Strategies for Work Life Balance
Essential Tips for Busy Working Mothers
May 3, 2007 Naomi Rockler-Gladen
For many working mothers, the work life balance is one of life’s greatest challenges. While men often feel conflicted between workplace and fatherhood demands as well, women usually suffer from more than their fair share of the burden of balancing family and work life
Why? For one thing, society puts unrealistic expectations on women to be “perfect” mothers. In addition, there’s a huge double standard. Men don’t lose credibility among coworkers when they have children, but women do. Many women feel they have to work harder in the workplace to demonstrate their commitment. The result is that women feel the need to buckle down at their jobs at the same time as they are raising a young child.
So how does a woman balance work with family? There’s no easy answer to this question that impacts countless women, but here are some suggestions
- Lose the guilt. It’s not like you’re going to a resort every day. You’re at work. As a career woman, you’re serving as a breadwinner for your family, and that’s an essential role.
- Divide the workload fairly. Unless you are a single mom, take the time to negotiate responsibilities with your partner. Avoid conflict as much as possible by communicating with your partner about how to distribute the work fairly. Sit down when you’re not angry and negotiate a fair work distribution. Who’s going to do the grocery shopping and the laundry?. Who’s going to pick up your child at daycare?
- Be in the moment at work or with family. This can be a difficult goal, especially if you work at home or are expected to bring work home from the office. But when you’re at home, do the best you can at just being a mom. At work, do the best you can at being committed to your job.
- Communicate with your boss and your coworkers. Open a good line of communication with your boss to make sure you are fully aware of your job expectations and of any concerns about your work. At the same time, don’t be afraid to insist on reasonable accommodations. You may need to take sick days off for your child, and if your employers do not accept this without penalizing you, they are asking for a lawsuit. Communicate with them about things they may not know you need, like a private place to pump.
- Look for smart ways to readjust your schedule. Can you telecommute a few days per week? Is a flex schedule or part time work possible?
- Document anything “fishy” at work. Unfortunately, some workplaces treat women unfairly after they have children. This is sex discrimination. If anything like this happens to you, keep good records.
- Put housework lower on your list of priorities. Your child could care less if your kitchen floor doesn’t sparkle. Besides, trying to keep your home spotless with a toddler running around will make you insane.
- Find a good child care situation. This can be a challenge. However, you’ll feel much better at work if you know your child is in good hands.
- Schedule in down time with your partner. You need to be more than parents once in a while. Treat yourself to a night out, or have a “date night” with take out food and a DVD.
- Schedule in time for yourself. Busy working women need to recharge, so don’t feel the least bit guilty about taking time for yourself. Get out of the house with your girlfriends once in awhile. Indulge in a manicure, a hot fudge sundae, a margarita, or whatever makes you feel just a little bit naughty.
Remember, don't feel guilty, take care of yourself, and try to have a sense of humor!
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