About the Author

I want to help other parents find balance in being both a parent and a working professional. That was the prime motivation behind publishing The Little A to Z: A Companion for First-Time Mothers and Their Partner in 2020, and remains so as I continue to write on this topic through my weekly newsletter and what I share on social media. 

The Little A-Z was my response to the frequent feelings of overwhelm, isolation and confusion I experienced as an expatriate navigating the early days of parenting in the United States. There were so many things that my husband and I didn’t know. I often found myself wishing for a small reference book that I could open quickly, an A to Z guide to motherhood at my fingertips. I imagined its pages, worn from frequent use. That was the inspiration behind first my book: to create a small companion for parents to carry with them during those difficult first months. In it, I weeded out a lot of the endless google searches and offered some of my most meaningful finds and solutions. Think of The Little A-Z as having your mother, best friend, counselor and work advisor right beside you, coaching you through those initial 18 months of motherhood. 

It is hard to imagine that my son is now 5 years old. The need for advice, tips and tricks to navigate childrearing have not diminished. But they certainly have evolved. There are the fundamental topics of early childhood education, of building meaningful relationships with your children, and of navigating screen time. But for working parents, the focus of my writing, there are also questions to do with finding balance, of staging career progression, and of reaching consensus with your partner on who does what in the home and in your working lives. Rather than dedicating an entire new book to the toddler and Pre-K years, a weekly newsletter replete with short tips and inspiring stories seemed a more immediate endeavor for me. Just as with my book, I aim to be short and concise in my weekly writings knowing full well that free time is precious.

Because like the majority of you, I have a career which I love. I’ve been working in international development my entire professional life since my undergraduate degree. I’ve lived and worked now in 5 continents, always in the natural resources sectors. Prior to the pandemic, I travelled frequently for 1-2 weeks at a time. With my husband being a pilot, planning and communication was (and continues to be) key to us each finding fulfillment outside of the home while still placing our son’s well-being first. It hasn’t been easy, and speaks to the challenges which couples face in having careers requiring frequent travel, and doing it all without close family support nearby. 

As a result, I’ve learned a lot about organization which is one of several topics I treat through my writings. Everyday I am inspired by my fellow working moms and dads at the World Bank who are navigating conference calls with Ministers and playdates. Yet for the most part, I’ve found that people juggling parenting and working — from friends, neighbors, colleagues — they don’t speak about the balancing act. This is especially true with women I’ve spoken with. In a wide range of professions, I’ve witnessed the burn out, the broken marriages, the regret of colleagues who did not attend their children’s birthdays, of promotions not taken because they wanted to pick their kids up from school and this would have been frowned upon. And I want to break that pattern, to be part of the next generation to model a new way of working, one that puts puts well-being at its centre. Because we are all super heroes, imperfectly dedicated to multiple causes, and the real challenge is finding the balance between our public and private lives. 

For instance, I marvel at how many of my colleagues play the guitar or are amateur athletes. How others are passionate about cooking and being in the outdoors. The lesson I draw is that well-rounded professionals and parents take the time out to nurture themselves, and I have become a big advocate for personal hobbies, with horses being mine. I’d ride every day if I could. The smells of the barn, the feel of the tack, the nuzzle of a soft nose. I’ve also been a dedicated yogi since my undergraduate days in France. My mat has gone on all my international postings with me, alongside my saddle and a journal.

I still recall my first writing project in high school. My English teacher left an indelible mark on me. As a pure hobby, I’ve recorded my life on pages, and once email took off in the early 2000s, I sent out weekly missives to friends back in Europe and North America while living for over a decade in Africa. Time and time again, I was touched by encouragement from them: “Keep writing,” “We love hearing about the places you are seeing.” One of my early jobs in Africa required a yearly report back to HQ which I did in the form of a poetry book. In fact, I don't know what I would do without the simple act of writing, if only for myself. It sorts out what can be a lot of complicated, messy feelings we are having —whether as we live abroad in new cultures or simply navigate being a parent. I am a huge fan of the “15 minutes” rule which brings me back to a pen or keyboard every day. 

Such repetition and dedication is in fact what life is about. Whether in our hobbies, our habits, our relationships, our work, or our parenting. Repeat, repeat, repeat. You’ll hear this theme time and time again in my newsletter. Start over. Today is a new day. Stay true. Dedicate the time. Build habits. That is my key message in sharing my reflections on navigating the difficulties of modern working and co-parenting life: stick with it. Because the outcomes are beautiful, meaningful, and joyous.