How To Balance Work And Baby
Written By: Bosky Singh, Moms on Maternity Columnist.
It's really exciting to go back to work once maternity leave ends but it is overwhelming as well. We all get those doubts and those questions, how is my little one going to cope without me? What if there’s an emergency and I am not there. I am telling you, mommies, juggling between work and kids is an excruciating task but it’s very manageable if you know how to balance between the two. I talked to a few mommies to take into account their secret weapons and methods for balancing between work and baby and now let's talk at length about those.
FIND A GOOD NANNY/ DAYCARE:
Finding good nannies, caretakers, and day-care centers is the most essential secret weapon, and if you can do so you have already won half the battle. Now the only thing that remains is to train them, have a good relationship with them and let them know what are your expectations. To put it simply, if you are hiring a nanny hire her, train her, set a rhythm and relax and go to work. In the case of day-care, start by dropping off your kid for a few hours and gradually increase the time. Don’t wait until the last minute to start day-care. Let both your kid and the day-care center get to know and understand each other so you are more clam when you start work.
ROUTINE:
I have always found having a routine works like magic. If you have a routine and a certain pattern of doing things at home then it saves a lot of time because you know what goes after what and it makes life so easy. And imagine how stress-free your life can be if you have a rhythm to fall back on.
PLAN:
I believe in planning. Plan your week and do things accordingly. Even plan your meals and do your weekend grocery shopping accordingly. If you have planned your meals you will not have to fret about what to cook after coming back from work. You will not decide on something to make but realize quickly after opening your cabinets or refrigerator that you are short of a few things needed to make that particular dish that just came to mind. Planning takes away all that last-minute pressure and anxiety.
BE AT ONE PLACE AT ONE TIME:
Yeah! Mothers need to learn that being at work means being the best version of their professional self and when at home you need to be a mother and parent. You can’t be at all places at all times, learn to compartmentalize. When at the office stop worrying about whether the baby has taken their nap or had their feed. And at home stop fretting about the presentation you have to give the next day. To be honest, if you are unable to do that your work and home will both suffer.
PRIORITIZE:
We mothers need to learn to prioritize. What is more important for us at the moment – is it making dinner or tidying up the house - so don’t try to do it all at once. There’s only so much time in a day and only one you so prioritize and work accordingly.
Keep in mind what Stephen Covey said, ’The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.’
GUILT FREE:
Whatever you are doing be guilt-free and be happy. You’ll find people who might try to take you on a guilt trip over something but try to ignore them. It’s hard enough as it is without you having to add on to the guilt factor. If you are too tired, it's OK to order something for dinner delivery instead of feeling guilty about it. Remember no matter how hard you try there are going to be times when you are going to miss out on those special days or things of your kids. Instead of feeling guilty about it take a deep breath and carry on and think how you can make up for that. Remember mommies there are going to be both good and bad days and you need to try to make the best out of them.
FAMILY TIME:
Make it a point to have family time both on weekdays and weekends. If possible try to have at least one meal together and if not play some indoor games, chat and ask your older kids how was school, ask about their friends and their activities. Whenever possible take a family walk. Everyone ends up loving these walks, especially the kids. You need to see what works out best for you and your family. And remember quantity not necessarily means quality so spend some quality family time together without mobiles, laptops, or other such things.
ME TIME:
Me time = mommy time. Mommies too need to have guilt-free time for better functioning of their mental and physical health. If you are stress-free and relaxed you will be able to perform your duties better and we too are human we all need some time for ourselves. If I take a couple of hours and go out for coffee with my friends and rant and vent a bit about work, boss, kids, hubby it doesn’t make me any less of a person or any less of a mother. I am doing what it takes to survive and be the best I can be.
Mommies we all, at times, struggle to balance work and kids. Some days are going to be good some not so good, but always keep in mind that…. ’The bad news is time flies. The good news is you are the pilot.’
WRITTEN BY:
Bosky Singh is Mom to one boy aged 4. She is a regular columnist for Moms on Maternity.