Every mother goes through phases of being excited to go to work or wishing they could just stay home.
Every mother goes through phases of being excited to go to work or wishing they could just stay home. The relative repetitiveness of raising a child can feel mundane at times, without challenge. Not that having children is easy, but there are those days where singing “Patty Cake” isn’t as thrilling as you’d imagine!
It’s in these moments that most mothers daydream about going to work. They daydream about going to the bathroom alone, eating with two hands, finishing a hot cup of coffee – all things that they took for granted before their precious babies came along. They envision themselves having adult conversations and wearing clothes that don’t have baby puke on them, and they believe that they can get this from work. And they’re right.
The only snag? Working as a mother may come with a spoonful of guilt. Guilt that the baby needs you and guilt that you are is missing your baby’s milestones. Guilt that you are choosing to work over staying home with your baby. There’s less of this guilt when a mom has no choice but to work for financial reasons, but the feelings of sadness at missing the baby are still there.
Juggling work-life and motherhood is like putting two sides of the same person in battle – except there can never be any winners. Work is necessary for some mothers for financial reasons. It’s also necessary for those who feel like they are losing themselves and need something to help them feel sane again. There are plenty of ways a mother can allow herself to be at peace with being a working mother, which makes the juggle of routine and work time so much easier. Let’s take a look:
Accept It
No matter whether you have chosen to work or you don’t have a choice but to work, accept your decision. This moment is not one that you have to brush to one side; acceptance is key to a happy life. If you spend all your time fighting against yourself, you’re never going to feel any kind of true happiness. You deserve to feel happy, and a big part of that is going to be within accepting your situation and embracing it. So, you have to go to work for the money? Strive to earn more. It’s good for your children to see you achieve – focus on that!
Get Organized
Working as a mother is a balancing act. You’re balancing your routine and timing with the timing and routine of your children, their childcare, their schedule, their bedtimes. Working around them isn’t always easy, but with a lot of organization and asking for help, you can do it and you can do it well. Use a diary and a calendar and anyone who is involved in your life – partners, parents, employers, and childcare – should all be involved in this calendar.
Choose Flexible Working
When you do go back to work, discuss flexible work times with your employer. You never know – they may well be happy for you to have flexible hours and encourage it. You could also have an entire change in career and work for yourself. It’ll be harder in the beginning, but the change can do you good. Buy into Steamaster equipment and start your own cleaning business. Invest in a new computer and start your own blog talking about the things that you know about. This kind of work can allow you to work in your own time to the beat of your own drum – no one else’s!
Photo by Dakota Corbin on Unsplash
Use Motherhood
You need to motivate yourself to get out there and work – especially if you have to work. It’s not easy to leave your kids and anyone who says it is lying. It’s also not easy to leave them when you don’t really want to do it but you have to. The key is in knowing you’re doing it for a wonderful reason and knowing that you are going to be setting an example. Use motherhood as a reason to further your career and work hard at keeping that career going. You need a reason to show your children that you are doing it for them and the best way to do it is with success.
Juggling work-life and motherhood require you to ask for help. Ask for help so that you can and ensure that you, your career, and children don’t suffer. You deserve to be a happy working mother. Making sure you find time to care for yourself aside from all life is throwing your way is key to preventing burnout. Embrace all that life is offering you and remember if something isn’t working out it’s up to you to change it!
