It goes without saying that working women have additional pressure on them continously. Managing office work along with handling home is not a child’s play. Instead of quitting your job, try our time saving tips here.
@ Home
Make every family member puts things back in their right place. Do praise your kids for their effort.
Seek your hubby’s help in simple chores like setting the table / clearing it. Luck if your husband helps more. In case your hubby is not that supportive, remember men want appreciation. So, resist criticising his methods and your husband will be happy to help.
Plan in the night itself about early morning. Finish things like packing schoolbags and ironing clothes. Decide what you want to wear to work the next day and keep it ready the night before.
Have a planned menu. Decide what to cook every day of the following week and shop for groceries accordingly. You can use apps like recipe roulette if deciding menu drives you crazy. Or make it a fun activity by making it a game.
Give your children quality time every day, even if it is just a couple of hours. Read to them, play games with them and talk to them about their day. It is not important what you do or for how much time you do it. All that matters is that you show your baby you love her/ him.
Work to keep your marriage happy. Put your kids to bed early. Spend some alone time. Talk. Unwind. Keeping a loving atmosphere will keep your kids at peace.
Learn to say ‘no’. Your top priority is your home. Keep it that way. Do not let co-workers or acquaintances dig into your precious time with boring phone conversations, dull parties and unreasonable demands. You will have limited time to socialise, so attend only those functions and meetings that mean a lot to you.
Use time-saving devices like microwaves, food processors and washing machines to your advantage.
Do not forget to give yourself some quality time. Get a massage, meditate, workout, visit an art gallery, write a blog, go out with friends, whatever you enjoy the most. Do one such activity every week.
@ Workplace
Don’t allow work to spill over onto your home and vice versa. Tell you colleagues you would prefer to be contacted via e-mail rather than phone. At the same time, make e-mail communication clear, crisp and concise.
Don’t forward mass e-mails. Also tell your colleagues to not send forwards.
If you need to stay back late at work or take a business trip, enlist support from your spouse. Tell your children you are doing something that matters a lot to you and will make you happy. Give them a realistic picture of when you will be back. Sometimes, you might have to just say no to a business trip, especially if it coincides with an important date like your son’s birthday or your daughter’s dance programme.
Once you resume work, reassure your boss and everyone else that you are back 100 percent. Keep talk about your baby and your situation to the minimum. Yes, you can call home to check on the baby, but do it as unobtrusively as possible. Try not to call every hour to check whether your baby’s daiper has been changed or ‘just to check if she is okay.’ If there is anything important — for instance, your child is sick — talk with your boss and take the day off.
Be as professional as possible and while you are at work and aim for maximum efficiency. This will ease your adjustment phase and people will forget that you were ever away.
Most of all, try and suppress the inherent desire to be ‘Supermom’ all the time. For your kids, you will always be special even if you are not perfect. What matters the most to them is that you love them and will always be there for them.
Are you a working, single or non-working mom? How do you cope with the demands of everyday life? Share your time saving tips with us in comments below.
