If you are anything like me, you are working away at your job. Doing all the things you have to do while working. And then you get an email from your kid’s teacher, or you get a text from your kiddo asking if he can have a friend over…while you are not there. And all you want to do is be in two places at once. You are needed at your job. But you are want to be home with your kiddos. And, if you think like I do. I want to make sure I am in control of everything. All the things at my job. And all the things at home. I just want to manage it all. And seriously, it just can not be done. Especially with my job since it is very high stress, and I need to concentrate on it when I am there. So here are some working mom tips to follow while you are at work.
Let Go of Control
I know this is easier said than done. But you can not be command center of all the things at home, while you are at work. It just is not possible. Especially if you have that highly stressful job that needs your full attention. You have to give some of that control over to some of the other members of your family. Either your husband, and your kids can help you out too. Especially as they get older. There has been many times that my oldest son has remembered an event of activity that I had forgotten about.
I know this is difficult. I honestly do because I am a control freak and feel that I need to control everything that happens with my kids and my family. But I just can’t while I am at the pharmacy, trying to be in control and supervise everything there.
If you need some help with letting go of the control. Read this post I wrote on painless ways to stop being a controlling mom. There are some helpful tips in there for you.
Let Other People Help
Notice, I did not call this section “Let Your Husband Help,” I just said “Let Other People Help.” And this is because, some of us mamas have husbands that work more than we do. Your husband wants to help with all the driving and all the parent meetings. But sometimes he has to work also. So you will need to let other people help. Now, I am not great with letting other people help me. I would rather just do it all myself. But when you have a job you have to work at. Sometimes this is just not possible. So you have to follow this most important of all the working mom tips, just to stay sane at your job.
So the first person I go to is my husband. Sometimes we can work it out so he can take the boys to their activities or go to the parent meeting. This week my husband is going to the church class parent meeting since I am working. I switched so I could go to my son’s cross country meet the next day. Would I like to go to both? Yes, I really would because I am better at figuring out all the schedules. But that is not going to happen this week. I have to have help.
Also, if my husband can’t go to something, then I do have my sisters that live in the area. They also work, but sometimes they happen t be off when I need the help. Do you have any family in the area? Such as grandparents or aunts and uncles. They love your kiddo also and are usually willing to help when they can. One time, my younger son was sick and school and needed to be picked up. We got all the way down the list to my sister’s boyfriend until we got to someone who could pick him up. You do what you have to do when you are working mom.
Trade Favors with Other Working Moms
I know that not all working mamas have family close by. This is when your mom tribe has to help. I work weird hours, I will work until 8pm some nights, but some days I will have off. So this works well for me to trade rides with a mom that works a typical 8-5 job. I can take the kiddos on my day off while she can pick up the kiddos at seven because she is off work by then.
As working moms, we really just need to help each other out. So that our kids can get to all their places. And you do not have to be worry every second while you are at work about how your kid is going to get home. This is just one of the great working mom tips to remember. Help each other out.
Ask all Family Members to Respect your Work Time
When I was growing up, my aunt and uncle both worked full-time, and my cousins would call my aunt all the time while she was at work. Like fifteen times a day, no joke. They did not respect her time at work at all. I work at a fast paced job, and I just can not accept phone calls from my husband or my kiddos about things that are not important at the time.
I have had to discuss with all three of them, that when I am at work, they can only contact me when it is something I would think is important or needs my immediate attention. And I tell my husband that he should not call me at work unless he is dead, joking but kind of not joking. I am not as callous with my kids. But they know, no contacting me unless it is important.
That might sound really mean and strict. But we have already discussed that I can’t be at two places at once. So if it something not too important they can either talk to my husband or wait until I get home from work when they will have my undivided attention. In fact, we keep a dry erase board on the fridge for the boys to write down anything that they need to talk about with me later. So they don’t forget! Here is the one that we use!
Just a few working mom tips for you to try out that will make your work life and your mom life a little bit easier.
Vanessa is a Doctor of Pharmacy who champions natural health. She lives with her husband of 18 years as well as her 12 & 15 year old sons. She aspires to encourage moms on their journey to family wellness through holistic health and essential oils.
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