Balancing Work Life and Family- Difficult but not Impossible
Working after you become a parent might take you some time to settle. The thought of baby cries will definitely not let you concentrate at work and meetings. When you get up early and you go to bed late, read to your kids at night and deliver a presentation to co-workers during the day, travel for your family outings and work trips, your life will definitely be a constant juggling act between work and family. This is a situation many working women face and at times fills them with stress and guilt of dividing attention.
Trying to balance work life and family can be quite difficult but definitely not impossible. If you are a working mum or single parent, then try these simple tips:
Leave food home
Every mum worries about how the baby is going to feed when she is not there or at work. It is simple, express breast milk in clean feeding-bottles and store in the refrigerator which can only last 48 hours. If your milk flow is not the best, use breast bumps or simply buy artificial milk which is not very advisable for babies less than 6 months old. This might not be very easy as you will need someone to stay home with the baby.
Try a Nanny or a childcare centre
If you decide to keep food for the baby, then you will need someone to be with the baby while you are away. Getting a nanny or taking the baby to a childcare centre seems to be a good idea but you need to be very careful when choosing which one to go for. If you decide to put the baby in a centre, then it will be wise to ask around which centre could be efficient or if you choose to hire a nanny then find one with babysitting experience.
Think to restructure your work schedule with your boss
You still are not comfortable with the situation? If yes, then try discussing your work schedule with your boss. You could restructure your work time in a way that will enable you to have some time to spend with your baby and to rest. Before talking to your boss about the restructuring work schedule, you need to identify priority time and activities for you and your family.
Put up and organise a Family Calendar
What are your priorities? When do need free time when are doing family outing, when is your next rendezvous with the doctor? A calendar can include dates when bills are due, a chore chart for the kids, a list of school and family events, extracurricular activities, birthdays, and more. Google calendars will help here in order to keep everything in check.
It’s very important for every woman to able to create time for her baby but not compromising her job. I will advise you to take a second thought on choosing to spend more time with your child and paying little attention at work. Rather than dwell on how you're not with your child, think about how your role in the company is benefitting the family. You all depend on that job for your daily expenses.