Olive is a little child full of inquiries. Important questions that aren't always convenient for the grownups around her. She wonders, after asking one of these questions, where her mother disappears throughout the day. It also becomes an urgent question because, although children of her age understand what it's like to have dads go throughout the day, not all moms are missing, are they?

Helen Farmer's first children's book, My Mummy's Secret Adventures (illustrated by Pavithra Suresh, published by The Dreamwork Collective), appears to have a straightforward plot, but underneath are complicated issues such as normalising a working mother's goals and aspirations and creating space in a family for everyone to succeed without requiring sacrifice.
Helen is a mumfluencer and one of the most well-liked radio hosts in the United Arab Emirates. She, however, is not the type of person who lives for the show of parenthood. Her admirers are aware of the wit and comedy with which she frequently shares her views on the messy side of parenting, making her all too relatable to women who may have accepted parenthood but are secretly managing it.

"I was going through a really hard time when my older daughter was about six months old," she remembers. No one else's discussion about parenthood struck a chord with me as I turned to look around. Parenting was highly aspirational back then. We were discussing Dh5,000 children's gowns and Baby Dior. I didn't have that experience.
So, how did she find it? "Juggling a job I loved with a new baby." Helen started discussing the messier parts of parenthood on her blog at that point, and she later expanded the discussion to her social media accounts. Her background as a writer and magazine editor was helpful since it made sure that she expressed her weaknesses in a way that the public could relate to. "I believe that vulnerability—which does not imply oversharing—is the only true path to connection. Being the first to admit when they're wrong doesn't bother me since it can inspire others to say, "Yeah, me too."
Even women are not immune to criticism in this day of success. When they stay at home to raise their kids, they face criticism. When people venture out to pursue their ambitions, they are scrutinised. A mind at odds with itself is striving to strike a balance between duty and passion in the middle of all of this. Sometimes asking for assistance is all that's necessary. It was incredibly difficult for me to leave a career that I loved and was very good at to going home and not knowing what to do with my infant. It's commonly believed that women are born with a mother instinct and instinctively know how to care for children.
And occasionally, you don't. Furthermore, it can be quite challenging to go from being a successful worker to a "failing" mother.

Making her kids, family, and nanny active participants in her path to become a successful professional and mumfluencer is where Helen's message has really resonated. She claims that she has never been afraid to ask for assistance, whether it comes from her spouse, mother, or nanny. "I discuss my work with my kids. She explains, "I want them to know that I have a different aspect to my existence.
The idea behind My Mummy's Secret Adventures is to clarify the uncertainty around the decisions faced by working mothers. "I have worked throughout my children's lives, which has led to some inquiries about why I work and where mothers go during the day. Too many kids wonder about their parents' whereabouts while they're not around. They never consider the possibility that they may have friends, careers, or other interests, the author claims. "My line of work is very simple to describe, but parents may find it more challenging if their child has a career that is more difficult for them to comprehend. The purpose of this book is to spark communication between parents and kids.It concerns a small child who queries hundreds of times a day.

The majority of Olive's inquiries are really inquiries that Helen's own girls asked when they were small. She quips, "And then there were certain questions that could not have been added."

Although the book is intended for children ages three to seven, Helen also wants the women who read the books to their kids to be understanding of themselves as working parents and to read between the lines. "I recognise that we have a lot on our plates. Too many women neglect their interests and give up on things they loved doing before they were married or had children. Any woman who works, whether in an office or at home, will be able to relate to how conflicted it may seem. However, it is somewhat consoling to know that you are not by yourself.
We can no longer be parents in the social media age. Media professionals are also expected to be attractive parents, which makes them PhotoShop anxious about their changing physiology and cause them to have restless nights. Selecting and managing the people I follow on social media is the finest thing I have ever done. She says, "If you follow someone who makes you feel worse, just unfollow them. It's that simple." She goes on to argue that the support network that new mothers build around themselves is a more significant aspect of their public identity. Recognising that there is a youngster in your immediate vicinity in need of care and attention is crucial. Many well-known ladies frequently don't do that. I can now confidently and safely state that my children will be well-cared for while I pursue my aspirations thanks to an amazing nanny and a supportive boyfriend.

Working moms in corporate settings have long demanded strong support systems, such as a creche and the ability to work from home. Despite the fact that the epidemic taught us some valuable lessons, not much has changed in terms of the actual situation on the ground. Helen says, "I believe it made us more human." "Now days, it's common to see a kid sprinting behind that Zoom call. We now see our supervisors and coworkers as parents.I'm hoping the momentum doesn't fade. I'm concerned that we could revert to some presenteeism.

She asserts, however, that flexibility is not limited to motherhood and may also apply to someone taking care of their parents or other family members.

As our talk comes to an end, we question Helen how she manages to hold onto a part of herself that is unique to her and her alone in between all the other roles that women perform, such as mother, daughter, wife, and sister. "We may easily lose ourselves. Though I believe Beyonce has more than 24, we only have 24 hours in a day, she chuckles. But we must realise that in order to become happy individuals, we must fill our own cups, engage in our interests, and grow as individuals.Doing what you enjoy is not considered selfish. A few years ago, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and I enjoyed that my kids could identify on a map where their mother went.