Being a new mom is exhilarating, but at the same time, extremely challenging. And it is possible to have work-life balance. Once you hold your little one for the first time, everything else seems unimportant. However, soon, reality kicks in and it’s time to pick up where you left off and take up your other life roles. Getting back to work is a real ordeal, especially the part where you have to leave that tiny, helpless creature with someone else. You’re consumed with guilt and worried whether it will be well looked after. Besides that, although your baby is cute and adorable, there are times when you have to admit that it’s a real handful, while all these sleepless nights have taken its toll on you. It’s only logical to start wondering is a work-life balance just a myth. Luckily, there are some tricks that can help you get the best of both worlds.
Ditch the 9-to-5
There’s no need to give up on your career when you become a mom. Living in the Digital Age has its benefits, such as a flexible schedule and working from home. You can discuss possible options with your boss and reach an agreement. Telecommuting can save you a couple of hours a day that you can spend with your kids. If the nature of your job is such that you have to go to the office, you can reduce your engagement to part-time, or divide your 40-hour work week into four 10-hour shifts.
Delegate tasks
The so-called invisible workload is one of the biggest issues that many women have to deal with. After they come home from work, their second job starts. Household chores seem to be their responsibility by default, and this drags them into a vicious circle of exhaustion and frustration. It’s crucial to put your foot down and ask your partner, and your kids to step in and help you. Many families make a weekly chore schedule, and this practice has numerous benefits. Your kids will learn responsibility, you’ll be able to get some rest, and there will be more opportunities to spend some quality time together.
Carve out some “me time”
Many moms find it almost impossible to schedule some “me” time and relax. Whenever they think about curling up on a sofa with their favorite TV show and a glass of wine, they feel as if they’re neglecting their kids. The truth is that if you want to be a good mom, you have to pamper yourself once in awhile. Ask your partner or your parents to look after the kids while you go to the spa or have a girls’ night out.
Master time-management skills
You can make things easier with a couple of efficiency hacks. When it comes to cooking meals, opt for those that you can let simmer or bake without too much hassle. Always prepare for your day in advance and organize everything the night before. Take advantage of comfortable baby wraps to spend some time outside with your older kids while your baby is peacefully sleeping in your arms. Make all your phone calls while you’re commuting to work. Limit the time you spend surfing the internet while you’re at work in order to boost your productivity, and instead of watching TV in the evening, bond with your partner and work on your relationship.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
The cult of “supermom” is putting too much pressure on women. Magazines are full of articles of successful, slender, tanned young moms who manage to do everything and still find time to look great and have fun. Still, they don’t reveal the whole picture, so we don’t read about an army of nannies, housekeepers, and other staff helping them 24/7. It’s important to realize that motherhood is hard work and that moms need every kind of help and support they can get. Asking for help doesn’t make you a failure. Think of it as outsourcing and a way to be more productive and efficient. For example, it’s perfectly alright to opt for carpooling or hiring a babysitter
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We hope you enjoyed these simple tips that can help you enjoy your motherhood and take some burden off your shoulders, by one our wonderful bloggers, Emma Lawson. If you are in a career or life transition and need help unraveling your next steps – try our complimentary discovery session.
Emma Lawson is a busy mom to two wonderful boys. She is passionate about writing and her boys are her inspiration. She loves to explore, learn and share about parenting techniques. She is a regular contributor to High Style Life . You can follow her on Twitter @emmahlawson
Namaste’ beautiful sisters,
Teresa Salhi
Empower The Dream. Real Life. Real Confidence. Real Solutions….for Big Dreamin’ Women
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I am not a mom. However, based from what I have seen, it takes a lot of work to be multi-tasking. I should say lucky are those who are tin the sandwich generation who have mothers to help them take care of their kids. Nannies probably are great if they are true to their work though. Mothers definitely need this me time as just like everyone else.
Yes, it is true we all need time for personal care – moms and all.
I think these things are true even if you aren’t a mom as well or if you’re kids are grown and out of the home. Life can throw all kinds of situations in our way that cause us to neglect ourselves.
Life can have many ups and downs for sure – so important for us to make a habit of caring for ourselves so that we have the capacity to handle those ups and downs.
Lovely post Teresa. I wish there was a book that told us how to do it, but since no two children are the same, then we’d need about 30,000 different variations of the same book. Thanks. Me time and arranging your life to fit your needs are important.
Finding our own balance is indeed important and carries through everything else.
Great tips. My grand niece just had twins. She is a stay at home mom for now but I know her entrepreneurial spirit will soon emerge. Then she will need to be ok with asking for help and taking me time
Asking for help is so important and necessary for all of us at various time too. How exciting for her and for you too.
When I got pregnant with my daughter, I was sure that I would go back to work right away. As it turned out, I stayed home for 20 months until I was offered a partnership in a new business in the home video industry. I was fortunate that my former husband was very hands on, which made life so much easier for me. These are wonderful tips and things I would include now, that I didn’t do back then.
Yes ,perhaps you can use now even though circumstances are different.
Although I don’t have kids, I can see how being a mom is hard to juggle with all of things already on the to-do list. Great tips here to make life manageable.
Thanks Meghan.
I can completely relate to this blog. I am a single mum of 2 and i manage it all just fine. I have time for myself and i get a lot done. The holidays are the worst, but i just make it work.
You are such an inspiration for other women Sonya!
My sons are all grown now, but I remember how hectic things were and I can see how busy it is for my daughters-in-law. I took the Goddesses to the park the other day and was speaking with a working mum who said her employer made it really difficult for her to have shifts that would allow her to pick up her kids from school and spend some time with them.
Work hours can definitely be hard on many working parents.