As any working mother will surely agree, it’s incredibly hard to balance work and family life as a working mom. We are responsible for ourselves, our children, and our tasks at work! We often find this tiring and worrying since at the end of the day, our family seems to suffer. Guess what? There are many things you can do to improve this situation. You can be a working mom and also be a great mother at home.
Packed in here are powerful tips to help you become the super mom that you were meant to be. These tips are as simple as they are effective. You could try them right away and see how wonderful they work. Now you don’t need to worry on how to cater for your kids while working. With these tips, you can be a working mom and still have a massive impact in your kid’s life.
Be You! You Are Like No Other
Comparison is the thief of joy! Do not compare yourself with other mothers. They might be doing things you don’t do, but best believe that you do things they can’t do. Let me emphasize it, you are unique in your own way so don’t go stressing yourself thinking you are an awful mum. Parenting is one of the one of the most difficult skills to master. But the good news is that no matter how awful you think you are, your children are attached to you in your unique way.
Look At Yourself before Correcting Your Children
Are you guilty of that same thing you are correcting your child for? Then you are not parenting well. Do you appear downtrodden every now and then? You need to do things to revitalize your mind and body. You need to look inwards and take care of your needs before going for your children. They need to see that spark in you. That might be all you need to be a supermom.
Learn to Apologize When You’re Wrong
It is always right for a mother to apologize when she does wrong. Mistakes would occur at one point or the other. We aren’t perfect beings, we are mothers, humans! Be ever ready to apologize when mistakes happen. You are a role model to your child and apologizing is an essential skill to pass on to your child. Let your child know that they need to accept responsibility when they are wrong and apologize. If you as a mother poorly handled a situation where your child misbehaved, apologize. It goes a long way.
Little Things Make Great Things!
Yes. Little things are little things but little things make up great things. We know you are working and can be very busy but mapping out a little time to spend with your child would never go wrong. It could be taking dinner and breakfast together, having a bonding time during leisure or anything at all. It might seem little but you would be surprised at the impact it makes. You owe them every little moment to cherish, never take it for granted!
Lend Listening Ears
Often it is better to listen than to speak. This goes beyond morals, this is wisdom! If you truly listen, you might have enough understanding to give helpful advice. After all “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother” (quote found on Quotereel). Cultivate the habit of listening to your children first then you may later dish out advice as you deem fit. If you believe they can handle the situation, let them. Do not nip issues in the bud by helping them out or forcing your ideas down their throats – we all don’t like being told what to do. The best coaches always listen, the superb mom does so as well.
When Your Kids Misbehave, Listen To Their Message
When children misbehave, there is a reason behind it. You shouldn’t be too fast to label them bad kids or being under the influence of bad friends, pay attention to their needs. If your child gets angry all the time, it could be that he/she needs attention. If your children do not respect others’ feelings, it could be because you order them around, not giving importance to their feelings. Your child’s misbehavior could be due to a variety of reasons. Try to get into your child’s mind to know why. You don’t need to shout at them. It actually worsens the situation.
Exemplify the Ideals That You Teach
If there are values and beliefs that are attached to your family, share it with your kids. Not only that, live it! Be an example for them to follow. If you hold kindness and respect in high esteem, are you living it? As a working mum, you should exhibit these family values.
Let Your Children Deal with the Consequences of Their Actions
Experience, they say, is the best teacher. As tough a decision as it might be for you, to help your children become responsible as a super mom, you need to let them single-handedly face the consequences of their actions. If your child doesn’t safely play with his toy, collect it and don’t return it, even if he is upset. When he sees his peers using theirs, he would learn to use it well. If your girl child doesn’t want to take her lunch to school, leave her. When she gets to school and hunger strikes, she would be self-reminded to take her lunch pack next time. It works as simple as that.
Remember To Be More Than a Mom
Every human being, and indeed every woman, has passions and interests that have molded them into who they are. It’s important to keep those passions because you were once a woman before motherhood. But do you even remember what your passions were? Or have they all been sacrificed because of the exhaustion that comes from the exertions of being a mom, or because of the guilt you feel for working so hard?
So many working moms out there often put their wants and needs last, and what happens is they usually lose themselves. This is totally wrong. You should always strive to be the best example to your children about what it takes to genuinely know, value, and take care of yourself. The more you take care of yourself, the more you’ll be able to give to your child, which will help you to master the challenge of being a working mother.
Great parenting usually sets the perfect environment and the right foundation for all great things. These parenting tips are no exception. True connections, close bonds, less stress and more energy, coupled with kids who grow into resilient and successful adults are some of the great benefits that come with laying the right foundations.