Tips for Balancing on the Working-Mother Tightrope
I do not believe that anyone will ever invent a day that is longer than 24 hours. And if someone does, then perhaps we can all accomplish everything that is needed to get done in the span of a day. Therefore, a working mother needs all the tips she can get, to gather what little time is available and accomplish tasks both work related, as well as ensure domestic bliss.
Tip 1: Blur the lines between work time and home time. When it comes down to it, the space between waking up and going to bed doesn’t always need to be so compartmentalized. Emails for work can just as easily be reviewed and responded to while the kids do their homework in the evening, and bills to be paid can be handled at the desk while eating lunch in the office. Learn to view time available holistically rather than through a narrow lens.
Tip 2: Reconsider the ‘expert’ advice on keeping the home office separated from the rest of the house. There is no reason why a conference call can’t be handled while looking at the spreadsheets on the laptop, and adding some more salt to the pot-roast for dinner at the same time. If you need a quiet place to work, just let everyone in the house know that for the next hour or so, the kitchen is off limits as you multi-task.
Tip 3: You are a whole person so stop dividing yourself into categories: mother, worker, and spouse. When you split yourself into these separate roles, inevitably you’ll feel that one is suffering from less attention than another and that begets frustration which affects your ability to perform tasks. Your role wears many hats and that is fine. It’s all you and it’s an important role.
Source: Real Simple