The wonderful Hour Hands team brings individual skills and real-life experiences together to create a rich tapestry of knowledge. This enables them to understand our clients’ challenges and deliver appropriate support when and where it is needed. From life-supporting PA and reliable executive assistant duties, to focused and detailed bookkeeping and payroll practices, we can deliver the solutions you need.

Our latest blog explores change: in this case, the feelings that come when a child begins their own life adventures away from home. Change is the only constant in life and it impacts everyone differently. But for us all, the trick to negotiating change is to understand and respect emotions and seek out the right support when it is needed. In their own words, this is Sophia’s story.

Change has a physical and emotional impact

How many of you out there can relate to the feeling of loss as your child ventured off to a new city to begin their university adventure? Devastation, relief, grief, all of the above?

Personally speaking it was most definitely the grief that hit me. Or what I would certainly describe as a type of grief anyway. We were organised, we had everything needed, drop off was seamless once we battled our way through the M1 and M6 traffic, but the saying goodbye part hit me like a train and the grief feeling came from nowhere. Driving away from our big girl with an actual pain in my heart, that’s the only way I can describe it – it hurt me in a physical way. Tears streamed down my cheeks for half the journey back whilst my husband sporadically and carefully asked me if I was ok.

6 weeks on and I am getting used to it but it’s a very huge and definite change in our family dynamic. The eldest of 3 siblings leaving has hit us all hard: her 16 year old brother, 11 year old sister and Mum and Dad. We all miss our girl every day. I find myself texting her way more regularly, asking questions, clinging on to the phone calls, the facetimes and the updates that trickle in during the rare free moments that Sophia seems to have. Her life is full, the university lectures and seminars themselves, the lacrosse, choir, food planning, shopping, cooking, washing and then there’s the going out! I think we worked out that out of the 40 days and nights that Sophia has been in Manchester she has only stayed in perhaps 5 or 6 times and that’s through sheer exhaustion or some kind of freshers’ flu!

Can any of you out there relate to this new normal?

Maybe you are getting the pictures of your child’s laundry hanging proudly on the clothes rail you supplied as they ventured off to pastures new. Or perhaps it’s the photo dumps you receive of successfully cooked meals on a good day, maybe a Bolognese or a stir-fry. One of our high points is the photo expectation on a Wednesday – sports social evening. We have had fancy dress pictures of a lobster, a rat and a pea – thank goodness for Amazon saving our daughter with regular packages arriving from red, grey and green face paint to matching coloured swim hats plus other accessories to complete the look.

It’s about learning how to adapt and seeking help and distraction

Needless to say, apart from the huge adaptation on both sides, our daughter is loving life, loving Manchester and living the University dream.

We miss her and will continue to do so but accepting that this is part of the natural way of life and moving with it, embracing it and cherishing the home visits when they come gets you through.

Not sure if I am more envious or just exhausted at the thought of University life but whatever the path our children choose it’s all about preparing for them fleeing the nest at some point and being ok with the new normal.

How the flexible Hour Hands EA team can help you deal with change

Whilst we are good listeners, the best way that we can support you with any changes is through offering practical, reliable support.  Our experienced Personal Assistants and talented bookkeepers can leap in at a moment’s notice to help you with those urgent and important tasks, whilst you manage your clients, your family or your own emotional response to a change.

From booking travel, to managing your diary or running your books or preparing for tax returns – we can help you by completing tasks and shifting them off your to-do list whilst you concentrate on other things. You can flex when you need support too as we can either work on a retainer or deliver one off projects.  

To find out more simply visit our website or call us on 01727 818262. We will ask how we can support you and offer a solution either on an hourly rate or package cost. The choice is yours – we simply want to help.