Precise Survival Guide for Working Moms – Part II
In the first part of this blog, we discussed how hard it can be for women to decide between children and career and how juggling a career with managing family can become so daunting. In this part of the blog, I will share some cheats that can help you with striking a balance and still keep your cool.
Keeping your cool
If reading my daily routine made you dread being a mother, let me assure that it’s not all that bad! It only needs a little more focus, constant support from your family and optimal time-management skills! Loads of women are working and they manage their families and work pretty well! If you’re planning to have your first child and reading everything there is on the subject or if you’re a mother already and finding it hard to keep your sanity intact, these survival cheats can help you a great deal. It’s what I have learnt, practiced and aced!
Give up on the guilt!
First and foremost; give up on the working mom guilt! Just know that you can’t be responsible for everything! There’s nothing to be ashamed about if you’re career-oriented. It’s a great thing! And it’s absolutely possible to manage family and your career side by side! When you’re ready to forgive yourself, you can start tackling the problem. Your children need you and you can still be there for them even when you’re working. Even if you can just squeeze out a couple of hours for your kids on the weekdays; it’s fine! What matters is that it should be quality time.
Develop a support network
That can really help you. Starting with your spouse, including your colleagues all the way to your parents and children; you need to develop a support network around you. Share and discuss your issues and stresses with your husband, colleagues and parents. Don’t be a wiener but just keep them in the loop. It’s when they know your issues, they can help you better. Your kids should also know if you’re working on a difficult project. The best support comes from your own children and knowing that they believe in you can even make your more productive.
Don’t be a control-freak!
This is even more important: don’t be a control freak! I know mothers who just can’t let go of anything. They need to do everything themselves and their way. Even if you’re a super human, you can’t still do everything on your own and that’s why we have our families and support groups! You need to understand that there is limit to thing you can do yourself and what can you delegate. Involve your family in household chores and make these chores fun! If you want to punish your child from something, let him/her take the trash out for, say, one week and so on. Reward on these chores and celebrate often! Let your children take care of stuff related to them and this will make them independent and street-smart, too. Let your spouse spoil you with surprise breakfasts and don’t fuss when they make a mess in the kitchen! You just need to let it go sometimes!
Go, get groomed!
Every now and then, take a break and go get fussed over. Hit the nearby salon and get a relaxing massage or a spa treatment. Look beautiful and feel good about yourself even if it means going an extra mile and stretching your budget a little. If you look your best, your family will appreciate that, too and it’s better for your confidence and your family as well. I know there isn’t a thing like getting compliment from my kids! Kids these days, they just want their parents to be in the shape and look great!
Get a li’l tech-savvy
A little technology hurt nobody! So just give up your fear and apprehension for gadgets and apps! There are plenty of apps out there that can help you in great many ways. And when it comes to sorting out your family matters and responsibilities, nothing works better than a parental control app! These magic apps can help you keep in touch with your family all the time! So if you have that guilt piling up for not being there for your family, get yourself a parental control application. You can chat with them, schedule important stuff and share it with your family members, be it birthdays or chores to be done. You can even keep tabs on your kids’ current location and where they’ve been the entire day. Monitor their phone usage and online activities to be sure that you know what’s going on in their lives.
Go, get it all!
So give up on all that working-mommy guilt, stress and indecisiveness. Make a difference and be an inspiration to your children! Just breathe easy and remember that nothing can possibly go too wrong and you’re doing just fine!
