Work-life balance is not always an easy task.It is even more difficult when we also have to raise our children. The organization of time is very important to be able to get to do everything we want, and if we do not get it sometimes we feel guilty.
In this article we will expose the key tips to reconcile work and children. No doubt about it, the pressure to provide for the family in which the children are growing up is a challenge, especially for women.. We are often given all the responsibility for housework and childcare.
The 5 most important aspects to be able to reconcile work and children
Many mothers get frustrated and blame themselves. They feel that dedicating themselves to their professional career is something they do with more dedication than being with their children, lacking the time to be with them. On the other hand, they are under pressure from society itself, which forces them to take on the role of both caregiver and worker.
We are aware of the effort involved in raising a family, and that is why we at La Guía Femenina have prepared the 5 key tips to reconcile work and children. The question, as we will see, is to take care of ourselves and find the right measures but avoiding the burdens that we do not deserve..
1. Learn to manage time
Surely you feel that time is a scarce commodity and even seems to be playing a trick on you, but if we know how to relate well with it, it can be our ally.
Many times all we need is a little organization and planning.. To do this we first need to detect a time frame/s in which we can think about how we are going to do things and what priority each one of them has.
Dedicating some time in the morning to make lists and organize our actions is a very good idea. This way we structure ourselves to know when to do the shopping, go to the doctor, take our child to such and such a place, etc. A good option for shopping is to take advantage of new technologies and buy online.
2. Get ahead of work
Surely if we think about it we can think of some moment during the day that we can use to get things ahead of time. It may be only 20 or 30 minutes, which we can take from different parts of the day, but they can come in handy.
For example, at the first hour of each day before anyone wakes up, or also in the last half hour of the day, before going to sleep. and time when our children are already in bed.
We would also be sure to have some time on Sunday, in which we usually take advantage of to rest. We like to take advantage of the occasions we have to simply do nothing, but when it comes down to it, that extra hour on the sofa can come in handy to get things done. So, for example, during Sunday we can prepare food for the rest of the week; it will help us to have more time and even be more organized.
Another example to gain efficiency is to take advantage of the last hours of the night to prepare the clothes we will wear the next day. It is an excellent routine to be more efficient the next day and have something less to think about. Bringing work forward is a key tip for balancing work and children.
3. Ask for help
That you work is a choice you have made in which there is a consensus with your partner. But this doesn’t mean that your partner can’t help you any more than he or she is helping you. If you don’t have everything, your partner can take on more household functions, after all you are both working..
On the other hand, the most classic help is that of grandparents. If you are still lucky enough to be able to enjoy your parents and they can help you without major problems, going to them is a good possibility to unburden yourself a little. Grandparents and grandchildren need time together too..
If the children are a bit older, you can also ask them to help you more at home.Your role does not have to be that of a servant for the rest of your life. Preparing the table, removing the dishes from the dishwasher, sweeping, taking out the garbage are basic actions that you can assign them perfectly, and at the same time they will learn that in life things do not come ready-made.
4. Be present in every moment
Sometimes we are in one place and we have our head in another. We have to avoid these things. It is worthwhile to be living to the fullest the moment we are in.If we are at work, we take care of work, and if we are with our children, we enjoy this space.
It’s actually a way to be effective. Tell your children that when you are at work they can only call you for emergencies, and try to express the same at work. Let your boss understand that every day in the morning you will be available to attend to what is needed, but not in the evening.
5. Make your work schedule flexible
Maybe it is simply not possible, but you can ask at work if it would be an option to have a more flexible schedule. This is becoming more and more common, as companies are aware that they have to offer attractive benefits to workers beyond salary to retain them, so don’t feel bad about it.so don’t feel bad about considering it.
It really depends on the industry you work in, this is something you may or may not be able to take advantage of. If you are really unhappy in your job and there are options to start somewhere else with a better schedule, it’s always worth thinking about.
One is not predestined to have a particular work life, and sometimes it is we ourselves who put pressure on ourselves to follow a particular path. The fundamental question is work to live, and not the other way around, to enjoy our family.and any reflection and rethinking in this sense is always welcome.