7 Ways to Balance Career and Family as a Working Mom

The modern mom finds herself faced with more challenges than ever before. It’s not as easy to be a stay-at-home mom as it once was and this means that many are having to balance career and family as a working mom.

The downside of this is the stress, the feeling of inadequacy and the worry that follows you round on a daily basis – worrying about your child(ren) when you’re at work and worrying about work when you should be enjoying family time.

If you are looking for a better way to balance your career and family life, we have some top tips here:

Be a team

Talk to you partner and let them know how you’re feeling. It may be that they need to help you out more, share the chores or take over the school run for a day or two. You and your partner should be working as a team and that means you both need to be involved.

Differentiate between the two

When you’re at work, you’re at work. And therefore you shouldn’t be worrying about your child(ren). It might be easier said than done, but try focusing on differentiating the time you spend at work from the time you spend at home. If you can distinguish them in your mind, you’ll find that you’ll be better able to balance career and family as a working mom.

Don’t feel guilty

This builds on the previous tip. It can be easy to give in to the guilt you’re feeling when you’re not at home, and then likewise when you’re not at work. But you’re simply doing your best for you and your family, so it’s important to not let the guilt takeover; it’s a perfectly healthy and normal reaction but one that you need to control.

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Request flexibility

The modern workplace is forever changing and many employers will allow flexible working hours to fit in and around your child(ren)’s routine; all you’ve got to do it ask.

Be prepared

Avoid getting the day off to a bad start by preparing what you can the night before. If you leave for work in a rush, you’re going to be starting the day in a frantic and stressed out manner. Organisation is the secret to being able to balance career and family as a working mom.

Structure yourself

This is applicable for both at home and in the workplace. Avoid multitasking when you’re around your child(ren) and limit the number of work-based activities you do (e.g. making calls, checking emails) in the evenings. Likewise when you’re at work, reduce procrastination and be more disciplined to maximise your productivity.

Have faith in yourself

To achieve a well-balanced career and family as a working mom you need to remind yourself that you can’t do it all and so it’s important to take time out for yourself otherwise you’ll end up feeling stressed and burned out.

Resources:
http://www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com/8-essential-tips-every-mom-needs-for-work-life-balance-2/
http://www.parents.com/parenting/work/life-balance/moms-balance-work-family/view-all/