In a world where you can go on your phone and see these idealistic videos of the perfect work-life balance, it’s important to understand that balancing mom life and work life is an imperfect task. I’m not here to tell you that I have a foolproof guide that will lead you to 100% satisfaction, but I am here to share what has and is currently working for me.
I’m a mom of three: a five-year-old daughter and two-year-old twin boys. I have a full-time job and am a co-founder of the most amazing marketing company—yes, I’m biased, and no, I do not care. So for me, creating a realistic and attainable balance is paramount.
4 Ways To Balance Being A Working Mom
One – Lock your phone in your room.
Dramatic? Maybe. Does it work? Fudge yeah, it does. Seriously, when I’m off the clock and my kids are home, my phone is now in my room on my bedside table. Why? To eliminate any temptation. I have always been a really hard worker and I want to be so proud of the work that I accomplish. So, I won’t stop until I have to.
Unfortunately, that means time knows no bounds, so YOU have to create the boundaries. I realized that when my phone was in sight, it was too tempting to pick it up and check in on my work or send an email or even reply to a chat.
I have to lock my phone away when my kids are present. The only time I take it out is if my nuggets are being so adorable that I need to snap a picture. And, well, that happens a lot. I’ve also gotten into the habit of always putting my phone face down. This way, I can’t see any notifications. I do not go on my phone anymore until the kids are in bed. It helps me be a more present mom. It’s a simple, free way to increase your work-life balance.
Two- Understand that your job doesn’t care.
I used to feel so ashamed to say that my kids were sick and that I needed to use some of my days off to take care of them. Writing this out makes me feel like such a goof. Especially when I was younger and in my infancy of parenthood, I hated asking for time off. I thought that I was letting down my C-Suite. Like, what?!
Here’s the thing: your job will care if you take too many days, yes. However, there is always another job. There is never another child. No job is worth sacrificing being there when your kid needs you. I understand that every situation is different, and sometimes you truly can’t take off. I’ve been there. But I also know that sometimes you can take off, but you don’t want to look like you aren’t a dedicated team player.
I have a manager who says, “it’s not like we are saving babies,” meaning that no office job is life or death. Take the dang days off—you EARNED them!
Three – Include your kids in your work
Sometimes life happens, and you can’t take the day off, or a work ’emergency’ pops up and needs immediate attention. These are the moments when you need to be able to incorporate your kids if your job permits. I’ve brought my daughter along with me multiple times. Now, she actually loves shooting content! She has creative ideas all the time! I’ve even noticed her asking me about the details of certain things or why they are playing a certain type of music in a video. It’s amazing to see her start showing an interest in things like this.
I love that my daughter has seen me work, especially since I have a remote job. For the longest time, she thought I just sat home all day because why would she know any different? I am continuously looking for ways to be a better role model for her and to set strong examples. One way that I do this is by showing her my job and what it entails. It also helps her understand that she’s not alone in having to put in the hours at school. For her, school is her priority, and learning is her focus. It helps her understand that she’s not alone in having to put in the work. This helps so much with balancing mom life and work life!
Four – Give yourself grace
I know that I can’t be the only one who thinks about how well they balanced their day before bed. Did I play with my kids enough? Did I accomplish everything I needed at work? Does my husband feel seen? Did I rush bedtime?
In life, there is no parenting playbook. No right way to do it; we are all learning as we go. No matter how much someone looks like they have it all figured out, they don’t. It’s just not possible.
There are phases of togetherness. Some weeks I am absolutely crushing the mom game, and others I am in full boss mode. However, it’s not common that I feel like I crushed both aspects of my life at the same time. There’s just not enough of you to go around. Well, that is if you don’t let there be. Setting such high expectations for yourself will be the end of trying to create a better work-life balance. You CAN have a successful career and an amazing home life. The key is to give yourself grace.
Maybe it looks like picking up a pizza on the way home from work instead of making the dough yourself. Perhaps it looks like an easy movie night because you’re simply exhausted. Or, maybe it looks like taking a personal day from work.
I wish I could tell you that I’m providing you with the ultimate guide to balancing mom life and work life and achieving the perfect life as a working mother. But, here at Happily Hunsucker, we do not sell false promises – we keep it simple and truthful. I’m just a full-time working mom of three trying to find peace in the chaos.
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