Having the Best of Both Worlds: Balancing Work Life With Family Life
Being a loving mother and a successful businesswoman used to be in the same category as a flying pig but today’s mother can actually have it all and find a healthy balance between work and family. Being a mother is already a full-time job as it is but to add on top of that the responsibility a 9 to 5 job… that’s another level of super-mom!
In 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 74.6 million women in the workforce. Although that’s an astounding number of working moms taking charge in the civilian labor force, that aspect does have negative effects on those moms. The fact that they’re out there working to help contribute to their household, puts them at odds because they’re not able to fully be there for their children.
It’s an understandable feeling to have but you also have to look at it in a way that you’re still taking care of your family. It’s not like you’re not at home because you don’t want to. Forbes.com published an article on how working moms should embrace the fact that they can take care of the home while working. The article encourages working moms to let go of any feelings of guilt.
Give Yourself a Break
If you’re a working mother, great job! Keep doing what you’re doing! But you are only human… It’s ok to need a little help sometimes. To lighten your super mom responsibilities, take a look at some ways you can balance your work life with your home life.
Consider the Benefits of Hiring a Nanny
You may be wondering how that will be any different from taking your kids to a local daycare center. Well, for one, hiring a nanny is more affordable. Secondly, with a nanny, your kids will be able to receive more attention from a nanny than they’d get at a daycare center.
The process of hiring a nanny isn’t a hard one either. All you need to do is determine your tax responsibilities as a household employer, and of course, conduct interviews to find a nanny that will interact well with your children.
Treat Yourself Every Now and Then
When you first have a baby, everything is of course about the baby but as they get older and become more independent, that whole “everything is about them” starts to lose its edge and you can start back putting a little more focus back on yourself. Some people may call it selfish… others call it self-care.
You are a hard-working mother and deserve some rewards for it. Whether it’s getting a massage or having a mani-pedi session, or even simply taking a long nap with zero disturbances, you deserve to treat yourself to whatever will promote relaxation and reduce the stress in your life.
Designate One Night During the Work Week to Have a Family Fun Night
Now I’m not saying that outside of that one night, home life will be dull and boring by any means but you should pick one night out of the workweek that you and the kids can look forward to. Yes, you all do stuff on weekends but it will mean more to do something together as a family during the week.
Family fun can be whatever your family deems as fun. It can be preparing a meal together as a family and sitting down together to eat it. It can be everyone gathering around the TV to watch a movie and ordering pizza. The idea is ultimately up to you and your family but the key is for it to be fun.
Don’t Forget About Your Social Life
As a parent, the key to your sanity is to not forget that you have many other titles besides mother. You are a friend to many people, you are a wife to your husband, a daughter, and a wine connoisseur! There’s no shame in wanting to hang out with your friends on a Saturday night or going on a date with your husband to keep the marriage spicy.
The thing here is that in order to do these things, you just have to plan for them ahead of time. You and your husband can’t go out without having someone lined up to watch your kids first… It’s not like it was before kids when you could just go out when you pleased. Now, that aspect doesn’t mean that the fun has to stop. It just means your approach to the fun is a little different now… You have to plan for it, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
