Motherhood wasn’t a career setback. It was the upgrade

I was working full-time as a senior designer when I fell pregnant in 2018. Life definitely flips upside down when you become a parent, but I don’t think I fully anticipated how tough returning to full-time work would be after maternity leave.

My brain felt like mush, and all I could think about was Henry at home. After a year back in that job, I realised sitting in someone else’s office all day on their schedule just didn’t work with motherhood anymore, so I made the leap and opened my own studio.

It had been a pipe dream for a while, but I’d always been scared of the financial insecurity, especially since, in the same year my husband also decided to go back to uni to study medicine.

It sounds a bit wild, but one of the unexpected perks of becoming a parent is that, because your time becomes so limited, it also becomes more valuable. I realised I’d rather set my own rates, choose the people I work with, and only take on jobs that aligned with my values. In other words, spend my time wisely. Having kids didn’t hold my career back, it made me level up where I might not have otherwise.

And then came the juggle. Starting a studio from scratch, finding clients, squeezing in work during nap times, and doing meetings with a pram in tow became my normal. But instead of trying to hide the fact I was a mum, or worrying that it would hold me back in the design world, I leant into it.

I named my business Lucky and Son (my dad’s called me Lucky since I was born), and I had to give Henry a shout-out for giving me the push to finally go out on my own.

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What I didn’t expect was discovering this whole amazing world of parent-run businesses, people who just got it.

They understood if I needed to schedule calls around daycare pick-up or couldn’t reply straight away because of bath time. From day one I was clear: my kids are my priority. I don’t work during school holidays, I rarely answer my phone (email’s much better when you're wrangling toddlers), and I only take on clients who respect those boundaries. It’s the only way I can balance both work and motherhood without burning out.

One of the best parts is getting to share my creativity with my kids. A tip I’d give any new working parent? Do the fun stuff you actually enjoy with your kids. My brain can’t handle Lego for long, but I’ll happily do craft all day. We make clay together, design logos for cardboard ice cream stands, and even print little books. It’s chaotic, but honestly, it's pretty special too.

One big shock to the system has been adjusting to school life. Compared to daycare, the shorter hours are brutal. It’s almost impossible to stay on top of studio work and teaching. Honestly, the system here in Australia just doesn’t support working parents. A 2:45pm pick-up? I don’t know how anyone with a standard job is meant to make that work. It’s something that really frustrates me. The school days are short, but somehow the expectations on working hours haven’t changed. I’d honestly love to see a four-day school week with slightly longer hours.

It would make such a difference for parents trying to work alongside their kids’ schedules. And let’s be real, who actually wants to work five days a week anyway?

What’s helped me is throwing out the idea that I have to work nine to five. Instead, I’ve started working during the times I naturally have the most energy and creativity.

I pick the kids up in the afternoon, we reset, make dinner, wind down, and then once they’re in bed, I can jump back into work. Rather than trying to force productivity during that post-lunch slump, I’ll go for a walk or rest, and come back to it later. Being flexible and tuning into what actually works for my body, instead of sticking to some outdated schedule, has made a huge difference in managing the transition.

Being a working parent gives my kids a real-life example that you can have both a fulfilling career and a loving family. Both give me energy in totally different ways, and I honestly can’t imagine life without one or the other. My advice to anyone who’s worried about starting a family and a career at the same time is to just go for it.

You’ll end up valuing your time and your work so much more, and in a weird way, it actually makes you a more valuable employee. I just hope all workplaces start to view it as such.