Motherhood is a beautiful phase to enjoy. But it could be exhausting too, especially if you are a working mom! Balancing work along motherhood is a prominent challenge for all women. And this is not only during the times of pandemic but it has been prevailing for decades. The point is that the pandemic has made it even tougher! And possibly, more talked about.
Many think it’s easy to work from home and manage kids and family simultaneously. In reality, it is not! Working mom struggles are real as many women take complete hold of household chores besides work. Women may have taken a lead with men when it comes to work and career, but men are still to learn to share household responsibilities which makes it challenging to balance work and motherhood for most, if not all, women.
With this culture being the new normal, it is important to maintain a work-life balance daily. In this scenario, we must see what best can be done to create a lifestyle that gives time for self-care, your family, and your kids.
11 Tips For Balancing Work And Motherhood
Finding balance as a mom between work and motherhood is not simple. Motherhood in itself is a full-time business. Balancing motherhood and career is something that keeps running in every working mom’s mind especially when maternity leaves are about to get over.
Relax and take a pause! For you are not alone in constantly thinking about how to balance working from home and being a parent. Most working moms have felt like life took a huge ride at one point in time while trying to do this double-tasking.
You might lose peace thinking about how to balance work and family as a mom and how all of these could crash at any moment! While there is no secret formula balancing work and motherhood, all you need is a little preparation that can change things for the better.
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1. Don’t feel guilty
The first and foremost thing as a working mom you should do is to let go of the guilt of not being with your child. To work and make a career is your choice and at times, the best thing to do is to stand by the choices you have made. Juggling work and motherhood is a challenging task and not everyone can do it.
For some women, they can’t be stay-at-home mothers due to financial crisis and while others choose careers to be important. Having said that, it is something to be proud of rather than feeling guilty about it. Whether you work because of the need, or for the simple reason that motherhood alone does not define you, take pride in yourself.
It’s time for you to be confident as you play a major role in supporting your entire family. Your child will for sure understand the sacrifice you make now for his/her betterment!
2. Prefer shortcuts
To finish work at the earliest and to save time, go for shortcut techniques which can save time and make work easy. Thanks to technology, a lot of facilities are available nowadays and you must not shy using them to your advantage.
Go for online shopping instead of waiting for checkout in the store. You can save your list online and keep booking regularly so you don’t miss anything. Use commute time for calls, if any.
To tackle balancing motherhood and career, cut veggies beforehand which makes cooking easy. Also, cook during free time and store in the freezer. Make sure to heat and taste the same before offering it to your little one.
3. Stick to a routine
Establishing a routine is one recommendation to handle working mom struggles. Things become organized in this way and you can be prepared during the tense morning hours. Mornings are better with a few things done the previous night.
With proper planning, and when things are set ahead for the next day, the chances you might miss something are very low. Especially your child’s school stuff. The stress levels are much less comparatively.
You can also teach your children morning routines like brushing teeth, making the bed, packing school bags, etc.
Related Reading: 12 Tips to Help You Prepare Your Child for Preschool
4. Learn to say ‘NO’
So many people would have helped you throughout your pregnancy and until childbirth. However, after all those and especially when you are a working mom, all you have to do is to make it all alone. At times it is important as women for us to say NO to a few things for finding balance as a mom. This could be to your boss, husband or family too.
Saying a yes to keep the work-life or personal life smooth and later regretting or struggling to accomplish the task could be a mess. Let your NO be polite yet firm so that people don’t bother you. And no, you do not have to worry about what others may think- you know your priorities and that matters the most.
5. Take breaks — from work and parenting
Don’t feel obligated to do every household chore. You cannot keep your house super clean all the time nor prepare delicious food always. It is important to schedule breaks between your work and household chores. Even a few minutes of breaks could keep your mind refreshed.
Sometimes your office work keeps your schedule tight however, keep in mind that breaks are mandatory for your well-being.
Even small things such as a walk around the house, eating chocolate, reading your favorite book for a few minutes could make a difference.
Related Reading: 21 Indoor Activities For Babies And Toddlers (Age 0m-2 years)
6. Adopt healthy habits
Sometimes your work isn’t flexible enough to give you all that “Me time”. However, taking care of your physical health is very important. Many moms miss this mostly on thinking about how to balance working from home and being a parent.
Drink a lot of water and have a balanced diet. Try to prioritize your well-being as many moms put themselves last. Go for a walk or jog a little. Do a bit of yoga and lastly get a good proper sleep. A healthy lifestyle is sure thing to improve your mood and energy levels.
Staying away from what you’re doing for a few minutes could help you keep refreshed and ready to tackle the next course.
7. Outsource tasks
Outsourcing tasks may not be found friendly for some working women. Yet, distributing some of your work could make you a little free. It helps when you are juggling work and motherhood.
Ask for help from a family member or friend. Also, you can hire a maid or a caretaker to do household work and take care of your children.
Regardless of who is helping you, make the person feel comfortable and let them know that their help makes much difference in your workload. In this way, you get some time for yourself which is worth the investment.
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8. Technology and smart work
If you are struggling in finding balance as a mom, make sure you take all advantage of the technology and become a smart worker. This could save you much time.
Use apps and keep your phone synced on what needs to be done when. Get most of your work done online by which you will save a lot of pressure and time. And yes, you will thank the time saver — technology!
9. Make a to-do list
Being organized to get a better work-life balance is important. Failing which, the way of tackling too much and struggling with it is going to make you regret and overwhelmed.
Preparing a to-do list on what needs to be done on a daily, weekly basis helps you estimate what exactly needs your attention along with how much time.
Always set priorities so that you don’t have to keep running behind many things at a time.
10. Avoid distractions
Social media is so interesting and influencing. While there are working mom struggles, many women love spending a lot of time on their mobile phones. Try to avoid using mobile phones during your productive work hours. Use it only if your work demands it.
However, you can use them during your short breaks. But keep in mind to build focus on your pending works and completing your critical tasks first.
Your kids might also play around and pull you for a game. Remain calm and handle it mindfully. Ensure not to get distracted both in motherhood as well as your career.
Related Reading: Smartphones-12 Reasons To Keep Your Children Away From Them
11. Teach clean up
Balancing work and motherhood is tough! But there are ways through which you could make it simplified.
So how often or which part of motherhood do you seem to be doing repetitively? One common answer would be to clean up.
Cleaning up the toys, putting those dirty clothes to wash, making beds are something even a 3-year-old can do. All you need to do is to teach them in a fun-filled way.
Make a courtesy request to people at home to hang their jackets and put on their dirty clothes in the laundry baskets. Appreciate your kid for his/her little effect and offer them a treat. Doing this will reduce your workload a little.
Conclusion
Mothers are inclined to put themselves last. Balancing work and motherhood is important but what is more important is taking care of yourself. There are many things you could do while your children are resting.
Try to reduce your multitasking when you are spending time together as a family. Try to have family dinner as often as you can. This could make your day complete for all those morning hours you missed with your little one.
Don’t allow work pressure and your stress to take away your family time. Also, don’t get tempted and compare yourself with other women. Learn to set your standards, whatever may be achievable. So, make sure not to stress too much while balancing motherhood and career.