Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, being a mom is the most challenging job ever, though, it’s also the most rewarding. You are called to take on many roles, and building your professional life while raising your kids—that’s quite a task, supermomma. You work round the clock and your “salary”? Your child’s fulfillment. Some say that work-life balance for moms is a myth. How true is this?
Juggling a full-time job while taking care of your family 24/7 is never easy. Feeling of guilt and stress because of divided attention constantly consume you, plus, the chores don’t seem to go away! They’re just endless; it’s like you’re trap in a cycle of sleepless nights, scrambling mornings, and hectic afternoons. But there’s no such thing as perfect work-life balance. Yes, you read that right. There will always be sacrifices, but what you can do is divide your time accordingly.
Work-life Balance for Moms
Why work-life balance is important for moms? Here are the reasons:
- Improves your mental health
- Prevents burnout
- Well-spent time with your family
- Promotes better relationship
- Establishing boundaries
First thing you need to do is let go of the guilt.
Being away from your child is hard, not being there for them all the time is frustrating, too, I know, but instead of dwelling on it, just think about how your job is helping your family. How your sacrifice is benefiting them—there’s food on the table, you keep them warm and safe, they’re attending a good school, and so on. Focus on the positive. You are not just providing for your kids, but also contributing to the betterment of their future.
Assistance? Think about it.
There are so many ways that you could seek help to take care of your child, but it’s best if you ask recommendations from your own relatives, friends, or co-workers. Do an extensive research if you’re planning to hire one.
Make your mornings easier by organizing things the night before.
Prepare ahead of time, so you won’t have to scramble every morning trying to do so many tasks at once—preparing your kids’ foods, ironing their clothes, fixing their bags, et cetera. This might result to cramming, too. Getting things ready the night before not only give you a sense of control, but also, helps you sleep with ease. Making your mornings less chaotic also means getting more family time every breakfast!
Plot it all out, supermom!
“So many things to do, so little time!” You’ve probably said this line countless of times grunting, but figuring out your priorities, listing them down base on their urgency, and plotting them on your family calendar help everyone keep track on everything. May it be a birthday celebration, a grocery stop, an assignment that needs to be done, a project you need to work on, or a meeting that you need to attend to, plot it all out so no one misses anything.
Nurture bonds.
I’m not just talking about support groups here. I’m also not encouraging you to say “yes” to every party, every invitation, and so on. Making time for your kids is crucial, and more often than not, we just don’t have the energy to even have fun and catch up with our friends and parents. Sometimes, we even forget to spend time with our partner! But every once in a while, we need to do it. Bottling up all our stress and frustrations will do us no good. Spending at least an hour or a couple of minutes with them would help you mentally and emotionally. It would feel like a breath of fresh air.
Talk to the HR.
This could depend on which company you are working for, but some do offer flexible arrangements or allow you to work on your preferred setup. Discuss solutions and assure them that it won’t restrict your productivity and won’t compromise the quality of your work.
Repeat after me: Self-care isn’t selfish.
We tend to forget about ourselves or put ourselves last, but in order for us to take care of other people, we need to take care of ourselves first. Despite the struggle to squeeze in a bit of “me” time, it’s also a refreshing break to recharge ourselves, to nurture our being—our personal battery. It could be as simple as getting your hair or nails done, working out, meditating, reading a book, watching your favorite series, and baking. Reward yourself. As the saying goes, happy mom, happy home!
At the end of the day, you can always define your own definition of balance. In the process of learning to make everything work, expect that it’s going to be bumpy, out of control, and really, really frustrating, but trust your own parenting process. It’s all trial and error, that’s how we learn. Always give yourself enough credit for your efforts and appreciate everything, may them be small or big, you’ve done for your family.
Be contented, and remember, you don’t have to do all these things alone.
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Read more about ” Life on a farm“, also check out “The role of the father in the family“