EarlyStart: Work-life balance for working mothers

CEBU, Philippines - Balancing one’s responsibilities of work and family is not easy. Balance can seem downright impossible, especially for working mothers pulled in a thousand directions because of the multiple roles they play.

Traditionally, women in the Philippines play the role of the homemaker, and one of their main obligations is taking care of their children. Our current reality adds another dimension to Filipina women’s responsibilities: sharing the breadwinning responsibilities with their spouses.

According to the Philippine Commission on Women, 49.7 percent of the labor force is made up of women (October 2010 Labor Force Survey). This means that many of the workers in the Philippines may be dealing with feelings of guilt and stress as they try to manage their priorities, responsibilities, and expectations.

While perfect balance is probably not realistic, it helps to focus on a plan, get organized, and find the right balance between profession and parenthood. Below are some ways on how working mothers can strike a balance between work and family to achieve a better lifestyle.

Time Management

It means learning how to end your day at work and begin your day at home. This may also mean learning to say “no” when a colleague asks you to help on a project that you just cannot fit into your schedule. Create a calendar that contains all your activities-family, work, school, play dates, pedia visits, etc. So when requests and invitations come in, you would have an idea whether to say “no” or “yes” without compromising your time for your children.

Establish your Priorities

Doing it all is not possible so you need to prioritize. Even if you feel that both your work and family are important, you have to decide by determining which one is the most pressing at the time. For example, if your child is sick but you have to go to work, you should choose to stay with your child because sickness is more pressing and you can catch up with your obligations at work on another day. If you find that a work obligation conflicts with a family matter, determine the significance of each and then decide.

Invest in yourself

Parenting is hard, it is exhausting but if you invest in yourself, you will better able to deal with your children. This means giving time for yourself, like setting a time for the things that interests you-gym, parlor, craft project or even having a 30-minute quiet moment alone.

Work review

According to Penny Webb (Working Mum & Mumpreneur Masterclass), it is vital for women to understand what they are paid to do so they are better equipped to say “no” politely to extra work. You need to reflect on whether you are the type of person who always volunteered and helped around the office before the baby came along, and accept that you may not always be able to do this now. You need to stand firm at work and manage expectations.

Set boundaries

It’s easy for boundaries to blur, especially when you are trying to do it all. At work, family obligations may distract you from the things you need to do at the office. At home, you may physically be present, but if you are checking e-mail while helping your kids with homework, you aren’t really there.

Keep work at work and home at home, you will be more present and more productive in both aspects of your life.

Time with your partner

While it is important to give your kids your love and attention, it is just as important to maintain a healthy marriage. Discuss with your partner, keep the communication line open with your spouse. It is also essential that both partners do their share of parenting. Having another person you can count on to take over when both the kids and work need attending to can ease your stress and also add to the relationship. Remember that work and home balance needs to be worked on together to be successful.

These are just few suggestions. There are many other ways women can work toward achieving work-life balance. The first step is your decision to do so.