Work-Life Balance For Working Moms

It is impossible to ignore the critical importance that a mom plays within her family. Everyone from dad to the kids relies on mom for their very existence. Mom is the family's doctor, therapist, taxi driver, entertainment director, and rock. When mom has a bad day, everyone has a bad day.

Life can get complicated when mom has to work a full-time job to help keep the household going. It can really get complicated when mom is a single parent raising children who rely on her completely for everything in their lives. The home life of a mom is busy enough, but how is she supposed to balance that busy home life with an equally busy job? It isn't easy, but there are some tricks moms can use to maintain that balance between work and home.

Stay Focused On Both

When you are at work, focus on work. When you are at home, focus on home. When moms start letting work and home affect each other, that is when things can seem to get out of hand. Tell your kids to only call you at work if it is a true emergency and limit how much overtime you do for work. You will find that you enjoy home and work more when you do not allow them to take over your life entirely.

Take Advantage Of After-Hours Work Functions

Sometimes it can be advantageous to mix your work and your home life, if only for a little while. Take advantage of company picnics and other work functions that help your kids to see the "fun" side of your company.

When you start taking your kids to these after-hours work functions, then it helps your kids to stop resenting your job so much. After a couple of years of going to these functions, your kids may even develop a fondness for your job that makes it easier for you when you have to work late or do other work-related tasks.

There is no doubt that young children can sometimes make it difficult to go to work. They don't understand why mom has to leave the house and they can tend to get loud and angry at the same time. The most important thing for you to remember is that reaction is normal. Do not feel guilty when you go to work. You are an adult and you understand the importance of bringing home an income. Someday, your children will understand why you have to leave the house five days a week. But until then, it is important for you to let any guilt you feel go.

Maximize Those Short Moments

It is easy to get the most out of weekends because you have days to spend with your kids. But you can make the balance between work and home easier when you get more out of those shorter bursts of time at home. For example, try to make every weekday morning pleasant and even fun for you and your children. If you work close to where your children go to school, then see if you can arrange your lunch hour so that you can pick your kids up from school and take them home.

If you work hard to make those shorter moments fun and memorable, then each day starts off with a smile. Managing that work and home balance is easier when you make the most of every moment that you are at home.

Safeguard Your Time by Staying Healthy

In order to make the most of both your work and family time it's essential to try to stay as healthy as possible. This goes for both you and your children. Sick kids mean time off work which means stress and feelings of guilt for you. Simple things help, like teaching your children to wash their hands frequently, ensuring they eat enough fruits and vegetables, minimizing the amount of junk food and sugary drinks (less time at the dentist!), keeping their rooms clean and well aired, free of mold or other irritants and allergens, buying an air humidifier for baby and installing child-proof features to avoid trips to the emergency room.

Always Stay Honest With Your Employer

Your employer understands the important role that you have as the mom of your household. Sometimes your employer cannot accommodate your home needs, but you will find your boss is more obliging if you are honest about your work and home balance challenges.

Give your employer as much notice as possible for the time you will need to take off for home issues. Take a proactive approach to teaching your job to others in your department so that your job can be covered on those days that you have to call in suddenly, for example if one of the kids is ill. The more that you work with your employer on your work and home balance, the more leeway your employer will be willing to give you.

Being a working mom can be a difficult and often frustrating challenge. But if you take the necessary steps to keep work and home separate while still allowing for a little overlap where it is necessary, then you will be able to keep that balance and keep everyone happy.

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