Being a mom can be one of the most rewarding experiences ever. At the same time, balancing motherhood and a career can be challenging. If you’re struggling with balancing motherhood and your career, this article may give you a few ideas to aid your endeavors.
Tips for Working Moms: Balancing Motherhood and a Career
The best advice is to put your oxygen mask on first! Self-care for moms is essential, including getting as much sleep as possible. The second is to ensure companies like Resumeble professionally write your resume to continue progress in your career.
Now, for some of our top tips for working moms on balancing motherhood and a career.
Think, Think, Think.
In the old days, some very high-powered people smoked cigarettes or cigars. They became high-powered for several reasons, and one of those reasons was that they would use their smoking sessions to have a little think.
While we would never encourage smoking, taking little breaks to think is an excellent tip. One of the things you should think about is eliminating steps from your daily routine. Some things in your life soak up minutes at a time, and by eliminating them, you can create a more streamlined home/career process.
You will be surprised how many dumb time-sinks exist in your life. For example, are you tired of telling your kids to tie up their laces? Then consider purchasing Velcro sneakers. Are you tired of those random days when you must buy gas to work? Keep a small can of gas in your garage so that in the mornings, when you are low, you can use the gas, get yourself to work, and buy gas (and refill the can) on the way home.
Seeking help
So many resources are available to mothers like you who want to improve their careers. According to Versique, one of the MN executive recruiters available to job-seeking moms nationwide,
“Make sure you have someone in your corner to help you discover new opportunities, guide you in the application process, and see through interviews and negotiations.“
If you’re seeking a new career path, make sure to:
- Create a positive resume that reflects who you are as a person and your employment history.
- Use a job recruiting service to help you find and apply for career opportunities outside your wheelhouse.
- Use online job sites to help you find employment opportunities that match your terms and your family’s needs.
- Use your community of family, friends, and social media connections to help you explore and learn about job opportunities near you.
Eliminate Workloads
Keeping in line with the “Just Think” advice above, start thinking about the hundreds of ways to lower your workload, from streamlining your efforts at work to hiring a cleaner at home. If you think your way out of each situation, you will be surprised that you haven’t thought of it earlier.
Are you tired of the plates and cutlery piling up? Remove all except the ones you use. If only three of you are in the house, three plates stay out, and the rest go into storage. You will be surprised how willing the other people in the house are to load the dishwasher when no plates are left. Buy something like a Roomba and make it the job of one of your kids to empty and charge the device each time it is used.
Merge Work, House, and Healthcare with Kids
Need some exercise, then take your kids to the pool. Do you need those documents sorted and relabeled? Then have your kids do them with you. Do you need the house cleaning before the in-laws arrive? Then have the entire family work on a single room with an hour deadline for each room. Again, the trick is thinking of merging these various parts of your life.
Do you need to improve your social media presence for work? Have your kids involved in managing your social media. Need the bathroom redecorated? Give each kid a wall, tell them what to strip and paint, and let them all do it simultaneously. Are you tired of riding alone on your exercise bike? Then buy yourself and your real family bikes and go riding together.
Have a “When Available” List in Your Head
You will struggle to plan for more significant projects if you have a family and a career. Perhaps you have been looking to rebuild the shed for weeks, but your plans always go wrong. Instead, gather all the things you need over a week or two. Then, set them aside somewhere prominent and easily accessible.
On one of those magical days when you suddenly have free time, you can work on the project, and everything is already set up for you. It is like having a “To Do” list in your head, but it consists of tasks/projects that are not super urgent and will improve your life once completed.
Balancing Motherhood and a Career
When balancing motherhood and a career, both can be equally rewarding experiences with the right balance. When you prioritize what matters most, everything else will fall into place.