Motherhood is a job without vacations. It is not an easy task that requires patience, flexibility, and a lot of effort with little rest. This effort is doubled for working mothers, as the working mother is required to make continuous effort to achieve the goals she is assigned to implement without the slightest negligence. Work does not tolerate negligence in daily tasks, and as for children, there is no substitute for the mother’s role in their lives.
Some women give up work after the first few years of childbearing, while others are forced to continue to combine work and motherhood.
Whether you are returning to work after having children or you have been a working mother for more than a decade, be honest about your priorities. The rules of mothers are not the same in all cases. Perhaps one of the children suffers from teenage problems or learning difficulties in the first years of school, so that is okay. Let go of some priorities, so you can focus on what matters.
If you are a working mother, you should follow the following tips to avoid neglecting any of your basic tasks as a mother and an employee at the same time.
No extra time
Although the financial return from overtime hours is tempting, your children deserve those hours that are not compensated financially. Working extra hours may eventually cause you to exhaust yourself and thus not have any time for yourself or your children.
To avoid this, establish a specific schedule in which you will perform the job requirements during core work hours. Be careful if your work tasks do not fit into the number of hours. These matters should be discussed clearly with your manager.
Don’t say yes to everything
Don’t open more doors for non-urgent tasks. This applies to both work and home. You don’t have to be Super Mama and a perfect employee all the time.
Some mothers feel belittled by their families if they don’t attend birthdays, friends’ theme park gatherings, beach trips, and family visits, but remember, you don’t have to agree to or participate in an event or activity that your friends and family throw at you. Otherwise, you’ll end up swamped with distracting tasks that don’t fit into your schedule.
It’s important to leave some free time to relax on the couch. Just because you’re not at work doesn’t mean you’re available to go out with friends.
Take the pressure off
Following the previous advice, it is important to always have parts of the day dedicated to recharging your mental and physical batteries.
Grab some coffee and a piece of cake or a plate of your favorite fruits and nuts while watching your favorite movie or show.
Give yourself some time to meditate on the balcony, or cook a homemade meal that your family loves, and make sure that meal does not require a lot of effort.
You will not be able to do all the tasks
You have energy, money, and time. This is what you have the capabilities to provide for yourself, your family, and your job. But remember that these capabilities are limited and have a validity period. They cannot be presented in only one direction without the other. This will require making choices about how to distribute your capabilities. You can either choose what matters to you. More, or you can try to do everything and fail alone. Because you cannot do everything you want, others can be delegated to do some tasks that do not require your presence in a necessary and urgent manner.
Marriage or motherhood?
Give priority to your husband first, and this is not cruelty, or abandoning your responsibilities towards your children. Many women put the priority of children before husbands, which causes family problems that may lead to separation, so remember that children always need a strong marriage and a stable family, so a cooperative father Better than driving the boat alone.
Stop comparing
Social media platforms set ideal and unrealistic standards for mothers, which makes them feel societal pressure, especially with strangers on the Internet who we know nothing about their real life circumstances. What we see on social media sites is an ideal picture taken in less than one second, we do not know what comes before it or what comes after it. Or an ideal post or comment that you are not aware of, so do not put yourself under the pressure of imitating others. Preparing healthy food, cleaning the house, following up on children’s lessons and activities, upbringing, personal care, and work tasks are things that cannot be achieved every day with the same level of precision and luxury.
No to feeling guilty
When a woman is at work, she feels that it is necessary for her to be at home, and when she is at home, she thinks that she has not completed her professional duties properly. Satisfaction with the role that you perform daily helps in getting rid of those negative feelings.
Get more hours of sleep
The adult human body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, and working mothers may need longer hours, as lack of sleep creates a long list of physical and mental health problems. So make bedtime a priority for you and your children, and never give up this right.
Ask for help
No one can do everything alone. Getting help does not mean that you are weak or negligent, so here are some tips you can choose from to ease the daily burdens:
- Shop online for groceries or meal delivery services and essential groceries to save time on physical shopping in stores.
- Hire a babysitter to watch your children for a few hours a week, if your budget allows it, or ask friends or family members for help.
- Ask your children and husband to help with household chores.
- Limit distractions, such as social media.
Remember that life should not make you feel like you are stuck in a long list of tasks, and enjoy your family life and professional achievements together.