Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers and grandmothers and even great grandmothers out there in the world as we celebrate the great domain of motherhood.

In true family tradition, this lovely photo of all of us was taken a year ago; it's very tricky to get shots of us all together.

I’m Kate, wife to Chris, founder of Old Mate Media and I’m the coordinator mastermind working behind the scenes in the business. (No false modesty here). One of our favourite blogger friends Fiona from Mumma Morrison (who interviewed Chris as a #RealDad) recently challenged me to consider how motherhood has changed me. I thought that this would a great way to share a little about me and how I came to join the Old Mate Media team.

So, how has motherhood changed me? Let me count the ways! Sometimes I feel so far away from the person I was before children. I have been a mother for nearly six years now and that pre-motherhood person often feels like someone entirely different. Sometimes I fight, kicking and screaming, to get back some of the pre-kids me. And in other moments, I sink into it and embrace the new me with acceptance and grace.

Top six ways motherhood has changed me:

1. I find joy in the small things. This is often a choice, and definitely one that on bad days has to be an active choice. But it’s amazing how good a little person running towards you with a huge smile on their face can make you feel.
2. No more festivals. Chris and I were big music festival goers in our twenties, and we went to a couple after our first was born. However, standing at the stage in the sun, fatigued, I just realised I was done. I still love live music, but my spectrum of an amazing day out has well and truly shifted.
3. I am more aware of the wrongs in this world. When I see things happen to people, especially children here and overseas, my heart explodes. My empathy heads into overdrive and the unfairness really gets to me
4. My career goals changed. As they do for so many parents. I had always wanted to be the working mother and I still am. But rather than conquer the corporate world, I’m building and growing our own amazing family business. We run it from our home office, which we built between the births of number two and three. It’s five minutes from school and daycare. I was the commuter parent and Chris was the stay at home dad. But I hated missing so many dinners, baths and so much of our family life due to work.
5. I’m often a bad friend. I try to engage and be involved in my friends’ lives, but with so much going on, I often miss important dates. I am also slow to reply and can be distracted in our conversations. Luckily they are patient with me.
6. I appreciate my mother more. My mum had a really rough time raising us, with little support and long periods of un-diagnosed depression. Now, as I go through moments with my three - with much more partner and family help than she ever had - I think of her. Understanding what she did and why sometimes things were less than ideal fills me with admiration.

A pre-kids festival, with the requisite wristband and green nail polish to now, with a child permanently on one hip

Motherhood, taking it one step at a time

So that’s a little about me. Hopefully it gives you a little insight into our company, who we are and why we do what we do. One of my favourite things about my corporate life was the amazingly talented people I worked with. Now it's exciting to work every day with amazingly talented authors, artists and bloggers from around the world. Plus of course, our own talented Chris Stead, my husband and partner on this parenting, business and life learning journey.

Where to Next?

If you do want to find out a bit more about what we do, just head on to the services tab in the menu. Alternatively, if you want to find out a bit more about Chris and his journey. You'll learn why he started writing children’s books and made the jump out of corporate life. Last but not least, don’t forget to check out our incredible books!