Q&A with Joanna Gosling, author of 'Simply Wonderwoman, a survival guide for women with too much to do' - ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

This week we're inviting you to send in questions to Joanna Gosling, author, mother of three and broadcast journalist for 20 years. Joanna currently presents news programmes for the BBC.

Her new book, Simply Wonderwoman has the strap line ' a survival guide for women with too much to do'. It's about 'helping you have the life you want, not the crazy muddled one that's foisted on you once you have children' (sounds familiar ). The book passes on strategies, tips and ideas to help save time, money and effort and includes tips on everything from how to minimise effort spent on cleaning and laundry, how to be empowered through DIY and even how to use jump leads.

For those of you looking for a ponce-tastic Christmas, there's a fab section on Christmas which incorporates making salt dough tree decorations into a stress-free Christmas and there's a really useful christmas countdown (have you booked your panto tickets yet?)

Post your questions to Joanna before the end of Wednesday 19th October and we'll be linking to her answers at the beginning of November. Sending in a question will automatically enter your name into a draw to win one of five copies of Simply Wonderwoman.

[CaptainMartinCrieff]

Well said anniemac!

[ZephirineDrouhin]

I couldn't disagree more: this is MN at its best, if a little abrasive. We need to keep resisting the notion that women are responsible for every aspect of their families' domestic lives.

I do think that it can be quite complicated working out how to split domestic tasks fairly, especially if one partner (and it is more often the woman) returns to work doing part-time or irregular hours. I do wonder whether a book addressing this issue might be more helpful than yet another one teaching us how to cope with a double workload.

Anyway, my question: your title 'Simply Wonderwoman' obviously echoes Shirley Conran's 1975 'Superwoman'. How do you feel that working mothers' lives have changed since 'Superwoman'? And what do you feel that 'Simply Wonderwoman' adds to the debate over having/doing-it-all (other than bunting and salt dough of course)?

[ZephirineDrouhin]

Sorry that last mention of bunting and salt dough looks horribly snippy - it wasn't meant to be. I just meant to ask what does this book add to 'Superwoman', apart from updating to the current trend for the homespun and retro.

[cheeks1]

The life my children have led me into is a much more positive one than before and I love trying to get better and more organised day by day. I have always been a chaotic person, having two kids for first time ever - is helping me grow calmer:) Lol the above makes me sound like I should be on the Waltons! The inside of my handbag looks like a teddy bears took place in it and my calender is sometimes a month or two behind until my partner notices and turns it to right page, but you gotta let go. When you realise that you view everyone else's life through rose tinted glasses and in fact when you take them off...the view is quite different, you learn to let go. You come of an age I think when you just don't bother to try so hard to strive for perfection or in controlling the things you cannot. You then feel liberated and it feels really good!

[cheeks1]

Teddy bears picnic I meant to say...

[cheeks1]

Once you have children no matter what else you are doing or not in your life, personally I think then you are a superwoman without even trying to be.

[madwomanintheattic]

joanna, if you're ever skiing in the canadian rockies, pop by for a cup of tea. i would love to chat about your experiences as a working woman and mother.

to suggest she isn't robust enough to be queried about the rationale behind the book is a bit patronising, i think. she isn't a flower. she's a together, sensible, successful career woman.

anniemac, i entirely agree - there is no problem at all with working parents taking pride in the domestic.

[PrettyCandles]

I'm allergic to fragrances and just about everything in the household cleaning aisle has fragrance in it.

I also have two boys and a dh, and 2 out of my 3 males (I'm not saying which !) 'occasionally' miss the toilet bowl. Add to this dd's almost-but-not-quite-under-control urinary incontinence problem, and you can imagine that cleaning and dealing with unpleasant lingering smells is quite a significant part of my housework. Especially as I have to do it frequently and, now, fragrance-free.

Any tips?

[moondog]

How about asking them to clean it up PC?
There's a novel idea.
£10.43 please!

[EssentialFattyAcid]

How early caan you finish up and go to bed if you are wonderwoman?
I find it hard to do anything useful after 8pm - is this perhaps the reason that my life is less than wonderful?

Am i a slob/ lazy ahead of my time?

[PrettyCandles]

Derrr, Moondog, what with?!

[CaptainMartinCrieff]

Aaahhh hhhhahhhh prettycandles - Well Done, Bravo and all that!

[BoffinMum]

PC, Method Tub and Tile.
Next question?

Perhaps after asking polite questions of the visitor who is kind enough to pop by for a virtual cup of , fellow MNetters will join me in reading one of the very many interesting blogs on the subject of housekeeping in these difficult financial times. These come at no cost to the reader and I am sure quite a few are part of the very exciting and newly launched MN Bloggers' Network, if I remember correctly.

[madwomanintheattic]

oo boffin, send us your link again. i think i've lorst it. i only read it when you first put it up and then forgot all about it!

[PrettyCandles]

Method products are not fragrance free.

[BoffinMum]

Whoops, sorry. Steam cleaner then.

I can't put my link here as it would be in Bad Taste and MNHQ would tell me off and they are most scary indeed when they do that. However I imagine if you look on my profile you might find something. Other equally inspiring housekeeping blogs are of course also available on the MN Bloggers' Network.

[madwomanintheattic]

i was going to say steam cleaner hours ago. have been meaning to buy one for yonks.

i remember this convo before. even if you're asked?

'kay. have def technical ishoos re pulling up profiles though, so fingers crossed.

[BoffinMum]

Like click on my name, dood?

[madwomanintheattic]

oh i know how to do it. the laptop and i have different levels of agreement over responses to my actions though. a bit like the tv remote. and i couldn't get the cable to work At All yesterday. i think it's my magnetic personality...

[madwomanintheattic]

it did work this time though. i've got about a 3/10 success rate.

[Vampirecella]

I do wonder if we are being brainwashed (for want of a better word) by publishers and producers into believing that we are being foisted from an ordered, clean chaotic free life, into a 'crazy muddled one that's foisted on you once you have children'



My life is neither crazy or muddled because of having children. It certainly hasn't been foisted upon me .

Nor is it minimalistic and clean and whatever.... Of course, time is precious and scarce. And it can feel like a clock watching parenting marathon sometimes.

But...foisted on you? I really don't like that. How many more books and programmes do we need to sell to other parents to make them think they are utterly put upon

[Vampirecella]

Right am gonne retract my above post as it makes me sound smuggy mc smug and I am not that twat [grun]

[BoffinMum]

I know what you mean.

It is not actually that difficult to run a home, and it should only take about an hour a day. I know people get tied in knots about it all, but really for any person who has a bit of an education it should be fairly easy to master if he/she really wants to.