To all the women out there. To all the moms out there. There is nothing that makes you the same as another. There are moms who work from home, stay at home and work away from home. All of which are just as hard-working as the other. I can’t say there is one that is harder. If you work from home, you may have your littles at home and you find it difficult to find time to yourself and quiet time to get solid work done. If you work away from home there can be a battle of wanting to be in two places at once.
You could be a work away from home mom and are tugged at because you feel you need to be in two places at home. When I think about when I went back to work after having my son – I couldn’t help but feel guilty. From when I got up early in the morning to when I came home just a little bit later than I should have. I wanted to be home. But when I was home I wanted to be working. We can’t win. I can share both experiences, now working from home with my little one.
Working Away From Home Day:
- Wake up and have some “me time” whether this means a good morning stretch or a cup of coffee while watching some uninterrupted news. Let’s be so honest, you probably aren’t getting this in your schedule. Because hello, sleep! Sleep is more important.
- Shower/get ready- you want to start a wholesome day by getting it started without being rushed. When I worked away from home I rushed through my shower barely got myself together, meaning yes I showered, yes I brushed my teeth and picked out a good outfit but it was all super quick, * before the baby woke up and wanted snuggles or to feed*. What worked for me if he woke up was nursing my baby back to sleep so I didn’t feel bad when I left.
- Make a lunch – if I’m lucky!! When nursing, it’s extremely important to keep up with good meals and hydration. So ideally packing those snacks and lunches is key. But let’s be honest, women tend to put themselves on the back burner and thus the snacks are the last resort.
- Leave home – (if your sitter comes to you) otherwise you add in the extra time it takes to drop your little off at daycare.
- Go to work – realize you have to pump within 2 hours. Pray you didn’t forget any parts. (This is a blog post in its own I feel).
- Put in the work – do the business (stress included)
- Go home – make dinner, clean, chores, nighttime routine, etc.
- Repeat.
Work From Home Day:
- Wake up – semi-early so you can get a quick part of the day to yourself.
- Start chores, laundry, and dishwasher (from dinner the night before).
- Wake up routine – feed child – brush teeth – dressed for the day.
- Get them settled so you can go to your office (or workspace). Sometimes involves just bringing your laptop to where your child is.
- Take a break to help child with any challenges they are having throughout the day.
- Laundry, dishes, pick up (toys, toys, toys)
- Work some more- calls for those very distracting moments your child is having. (Note: timing must be impeccable).
- Lunch – hopefully, they feel like eating for you. Otherwise, it’s a battle. Any errands that need to be done can be done during this time.
- Independent playtime. (Warning: often ends in child needing changing.) Also note- not all your children are potty trained – diapers are changed, XYZ. Mine is potty trained but also misses the toilet due to poor aiming. Also- washing hands is fun – toddlers will splash, everywhere. Hence, more cleaning.
- Work.
- Prep dinner.
- Work until your hubby gets home.
- Dinner
- More cleaning. (Prepare to feel like you didn’t clean at all). Also, prepare to have hubby mention it looks like you didn’t do anything all day.
- Bedtime routine.
- Repeat.
Obviously, with life comes curve balls and not everyone is the same- not everyday is the same. Ideally we all strive for some kind of routine so we don’t go crazy. I like to think I attempt to do my best each day. We may not check every box but we checked some boxes and that’s enough. We need to understand the strengths we carry and fly with those.
Easier Said Than Done:
We are so quick to praise others for the things they do right. We forget to do this in our own rights. IF you want to lead a higher life- praise yourself more. Give thanks to all you do. Be willing to compensate yourself with compliments. We can fall behind on chores and not being perfect. It’s life. But the worst you can do is fall behind in your self-care. Don’t forget about #1. YOU!
You are the best mom you can be. You’ve sacrificed sleep, your body, your health and most importantly your own happiness as a cost for someone else. Literally, anyone else but ourselves. If you’re looking for a sign to make changes, today, here it is. You need to start putting numero uno first, today.
Whether you work from home or work away from home. Give yourself the credit you deserve. You are exactly where you need to be – at this stage in your life. You are going to be overwhelmed no matter what. Right? Do it being more positive about your contributions to your best self. You will find less burnout this way and radiate beauty and happiness that is contagious. Whatever your work is, you deserve the positives that are coming next. Be kind to yourself!
Want to achieve more? Read this on why we aren’t achieving our best life today.