can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully there are a number of specialists in this area. You may wish to take a look at Linden Homes property for sale in Durhamwho boast a large property portfolio and can help you in your quest to find the perfect property.

 

The Durham Dales

Just a short distance from the city centre is the Durham Dales, an area of outstanding natural beauty and a great place to set up a home if you’re fond of the great outdoors. Despite boasting an abundance of lush green, open space, you’re never too far from the cobbled streets of the city.

 

The North Pennines

Another area of outstanding beauty is the North Pennines. This particular part of Durham is a great place to relax and unwind, which makes it a hot spot for holidaymakers as well as those looking to relocate. If you enjoy getting active, then a trip to the nearby High Force waterfall at the Durham Heritage Coast is a must. If you commute to a busy city on a regular basis, then coming home to these idyllic natural surroundings is a welcome break.

 

The City

Durham is famous for its quaint cobbled streets where an abundance of quirky coffee shops, stylish boutiques and great eateries can be found. The many shops also house a variety of independent brands, as well as a number of more renowned labels. For an entirely different shopping experience, a trip to one of the local market towns is a must. It’s also a great area to live in regardless of the season and those who reside here will come to learn of the many cosy pubs complete with open-hearth fires as well as the ever-changing landscape.

 

 

 

 

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Guest Post: Five Top Tips For Restoring Order To Your Wardrobe

When you’re a busy parent, the last thing on your mind is organising your clothes! However, trying to put together an outfit from a messy mountain of clothing first thing on a Monday morning is not only stressful but it takes valuable time away from your routine.

Here we look at a few tips on how to streamline your wardrobe and restore order.

Create the space you want to see

While it’s tricky to create a designer space without a complete construction overhaul, you can certainly smarten up the contents of your wardrobe in just a few simple steps. Ditch those wire hangers that spoil the lines of your clothing along with cheap plastic ones in favour of a uniform selection. If you can afford it, wooden hangers are great for adding a touch of high-end glamour to your wardrobe whilst preserving the quality of your clothes.

Invest in quality pieces

Everyone has their own sense of style but if you are looking to make a sartorial investment, then opt for a few quality pieces from reputable stores. For a lovely selection of staple knitted pieces which wash brilliantly check out Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s ladies clothing.

It’s also worth considering investing in vintage clothes as these are often made from expensive fabrics designed to see their owner through several years.

Impose some order

First, group your clothes by type. This way, when you want to wear a certain long sleeved blouse you haven’t got to rifle through your entire collection to find it!

Secondly, group items by colour. Obviously this approach isn’t an exact science but a sense of order should start to emerge fairly quickly. It will also make it apparent which areas in your wardrobe are overstocked so that you can cut back.

Recycle what you don’t wear

Besides all the virtuous reasons for getting rid of clothes (to save space, protect the environment, donate to charity etc) the fact is, if you get rid of some clothes, you can buy lovely new ones!

Although the general rule is ‘if it hasn’t been worn in six months donate it’, the fact is it can be difficult to monitor the activity of your wardrobe to check when clothes have reached their expiry date. To help, put all of your clothes on hangers facing backwards. When you replace it in the wardrobe after wearing and washing it, hang it so it faces forwards.. Six months later, you’ll know exactly what is worth keeping!

The post Guest Post: Five Top Tips For Restoring Order To Your Wardrobe appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Creating a Better Home for the Military Family

 

Even as the image of what constitutes a traditional family is rapidly changing before our eyes, mums still tend to be the ones who take the lead role in making the home a wonderful place. For better or for worse, it’s part of the territory. However, military mothers have a somewhat more difficult job because of the environment they find themselves in. Let’s face it; the military can be a very raw place.

Unfortunately, the nature of the national fighting machine allows your children to be exposed to lots of bad habits and attitudes that could negatively affect their futures. Again, it comes with the territory. Nevertheless, these days more military mothers are being proactive by taking steps to make their homes better places, despite their surroundings.

We’ve looked around to see what some military mothers are doing to create a better home. Here are some of the things we found:

1. Reducing Alcohol and Tobacco

It is no secret that the military is a place where alcohol and tobacco are regarded almost as essential tools of the trade. However, the permissive attitudes within the military environment can be bad for the physical and mental health of children. Reducing both alcohol and tobacco in the home is a wise idea.

Where alcohol is concerned, abuse and dependence have become real problems in the UK. And unfortunately, children of alcohol abusers tend to wind up going that way themselves. Would it not just be better for your kids if you kept alcohol use to a minimum? In the long run, the pain of doing without alcohol now will be better for your family in the future.

Moving on to smoking, it is a habit we know kills millions of people every year. We also know smoking is a habit that is terribly difficult to overcome. If you cannot quit, or do not want to, you can reduce the harm of the smoking habit by supplementing or replacing tobacco cigarettes with an electronic cigarette.

Yes, electronic cigarettes are very real and well accepted in the consumer marketplace. In fact, there are now more than 1.3 million vapers (e-cigarette users) in the UK. Brands like Vapestick.co.uk and http://uk.govype.com sell their products online and through various retail outlets around the country. The products are incredibly popular as a tobacco alternative and growing more so every day.

 

2. Eating Better

 

The nomadic life of the military family can make it difficult to develop your cooking and meal planning skills. The result is that it becomes far too easy to accept poor nutrition and eating habits. On the other hand, studies have shown that good nutrition leads to better physical health, better mental health, and a better overall outlook on life.

Improving the nutrition of your family does not require drastic changes overnight. You can do things gradually, beginning with learning how to plan meals in advance to ensure you are buying the healthiest ingredients at the supermarket. If you don’t know what to purchase, many online resources discuss nutritional meal planning in detail. There is no shortage of helpful information, that’s for sure.

 

3. More Family Time

 

Military families are no different from their non-military counterparts in terms of time management. And unfortunately, most of our family time is stolen away by things like video games, social media, and running all over town to various activities. Guess what? You don’t need all of that for a healthy and happy home life.

Make a point to set aside a designated amount of time every week just for family activities. Turn off the game console and the computer, put away the mobile phone, and spend time together doing something you all enjoy. It’s not hard if you put your mind to it. As for the rewards family time offers, they are more valuable than anything you will ever find at the shops.

 

4. Make Use of the Dining Table

 

As simple as it sounds, making a point of actually sitting down together and having dinner as a family can go a long way toward building solid relationships between parents and children. The dining table has historically been the place where kids tell their stories, mothers and fathers dispense their wisdom, and lifetime memories are made.

Your hectic schedule and irregular work hours might make it difficult for you to make use of the dining table every single evening. However, do the best you can. Moreover, if schedules make it impossible to share dinner together, you can always make it to lunch or breakfast. The point is to make the time to enjoy a regular meal together. It is a simple thing that can do wonders for your home life.

As a military mother, you certainly have your hands full in an environment that sometimes appears rather hostile. But you can do this. To get started, we encourage you to choose just one of the things from this list. Try switching to an electronic cigarette or learning how to plan more nutritional meals. Make the effort to spend time together as a family. It matters not how you start – just do something. Your family is too valuable to ignore.

 

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Mercury in Retrograde Ends Friday #WritersUnite

I can tell you that I know how fucked up and out of control I feel by how frequently I read my astrological stars. Not that I pay a ridiculous amount of attention as they have varying degrees of accuracy, but I somehow find it soothing to read them. They give me time to take a moment and decide to discard, or absorb, or sometimes a glimmer of much needed hope that everything is going to be alright. Mercury has been in retrograde for the last three weeks and it ends on Friday, or thereabouts. Apparently, when Mercury goes Retrograde, which it does a few times a year everything goes tipsy topsy , or topsy turvy for three weeks and it’s not a good time to strike out into the new.

Now, as it happens on Friday, as we cease to be all retrograded I will be at the London Author Fair striking out into the new. I have finally composed Volume 2 of The Tales from the Domestic Frontline – The Art of Not Giving a Fuck and so I am going to be testing the water and deciding what to do.

Options, options, options.

Option 1:

Seek a traditional publisher and combine Volume 1 & 2

Option 2:

Self publish Volume 1 & 2 via a new platform

Option 3:

Self publish Volume 2 only via Amazon Kindle and Createspace

The London Author’s Fair is championing the independent author. Author’s can no longer simply compose words – we are brands in charge of our destiny. We are publishers. We are marketeers. We engage directly with our audience. We no longer hide with crazy hair, in dusty attics tied to our typewriters – we are pivotal in surrounding ourselves with the potential audience and pitching directly to them – read me! Read me! READ ME!!!!!

I was lucky enough to listen to the great Oz himself, Armistead Maupin speak on his whistlestop tour of the UK and he said many things that resonated with me because he was one of the first authors to capture me in my youth – Enid Blyton, Judi Blume, Judith Kerr, Nicholas Fisk and then as I matured it was Tales of the City that I devoured hungrily. But he said in an interview with the BBC, that the next thing he was thinking about doing a one man show, where he would sit on the stage and tell his stories to the audience – directly from him to them. Maybe at the Edinburgh Fringe. The next day the Edinburgh Fringe rang him and offered him a slot.

With this in mind, I am also writing a play. A platform to create an opportunity to take my words on tour so that I can in turn sell more books and keep the conversation conversing. As time passes, my tale stops just being about my experiences, but an epoch in history when for a decade the British military rolled on roulement constantly in out of the enduring ops of Afghanistan.

So as Mercury cease to retrograde on Friday, I hope that new doors open as #WritersUnite at the London Author’s Fair and we find solutions to bring our books to life, and into the hearts and minds of the reader, so we can satiate their hunger, like Armistead Maupin did mine, back in 1986, in my bedroom, lost in the gay community of San Francisco, wishing I was there in person.

Wish me luck. It’s Carpe Diem.

Follow the action on twitter:

#LAF14

me: @amodmilitarymum

LAF: @LonAuthorFair

 

A taste of the play:

Scene Two – in Kitchen set

 

Alice, who is in her mid twenties, is sitting on a chair with her leg in a plaster cast resting on another chair. She is smoking a joint.

 

Suddenly, Hagar, who is in his late twenties, wearing a yellow rugby shirt, high waisted jeans and bike boots, bursts loudly into the room.

 

Hagar Hello, dream date!!!

 

Hagar stands in the corner of the room with his hands on his hips.

 

Alice jumps out of her skin and quickly stubs the joint out in ashtray and waves the smoke away with her hand. She looks up completely embarrassed. Hagar strides over and kisses her on the cheek.

 

Hagar Where are Stasia and Barry?

 

Alice They sharp exited left when they heard your bike turn up so they could completely humiliate me. In fact, they got me so stoned I can barely speak, while continuously showing me photos of you and Stasia when you were young. It’s all a bit surreal. I feel slightly altered.

 

Awkward silence

 

Hagar Look at your cast. Are you ok?

 

Hagar pulls up a chair and sits really close to Alice, slightly invading her personal space.

 

Alice It’s ok. It does hurt. I really fucked it up. I was under for 5 hours while they operated. I have 8 pins in it. I was worried that I was going to set the metal detectors off at an airport but apparently the pins are made of titanium so they don’t set them off. I’m not sure if I am disappointed or not. You know, all that pain and injury, I wanted to eek the most out of it and bore airport security to death with a tale of impressive injury.

 

Hagar Grimacing  How did you do it?

 

Alice I was watching the start of the Whitbread Round the World Race on an 8m RIB, with a 350 horsepower inboard engine.

 

Hagar Nice boat. I bet that went some.

 

Alice Yes, like shit off a shovel. I was stood up just in front of the console, holding onto the painter. Y’know, the rope off the front that is attached to the bow. I was leaning back and so the rope was tight and I was bending my knees as the boat bounced up and down – a bit like mogul skiing. We were doing about 30 knots. Then a ferry wake came out of nowhere and the boat skipper didn’t see it. The boat took off and the painter acted like a pendulum and it swung me up into the air. As I came down I went over on my ankle and clean snapped it. I felt it go. I knew instantly that I had broken it so I lay on the floor of the boat and rested it on the sponsons – the rubber inflatable tubes on the side of the boat. For some reason all I could think about was my first aid training. Bam – that’s it leg broken. So Stasia set me up on this blind date with you to make me feel better.

 

Alice smiles shyly and leans forward looking at the door

 

Alice I can’t believe that those two ran out on me like that. I am so embarrassed.

 

Hagar It’s so good to meet you at last. I loved it when we talked on the phone. You know you have a really sexy voice. It’s so cool that you are so adventurous. I love that. I have had the best week just cruising around Scotland on my bike, visiting my old haunts and hanging out with my buddies and then to top off I have this crazy blind date with you. It’s great. Last week, that night, when we chatted on the phone, I hadn’t seen Stasia since we split up after our trip to Australia together 10 years ago.

 

It’s been an awesome week off. But I am gutted that I have to get back to Northern Ireland tomorrow night.

 

Alice Stasia said you and her went out with each other.

 

Hagar Yeah at school. After Highers we went to Australia together. We worked at a vineyard and then flew back via Bali. They were good times but we drifted apart when I moved to Edinburgh and started uni at Napier. I was so chuffed when she rang me. I hadn’t heard from her in years.

 

Alice So Stasia says that you are in the army and you’re a helicopter pilot.

 

Hagar No, I am not in the army, I am the RAF – the Royal Air Force. I am navigator on Pumas.

 

Alice A what on whats?

 

Hagar A Puma is a type of helicopter and it has two seats in the cockpit. One for the pilot and one for the navigator. I am the navigator and I tell the pilot where to go.

 

Alice My grandad was in the RAF in the war. He was a gunner. Apparently, they had a low life expectancy, but according to my dad, grandad spent most of his RAF career in the brig pissed up. I am not even sure if that is strictly true though!

 

Hagar It wasn’t a great job that’s for sure.

 

Alice It must be pretty tricky in Northern Ireland? What’s that like?

 

Hagar It’s great. There’s a ceasefire at the moment so it’s fairly routine but down south it can be more dangerous. I have a decent room in the Officer’s mess. It’s a shared ensuite with another guy, my mate, Moonie. He’s called Dave Moon but we call him, Moonie. It’s 21 days on and then we get 7 days off. We get some free flights home and BMI airlines do a military discount on flights, so that we can get back to the mainland cheap and easy. But I have just bought a bike so I caught the ferry over and thought I’d put it through it’s paces on a road trip around Scotland. My parents live in Aberfeldy so I needed to go and visit them and I haven’t spent much time in Scotland recently. I used to live in Edinburgh so it’s good to be back.

 

Alice I love Edinburgh. I think it’s my favourite city in the whole world.

 

Hagar I love Edinburgh too.

 

Alice Are you one of those Scottish folk who hate the English?

 

Hagar laughs loudly Well, I work for the Queen. She’s my boss. The Government may pay my wages but it’s the Queen’s name on my commission.

 

Alice I used to go out with a Scottish bloke called Hamish. It was when I was with him that I first came to Edinburgh. Do you remember in 1990 when Scotland won the Five Nations, The Triple Crown and the Calcutta Cup against England in the final game of the tournament at Murrayfield. Well, I was in Edinburgh watching that match. It was a very unfortunate time to be a lone English girl in Edinburgh. The racism that I experienced was unbelievable. For a start I could be less bothered about rugby so I watched it because Hamish wanted to and I didn’t know anyone else. Then, of course, because I was so ignorant and naïve I just assumed that Scotland was a part of England.

 

Hagar winces visibly

 

This blog is managed by Clare Macnaughton; a modern military mother; a feminist, British military spouse, and lifestyle journalist, writing about real life adventures.

 

 

 

 

 

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Competition The Best Blanket Fort In Britain #blanketfortcomp @MarketFurniture

The Furniture Market are running a competition and you can win either:

- tickets to top attractions within the UK
- love2Shop vouchers worth £100

Either tap into your inner big kid or get your children to showcase their blanket fort building skills and then share your homemade blanket forts on social media.


How to enter the Britain’s Best Blanket Fort Competition
- Build a fort

- Take a picture

- Post the picture on social media using hashtag #BlanketFortComp and tag @MarketFurniture

So as Blighty was being battered by storms, we were snug as a bug in a rug in the warmth of our blanket fort. This is a great fun wet weather activity.

Here’s how we did it!

Step 1 – clear sofa and collect extra chairs

Step 2 – position chairs and cushions and then jump on sofa

 

Step 3 – cover with blanket or throw

Step 4 – hide inside and demand snacks!

Don’t forget:

How to enter the Britain’s Best Blanket Fort Competition

- Build a fort

- Take a picture

- Post the picture on social media using hashtag #BlanketFortComp and tag @MarketFurniture

 

 

The post Competition The Best Blanket Fort In Britain #blanketfortcomp @MarketFurniture appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

What activities can help elderly stay healthy?

A loss or reduction in mobility is often experienced as we age. A lack of movement combined with a variety of age-related ailments can make many feel lethargic, achy and old before their time. However, there is a solution to this and indulging in a variety of activities can ensure a sharp mind and a strong body.

Here we look at a few examples.

Thai Chi and yoga

Both of these exercises are extremely popular with the elderly. They not only have a proven success rate, they also work the muscles of the entire body through a series of stretches and specialist moves.

Aside from strengthening and conditioning muscles, Thai Chi and yoga also improve balance and circulation as well as the participants overall general health.

Walking

Both opting for a regular stroll around the garden or further afield will help you to feel fitter, younger and more vital. Even if you’re unable to comfortable mount stairs and require the aid of the likes of a reconditioned stairlift, walking on flat land is more than likely a possibility.

Swimming

Swimming is another exercise that works all of the muscles in the body in a gentle way. A few lengths in the local swimming pool a day will not only boost energy levels, it will also keep the heart rate high thus promoting weight loss.

Golf

Joining a golf club is not only a great way to meet new people; it’s also a great way to exercise in the outdoors. Simply being outside in the fresh air has a number of health benefits.

Computer games

Many elderly individuals are now choosing to become tech-savvy. Aside from using the internet as a means of staying in touch with friends and family around the globe, there are a number of brain games available online – all of which have been designed to keep your mind active.

Card games

Just as physical exercise is important, so is mental exercise. Keeping your mind sharp will ensure a better memory and will help to stop the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Getting together with a group of friends at least once a week to play a few hands of cards is a good way to do this.

Aqua aerobics

Aerobics may seem like a hard impact exercise, yet aqua aerobics is somewhat different. Many gyms will hold sessions throughout the week often held by an instructor and completed in time to music. The pressure of the water ensures a more gentle exercise but the activity will still keep the heart rate high so that you get a decent workout with reduced risk of injury.

By staying active for as long as possible, many are able to prevent or at least postpone a number of age-related ailments – even if you’re a late starter.

If you suffer from joint problems, there are a number of gentle exercises available, all of which boast to make you feel fitter and younger. It’s important to indulge in such exercises at least three times a week in order to ensure results.

The post What activities can help elderly stay healthy? appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

GUILT-RIDDEN, TORN BETWEEN TWO ROLES AND OVER-LOOKED -The current state-of-mind of working mums today

GUILT-RIDDEN, TORN BETWEEN TWO ROLES AND OVER-LOOKED -The current state-of-mind of working mums today

*Over three quarters (80%) of women feel guilty about going back to work and worry about leaving their child in the care of others compared with just 39% of men.

*Childcare responsibilities still fall on the mother’s shoulders, even when both parents are working.

*A fifth of dads (20%) say they wished they hadn’t gone back to work after having a family, saying they wished they could have looked after their child while over a third (37%) of men say they work full time with NO flexibility at all.

New research into the state of mind of working parents in the UK has found that we are a nation divided with women battling to find a healthy work-life balance, taking on the majority of childcare responsibilities while not at work. The research, undertaken for The Work & Family Show which is due to take place for the first time on 21st and 22nd February, found that over three quarters of women (80%) feel guilty about going back to work after having a family. Men, on the other hand, are relatively confident about returning to their jobs with just 39% feeling guilty about leaving their children in childcare.

The biggest concern for more than 35% of women was not having the help or understanding from their employer when dealing with the difficult transition from working woman to working mum. They also worried that their employers would be discriminatory towards them, entrusting them with responsibility and fewer big projects.

One mum who struggled to return to work after having a baby is 31 year old Leah McGrath. She returned to her role as an HR Service Manager at a large agra-pharmaceutical company after a year at home with her daughter. The plan was for Leah to do a job share but this fell through and she found herself fitting in a full time job into her contracted three days a week. She says: “I was finding it such a struggle, commuting three hours, three days a week, and trying my best to be a good mum. I was getting ill all the time; whenever there was a virus going around, I would catch it as I was so run down and my little girl’s behaviour was becoming very challenging. After a while I realised there must be more to life and resigned. It was extremely scary but I am so pleased I did.” Leah has since re-trained as a yoga teacher, running her own Yogabellies franchise, teaching pre-natal, post-natal and baby massage classes in her local wellbeing and community centres. She has managed to get a healthy work-life balance and work flexibly but only by leaving her past career behind her.

Ben Black, Director of MyFamilyCare.co.uk who, together with Clarion Events, are organising The Work & Family Show says: “Due to the lack of support from their employers on returning to work, women often feel forced to give up the careers they have trained and worked so hard for in order to fit in their new role of motherhood. However, it shouldn’t be like this. Staff need to be supported as they return to work and deal with the challenges that being a working parent can bring. Employers who respond to their needs will be rewarded with engaged, productive and loyal employees.”

The research also asked fathers how they felt about the transition from working man to working dad. More than a third (37%) said they returned to work and received no flexibility at all. One in five, meanwhile, said they wished they had never gone back to work at all, wishing they could take on the full-time role of child carer.

Ben Black continues: “So many big companies like Barclays, Discovery Channel and Rolls Royce have made big improvements to their policies to help their parents who work, but these results show there’s a huge deficit. Women shouldn’t feel restricted in work when they become a mother and a man’s role in bringing up a child has evolved so much in the past 30 years and it’s time that businesses recognise this too.”

The Work & Family Show has been born out of the high demand from families in need of help when returning to work or starting up their own business. Jenny Willott, Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, will introduce the show while inspirational experts and employers on the lookout for motivated staff will be on hand to give working parents and career break women access to practical advice. Organised by Clarion Events and My Family Care, it takes place on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd February 2014 at the ExCeL London. Tickets are available from www.theworkandfamilyshow.co.uk from just £12, and people coming to the neighbouring Baby Show will have free entrance*.

Notes from the editor

This blog is managed by Clare Macnaughton is a modern military mother; a feminist British military spouse, and lifestyle journalist, writing about real life adventures.

email: amodernmilitarymother@gmail.com

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Real Life – The Tipping point Yo!

Today, I reached a tipping point. January 2014 is nearly done and dusted. 2014 lies ahead. Last week, I nearly threw in the towel on the my beloved book – A Modern Military Mother – Tales from the Domestic Frontline. I doubted myself. The naysayers were winning. Is it worth it? What am I doing? I am still really struggling to deal with the stress of the past. I feel like Atlas and the burden of the past is the weight of the earth on my back. This is the truth. The book sometimes feels like a gateway backwards and not the road forwards. I am living my dream, but keeping it alive in the face adversity feels like another battle.

I have exhausted my immediate audience with the book and now need to reach out beyond my community. Self publishing is difficult because I don’t have the distribution channels to get the book into bookshops. This is where having a traditional publishing deal has it’s advantages as they have the means to get a book into the bookshops. However, even after this has been achieved, the author has to fight for the book to reach out to audiences.

With the advent of the audio visual age, with multiple TV channels, gaming, IPTV, social media, smart phones and tablets, I am certain reading books is in decline. So I have to take a big deep breath and start plugging away time and time again. Sometimes, the shameless self-publicising grates on me, like nails down a blackboard, but what choice do I have? I have to take it one book sale at a time and I can’t give up on it. Nobody is going to fight for my book as hard as I will. In a way it’s like another child so just as I will always support my children, I have got my book’s back as well.

Onwards and upwards. I’ll take all the help I can get. So if you have read it and loved then please help me promote it. Please spread the world and share the love. Please start the discussion on Goodreads, or buy it as a gift for someone who you think may like it. Please support me, the independent author, trying to forge ahead in the world of self publishing. I need a break. I really need a break. Will someone please cut me a frickin’ break? Yo!

And if you haven’t bought the book yet – then please buy and review it. A book without an audience now where’s the fun in that?

Audio Book

About A Modern Military Mother

Clare Macnaughton is a modern military mother; a feminist British military spouse, and lifestyle journalist, writing about real life adventures.

 

 

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Lazy Days By The Pool – 10% #EarlyBirdDiscount Summer Holidays France

Introducing our Finest package and 10% #EarlyBirdDiscount

Rain, rain go away. The end. Are you sick to death of this soggy winter? Are you looking to summer to lift your spirits? Are you looking for a family friendly villa holiday? Then look no further than Le Petit Pre in the Haute Vienne, Limousin, France. We are offering 10% #EarlyBirdDiscount for your summer holiday 2014 in France.

It’s a privately owned four bedroom villa, which sleeps up to 8 people. There’s private pool, al fresco dining deck and lounge equipped with a pot bellied Oz Pig burner, BBQ and outdoor kitchen.

Kids love to hang out and burn off energy on the 14 ft trampoline, or by playing in the children’s play area, or even at the basketball net, or at the table tennis table. That’s, of course, when they are done with spending all day in the pool.

Kids love playing in the pool

Did I mention petanque? We also offer Sky Freeview and FREE wifi. And just in case you missed it – we are offering 10% #EarlyBirdDiscount for your summer holiday 2014 in France.

We have been letting the property for 10 years now and we began by letting to Dutch holidaymakers who liked to bring their own linen on holiday. Last year we successfully trialled a two package offer – Basics – bring-your-own-linen and Finest, we supply the linen and make up the beds. We are pleased to continue our Finest offer for 2014.

The Finest package includes all linen, towels, including pool towels, a welcome hamper with basic essentials and the cleaning charge included in the price of your holiday.

A little snack to recharge your batteries

This year we are offering an early bird discount of 10% on both packages.

Simply email: clare@maccom.co.uk with #EarlyBirdDiscount in the subject line of the email and confirm your booking by the 28th Feb 2014.

For more information, please visit our Owners Direct web page:

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/france/FR4420.htm

Feel free to email or call me, Clare, for more information.

Contact:

clare@maccom.co.uk

m: +44 (0)7885 194188

Don’t forget we are offering 10% #EarlyBirdDiscount for your summer holiday 2014 in France.

Clare Macnaughton is a modern military mother; a feminist British military spouse and lifestyle journalist writing about real life adventures.

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