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Three Tips for Moms to Balance Work and Family

Many women work full-time, juggle PTA meetings and still aim to put a nutritious meal on the dinner table. As a result, it is no surprise that many women are feeling the effects of being pulled in different directions. Here are some simple tips to help us deal with the incessant daily juggle.
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Women are traditionally the homemaker, the mom and the family referee. Many of us work full-time, juggle PTA meetings and still aim to put a nutritious meal on the dinner table. As a result, it is no surprise that many women are feeling the effects of being pulled in different directions.

Despite our incessant multi-tasking, we often feel like we still have no time. We may feel like we never get anything done and worst yet we sometimes feel like we don't get quality time with our family.

Many of us find ourselves asking for more hours in the day to get everything done. It has always fascinated me, but counter to our logical mind, slowing down actually provides much needed respite and opens up more time!

Here are some simple tips to help us deal with the incessant daily juggle. Hopefully these will help you to feel better and possibly even help the regular grind in your home.

1.Don't forget you!

Moms are traditionally the care-givers. We give to our husbands, our careers, our children and more. Who is missing on this list? Us! This is a primary reason for our growing exhaustion and depletion. We are always giving to others and forgetting about ourselves. When we do this repetitively, it is no surprise we feel depleted. When we are exhausted, our minds don't work well, we get more forgetful, easily angry and highly stressed. That is just a recipe for more un-needed havoc.

Solution -- Today, do something for you. Get a pedicure, a massage or go for a walk in the woods. Giving you alone-time is crucial to mental sanity and actually makes better parents and more available partners. Giving time to you actually opens up time for other things!

2.Get a Good Night's Sleep

Do whatever you have to do to sleep. It may mean that you sleep in the spare room, or that you have a cup of sleepy-time tea. When we are busy, working, picking up the children, doing home work and replying to emails, we sometimes forget the basics like sleep. Many moms will stay up late after the kids go to bed, to catch up and prepare for the next day. This quickly eats away at our sleep hours. Eventually, sleep deprivation and feeling edgy can be the quick result. We hold our breath till our next coffee and we wonder why we feel exhausted.

Solution -- Go to sleep early. Put yourself first. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep tonight. Aim for continuous, un-interrupted sleep. This can refresh you and give you significantly higher energy levels that can completely change your day.

3.Make time for Date Nights

One of the first things to disappear with the emergence of children is the intimacy in our relationship. Children often like to be the centre of attention. Many parents forget about their own communication and rely on text messages to juggle the parenting tasks. Little attention is given to the ongoing connection and relationship with each other.

We forget about our evolving partnership and its growth. Our relationship with our spouse is of primary importance. As people, we are constantly growing. Similarly, our primary partnership is always changing. If we are not nurturing it, we can forget that it too requires love and attention. A relationship is like any plant -- it requires love, water, food and sunlight.

Solution -- Date nights! It may seem like a real bother. Date nights require organization, a sitter and may cost money. The benefits, however, far out-weigh these costs. When we are willing to take time with our partner, we can open up new conversations, continue to grow with them, and remember the special things about them that led us down this path of parent-hood.

Hopefully, this weekend will provide a chance for you to try at least one of these suggestions. You may be surprised, but by taking time for you, you actually are giving to your family. The result will be a happier, rested and more balanced you. This is a real gift that all of your family wants.

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