motherhood work
Motherhood and Career - how both can become fulfilling When is the right time to have a baby? There’s no right time, everybody is different and it depends on a million things. However, that doesn’t stop many women in their early twenties and thirties, asking the question. But for a lot of women I know, it seems that ‘career’ is the big reason why many women delay having babies. With a proper thought this situation can be balanced. Once the decision of motherhood is taken every decision revolves around it. Taking a short break from work is the first thought that crops up in our minds. Not a bad idea if you ask me.
Take your family and husband into confidence, talk to them and seek their help. Ruhy, mother of Hamza (15 yrs)
There are many things that follow after being a mother and a working woman. The first one is what after maternity leave? When the maternity leave is about to end, one of the questions that gnaw moms is, ‘How to balance work and spend time with the child?’ This is a very conflicting and challenging situation that all working mothers face.
One of my friends Shruti says, ‘You no longer remain the controller of the situation. There is an element of guilt that makes life full of dissatisfaction. The expectations are too high and unrealistic.’ I’ve been fortunate enough in discussing this with many working mothers. All of them aspire to excel in both lives. One of my colleagues Maansi says, ‘Certain ways that help a parent to shoulder their responsibility
effortlessly is by devoting equal time to work and family. I, as a parent, believe that there are times when family will require more time and sometimes work will demand more time.’ It seems difficult but it’s not impossible to achieve. Here are some tips that might come handy.
“I cannot divide my time equally. I need to set priority depending on situation.”
Maansi
mother of Prantik (9 Years)
Must haves in a day care centre • Welcoming • Nurturing • Trained professionals • Age appropriate activities
1. Work it out with your family Take help from your spouse and other family members. Plan your schedule in such a way that every alternate night you get uninterrupted sleep. It’s always advisable to divide and plan the chores. In this way, you will not end up doing a second shift of work immediately after coming from work. 2. Plan in advance Plan every minute detail of your day. This will help you to focus only on your work when you are in office and relish your motherhood at home. 3. Reliable childcare The most important aspect of being a working woman is to have a trustworthy support in terms of childcare. Having a dependable day care center will relieve your tension and give you confidence. Find child care that works for you. Not all child care centers are same. Depending on your child’s age, you may decide upon the type of child care you need. For example, for a baby, you may have an in-home nanny stay while you work. As your child grows up, you may want to enroll your child in a local day care. This will cater to your child’s need of socialization. 4. Me time Do take out time for yourself every day. Managing office & household work, taking care of your baby and still finding personal time? It’s not easy, but you need to refresh. Have someone watch the baby (husband, grandparents, etc.). Spend time in recharging yourself by indulging in activities like yoga, exercise, meditation. A cup of coffee with a friend might work miracles. In this process, you will discover and devise your own way of dealing with things. Every mother does. Don’t forget that this is a temporary phase. You can take pride in being the dynamic woman you are - a hardworking professional and a loving, engaged parent.
By Ameeta Choudhary, mother of Atharva (18 yrs) and Ira (15 yrs) working since 2005
Increasing child care access would benefit working mothers Enabling more women to work by improving access to day care can help reduce a mother’s stress of balancing work and home.
What choices do working mothers have? • Work from home • Nanny • Involving grandparents • Daycare centers
Take your family and husband into confidence, talk to them and seek their help. Ruhy, mother of Hamza (15 yrs)
There are many things that follow after being a mother and a working woman. The first one is what after maternity leave? When the maternity leave is about to end, one of the questions that gnaw moms is, ‘How to balance work and spend time with the child?’ This is a very conflicting and challenging situation that all working mothers face.
One of my friends Shruti says, ‘You no longer remain the controller of the situation. There is an element of guilt that makes life full of dissatisfaction. The expectations are too high and unrealistic.’ I’ve been fortunate enough in discussing this with many working mothers. All of them aspire to excel in both lives. One of my colleagues Maansi says, ‘Certain ways that help a parent to shoulder their responsibility
effortlessly is by devoting equal time to work and family. I, as a parent, believe that there are times when family will require more time and sometimes work will demand more time.’ It seems difficult but it’s not impossible to achieve. Here are some tips that might come handy.
“I cannot divide my time equally. I need to set priority depending on situation.”
Maansi
mother of Prantik (9 Years)
Must haves in a day care centre • Welcoming • Nurturing • Trained professionals • Age appropriate activities
1. Work it out with your family Take help from your spouse and other family members. Plan your schedule in such a way that every alternate night you get uninterrupted sleep. It’s always advisable to divide and plan the chores. In this way, you will not end up doing a second shift of work immediately after coming from work. 2. Plan in advance Plan every minute detail of your day. This will help you to focus only on your work when you are in office and relish your motherhood at home. 3. Reliable childcare The most important aspect of being a working woman is to have a trustworthy support in terms of childcare. Having a dependable day care center will relieve your tension and give you confidence. Find child care that works for you. Not all child care centers are same. Depending on your child’s age, you may decide upon the type of child care you need. For example, for a baby, you may have an in-home nanny stay while you work. As your child grows up, you may want to enroll your child in a local day care. This will cater to your child’s need of socialization. 4. Me time Do take out time for yourself every day. Managing office & household work, taking care of your baby and still finding personal time? It’s not easy, but you need to refresh. Have someone watch the baby (husband, grandparents, etc.). Spend time in recharging yourself by indulging in activities like yoga, exercise, meditation. A cup of coffee with a friend might work miracles. In this process, you will discover and devise your own way of dealing with things. Every mother does. Don’t forget that this is a temporary phase. You can take pride in being the dynamic woman you are - a hardworking professional and a loving, engaged parent.
By Ameeta Choudhary, mother of Atharva (18 yrs) and Ira (15 yrs) working since 2005
Increasing child care access would benefit working mothers Enabling more women to work by improving access to day care can help reduce a mother’s stress of balancing work and home.
What choices do working mothers have? • Work from home • Nanny • Involving grandparents • Daycare centers
