If you’re a parent in Singapore looking for a career that’s excellent for the family, pays well, and allows for some flexibility in your schedule, you may find the search more daunting.
Balancing your professional and personal life is perhaps the greatest challenge for working adults. There might be instances when you’re caught in a tug-of-war between your role as a parent and employee. There will be times when you need to focus on your job, and then other times when your family will need you more.
Every working parent knows the struggle of achieving this balance. While it’s ideal for employers to understand the importance of both work and family, not every company is considerate in this aspect. If you want to avoid making that tough choice, you need a job that allows you to balance your personal and professional life.
Truth be told, juggling is no simple task, and it can be challenging to keep up with the balls moving around. Finding a balance between a job and family life can be daunting.
One way to get through a difficult time is to step back and look at the big picture, or what’s truly essential. Use these pointers to balance parenthood and professional life.
Appreciate the seasons
We understand how long some days can seem. However, as we go through different parenthood and professional life phases, each year’s season provides challenges and rewards. You can notice how children develop and change over a few short years, going from being infants to toddlers to teenagers.
To avoid feeling regret once the season has ended, it’s best to make the most of the moments you consider meaningful. Both your personal and professional life could benefit from this.
If a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself at work, you may decide to devote your full attention to it.
Try to make the most of the season if it means anything special to you, whatever that may be. Recognize the uniqueness of each period of your life and adapt your goals to reflect your changing values.
Understand and accept that the things most essential to you at one time may look very different from those necessary for your work.
Plan out your time commitments
Once you’ve determined what’s most important to you, commit to it concretely by writing it down in your planner. If you put some thought into these details in advance, you can rest assured that you will have enough time to deal with them. Knowing how much time you have left can make more informed decisions about which appointments and chores are most important and which ones you may safely decline.
Do you wish to prioritize family dinners? Have those times set out on your planner. Do you and your partner value spend time together? Schedule time together in advance, whether it’s a romantic evening or just a chance to relax after a long day.
Make sure you don’t forget anything by adding in the mundane tasks of daily life, such as dropping off and picking up your kids from school, paying bills, and going grocery shopping.
Strengthen your support system
As the saying goes, “no man is an island.” Consider the ‘people resources’ available at home and your workplace. It should include the people you actively rely on for help. This might be the people you work with, your in-laws, your parents, your husband, your assistant, your siblings, your friends, or a reliable daycare facility. Probably more support systems are ready and able to help you with your personal and professional endeavors than you initially thought.
If you’re feeling guilty about asking for help, remind yourself that doing so might make other people feel appreciated and needed. Keep these connections alive to show appreciation to the people who have helped you. One easy method to show them they’re appreciated is to pay for their transportation to your location or treat them to lunch.
Make sure you communicate your needs
Now that you have a support system in place, don’t be afraid to speak up and let people know what you need so that they can better lend a hand or adjust their expectations. It’s a good idea to talk to your manager or supervisor about the childcare arrangements too. This includes when and where you can pump during the workday, the availability of flexible work schedules, and the possibility of taking emergency leave to care for a sick child.
Communicate with your partner and other caregivers frequently about how you’re doing emotionally and physically and where you can benefit from more help. Doing so can save you from allowing feelings of dissatisfaction over unfulfilled demands to fester to the point of crisis.
Focus on the present
Much of the “mom guilt” that parents experience comes from worrying about their kids while at work and, conversely, from being preoccupied with work when spending time with them. It’s normal for your feelings and emotions to wander when trying to keep so much going on at once.
Tell yourself that what’s in front of you demands your undivided focus, and resist the urge to let your thoughts wander. What’s the purpose of trying to strike a balance if you’re never fully invested in anything or having fun doing it?
Focus on bonding and creating lasting memories with your kids. Your ultimate goal should be to build a strong bond with your kids so they can always count on you, no matter what difficulties life throws them (or you).
Here are some tips on how to balance your working life as a mother:
- Keep your job and home separate. This is one of the most important things that you should do if you want to achieve work life balance as a working mom. By keeping these two distinct entities separate, it will be easier for you to manage both of them and ensure that they both get the care they need.
- Find a good work-life balance mentor. This is someone who understands your situation and can help you navigate the challenges of balancing work and home life. You’ll want to find someone who has been there herself, as well as someone who understands what it’s like to be a working parent.
- Schedule breaks between working hours and child care duties. These breaks should be scheduled regularly so that they are not left unplanned or forgotten about. This will also help in preventing burnout which affects productivity at work as well as at home.
- Eat well-balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner so that your body is nourished with all nutrients it needs for proper functioning of its systems in order to stay healthy and active throughout the whole day without feeling tired or lethargic at all times while working on important tasks like handling clients’ calls or managing projects at work place etc..
- Take breaks. If you feel yourself getting too stressed out, take a break and do something that relaxes you. Even if it’s just taking a walk around the block or going for a cup of coffee with your neighbor, it will help you refocus on what is important in life.
- Schedule time for yourself. Schedule time for yourself each week so that you can focus on something other than your job. Whether it’s taking an afternoon off to watch the kids play soccer or going out with friends after work, scheduling time off will give you more energy and focus when you come back to work. When you have time scheduled each week, it becomes easier to fit everything else into your schedule as well!
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night. If you’re tired during the day, chances are your kids will be too – so take care of yourself first!
- Spend some time alone with your kids each day – even if it’s just an hour or two before bedtime! Make sure they know that this space belongs only to them – no electronics allowed!
- Start planning for vacations now! Set aside some time in your calendar (even if it’s just one day) so that you have time set aside every week to look ahead at your upcoming schedule and figure out what days you will need off of work (or school).
Work-Life Balance
If you are a working mom, then you might already know that the challenge of balancing life and work is not easy. There are times when you want to give up on your job because it has been so demanding that it is hard for you to find the time for yourself. But if you do not continue working, then the children will suffer from the consequences of your absence.
What I’ve learned over the years is that it’s okay if you don’t get all the chances to be with your family. They’re not going to feel any less loved just because they don’t see you every day. Even though you’re putting in long hours to achieve their goals, they won’t feel any less loved because of it. Regardless of how little time you have with them, they will cherish it if you pour out your genuine care and love in the best way you can.
Creating an effective work life balance isn’t easy, especially if you are a working mom. But it’s possible if you do these five things: (1) Appreciate the seasons (2) Plan out your commitments (3) strengthen your support system (4) Make sure to communicate your needs and (5) Focus on the present.