Meet Aimee, one of the lovely co-founders behind Figgy & Co. - Have a read and then check out their page, you will become an addict in no time :)
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you do:
I’m Aimee, one of the co-founders of Figgy & Co. We are a team of 2 Mummas focused on hand-batching natural home cleaners. We hope to make it easy for people like yourself to omit the harmful and unnecessary chemicals from your homes. Our home environment is one of the most toxic yet it’s where we spend most our time- we have a vision to change this!
Age when you had your first baby:
25 (then baby number 2 and 3 followed at 27 and 29).
What was your reaction when you found out you were pregnant?
Pure joy and delight! I have always been very maternal- like one of those teenagers just incredibly impatient for the day I would become a mother. But I was also equally responsible and studious, so I felt like I had waited FOREVER. When my husband and I decided we wanted to have a child it was amazing, but that surge of happiness on seeing the positive pregnancy test was like opening a Christmas present you had waited 10 years for!
What has been your biggest challenge with running a business and being a mama at the same time?
Mum guilt. When I am Mummying I feel like I’m neglecting my Figgy responsibilities, and when I am Figgy-ing I feel guilt for not being with my children. Rationally I know this is BS – Emotionally it’s not so easy to dismiss.
How do you balance Home and work life? (any tips/tricks to share?)
Schedule schedule schedule. Plan plan plan. For me to feel on top of things (to be able to switch off work and enjoy family time) I am a big fan of allocating time to tasks. It makes me feel like I am spreading myself fairly and allows me to get shit done!
Best piece of advice you were given about parenting:
Above everything else parent with your intuition. There are so many ways of doing things, so many opinions, books, blogs and resources about how to parent- in can seem overwhelming – like, where do I even start?! When you let all that go, and go with your gut, parenting becomes more enjoyable because you are doing it in a way that is the best fit FOR YOU.
What would you do if you weren’t doing your current job/running your business?
Hmmm……. Baby number 4?
Have you met any challenges being a mama in your 20s?
Financially it was a challenge – we were not a typical “financially set up” couple. We didn’t wait until we had X amount of dollars in the bank, or certain resources behind us before we had our family. But being the planner I am, I enjoyed budgeting and living within our means. Making my own home cleaners started here as one of our children had terrible eczema. I guess looking back, if we didn’t have this financial challenge Figgy & Co may not exist today? And it gets easier, the financial constraints of then have changed overtime.
What has been your biggest challenge in your 20s (non-parenting related)?
Looking after myself. I threw my time and energy into our home, studying, my children, my husband, running a business and left little time for myself. I’ve eaten waaaaay too many fatty meals and done no where near enough exercise! My poor body. Eek!
If you could give one piece of advice to twenty-something’s pre kids what would it be?
Let go of your ideals about being a parent. There is no right time to have a child. You will make it work and it will be so very special when you are living in the moments.