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Columbia Moms Who Work:
Five Tips to a Balanced Life
So, you thought that once the kids were old enough for school your life would get easier. Well I have news for you, "easy" is a word that is applied to women before they become mothers. Once you've crossed that line, it takes some real planning on your part to maintain balance.Getting the kids up, dressed and fed, finding lost items, packing lunches and getting everyone to school on time can feel like a full-time job in itself. And that's before you head into town on I-26.
According to the Families and Work Institute, 60 percent of working parents feel considerable conflict between work demands and time spent at home. No surprise there. And with 85 percent of employed women still working exclusively outside the home, that means many of us are still dashing up and down Broad River Road to the office, through the woods on Devine for soccer, and rounding the corner at Two Notch headed for home.
While some of these tips sound impossible, at least attempting them makes the Monday through Friday grind a little easier:
- Plan Meals Ahead
Make only one shopping trip per week to buy ingredients. Get a cookbook that contains easy-to-prepare recipes. Double a recipe and freeze half for another meal. When you're making a salad, make double and save half for the next night. Keep lasagnas or other one-dish meals in the freezer for nights when you don't feel like cooking. Designate your most hectic night as order-out night and get pizza or Chinese food. Have the kids make dinner one night a week if they are old enough. - Plan Your Morning
Mornings will go more smoothly if you do some things the night before: Pack lunches (or have kids make their own), lay out clothes, ensure homework is done, pack backpacks and check the calendar for after-school plans. Teach kids to get themselves ready in the morning by putting up a wall chart that lists "brush teeth," "make bed," "get dressed," "eat breakfast" and whatever else they need to do. - Define What You Can't Live Without
Once you finally make it to the office you can think about the following: Whether you want flexible hours, telecommuting, on-site childcare or adoption assistance, first determine what's most important to you. After you define your top priorities, set a goal to find a company whose policies mirror your wish list. This does not happen over night. Planning and patience is the key. - Work on Fostering Relationship with Your Supervisor
With work/life balance, your immediate supervisor sets the tone for how much company support you're likely to receive. If you end up with a manager who doesn't believe in the company's work/life programs, don't count on getting what you need especially when it comes to flexibility. Fostering this relationship takes planning and patience. - Stay Ahead
The best way to stay on top is to stay ahead. As lofty as this may sound, try to complete work way in advance of deadlines. Leave it until the last minute and you can guarantee that somebody is going to be ill and need your undivided attention.
Of course, if you're a single mother, it's even more important to develop a network of neighbors and friends who can pitch in when there's a problem. Build a good support system by connecting with other working moms who are a positive influence. The key is finding working moms in similar situations who are upbeat. A new website to the area, www.Columbia4kids.com, is a directory for parents in Columbia, SC. The message board on this site is a great way to find people who have children the same age as yours and who may be in similar work situations. Check it out. Attitude is everything.
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