Balancing motherhood with the need to provide for your family is absolutely achievable, but it’s not always as easy as some make it seem. Managing the two sides to your life needs careful planning and a lot of resilience, and there are advantages and disadvantages to consider. For example, working may bring in income, which improves your family’s quality of life and can give you greater self-esteem through a stronger sense of identity. On the other hand, you may feel that you are spreading yourself thinly or missing out on elements of your family relationships. While there is no right or wrong choice and everyone’s circumstances are different if you do choose to work while bringing up your children, here are some ideas to keep in mind.


Keep work and home separate
One of the most important considerations is the need to separate work and home. When you come in at the end of the day, your children will be able to sense if you are stressed or unhappy, even if you manage not to complain about what’s happened during the day. Take some 10-20 minutes to unwind after work before you spend time with the children. When you’re relaxed, they’ll be relaxed, and you’ll be able to enjoy quality time together.

Make your job more efficient
If your job often means you finish late or can’t do everything you need to in your allotted hours, try to discuss new ways of working or alternative shifts which could provide a solution. For example, if you worked in a dentist’s surgery and you spend much of your day trying to book patient appointments, suggest that they introduce dental reminder software like that available at https://recallmax.com/.

Eat something together
When you get in at the end of the day, try to eat something with the children. Even if they’ve already had their evening meal, you can still enjoy a light snack or dessert together before they go to bed. It’s a chance to discuss what you’ve all been up to during the day, your highlights and challenges.

Have fun together
You don’t need to do anything particularly lengthy or out of the ordinary, but try to spend some time with the children. It could be a household chore you do together, walking the dog, nipping to the shops or tending to the garden, but the important part is that you are together, relaxed and happy.

Stay involved at bedtime
If you are home in time, it’s a great idea to take part in the bedtime routine in some way. Whether you’re there from start to finish or bath time, storytime or the last goodnight kiss, it will help to lower your stress levels and ground you in what matters after a long day of work. You don’t need to put on a show; simply your presence will be enough to settle the children and make them feel safe as they drift off.

Make one night a week special
Whether it’s a weekend night or during the week, choose an evening to do what they want to do. It could be watching a movie, playing a computer or board game with them, being creative with arts and crafts, or building with LEGO. Make their interests the full focus of your attention, and these are the moments your children will remember.