Most parents struggle to juggle kids and work, but Maria Petterson often flies her daughter to Sweden for childcare.
Pilot Maria, 38, regularly drops her two-year-old daughter Alice off at her mum’s house in Gothenburg between commercial flights.
The toddler has already racked up 35,000 air miles and the extraordinary arrangement saves Maria around £2,500 a month in childcare fees.
The single mum was determined not to give up her dream job when Alice was born and she was supported by her mum Kristina, 67, who loves having her granddaughter stay over.
Maria said: “Alice has probably been on more planes than most people have in their entire lifetime and luckily for me, the jet engine sends her to sleep.
“It can be a struggle, balancing motherhood around my job, but I am lucky I have lots of childcare options.
“Her dad helps out and my mum has just retired so I fly Alice over to her house in Gothenburg, Sweden, which is where I’m from. It’s the longest commute to childcare ever!
“Every time I’ve flown Alice over, I’ve always been a passenger, never the pilot, and she spends the whole journey asleep on my lap.
“Depending on my shift pattern, I will either head to mum’s with Alice and stay over or mum will grab her from the airport while I fly back to the UK.
“I didn’t plan on being a single mum but I’ve absolutely made this situation work with the people around me while co-parenting with Alice’s dad.
"I’m lucky as the airline I work for doesn’t do layovers. However, most days I leave the house at 4.30am and won’t get in until 6pm.”
Maria, who lives in Chelmsford, Essex, continued: “I will normally start at 6am and fly to somewhere like Dublin, then over to Alicante and back.
“Sometimes I do night shifts, which means leaving at midnight while Alice is asleep.
“It’s long and tiring but I’m lucky enough to have a babysitter who’s willing to come over so early. We’re really close to her now – Alice knows her well and loves her.”
Maria didn’t know how she’d cope with her job once Alice was born, but she said: “I think, being a parent, you always struggle trying to find a way to make things work.
“People like to complain that it’s difficult to organise around a shift pattern but I try my best to prepare in advance to make things easier.
"A couple of nights a week I will meal prep and freeze it for Alice so it’s just there for the babysitter to grab.
“When I cook, I do big batches and it helps me organise. And because of this, it means I don’t have to cook every night.”
Maria’s hectic schedule can mean she has to spend long periods of time away from her daughter, but she makes it work and wants to encourage other mothers to pursue their dream careers, whether they have a family or not.
She said: “Alice may not quite understand my job yet but she is fascinated by airplanes and when one goes above her, she points and says, ‘It’s Mummy!’
“On social media, I have an audience all over the world so get a mixed reaction. Some people say you should be at home with your kids, but I’m a single mother so I need to pay the bills.
“Other than that, the reaction is absolutely great with people rejoicing that I’ve shown you can go back to work and don’t have to give up on your career.
“I can’t wait to explain it to Alice once she’s older. I want to make sure she knows she can manage a career, a family or whatever she desires. She can have it all.
“I’ve also spoken to younger women at work who were concerned about having a family around the job and it’s made them realise they can do both.
“Family does not stop you from being a pilot or from having any other career. I have some amazing family and friends who have supported my decision throughout.”
Maria reckons her unusual arrangement saves her around £2,500 a month on childcare. She said: “With the hours I work, the only other option would have been a full-time nanny.”
Granny Kristina worked in a school before she retired.
She said: “I love looking after Alice and love that she comes here because, ironically, I’m scared of flying. I think it makes our bond stronger.”
