Secrets to balancing motherhood and work
Before you hand in your resignation, take a breath. It is never easy being a mum trying to juggle a full-time job with a family life.
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While the return from maternity leave can be stressful and emotionally charged, it does not have to be a mother's worst nightmare.
Here are some few tips to help you juggle motherhood and work:
Involve your spouse
You feel like you have only a limited amount of time with your baby and you want to savour every minute of it. That is great. But if you are too possessive, you are likely to end up doing all the work yourself. In short, do not forget to get your husband in on the game.
The biggest help you can give yourself is to get your baby's father involved in the care and feeding from the start.
If your husband can shoulder some of the burden of those middle-of-the-night wake-up calls, you will be in better shape when you have to perform at work.
Compartmentalise
When you are at work, make a commitment to mentally be at work. At home, surrender yourself to the marvels of parenthood. You may also discover that the pull of a baby can make you twice as productive in half the time.
When you are eager to get home in time to feed and bathe your baby, chitchatting around the watercooler may seem like a colossal waste of your time.
Know your priorities
Being a hardworking professional and a great mum may mean that your home won't pass a white-glove inspection. Or that you cannot whip up a fabulous dinner every night or even any night.
If you can afford to pay for extra help like a cleaning service, for example that is great. If you can’t, do yourself a favour and let it go.
Or choose one thing that is important to you, like staying on top of the laundry and let the rest slide.
Make time for yourself
How can you possibly manage to do your work, take care of your baby and still have some personal time? It is not easy, especially in the first months back on the job. But you need to recharge. Have your husband watch the baby while you go to the gym or out for a cup of coffee.
Or better yet, meet a friend who is also a working mum; talking to other women who are in the same boat will help you feel less alone.
Realise this is temporary
Your baby's a keeper but the chaos and heartbreak won't be. As just about any working mum will tell you, the first month is the most challenging.
It sounds a little sad but with time, you get used to being away from your child.
You also learn that you don't have to be with your child every minute for him to feel loved and to have a great day.
Once you get into a groove, you can take pride in being the multifaceted woman who is a hardworking professional, a loving and engaged parent.
Be proactive
If you want to continue breastfeeding after you return to work, find out in advance where you can pump, and plan when you will do it.
Talk to your boss and let him or her know that you will be taking scheduled breaks to do this. Bear in mind that you may not always be able to stick to the schedule you devise.
Cut yourself some slack
Many mums feel guilty about choosing to work even if the family finances mean that staying home is not an option.
Remind yourself that in choosing to work, you are providing your child with a life that may be richer in options than if you stayed at home.
It is also important to recognise that stay-at-home mums have their own set of challenges.
Women who are home with young children often feel more isolated and not as good about themselves, and, in fact, are at higher risk for depression, notes Chambliss.
Credit: parents.com
