Today, many educational institutions provide equal learning opportunities to women and offer plenty of scholarships to encourage women to enrol in STEM, nursing, arts, and other courses. As a result, more and more women are pursuing higher education and joining the workforce in different industries.
There is a significant number of working women with children under 18 in the US. Several big companies provide various benefits and more leaves to working mothers. However, despite all the benefits, most working women still face mounting challenges. For example, most bosses or male colleagues don’t understand the struggles of a working mother and add to their challenges instead of helping.
The societal pressure to be an ideal mother and have a successful career can also be detrimental to health. Consequently, many working mothers deal with the guilt of neglecting their children for a career. Working mothers with little help available for raising children often deal with more mental challenges than mothers with some help. Moreover, it can be chaotic for a working woman to balance family and career without proper scheduling.
Despite all the challenges, women can focus on their careers while raising a family by following simple tips. Below, we will discuss helpful tips on challenges a working mom faces.
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva.
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Ask for help before you get overwhelmed
Raising children is a full-time job. It can be challenging to balance a career and raise children. Therefore, ask for help whenever you need it and before you get overwhelmed by your responsibilities as a mother and working woman.
Raising children with special needs or medical conditions like ADHD can be even more challenging for a working mom. However, plenty of help is available in support groups and other organizations to help women in such circumstances. For example, raising a child with cerebral palsy, which can develop due to a birth injury, can be physically and mentally exhausting. However, you can learn more about your options to receive adequate medical and legal help.
Overall, asking for help is not something to be ashamed of, and you should seek the help of family members, friends, government services, non-profit organizations, and other support groups before you get overwhelmed by all the responsibility.
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Establish rules at home to avoid chaos
Establishing rules and staying organized can help you avoid chaos at home and in your office. It is crucial to divide and delegate tasks to other family members, your spouse, or children to stay organized in your work and family life.
For example, assign home chores like washing dishes, doing laundry, sweeping the floors, or other tasks to your children according to their age. Moreover, talk to your spouse about your challenges and ask him to assist with house chores like cooking dinner or breakfast.
Establishing a fixed wakeup and sleep time, a specific day for laundry, or other rules and delegating tasks to other family members can take a lot off your plate. In short, it will help you avoid chaos and enjoy both your family and work life.
Related read: Mistakes can be minimised by learning from other successful smart women – Elizabeth Akanbi-Ogabi of For Working Ladies.
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Take time out to manage your mental and physical health
Many women get lost in their responsibilities and forget to care for themselves. However, it is a flawed approach, and you should regularly take time out for yourself to maintain and manage your mental and physical health.
If you don’t prioritize your time, you are more likely to feel burned out at work and home. Therefore, set aside time for activities like playing sports, cooking or baking, shopping, swimming, spending meaningful time with yourself, or anything else you enjoy. It’ll help you wind down to be ready to fulfil all your duties efficiently.
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Use technology to ease your life
Technology has seeped into every industry around the world. It has also become a part of our home. Therefore, take advantage of these technological advancements to ease your life. For example, consider checking or replying to emails while waiting outside the school for your kids during pickups or drop-offs.
Automate your necessary bill payments, so you don’t miss a deadline and pay your bills on time each month. If you can’t find someone to look after your kids when you are at work, you can utilize technology to start working in a remote job role to be near your kids at all times.
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Learn to relax even if things don’t go as planned
Life is unpredictable, and not every aspect of life will turn out as planned. Therefore, developing a healthy attitude to deal with occasional frustrations is crucial.
More importantly, consider going to therapy to calm your mind and learn to accept that despite your best efforts, things will go wrong. Adopt relaxing habits and techniques to accept the unforeseen circumstances in your work or family life.
For example, if dinner is not served on time or if you miss your child’s school event because of a work commitment, don’t take it to heart and stay calm.
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Talk to other people in similar situations
No one can understand you better than other working women. Therefore, consider sharing your struggles with fellow working women with kids. They can share valuable insights and tips to help you deal with your struggles.
Moreover, working women with older children can better understand your situation and use their experiences to guide you better than even your closest confidants. So, don’t shy away from approaching working mothers in similar situations to get their help or to help them.
The Bottom Line
More and more women are eagerly entering the job force now more than ever. However, working mothers don’t have enough support to balance their career and family life and often face several challenges. Proper scheduling and other tips can help women deal with various challenges. You could try asking for help from family members, establishing rules at home, taking advantage of technology, learning to relax even if things go wrong, and prioritizing taking time out for yourself. And sharing your problems with other working mothers can help you deal with several of your challenges.