Balancing Motherhood and Your Career

Our favourite tips on how to master the balancing act!

It’s the eternal question – can women have it all? Can we successfully balance our home lives and caring for our kids with a fulfilling career? While the answer is not that straightforward, today it is possible for women to have both. Of course sacrifices will be made along the way and the road is not always easy. But as a Mother, you already possess special powers that help you do extraordinary things. And with the right support, planning and management, you too can make sure that you have everything you ever dreamed of. So we put together our favourite tips from working Moms on how they successfully juggle it all and remain sane at the end of the day. Here they are…

1. Make sure you have support

Parenting is a team effort and it’s important to seek the support of your spouse in this new journey. Try to split parenting duties based on both of your schedules. For example, if your spouse starts their work day earlier than you do, then you can handle the early morning duties while your spouse can take care of evening duties. There shouldn’t be any hard-and-fast rules and the ultimate aim is to help each other out as much as possible.

2. Find outside care that works for you

Whether it is a nanny or a daycare centre, find a childcare provider that you trust and are absolutely comfortable with. Get used to this before you actually go back to work so that it is easier for you to eventually make the transition.

3. Plan in advance

Put those expert planning skills to use and chalk out your week in advance. Use today’s technology to your advantage to stay in touch with the kids and get regular updates. Order baby products online to avoid trips to the store. Find out if your workplace has special benefits for new Moms, such as an office day-care centre, flexible timings, work from home facilities etc. Communicate your specific needs to your supervisors and find a way to work around it. If you’re still breast-feeding, then plan when and where you can do it and talk to HR about how you can make this easier.

4. Stop micromanaging

Micromanagement will drain you of all your energy and prevent you from really enjoying this journey. No, everything won’t be perfect all the time but it will be wondrously imperfect and you will love every minute of it.

5. Applaud yourself

You are doing an amazing job and it’s important to recognize that. A lot of moms experience strong feelings of guilt after going back to work and this is normal too. In times like these, it’s important to remember that not only are you setting a great example for your little ones but are also creating a more satisfying and rounded life for yourself.

6. Make lines

Sometimes it’s hard to draw a definitive line between your work and home space and these two worlds often tend to collide. The key is to try and be present in the situation that you are dealing with and to give it your all. So if you’re enjoying dinner with the kids, try and enjoy the chatter and laughter instead of checking your emails every few minutes. Similarly when you are at work, don’t let home stress get in the way of your productivity. Of course this does sound easier in theory, but you will find that as time flies, you will become a master juggler.