Being a working mom and raising kids is not easy. Motherhood is hard enough before throwing in work, self-care, housework, guilt, and more. Nevertheless it is manageable. You need to be organized if you want to strike a balance between your profession and motherhood. Here are some tips that will help you to strike a good work-life balance:

Let Go of Guilt

Instead of dwelling on the negative aspects of leaving your children at home, you need to think about the benefits of working. If your job enables you to put aside money for your kids’ college education, by all means focus on that. Accept the fact there will be good and bad days then find some ways to cope. Consider joining a support group for an additional pick me up.

Find Good Childcare

Reach out to your family and friends when looking for a babysitter or nanny. Write down the most important criteria that the caregiver should meet before scheduling interviews.

Are you a mother to a child who is still breastfeeding? Consider getting a breast pump to pump your milk. You can then store this milk in the refrigerator and ask your babysitter to warm it up before feeding the baby. If you do not want to have a stranger in your home, daycare facilities could be the right choice for you.

Make Mornings Easier

To avoid starting your day on a stressful note, organize things the night before. For instance, you can pack the children’s lunches and place your workbag right next to the door for an easy exit. Before going to bed, make a to-do list and do as much as you can.

That way each morning, you be able to sit and enjoy breakfast with the kids without any rush. Since you will not be spending that much time with your children, use that time in the morning for bonding, as you prepare them for school/daycare and get ready for work.

Create a Family Calendar

What are the priorities in your family? Your family calendar should include chores, birthdays, family events, and due dates for your bills. If you do not want to write on paper calendars, think about using Google calendars because they make sharing and syncing that much easier.

Spend some time on Sundays going over your schedule for the coming week. When you carve out dedicated spots, you will improve the efficiency in your home and save time.

Talk to Your Employer

Write a detailed plan of your needs before you approach your employer. You also need to find out whether other employees have a flexible working arrangement then figure out how you can tailor your proposal to meet those terms. Since every employer is different, you need to be honest when presenting your proposal.

If you are asking for maternity leave, prove this new arrangement would not affect your productivity. You could also use your vacation time to make up for lost office hours.

Stay Connected

You can keep in touch with your kids even when you are not together. If your kids are young, make recordings of yourself singing or talking and ask the caregiver to play it back to them. You also need to hang pictures of yourself around the house so that the kids can feel closer to you.

During work breaks, call your kids and let them hear your voice. Moreover, you might be having a rough day and hearing your child’s voice could help you get through it. Once you establish this connection, you need to nurture it.

Going back to work is tough, but feeling guilty certainly will not help. There’s a lot you can do to ease the transition so use these tips and adjust them to your needs.

What are your favorite tips for balancing work and motherhood?

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