Today, I had a very serious conversation about my new job title.

My son turned 15 today. And when he came downstairs this morning, the kitchen was covered in balloons, banners and presents. He opened his birthday card. I watched him read it carefully because I knew what I had written would change our relationship forever. I told him: “It’s time.” He’s been asking me for this for a while. I just wasn’t ready. Because today, I officially transitioned from Mummy to Mum, well… technically. He hasn’t actually called me Mum yet.

But when it happens, I’m fairly sure I’m going to fall over. Then came the second part of our conversation. He looked at me and said: “Mummy, have you heard of a helicopter mum?” “Yes…” “I think you might be one.” Excuse me?! 😳Apparently, now that he’s 15, it’s time for me to back off a little. To give him more space, to let him live his life. 😂 But underneath all the laughter, we were having a really important conversation about growing up. My role is changing, the objective is no longer to protect him from everything. It’s to watch him become secure enough to navigate the world without me hovering above him. And maybe that is one of the biggest responsibilities we ever take on. Our jobs will change, our businesses will evolve. Our careers will come and go. But our role as parents lasts as long as we live.
Today, I got a new title. Mum. And apparently, I also got a new job description: Less hovering 🚁