Emma Kelly is a PR legend and founder of Elevate PR, one of Ireland’s leading independent creative PR and social media agencies. Today is their 15th anniversary, and marks years of incredible work amplifying leading brands like Bombay Sapphire, Moet & Chandon, Xbox, Proper Corn, Hennessy, and the list goes on (and on!).
Emma is a busy mother to Tom, 12, Kitty, 11, and Daniel, 6, and juggles a hugely successful career with everyday mum stuff (how does she do it?). We chatted to Emma about what motherhood means to her, here’s eleven things she told us:
1. Children love routine and boundaries, and to occasionally be allowed to break the rules.
2. Being a mother is only one facet of your life, even in the really hectic early years it is important to keep your other roles in balance – wife, sibling, daughter, employee, colleague, boss, friend, etc.
3. There are no medals for motherhood, share out the load – take any help on offer. We have mixed childcare up with a nanny for the early years, then a crèche/school/au pair combo as the kids got older.
4. Let your children do their homework themselves and don’t correct it. Their teachers need to be able to see their real ability and level of work.
5. Encourage a love of sport, it is so much better than screen time. However, be selective, you could spend your whole weekend driving them around from activity to activity!
6. Do not care about school gate politics.
7. Make time for yourself that is not work and children, for me it’s Pilates, baths, and reading.
8. Something has to give, for the first while after having babies it was reading, which thankfully I do again, but I very rarely watch TV. Also, your social life will be greatly reduced as sleep becomes a major priority and lie-ins a thing of the past.
9. You really need very little – a buggy, car seat, cot and high chair, and very few toys. Buy lots of books. However – the bedtime story is a special time and pays dividends with reading ability in later life.
10. Get them to make their own school lunch, get them involved in prepping meals, and doing chores as early as possible. They are never too young!
11. Enjoy it; everyone is making it up as they go along and nobody gets it 100 per cent right all of the time. Be kind and remember that this too will pass.
