In this accompanying follow-up to our previous guest blog, here is mum of two painter and decorator Molly Bateman, addressing that fine juggling act when it comes to managing a painting and decorating business whilst bringing up two young children as a single mum.

I am a very proud mum of Theo, who is 4, and Aurora Belle, aged 3. These little human beings have shaped me into the superhuman I am today.

I do two shifts everyday – being a mum and then performing my day job as a painter and decorator. One day it’s lining walls, followed by washing a load of laundry and cooking spaghetti, usually for the fourth night in a row. The next day I’m stripping ceilings, alongside yet another school run, swimming club and building rockets out of Amazon parcels!

My work/life balance as a painter and decorator can sometimes be as precarious as an elephant on a tightrope – there’s been an equal amount of stress and learning along the way. Problems are always going to arise and it’s how you face them and grow from those experiences to help get the job done!

When it comes to mornings, for example, some can run smoothly, while other times they are much more challenging. Once one thing takes longer than usual everything falls quite quickly out of sync, usually meaning you can be running late, which has a knock on effect when it comes to the working day.

Don’t paint yourself into a corner when it comes to needing help

I’ve learnt it’s important to not bottle things up when you’re struggling and need help. Seeking advice and a solution to problems from family and friends is so important. Honesty is key always, too. I try not to take too much on if I feel I can’t handle it, and I’ve found it’s OK to say no if a project has the potential to be too overwhelming.

But not every customer is going to be understanding when it comes to the little issues and emergencies which can impact on your daily working schedule. We aren’t robots – we are normal people with lives and families. This is one of the common challenges I have found when speaking with other decorators.

Balance is absolutely the key word in all of this, and it’s something which is still an ongoing battle while I strive to be my kids’ number one cheerleader, whilst branching out and becoming a new business owner.

I was initially working in an all-female decorating team, but I knew for my kids’ sake it was time to bite the bullet and start my journey not only for myself, but most importantly, for them.

I wouldn’t be able to achieve what I do without my support system. Whether it’s looking after my kids when a job runs later into the evening, or my dad becoming a paint courier to my work location when a delivery has been delayed, both parents are always there to help with childcare, wipe away my stressed tears and reassure me I can do it.

You’re never alone when to comes to challenges at work as a painter

I recently completed a very personal DIY SOS-style project, where I met a handful of amazingly talented decorators. We all have children and those challenges which come with that. It was massively reassuring to be working amongst people in the industry who experience the same things each day and then receiving support, understanding and compassion from that team.

One of the reasons I decided to become self-employed was the opportunity to take charge of my own schedule and how I could manage those parental tasks, such as child illness or attending school-related events, around what I do professionally.

As I’m now self-employed, it’s my own business which is only affected if I need to take time off, but I’ve made it work with the extra support I have. If the client is understanding, this might mean having to make the time back another day or over the weekend.

In that regard, I’ve been incredibly fortunate that all my customers have been amazing and super supportive. I find that initial meeting when you go to quote is a lot like going on a first date – you either click, or you don’t.

Lastly, I think a really important element to succeeding as a painter and decorator is staying authentic and being unapologetically yourself, both at home and at work.

Being a tradesperson is tough, and being a tradeswoman in the industry is especially hard. I take my hard hat off to all mothers in the industry and commend every single one of us doing it and encourage them to keep smashing it!

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