Helen Skelton has admitted she struggles with mum guilt, but insists it is important to have some "me time" away from her kids now and again.
Helen Skelton has admitted she struggles with mum guilt, but insists it is important to have some 'me time' away from her kids now and again.
The 'Countryfile' presenter - who has moved back in her with parents since splitting from her husband, 32-year-old rugby player Richie Myler - has spoken about life as a single mother, but says she tries not to feel bad about having some time away from the former couple's kids Ernie, seven, Louis, five, and nine-month-old Elsie.
She said: "To me, one of the biggest, most liberating things it to put your phone away.
"Put your phone on a shelf, put your phone in a drawer, get yourself an alarm clock because it's so easy to get sucked into work emails and extra tasks. Clearly, if you are a conscientious person, you always think you can do a bit more and do a bit extra. But box it off, your working day finishes at a certain point.
"I've said it before, feel free to delegate. You know there are other working mums out there, who might want to do extra, who might want to do some ironing, who might want to do some cleaning. If you can't fit that into your day, feel free to delegate some things out.
"The thing that I am hanging on to, that I encourage everybody to do, including myself, was tell other people when you are carving out that me time for yourself, that's your little backyard of protecting yourself - and lists, lists are good, write down what you need to do and it's out of your brain."
Helen believes mums "don't help each other enough", and admits she is quite happy to invite her kids' friends around to play with them, because she knows the favour will be returned on another occasion.
Speaking on 'Lorraine', she added: "It's a trade-off. My friends will then have my kids over for tea or flip flop taking the boys to football, so that you are helping someone else, you'll feel better about that but you are getting yourself that window of opportunity to do something for you.
"I don't think mums help each other enough. It's not a competition, it takes a village and we are all in this together."
It was recently revealed Helen's ex Richie is expecting a baby with his new girlfriend, Stephanie Thirkill.
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