Working mothers–doesn’t it sometimes feels as if you’re walking across an enemy minefield? Every thing can seem quiet and still and on track until– boom!, something explodes right in your face. Or worse, many things explode at once like, your coworker suddenly quits, your kid get the flu, you get the flu, and then your car stalls on the highway. Some days, being a working mother can seem amazing: “Look at me– I am doing it all! Having it all!” and other days: “I can’t have it all! What was my previous generation doing by lying to me?” So if you are one of the many working mothers out there today, hustling for the dollar, I say to you: work hard to thrive—and not just survive, with these three tips.
#1 Me Time
Working mothers may love or hate their jobs (everyone is different), but for those of us who love what we do, we still sometimes feel as if we are missing out with our kids. Mother guilt is a powerful but incredibly manipulative and often negative tool that can tear down a mother’s self-esteem and sometimes, judgment.
With that said, working moms need to set aside “Me Time” to decompress and reevaluate what they are doing at home, and in the office. They need “Me Time” to relax and gain composure and focus. Whether it’s going for a run or meeting your girlfriends, this time to relax will help you approach your duties at home and work with pep and zest!
#2 Backup
If you want to thrive, working momma, you’ll need good backup child care for when school is closed, you are sick or emergencies pop up. You are not an island and the worst will happen. You will end up traveling when your husband does too, or you’ll end up sick with the kids while your husband is away for work, or if you’re a single working mom, well, you know what it’s like to be caught in tough times without help.
Make sure you have friends, neighbors, family, hired help and other emergency backup plans set in place so that way when the worst happens, you don’t have to wonder who will be there to help you and the kids.
#3 Direction & Focus
A working mother needs direction in order to have a happy peaceful life. Is your work bringing you to the next step of your career? Do you find your job has a good life-work balance? How is your schedule working out for you and your family? Having plans and direction for what to do regarding your career and your family life will make things easier for you in the long run. Knowing what sacrifices are worth making– or not, in order to thrive in your field and pay the bills, all while attending to your little ones takes focus.
Being a working mother isn’t always easy, but no one ever said that the good things in life would be easy, but they will be worth it!