Career or Motherhood – Who says you have to choose?

 Time Management Tips for Working Mothers

"You go through big chunks of time where you're just thinking, 'This is impossible—oh, this is impossible.' And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible." 

– Tina Fay

We live in the age of women fighting for equal rights, equal wages and career opportunities. So, when we finally got the job of our dreams (or at least the job that pays our bills) it is not uncommon that some of us don’t what to let it go and become a stay at home moms. Not to mention single moms, who have no other choice but to support their kids on their own. 

I must admit, being a working mom is incredibly hard and exhausting. It seems like you don’t have time for anything: cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, playing with your kids, making costumes for each holiday imaginable, attend all the doctor appointments, following vaccination plans… don’t forget go to work every day and try not to look like a zombie (especially if you are working with clients or…. you know… people). At first, it seems impossible, or at least it did for me. However, all you need is to develop time management skills and you will master the balance of having a career and being a great mom to your kids.

1. Set achievable to-do lists.Try to develop reasonable to-do lists for every day/week in order to have a structure in you’re a bit chaotic schedule. There is no point in trying to multitask: just write down the goals for the day and do a thing at a time. That way you’ll get to manage your day and enjoy the satisfaction of goal achievement. You can also show it to your partner, while explaining why from now on he should call you ‘superwoman’. 

2. Lean how to say ‘no’. It is okay to say ‘no’ to occasional PTA meeting, or refuse to decorate/clean/improve a classroom. Stop applying mom-guilt to every event the school or kindergarten wants you to be involved in. I assure you, your kid probably won’t even notice whether or not you participated in the last parents’ discussion on Christmas theme celebration. The ‘no’ rule applies to work load as well. If previously you we known for making extra hours, working weekends/holidays, taking extra orders, it is time to say ‘no’ at least to some of these things. You’ll be amazed how much time can be saved by simply saying ‘no’.

3. Delegate.Let your spouse help you cook breakfast or take children to daycare/school, allow your relatives to babysit from time to time, make your kids do chores around the house… It doesn’t make you a bad mom if you ask for help, it simply means that you’ll get more done in your to-do list. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child and it is okay to ask for help and accept it once in a while. 

4. Letting go. Remember, you can’t get it all done perfectly. It is okay to eat take out sometimes, or live in a house that is not as spotless as you would have hoped. If you’re feeling as if your head is about to explode at the end of the week, spend your Sunday by having family movie day, or go hiking with your kids, whatever makes you the most relaxed. 

Parenthood is the most precious and unique experience in our lives (at least for me), so it is important to enjoy every moment of it. Being a working mom it is important to create a routine that will allow you to spend time with your kids while killing it at work. Sure, it is hard, but there is no greater satisfaction as to being an ambitious woman and a caring mom at the same time. 

Sincerely yours,  Kat Raine