Just like being a stay at home mom, working full-time as a mother comes with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. While the advantages are amazing, having an extra income, working a fulfilling career, etc., it is extremely easy to get overwhelmed with both your work and home lives and when you are a mother in the workforce, especially if your family is still relatively new.
It’s not always easy, but you should always remember that the satisfaction you feel in your career doesn’t mean that your family life has to suffer, especially if you follow these tips.
1. Separate Work and Home Life
Having a clear separation of your work and home life is an extremely important part of keeping your life balanced. Live by the rule that you should keep your work at work and your home life at home. Try your hardest not to still be stuck in “work mode” when you come home for the day, whether that means by keeping your actual work within the confines of the office or changing your attitude altogether once you get home. Having clear, distinct parameters like this will help a lot when it comes to overworking and making more time for your family.
2. Allow Your Partner to Help
Aside from being the love of your life, you chose to start and raise a family with your husband for a reason, which makes it important to allow him to take the reins when you’re overwhelmed. As a working mom, you have a tendency to take on much more than you can realistically handle, whether it’s making dinner, putting the kids down, or taking on a few more chores .It is important to communicate with your husband that you may need to take on a little less than you have been.
3. Stay Organized
Proper organization is a huge part of the family and work balance act. Having a set schedule of your working hours and having an organizational calendar of all of your kids and family’s events will allow you to keep better tracks of things without getting frazzled.
Tip: try using the handy calendar application on your cellphone to keep track of your events, not only can you take it everywhere you go but will always have a scheduled reminder before any events as well.
4. Carve Out Specific Family Time
Set specific times for spending time with your family. Whether it’s visiting the park once a week, having dinner together every night, or an annual vacation, you should make ample time to spend with your family when you are all unplugged and connected to one another. Setting an unmoving time for family helps promote structure but still allows you more relaxation and time with your loved ones.
5. Consider A Flexible Schedule
If you work a job where having a flexible schedule (like working 40 hours over 4 days instead of 5) is possible and have a boss that would allow it you should definitely consider it. While working a more flexible schedule would require you to have a bit more discipline, and work slightly longer hours on your office days, it could also be a great compromise that would allow you to spend more days away from work and at home with your family.
6. Go Easy on Yourself
Working mom guilt is something that many mothers in the workforce have to overcome. It can be easy to get caught up in certain expectations and misconceptions about what motherhood should be, causing working mothers to feel guilty about choosing to stay in the workforce. It is important to remind yourself that your decisions are always valid, just like your love for your family. Remember that your partner and your children will love, support, and care for you no matter what you choose to do. We’ve also got a great piece on handling working mom guilt you should check out.
7. Have Quality Childcare
Never take a high-quality babysitter or nanny for granted. It may be hard for you and your husband to allow non-family members to care for your children from time to time or on a regular basis, but having regular childcare for your children will save you heaps of stress in the long run. Working late at the office, having a date night, or just needing some extra help when you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed, can be solved by a regular babysitter, if you can afford it.