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Challenge: Keeping Your Cool

5 Ways Working Moms Can Balance Career and Family

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If you are one of those working moms who feel like their life is somewhere lost in an endless circle of no sleep and lots of stress, yet somehow you can’t seem to elude this loop. Then, no need to worry and feel stressed all the time.

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Let’s discuss some ways to get out of this mess and accomplish a career-family balance.

1- Prepare the Night Before

Avoid the manic morning rush by getting arranged in a systematic way the night before. Here are some tips you can use effectively to get prepared before the day.

  • Clean up the kitchen and have breakfast planned and prepared.

  • Lay out clothes both for the partner and kids as well as for yourself.

  • Make packed lunches and have backpacks ready.

  • Gather everything you will need to get out of the house.

2- Find Quality Childcare


Ask your friends circle and relatives for references to babysitters, nannies, and daycare centers. Make a list of criteria that are essential and then schedule time to discuss with skilled childcare providers or to tour local daycares. The president of Brownstone Nannies, Sharon Tepper suggests appointing nannies with an account of long-term devotions to families. This demonstrates they have extremely good experience and are flexible to different age groups, caring for newborns as well as older children who need homework help.

A good child care provider should have wonderful references, immense experience and a record to prove it. A good daycare facility should have up-to-date licenses, outdoor space, flexible hours, a low teacher-to-student ratio and employees who have had their backgrounds checked.

3- Leave Work at Work

Technology can often blur the line between work and family. Most of the mothers find it difficult to switch off from work mode at home. If you do have to take work home with you then:

  • Turn off work email notifications from your mobile when out of the office.

  • Avoid doing work on the same table you have family dinners.

  • Try to work in a closed off area of your house.

4- Communicate With Your Employer


Make a written plan mentioning your need before talking to your employer or HR representative. Investigate whether other workers have flexible arrangements and utilize this information to your advantage. This information will assist customize your proposal to the terms that your employer has previously embraced with your colleagues. You can even ask them to develop some worksite wellness programs ultimately helping employees adopt and maintain healthy behaviors leading to a well maintained life.

Moms seeking maternity leave should ask questions like "How much time can I take off?" and "How much of that time will be paid?" when speaking with a manager. Discuss using vacation time or short-term disability so as to cover some of your time away from the office.

5- Work Together

Get the help of your husband, trusted friends and loved ones to contribute in with household responsibilities or childcare during your travel or overtime work. Join forces with those you can rely on when family problems occur. Finding assistance makes all the difference ensuring that your life is in balance.

Implementing the above mentioned five ways will surely help you to live a balanced life. Do you have any career-family balance tips you can share? Let’s hear them, if so!

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