Whether out of necessity or preference, many mothers choose to work and grow their careers while raising kids. It’s not an easy feat, but it doesn’t have to be a grueling venture that sucks the life out of you.
Women worldwide have managed to strike a balance between working and motherhood, which means it doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. Being a mom is blissful, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be anything else and succeed at it too.
If you’re a working mom looking for ways to balance work and family, here are tips to get you started.
1. Establish a Routine
Fans of the classic reality show Supernanny are familiar with Jo Frost’s first order of business when solving family problems. She gathers intel on the issues at hand and establishes a routine for the struggling family.
As a working mom, you’ll need some form of structure to keep things running and ensure the two worlds (career and motherhood) don’t clash.Come up with a simple system that is effective without being overwhelming. It should be simple enough that your kids can understand and find it easy to comply with.
The advantage a good routine has is that it saves time, puts everything where they need to be, and limits chaos.
2. Prep the Night Before
Any mother with school-going kids knows that getting them prepared and out of the house on time to catch the bus can be a nightmare. Dropping them off yourself is even more demanding.
If you must rush to work right after the morning mayhem, chances are you’ll doze off on your desk many times. That’s not good for a working mom as it affects productivity. Instead of rushing to beat the clock in the morning, try doing most of the heavy lifting the night before. Prep everything your kids need to get them ready for school.
You can make it easy on yourself and fun by letting your children participate in the preparation. If possible, prepare their lunch at night and put it in the refrigerator.
3. Work as Family
Children can do way more than we give them credit for. It’s not child abuse to ask your kids to pick up after themselves. You’re teaching them responsibility while avoiding being a workhorse.
Since time is everything for a working mom, you don’t just need to allocate it, you need to protect it so that no aspect of your life is deprived of your attention.You can spare time and make things easier for yourself by working as a family and making sure everyone contributes.
4. Find Support
There is no force as strong as a mother’s, but even heroes need support. You have to recognize that juggling family and career is an enormous undertaking, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Having something or someone to draw strength from when you’re depleted is crucial. It could be loved ones or a circle of close friends.
We are in times when everyone is connected. Social media has made it easy to find communities you can relate to, where you can offer and receive support.
These online communities can be just as helpful as physical ones, with the advantage of convenience and variety. There are all kinds of online mom groups you could join, such as Cannavistmoms, which connects mothers supporting cannabis.
5. Prioritise Selfcare
If you’re not taking care of yourself as a working mom, you will wear yourself out. While it’s in a mother’s nature to meet everyone else’s needs before her own, understand that you have two demanding engagements that depend on you.
As you look for ways to minimize your duties at home, try not to take on everything at work. Focus on what you can handle and let the administration know you’re a mother. You shouldn’t be the go-to person for the extra weekend projects.
Don’t neglect your me-times. Even if it’s just for an hour, remove yourself from everything. Remember, personal time is crucial for physical and emotional wellbeing.
Conclusion
You can choose various paths in life and raise a family at the same time. There isn’t one proper way to go about it because the journey itself isn’t perfect. At the end of the day, what matters the most is what works for you.
