Being a working mother is like having too much on the same plate. You will be expected to cater to the needs that are multiple and demanding in nature. While certain problems can be uninvited and various experiences might be new enough to face, you will be expected to be the best of both worlds. You will be supposed to make sure of balancing and giving your best to both the spheres of life: as a mother and as a worker.
The society expects a lot from women asking them to fit into any shoe. And somewhere down the line, for a woman, it is easily achievable because of the potential that lies within her. However, at times, there might be difficulties in making it seem possible. And, that is why, incorporating some of the habits as listed below can help:
1. Set a routine that keeps both spheres of your life separate.
When working, you might be demanded to give extra hours to meet the targets or excel in a plan. Similarly, while you’re tending to your baby, there is no definite parameter of hours that would be asked of you. Needless to denote, there will always be a need to be best at nurturing both, your work and baby, with none of them distracting you from the other. In such a case, setting a routine will definitely be helpful.
Set a routine where you can give your time to both your responsibilities. Have an extra hour of the day planned to complete the overloading or the pending tasks at hand. Make sure you manage your time in the most flexible manner to avoid the need of negotiating later. Document your day before you begin it. Have a “To-Do List” for every single day and follow it religiously. Also, when over with work, make sure your quality-time with your baby is not compromised at any cost.
2. Prioritising what needs to be done when.
For many working women, motherhood can sometimes feel like juggling between two extremes like a pendulum. You can’t lag behind in any of the roles. But you need to also give your time to both. There can be situations where you might have to prioritise one of them over the other. However, before you step into making this happen, do realise that it is necessary to be free of guilt. If you’re prioritising your work over your child at times, this doesn’t make you a “bad mother”. Know that things wouldn’t be the same every time and it is just a small part of your day or a phase where you might ask either of your responsibilities to take a back seat and fulfil the other.
Nevertheless, always remember that this would demand a whole lot of decision-making abilities. If you miss out on the right timing, things might get all topsy-turvy. Thus, make sure that you are in a calm state of mind whenever you’re up to making such decisions. Only by staying peaceful can you assure that everything is going to fall in the right place.
3. Saying “NO” to compromising over the quality time.
There is a specific amount of time that you’re working. But when you’re not, try to stay away from the phone and spend the quality time with your child. It could be one hour out of the whole day. But make sure that the one particular hour you dedicate to your little one is without any disturbance. The quality time obviously matters over quantity. Stay away from the gadgets that call you back into engaging yourself after you’ve worked all day. This might not only impact your baby-time but also your me-time. Know that some of the things can wait. Also, it is important for organisations to understand the need to let the employees have their time to themselves and their personal lives after they’ve worked whole day.
4. Learn to take a break.
“Take a break” is indeed one of the most used and necessitated quotes of the working life in the 21st century. If you are a working mom, a break is not only meant for you and your kid together but for you as an individual too. You must always ensure on having some “Me Time” to re energise and reignite yourself in a holistic manner.
To spend some quality time with your child, take vacations or mini breaks from the usual routine with your child. Do things with your kid, make memories by exploring what all you could do together. If you have weekends, try spending it as much as you can with the child. It could be discussing their co-curricular, participating in their hobbies, having a playful time together or just going out.
5. Understand that both the roles are somewhat similar.
Your work is your creation, whatever you do, reflects you. Similarly, your baby is your creation, and whatever they do has to majorly deal with you. At some point of time, you are going to realise that as a nurturer, both your work and your baby are what you feed them to be. Just how sensibly you carry forth the development of your child, similarly your work must be positioned and grown. Hence, there is nothing new about what you do, rather you are the master at both the tasks. It is because you’ve been doing it since a long time.
At last, I would advise all working mothers out there to know that there is nothing unachievable. It is all accessible and easy to do for someone who intends to stay put and not be hindered. So do not be baffled, you can catch up to it easily and balance both the worlds like a snap of finger.
