Making motherhood work is hard enough without throwing a job into the mix!
Nowadays there’s aren’t many mothers who can afford to stay at home with their kiddos. In today’s economic climate, moms have to work to help support the family and make ends meet.
But that doesn’t mean doing both has to be catastrophic! There are ways that you can juggle motherhood and work without feeling like your life is a huge ball of crazy.
Check out these ideas and feel free to add your own in the comments!
How to Balance Motherhood and Work
1. Let Go of the Mom Guilt
While part of society may look at you as simply the birth giver responsible for keeping her child alive, the invisible work of motherhood includes worrying, stressing, and, of course, feeling guilty about every single thing you do.
Finding a balance between motherhood and work involves letting go of this guilt.
Remind yourself that: A: Your child doesn’t need you 24-7 and B: You are allowed to enjoy your job. Never feel bad for doing what you have to do!
2. Lower Your Expectations and Try Not to Be Perfect
We all see moms on social media rocking mom life and working but behind every perfect photo is a story of struggle and hardship.
The first thing you should do is stop comparing yourself to Instagram moms and take inspiration from them instead!
The next thing you should do is let go of being perfect by lowering your expectations. You’re going to make mistakes, your home is going to be messy, and sometimes you’re only going to shower twice a week.
3. Create a Routine
Not only do children thrive on routine but moms do as well!
When you establish a routine, such as when you get up in the morning or when you get your housework done, it will become a habit and you will reduce stress in your life by having expectations.
It will also benefit your kiddos as well. Children best develop and behave appropriately when they know what to expect. Creating a routine will also help maintain harmony in your home.
4. Prioritize Your Tasks
A mom’s plate is always full and there’s no way to accomplish everything you need to do. This is why it’s important to prioritize your tasks to ensure that the important things get done.
I like to use a method called “Eating the Frog”. No, you don’t eat an actual frog! It’s based on this Mark Twain quote:
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
It basically means that you shouldn’t procrastinate on the tasks that need to be done but you don’t want to do. Just get them done and over with first thing in the morning and the rest of the day will be a breeze!
Write out what has to be done each day and figure out what is most important. Then you can determine what to work on next or what can be turfed to someone else/put off until later. This will make your days feel significantly less chaotic.
5. Delegate Chores
You’re a mom, so there are obviously other warm bodies in your household with heartbeats. There’s no reason other family members can’t chip in when it comes to doing chores!
Getting your child to do chores also helps them build necessary life skills and develop a sense of independence. Imagine your little one growing up and going out into the world unable to do their own laundry!
They may whine and act like chores are torturous but, the earlier you start, the more it will become an everyday part of their lives.
6. Organize Your Family
Grab a family calendar or planner and organize your activities. You can even create a chore schedule to keep your littles on track.
When everyone knows what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be, the day goes by without stress and confusion.
Plus, when you organize your family, you’ll see where the downtime exists and can take advantage of spending quality time with your kiddos.
7. Get Enough Sleep
Yeah, I know, easier said than done! But good sleep hygiene is crucial in not only boosting your energy levels but also increasing your overall health and decreasing your cortisol levels (the stress hormone that makes you feel like you’re taking crazy pills!).
Start by developing good sleep habits. You may not notice a tremendous difference right but keep at it – you’ll find yourself more easily sleeping through the night over time.
8. Create Boundaries
Making motherhood work, especially when you have a job, means turning down requests from other people when you have to.
When your plate is already full, it’s okay to say “no”. If you’re having a hectic week, it’s okay to turn down a friend who asks you to babysit.
If your month is full, you don’t have to volunteer for the school bakesale.
At work, don’t take on extra jobs if you don’t think you can handle it. Not being to do the job properly is more significant than trying to impress your bosses by being a yes-woman.
9. Communicate With Your Boss
Bosses and managers need to understand that juggling motherhood and work sometimes involves taking time off to take care of your kids.
Again, never use your kids as an excuse and try to schedule whatever you can outside of work time. However, you should never feel like you have to put your job ahead of your child’s wellbeing.
Being open and honest with those in charge will create a sense of trust. They’ll know that when you suddenly have to take off because your child is power-puking all over the daycare classroom that the situation is serious.
10. Stay Productive at Work
You can’t leave being a mother at home when you go to work so it’s important that you try to maintain productivity while you are there.
Doing so will help alleviate your workload and make you feel more accomplished at the end of the day.
You can also stay focused by eliminating distractions and managing interruptions. Turn off the notifications on your phone and let your coworkers know when you are busy.
11. Leave Work at Work
Even though you can’t leave motherhood at home, you can definitely leave work at work!
Sure, you’re going to want to come home and unload some of your workday stress but don’t let what happens at work define the rest of your day.
The same goes for unfinished work. Some jobs allow you to bring work home with you but, when you’re a busy mom, this may end up overwhelming you and causing you to burn out.
Only take on what you know you can handle and remember that you can say “no” if it’s not required of you.
12. Connect With Other Working Moms
There are so many mothers out there that juggle motherhood and work on a daily basis. Some of us are doing well and some of us are struggling hardcore.
But we all have stories to tell and advice to give. If ever you feel like you’re drowning in motherhood and work, never hesitate to reach out to those who are in a similar situation.
Balancing Motherhood and Work: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!
And, when you break it down, it’s all small stuff. It just seems big and scary and stressful when everything is mushed together!
But if you start tackling your working mom life piece by piece, you’ll find that juggling motherhood and work doesn’t have to be chaotic.
Well, not as chaotic as it presently seems. Remember, nothing will be perfect but living a stressed-out life is good enough!
