The Parent Project: Month 15 and 4

ByElizabeth Harrin Last updated: Research & Case Studies

“Is the entrance that way, love?” said the delivery man as I was walking past a local school.

I replied that it was.

I didn’t have the children with me at the time but I must have looked like a harried mother who would know how to get to the school. When I got home I realised I had baby sick all down my jumper so yes, I definitely looked like I would know that kind of thing.

I know a lot of things now that I didn’t know 15 months ago. For example, I am pretty adept at measuring out 80ml of water for the steriliser by eye now. I know that red cheeks are probably teething and not carbon monoxide poisoning. And I know that toddlers are supposed to test their boundaries in a safe environment at home. However, this whole testing boundaries phase apparently goes on for quite a lot longer than just the toddling stage, and we already have plenty of testing going on at our house.

Things Jack knows he shouldn’t do but does anyway:

  • Pull books off the antique bookcase (now removed to the office)
  • Climb the stairs by himself (stair gate bought but not yet fitted yet – must remember to keep the lounge door closed!)
  • Bang on glass, especially the glass fronted TV cabinet (footstool now in front of cabinet to make it harder to reach)
  • Throw food on the floor and then sign “Where’s it gone?” (this is a fun game when we hide toys, but not so great at meal times)
  • Pull hair (he looks like he is growing out of this one, thankfully).

In Healthcare Project Management, Kathy Schwalbe and Dan Furlong write:

It has been said that any decent project manager should have been told, “You went beyond your authority,” at least once a year or they are not being as effective as they should be. Why? Because if you have not tested your boundaries, then you do not know exactly what they are.

So I am Jack’s project sponsor – helping him understand the boundaries of behaviour. Luckily Oliver isn’t capable of much beyond a little giggle if you tickle him under the arms but heaven help me when they’re both at it. That will bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘the testing stage’.

Elizabeth Harrin wearing a pink scarf

Project manager, author, mentor

Elizabeth Harrin is a Fellow of the Association for Project Management in the UK. She holds degrees from the University of York and Roehampton University, and several project management certifications including APM PMQ. She first took her PRINCE2 Practitioner exam in 2004 and has worked extensively in project delivery for over 20 years.
Elizabeth is also the founder of the Project Management Rebels community, a mentoring group for professionals. She's written several books for project managers including Managing Multiple Projects.