Why the Parent Strike Hits Home: A Working Mum's Day at Give Me Cosmetics

If you’ve ever sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on a rainy Tuesday morning, watching the clock tick towards a nursery deadline while your mind races through a mental checklist of unread emails, you know the exact kind of panic I’m talking about.

As a 38 year old full-time working Mum & Step-Mum with a solid one-hour commute each way, that feeling used to be my everyday reality.

In a world where we tell our children they can do anything, I refuse to accept that I have to choose between raising a family and building a career, I am fiercely proud to be doing both. But doing both shouldn't mean constantly feeling like you're on the brink of breakdown!

That’s why, when I saw that Anna Whitehouse (Mother Pukka) and The Dad Shift are organising the UK’s first Parent Strike on 27th August, it stopped me in my tracks. The movement is highlighting everything so many parents struggle with: rigid workplace rules, nursery run, holiday clubs, and the constant, exhausting friction between building a career and raising a family.

Looking at what so many parents face across the country, I can honestly say one thing: if we didn’t have the flexible benefits we have at Give Me, I would lose my mind.

What True Flexibility Actually Looks Like;

For me, flexibility isn't just a corporate buzzword on a hiring poster, it’s the difference between thriving and completely burning out. 

At Give Me Cosmetics, we operate on a hybrid working setup, but the real game-changer is how adaptable it actually is.

• We can shift our hybrid days around our real life. If childcare plans fall through, school assemblies crop up, or nursery dates shift unexpectedly, I don't have to panic or burn annual leave. I can adapt my working-from-home days to match what my family needs that week.

• Two hours of my day saved. On my work-from-home days, cutting out that two-hour round trip means a slow morning with my child, get a food shop done & actually catch bedtime without feeling rushed and stressed.

• Trust over micro-management. The culture here is built on output, not physical presence in a chair. Being trusted to manage my time means I can give 100% to my job and be present as a mum.

(Honestly? Hybrid working saves my schedule, but our Heatless Curlers & Brightening Eye Cream save me from looking like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards before my 9 AM Teams call!)

Why Support Matters Now More Than Ever

Movement like the Parent Strike are so vital because, unfortunately, stories like mine are still too rare. Too many brilliant, talented people, especially mums are forced out of careers they love simply because businesses refuse to move away from rigid 9-to-5 office rules.

Modern parenting is a full team effort. Seeing groups like The Dad Shift push for better paternity leave alongside flexible work shows how much things need to evolve across all industries.

I’m incredibly proud to work for a company like Give Me that genuinely gets it. Having an employer that supports working parents doesn't just make us better at our jobs, it makes us happier, healthier human beings.

To every parent out there doing the daily commute, managing the childcare puzzle, and trying to keep all the plates spinning: I see you, and you deserve a workplace that works for your life, too.

AND I’m not alone in this the Give Me Team have some words to say;

"Hybrid working works particularly well for me because it allows me to balance my work commitments with being an active part of my son’s life at nursery. My husband and I can mix and match drop-offs and pick-ups depending on our schedules, which means I can be there for those important moments and not feel like I am constantly missing out on his life.

The flexibility also means that if my son is unwell or our plans unexpectedly change, I can adapt my working schedule without having to worry about arranging additional childcare or cover. This gives me peace of mind and allows me to manage family commitments while continuing to maintain productivity and focus at work." Nicola 

" One of the things I really value about working at Give Me Cosmetics is the flexibility that hybrid working gives me. As a step-parent, being able to work from home when I need to means I can still be there for the important little things, like school runs, appointments and those moments where family needs to come first.

It gives me the best of both worlds, I can still be fully committed to my role and get my work done, while having the flexibility to be present at home too. It takes away that constant juggle of work and family life and makes things feel so much more manageable. For me, that flexibility makes a huge difference and is a big part of why I enjoy working here! 💕" Tash 

" Working at Give Me allows me to have a really good work-life balance, particularly as a mum. The flexibility around my working hours means I’m able to drop my son off at school on some days, which is something I really value. Having two days working from home each week also makes life much easier, it means I’m closer to his school if he has an appointment or if anything comes up, while still being able to fully focus on my work. I really appreciate having that flexibility and being able to balance being a mum with my career." Zoe 

" Becoming a first-time mum has completely changed what flexibility means to me. Knowing I’ll have flexible hours and the option to work from home when I return to work genuinely puts my anxiety at ease.

Leaving your baby for the first time is incredibly difficult, so knowing Give Me Cosmetics has my best interests at heart makes those decisions feel that little bit easier.

Throughout my maternity leave, I’ve felt supported, included and valued, while still having clear boundaries around my time away. Knowing I can return to a workplace that trusts me, supports me as a mum and gives me the flexibility to balance both makes such a huge difference. ❤️" Mel 

" The flexibility and hybrid working offered at Give Me Cosmetics mean everything to me as a working mum. They make it possible for me to be a committed and productive member of the team while still being present for my family. I believe flexibility should be a right, not a privilege, because without it, working mums can face impossible barriers to remaining in or returning to work. I’m incredibly grateful to work somewhere that understands this, trusts its employees to get the job done in a way that works for them, and recognises that we have lives and responsibilities outside of work." Ruth 

"The flexi-time policy is amazing because it means I can work full time while still being there for my daughter from taking her to nursery to being able to pick her up. The work from home days also make such a difference, giving me more flexibility and helping me juggle work and motherhood without feeling like I’m constantly choosing between the two." Lucy 

 

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