Helpful Tips for Working Moms
As we enter a new school year, many parents’ lives are busier than ever with doctor’s appointments, back-to-school events, clothes shopping and more. Fair or not, moms often take on the majority of the load when it comes to caring for the children, so this time of year can be especially stressful for moms.
Moms don’t always do it alone, but according to a 2020 survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre:
- Mothers felt they were shouldering more of the childcare duties than their spouses or partners.
- More than 33% of moms said they dealt with childcare responsibilities while working from home.
How can working moms balance it all? Here are a few tips:
Accept that not everything can be done.
Someone once asked author Nora Roberts about how she balances writing and caring for her kids, and she shared a great analogy: The key to juggling work-life balance is to know that some of the balls you have in the air are made of plastic and some are made of glass.
If you drop a plastic ball, it bounces and there is no harm done. If you drop a glass ball, it shatters. So, you have to know which balls are glass and which are plastic, and make sure you are prioritizing the glass ones. Sometimes balls will be dropped and, while it can be tough to accept, not everything can get done every single day.
Set and maintain boundaries.
With working moms juggling so much, maintaining healthy boundaries with the people, places and things in their lives is essential to keeping their cool.
One way to practice healthy boundaries is to truly separate (as much as possible) work from home. When you’re at home, be a mom. When you’re at work, be an employee. Wherever you are, be there.
Say “no” to requests more often. It is important for working moms to remember, you don’t have to coordinate or attend every class party or school event to be considered a good mom!
Share the load with your partner.
More often than not, women bear the invisible load of motherhood – the unnoticed and uncompensated physical, mental and emotional labor completed behind the scenes to keep the household happy, healthy and running smoothly.
Working moms are encouraged to discuss the invisible labor tasks with their partner to open the door to sharing the responsibilities more equally. Also, the most important step, let your partner help! Many mothers anticipate failure from their partners in regards to household or parenting tasks, and setting your partner up for failure will ensure he or she fails.
Challenging this idea and reframing it in your mind can be helpful. Your partner – even if he or she fails – might do things in their own way and that’s okay!
Save time anywhere you can.
Often, moms who work feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. So it is important to make and prioritize a schedule and routine that works for you. Here are some ideas:
- Wake up before your kids.
- Set everything out the night before.
- Skip the PJs and let your kids sleep in their clothes.
- Meal plan and prep.
- Order your groceries online and have them delivered.
- Delegate chores.
- Put a load of laundry in every morning.
Let go of mom guilt.
Mom guilt can be a near-constant for working moms. And while productive guilt exists, what moms often experience is unhealthy guilt. This is the feeling moms get about something they have done that doesn’t meet their own subjective, often unrealistically high, standards.
Kicking mom guilt can be tricky. To get started, try these tips:
- Don’t compare. Avoid comparing yourself to others and worrying about what you think you should be doing, and instead embrace the challenges you’re conquering in the here and now.
- Filter your information and news feeds. Carefully choose what media you’re letting into your space. If the images and information you are seeing isn’t helpful or productive, unfollow and unplug.
- Prioritize self-care. We have all heard the saying: You cannot pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself to increase your capacity for taking care of your loved ones.
Accept who you are.
Working moms are juggling so much, and the most important tip we can share: Give yourself grace. You are doing the best you can. Celebrate the incredible parent you are!
