You may now have read our recent blog with some practical tips on how to juggle childcare and work, whilst also protecting yourself and your sanity. As seasoned ‘jugglers’ ourselves, this topic is close to our hearts. Too often as working mothers, we chastise ourselves for not getting everything absolutely perfect. Believe us ‘perfection’ with work and parenthood isn’t possible and if you think it is, you are unfortunately just setting yourself up to fail. Please cut yourself some slack. Take some time to read our next tips with the aim of trying to help you embrace parenthood whilst still bossing it in the workplace!
If Work Doesn’t Work For You, Try and Find Balance
If you love your job but the hours are too long, first think about if you are working efficiently and doing what you can with the time that you have. Is it possible to delegate any of your workload to others, even if this means investing more time in the first place? Could you speak to your boss, or HR? If this isn’t possible, could you perhaps limit your time to set hours in a week instead of working every evening and all weekend… that way you will be less likely to burn out.
Some workplaces will never be progressive, and some bosses will never be understanding to your needs as a working parent. If there is an old-fashioned mentality deeply engrained within the culture of your company then perhaps it’s time to consider pastures new. We’re talking not being trusted, being on the receiving end of hassle when you need to work from home because your child is sick, having meetings put in on your non-working days without your consent and generally not being shown empathy despite high-performance at work. We have been there and we know that this situation can make your deeply unhappy. Obviously don’t do anything hasty, especially if your salary contributes significantly to your household, but do take some time at the weekend to consider your options. Is an individual the problem or the company? Can you speak to HR? Are there similar positions available in your field of work and could you apply? Visit Flexible Working People as you may read some useful information.
Another option could possibly be to work for yourself if you have contacts and there is a lot of demand in the industry in which you work. Perhaps put out some confidential feelers and speak to those who are already doing so in your field of work to see if this could be an option for you?
Huge Calendar On Fridge
Routine is important for us all but there are, of course, going to be things that change week on week in terms of childcare, clubs, work events, pick ups etc. We find that a huge magnetic week planner on the fridge is invaluable to transfer the schedule for the week and to be used as a guide for everyone in the family. That way, our older kids know exactly what’s going on and if they are home late, we can see immediately that they are at netball club or similar. We know when we have to pack our younger child’s PE kit or if they are going to a friend’s house after school. And it’s so much less likely that MUFTI day or Roman dress up day will be forgotten when the information is not just in one person’s head! For us this £10 has been well spent, or we might even say ‘life-changing’!
Evening Chills and Self Care
We can’t stress this enough – some time to wind down in the evening is so important. If you are working until your eyes are closing from tiredness every evening, this will no doubt be affecting your sleep negatively. When your sleep is disturbed this can have such a knock-on effect with everything else in your life. It’s different for everyone but we find that we are more irritable with the kids, less likely to exercise, more likely to eat unhealthily, more prone to winter colds and more likely to make mistakes at work. The list goes on! Decide on boundaries that are suitable for you and your working life and try to stick to them. Even if you are completely snowed under and that means working until 9pm but having one hour for down time, it’s better than not considering this at all. Sleep well, preserve your mental health and you’ll be more likely to juggle childcare and work effectively.
Embrace Slow Cooking
As the darker nights draw in, with minimal effort and sometimes little cost, there is a meal prepared for the whole family. If you’ve never used a slow cooker before don’t be intimidated. You literally turn it on, add your ingredients, give it all a stir and come back to a meal six to eight hours later, just like magic! We find that some evenings the slow cooker is invaluable when our family eats at different times due to work, clubs and sports practices. Everyone can help themselves at the time that suits them to a delicious hot meal. If you haven’t tried it yet then we’re a fan of Nathan Anthony’s ‘Bored of Lunch’ Cookbook which showcases easy to prep meals under 500 calories.
If You’re Off, You’re Off
Where possible, try to be in the moment. If you’re at the park with your little one, try to be there mentally as well as physically and refrain from taking work calls etc. Likewise, if you are at work try, if you can, to put things into place so that you are not distracted and trying to order nappies or book into Baby Sensory classes. By being present in the moment, you will find that you accomplish more and feel less guilt about not being a good parent or not achieving at work. We recommend this even if you have to cut the park down to 20 minutes. 20 minutes quality time whilst giving your child full attention is far superior to 60 minutes when you are completely distracted by work emails. When children are given your time without distraction, they benefit so much that you may even find that they are better behaved once you arrive home, although we can’t promise 😉