Being a mother is a full-time job in itself. Adding in another full-time job outside of the home on top of motherhood can be plain exhausting. You sometimes feel as if you are tearing yourself in so many directions, you don’t know where you’re going. While you are mastering your jack-of-all-trades mentality, there are ways you can take a load off.
Stop Feel Guilty
It’s tempting to try to be Superman every day. But the reality is, if you don’t create a happy medium, you’re going to burn yourself out. You can’t always be all things at once, and you must give yourself credit where credit is due.
Your job needs you to be capable, and so do your kids. There is nothing wrong with devoting attention to both areas when your attention is needed. There will be times when you miss out on certain events you wish you hadn’t. It is inevitable. You don’t need to carry around the guilt with you.
Research has found that motherhood actually makes you more competent in your duties. Women with children tend to be more efficient and more assertive in the workplace. By being a working mom, you are providing a wonderful example for your sons and daughters on work ethic and success. Even though you feel like you aren’t spending the time with them that they need sometimes, your achievements don’t go unnoticed.
Know Your Boundaries
It is okay to put your foot down when needed and know your worth. When it comes to motherhood, you need to demand flexibility in the workplace from time to time. Having healthy conversations with your employer about changing work hours or locations to better accommodate your performance can be crucial. Parenthood comes with its own set of responsibilities that require elastic schedules. On another note, there is nothing like divvying out more than half of your paycheck to a daycare center. Many mothers report leaving the workplace due to childcare costs being too high. Looking for ways to reduce the cost by working with your employer to create an appropriate working plan. Between creating a more suitable schedule at work and lowering your care costs, you can create a series of stress-reducing boundaries. You can even try to start a savings account on the side to have a comfortable “just-in-case” fund.
Find Your Balance
Some women may be able to take on more than others. Each person responds to schedules and stressors differently.
While one woman can manage to work 50 hours a week while managing to have dinner on the table, take their children to practices, and still having a clean house—others cannot. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Whether you can only work part-time and manage your motherly duties or work full time and do the same, your contributions are worthwhile. You must find your own balance to maintain quality of life. Your children need you at your best. It is important to maintain yourself in both areas and not give too much to one or the other. You are remarkable and more than capable of accomplishing feats in both worlds.
