tips for a better “working mom” life

I’ve always known that I wanted to be a mom. something inside me has always known this and when I had my daughter, I knew it was meant for me. what I also knew was that I wanted to continue working. for me, I feel a serious drive to do a lot at once, and I love to work on projects and initiatives that matter. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a company that’s allowed me to grow and do a lot of things that I’ve wanted to do. because I chose to be a working mom (some of us do not have the choice, and I recognize how lucky I am to be able to do that), I am always looking for ways to make being a “working mom” easier. I’ve found that there are a few things that keep me organized.

the first thing that keeps me focused and organized as a working mom is to plan ahead. I think this benefits everyone, but because I don’t have a lot of time to go to the store or schedule appointments whenever, I have to do a lot of thinking ahead. this often means I’m ordering snow boots for my daughter in september because I know we’ll go up to the mountains, but I also doubt my ability to search for boots last minute in-store. I also spend some time each evening planning out my daughter’s lunch. whenever I forget to do this, our mornings are much more chaotic and we’re always late. cook ahead and benefit!

try to find a job that values parenthood and grants flexibility. I have a great husband who helps out a lot, but his work is often less flexible when it comes to our daughter’s daytime needs. we have someone watching her, but when she gets sick, I have to take her to the doctor myself. I’ve never had any issue doing this and my work has been super supportive. at the end of the day, they know how much I’m working and so taking an hour and a half to care for my daughter isn’t a problem.

this doesn’t always work for me, but I try to use naps times to my advantage. on the weekends, I often have work to do. but it’s hard to work and care for her at the same time, so I try to schedule all of my work during her nap time so that I can get it out of the way and focus on her or the house when she’s awake. I also have to remind myself that I can’t do everything myself and that I have to let some things go when I can’t get them all done.

and this goes without saying, but try to find some alone time just for yourself. no matter how busy your work is or how much family chaos you have at home, finding at least an hour to give back to yourself is key. I try to visit my horse twice a week on my own – it gives me downtime and always leaves me more energized. ideally, “me time” would be a small part of every single day, but I’ll take at least 2 days a week for now.

those are the things that help me stay focused as a working mom, and in all honesty, I like doing so much at once. that said, situations ebb and flow, so some things mentioned above may or may not work for you, or even for me in the future. no matter what situation you’re in, know you’re already doing a great job and that you are incredibly capable of doing so much more. you got this, mama!