How to reconcile family and work
Family and work: the eternal dilemma
Being fulfilled at work and at the same time having a satisfying family life is often a real challenge! In England women are still regarded as the angels of the hearth and in Germany mothers who entrust their children to a babysitter are even called “raven mothers”. On the contrary, Sweden is aiming for total gender equality while in France working mothers can take advantage of numerous state aid (family allowances, public kindergartens, reduced fees for the use of a babysitter ...). Italy, on the other hand, is at the bottom of Europe in terms of female employment.
Combining career and motherhood is always stressful, and requires a good deal of organization.
See also
Work stress: what burnout syndrome is and how to deal with it
The golden rules of the working mother
* Organized! Time can be your worst enemy but also your best weapon, the important thing is to know how to organize yourself. To avoid finding yourself at the last minute with a million things to do, try to foresee in advance, for example by preparing the children's satchel and your clothing for the next day in the evening or taking care of the bills as soon as you have a free minute. And for shopping, rely on the Internet: a few clicks during the lunch break, and that's it!
If you have difficulty organizing yourself, do not hesitate to write a list of things to do at the beginning of the week: expenses, medical visits, business meetings ... you can even make one for each day of the week.
Some working moms prepare meals all week over the weekend and then store them in the freezer to reheat them at the right time. This way they find time to care for the children before they go to bed.
* In the office, stand up for yourself! Prove that having children does not mean being less effective! Your watchwords must be "dynamism" and "concentration". Let your boss know that you work hard: if you arrive early or if you return earlier from lunch break, let it be discreetly noted, for example by sending an email when no one is in the office yet. In this way, if one day you have to go out early for family reasons, no one will be able to blame you ... Finally, warn your colleagues that in the evening you have schedules to respect and therefore it is useless to schedule a meeting if you have to leave after half an hour.
* Everything in its time. At home or at work, to be truly effective (and to be able to take advantage of the moments of calm) you must know how to distance yourself: at home you forget the office and vice versa. Your children don't have to call you at work for a trifle, explain to them that they can only do it in an emergency, and the same goes for your boss if he has the bad habit of calling you when you have already left the office.In this case, turn on the answering machine and turn off your cell phone… And if you really need to let off steam with someone, call your friends during your lunch break.
* Take it easy: your life doesn't have to be limited to work and children, try to carve out moments for yourself. Practice physical activity: go to the gym to release tension, take a yoga class to help you relax, indulge in an afternoon of shopping with friends ... the important thing is to recharge!
* Get help: you didn't make the children yourself, involve your husband in the daily organization! Washing the dishes, preparing dinner, vacuuming ... dividing the tasks is essential. If you can afford it, you can also hire a maid or a babysitter. And to regain some intimacy with your man, from time to time do not hesitate to entrust children to your parents ...
* Don't feel guilty. Learn to let go without feeling guilty. Haven't you finished all the things you were supposed to do? Are you too tired to cook tonight? Do not panic, your children will not be disappointed if you defrost a pizza every now and then, quite the opposite! Take advantage of the (rare) moments of calm without too much regret!
* Stay a woman ... being a wife, mother and career woman doesn't have to make you a slave! Too many women tend to devote themselves entirely to the needs of those around them, to the detriment of their personal well-being. The key word is: femininity! Occasionally treat yourself to a new cut at the hairdresser, a care from the beautician, a sexy dress ... in short, feel proud to be a woman!
