Working moms do it all. They wake up every day and make the world turn, whether or not they get any credit. Working moms take on the heavy burden of being both a fully-present parent and a goal-driven employee, and does it all in heels!
Whether you’re a full-time working mom, a stay-at-home mom looking to renew your trade-specific license in your field, or if you’re an expectant mother with a demanding career, here are some useful tips to help you juggle work life, family life, mom life, and being a real-life superhero.
Outsource Household Chores
A major burden on working mothers can be the addition of household chores to an already busy work and life schedule. Find some fun ways to outsource household chores and lighten the burden. Giving chores to your kids is an easy example. This gets the chores done AND studies have shown that kids who contribute to the family become more successful adults. Think beyond creating a boring chore wheel and turn household chores into a game for the kids each week, or let them swap chores for extra screen time.
Additionally, you could consider outsourcing the family laundry or splurging on a deep clean from a house cleaning service once a month.
Simplify Grocery Shopping
There are creative and fun ways to fight the crowd at the grocery store after work and spend that valuable time with your family instead. Using a meal kit delivery service like HelloFresh or Sunbasket is a great time-saver. You can avoid grocery shopping for the week, and it could even be a fun bonding activity to cook meals with your kids! You can also take advantage of all the options for grocery pickup and delivery that have cropped up in the last year by ordering your groceries online.
No Judgment Zone
Don’t judge yourself or other moms! One of the main reasons working mothers are so stressed is from the guilt of feeling like you are “choosing work over your kids,” or the nagging words from a friend or relative suggesting that you somehow made a mistake by going back to work. I would challenge you in these moments to pause and think: is anyone asking the father of your children these questions?
You don’t have to let outdated stereotypes dictate your life; All that matters is that you are making the right choice for yourself and your family. Anyone of any gender can be a wonderful parent, regardless of whether they choose to work or stay home full-time. All that matters is you give yourself grace and space, and don’t judge other moms for what they have chosen for themselves and their family (even if it’s different from your choice!)
Make A Plan
Possibly the most fun part of balancing work and home life is getting an awesome planner to get organized! Because most of your work scheduling may take place online, getting a paper planner to organize family activities like soccer practice, ballet class, and date nights can be a fun and easy way to separate your work and home life.
You could include some cute planner stickers to make it your own.
Also, consider getting a magnetic dry erase calendar for the fridge as a fun way for the kids to keep up with weekly activities as well.
Fill Your Cup
Working moms truly do it all, and the best way to reward yourself and stay recharged is to unplug and take some “me time” when you can. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and when you’re giving your all to your work and family with nothing left for yourself, it can leave you feeling drained. Make sure to “put on your own oxygen mask first” and help yourself so you can show up for even more for your family.
This has definitely helped me narrow down my choice! Blue Sky looks perfect for me!