Survival Tips for the Working Mom

By Lata Tokhi

It is easy to get frustrated with life when you feel like you are managing more than you can really manage and doing a thankless job at that because things never seem to be perfect. But what is difficult is to fight back like most of the working mothers out there have to do in order to continue with their own careers. 'Everything Done To Perfection' is never going to happen and even stay at home moms can't boast of that, so once and for all, get out of that frustration. But that said, there are some surefire ways that can help you manage your time and your entire life in a better way. We share with you some of the ways that successful working moms have shared with us in their interviews on Dot Com Women and who want all the working moms of the world to read and benefit from their experiences.

1. Organize Your Time
Wake up before kids do. Grab a peaceful fifteen minutes for yourself and do whatever you like. It could be reading the morning newspaper with a cup of coffee or doing stretching exercises or meditating or just sitting in your porch or garden with a cup of tea or coffee. Have a shower, make the kids' lunches and your own if possible. Before you leave for work, put your laundry into the washer and use slow cookers to start cooking the dinner.

After you come back from work, spend time with kids. Talk to them about what happened at school and check their school work. Use the evening to get prepared for the next morning. Lay out children's clothes and chop/freeze for the next day's meals.

2. Get Help from Your Family
Enlist your husband and kids' help in doing household chores. While you still need to do the most of the work yourself, divide a considerable amount of work between other members of the family so that the work gets done quickly and none of the other members feel bogged down by too much work. Tasks such as cleaning the house which otherwise never get done, can be performed daily if you assign it to the kids. This will also teach your kids to be responsible.

You can also ask your husband to take the kids out to the nearby park so that you can get an extra couple of hours. This is especially handy when you have overdue housework or an important work assignment from your office.

3. Make Your Life Easy
Make your lifestyle easy by buying gadgets and using services that can really make things easier for you. Look for small appliances that can help you in the kitchen in your busy mornings. Keep some easy-to-make or ready-to-eat food at hand for emergency situations when you do not have the time to prepare full meals. Hire household help if you can. Utilize community services that charge you a small sum for bringing home your groceries, washing your car or paying your bills for you. Use the internet to shop from home and save valuable time which you can spend with your kids instead.

4. Prioritize
It is for you to decide and prioritize your day. Is it a spotless home that you really want or do you think you should do something special for your husband or your kids. Is there a way to do both? Similar questions arise when you get stuck between an important meeting with a client and attending your child's ballet recital. Learn to set your priorities right. While you obviously want to be at the recital, you cannot always set it to be your top priority. Ask your husband for support and make sure that at least one parent is there for your kids. Be aware that your husband could also need such support and you should make it possible for him to miss your son's baseball match for his meeting while you take his place at the match.

And when you do miss out on anything that is of special importance to your kids or your husband, take the time to make up for it by asking about it with interest and getting all the details no matter how tired you yourself are. Chances are, that your husband and children will really understand your situation and support you.

The key to being a good mother is staying happy and sane, whether you work or not. Minimizing your guilt feeling about not doing enough for your family and feeling at peace deep inside your mind is what will help you manage your personal and professional lives in a more efficient way and enjoy your life with your dear ones.

Working Mothers all over the world can relate to this article and we hope, find some support in it. For more tips, advice and resources forWorking Mothers, Freelancing Careers and Household Finance & Budgeting, visit the Work & Finance Channel of DotComWomen.com.