Balancing work and home life
Since my son is nearly 3, I am going on 3 years of trying to figure out how to be a full time mama and a full time worker bee. I cannot tell you that I am an expert, but there are some strategies I have to adhere to in order to feel fulfilled in both!
Strategy #1:
Special time with just family 6pm-8pm, During this time it means Dinner and clean up. Phones and TV stay off. A lot of times after clean up we play a game or read together. Before we know it we have to wind down and get ready for bed. Those 2 hours fly by every night, and it is important with me not to distract myself with things that don’t matter as much as the developing relationships within my family.
Strategy #2:
Off work means not answering work emails or work phone calls. Ok I know I am a salaried employee so technically I’m “always working” but I really try to avoid responding to nonurgent work matters outside of working times. If you set the precedent that you do not respond on those days/times, then people eventually learn not to bug you. It is a line you must draw if you want to have success with this.
Strategy #3:
Saying no to after work events. If it is not mandatory, I avoid it. I’m not trying to be mean to my coworkers, I just want them to know that I need to focus on my family. Five years from now I won’t remember that after work event, but I will remember not going to my child’s Kindergarten round up, or ballet recital, or basketball game.
Strategy #4
Having someone you can trust to watch the babies! I went for a whole year before I found the perfect person to trust my son with all day. His first in-home daycare was quality care, but not someone I would 100% trust in every aspect of raising my child. It took a lot of prayer and discernment to finally end up pulling him out and finding a new place. Since then he has not stopped learning every day, and I love getting pictures throughout the day, it makes me feel involved in his day too.
Do you have strategies you’ve implemented too? If so, leave them in the comments below.
Vito’s first day of daycare in August of 2015- Mama was not smiling like that!
Talk Soon,
Alyssa
