How to Balance Work and Family as a Mom
As moms, we’re under a lot of pressure. Sometimes those around us place pressure on us. Often we’re putting most of the pressure on ourselves.
Did I feed my baby the right foods today?
Did I show my toddler enough attention today?
Did I remember to say “I love you” when I dropped my kid off at school today?
As working moms, the pressure feels sky-high. You have all the normal mom responsibilities, plus all your job responsibilities and requirements. Talk about a lot on your plate!
Getting kids to school on time, dropping little ones off at childcare, and getting to work on time. But it doesn’t end there. Once you finish your workday, there are kids to pick up, homework to do, dinner to fix, clutter to clean, prep for the next day… The list seems endless.
And some days you feel like you’re just pushing through with thoughts like these:
If I can just get everyone dropped off.
If I can just get through the workday.
If I can just get everyone in bed.
Finally, you’ve tucked everyone in, the house is quiet, and you collapse onto the bed or the couch in exhaustion. It’s at this moment you notice that feeling of working mom guilt surrounding you.
You weren’t good enough today.
What is Working Mom Guilt?
Working mom guilt is having feelings of guilt surrounding the (sometimes messy) mesh of work and home life. You may feel it when you drop your crying baby off at daycare. Or when you feel you’ve let your kids have way too much screen time because you’re simply exhausted.
You may have experienced some of these thoughts:
What kind of mom am I?
Do my kids know I love them?
They deserve better than this.
I haven’t spent enough time with them lately.
I’m completely failing at being a mom.
Everyone else does it better.
Sound familiar?
When it comes to working mom guilt, you are not alone. In fact, a study shows 57% of working moms feel guilty every day. That’s a lot of moms feeling guilty for providing for their families.
5 Tips for Finding Work-Life Balance for a Working Mom
So, I’d like to show you how to be a working mom without all the working mom guilt. Maybe that sounds impossible for you right now.
But here’s the good news: there are different strategies you can use to help deal with the guilt when it does come up. Below are some tips on how to balance work and family as a mom.
Set Aside Quality Time for Family
Intentional quality time with family is essential for finding a work-life balance as a working mom. You can plan a weekly movie or game night with special snacks. Prioritizing family dinners is a great way for the family to come together, connect, and talk about the events of the day.
You can schedule weekly or monthly dates with each individual child. This is a beneficial way to connect with each child on a deeper level. Having a special routine before tucking your kids in at night can be a way that you connect with them each day. This could be as simple as reading a few books, singing a song or two, or saying a prayer.
Quality time doesn’t have to be intensive or require a lot of thought and planning. Family time may become the favorite part of your day, and the perfect way to end a busy day as a working mom.
Distribute Responsibilities
Being a successful working mom hinges on you not juggling everything. Believe me, I understand the temptation to be Supermom.
Managing everything can only last so long before it all comes crashing down and you’re left with burnout.
Almost 80% of moms say they are responsible for the majority of childcare and housework, while 30% of working moms say they do 100% of these things. No wonder moms struggle with burnout.
Sit down with your children and discuss the need for them to have responsibilities, too. Listen to their thoughts and feedback. Come up with a plan that everyone’s on board with.
Creating a chart that hangs somewhere that’s seen every day is a great way to ensure the distributed chores get done regularly. You can even implement a reward system like stickers or treats.
Make Time for Yourself and Lower Expectations
Finding the balance of work and life as a working mom happens when you learn to be kind to yourself. You can do this by taking time for yourself and lowering your expectations.
As moms, we tend to create unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We like to set the bar crazy high, and then feel a lot of mom guilt when we can’t reach those impossible standards. To simplify, we set ourselves up for failure.
Working moms are stressed, overwhelmed, imperfect humans. Remember this and go easy on yourself.
It’s so easy to get lost in the busyness of work and taking care of others when you’re a working mom. There’s hardly enough time to complete the things that need to get done — how do you expect to have time for yourself?
I hear you. But if you expect to be the mom your kids need you to be, you have to remember to put yourself first sometimes. Sure, me-time isn’t going to look like it did before you had kids. But you can still take a few moments to breathe and recalibrate.
Time for yourself may look like this:
Getting up before everyone else and walking, working out, or meditating.
Relaxing in the bath after the kids go to bed.
Stopping for your favorite coffee drink on your way to work.
Whatever me-time looks like to you, do it. Even if you have to schedule it on your calendar, please make sure you’re making time for yourself.
Plan Ahead and Keep It Simple
Planning ahead is essential for a successful working mom. Imagine this — A hectic school morning with 20 minutes until go-time. Your toddler is sitting in his seat eating a breakfast of Cheerios, although the dog seems to be getting more than your child is as pieces of cereal are flinging everywhere.
Your oldest child is dragging his feet about getting out of bed. He reminds you in his sleepy state that his class project is due today, and you know it’s not done. You still need to get the diaper bag packed for your toddler, but your mind is already focusing on your big deadline at work today.
Your middle child comes out in all her mismatched glory — a pink and gold dress with checkered black and white leggings underneath. She shrieks at the mention of you changing her.
You sigh in frustration and pour your coffee, and as you reach for your mug you lose control. Hot coffee splatters everywhere — your work outfit, the counter, and the floor. What a great way to start the day.
I think we can all relate to this level of stress.
Thankfully, there are lots of little things you can do the night before to make getting out the door a little smoother in the mornings.
Prepare lunches and pack backpacks and diaper bags the night before. Breakfasts like muffins and casseroles can be made in advance, creating less stress during the morning hustle.
Meal planning is a simple way to stay on top of feeding your family healthy, nutritious meals. There are many options for easy weeknight dinners that can be prepped in 30 minutes or less. Alternatively, you can throw something in the Crockpot or Instant Pot to cook throughout the day.
Lastly, dressing your kids in neutral tones is a great way to keep busy days simple. Isn’t it frustrating when you’re in a rush and you’re frantically trying to find clothes that go together? You have red pants with polka dots and a purple shirt with flowers, and apparently, everything else is in the wash.
Baby Panache’s modern, minimalist collection is perfect for dressing children in a hurry. Dress your kids in subtle, earthy tones, and take the extra step of matching out of your busy routine. They’ll be ready for daycare, the park, or dinner out with our high-quality, versatile clothing line.
Working mom life is hard. Let Baby Panache make it easier by dressing your little ones in our affordable, fashionable apparel. Shop here.