Working From Home!... With Kids?
If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it's what little it really takes in life to be even the slightest bit privileged. In reality, nothing really matters beyond health, a roof over your head, and some food in the fridge. We get it! When it comes to parenting, we've all complained about 'being stuck' with our children. But the reality is that working from home is a major privilege that many parents dream of. So, let's look to these coming weeks of Juggling parenthood + working from home with a giant dose of gratitude!
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you appreciate this juggling act:
Prioritise 🧐
Let's be honest, your daily level of productivity is going to take a hit. So, what's the absolute minimum you need to achieve in a given day? Set yourself a goal of getting those bits done and out of the way to make your balancing act easier and a lot less stressful! It's also really important to accept the unpredictability of a working day at home with kids. Some really good but simple advice would be to keep an open mindset for those unpredictable situations and "take it day by day" do the best that you can and don't worry about what's to come tomorrow. Also do not work yourself up over things that you have no control over!
Be Open With Your Team 👩🏼💻
There's no doubt about it; times are tough right now for pretty much everyone with or without kids, regardless of who they are, where they are from and what stage of life they are at. So, trust us when we say that you should be open and honest to your workforce about what you're faced with in your day-to-day. We understand that it can be hard to take down your "I don't need help" guard! We encourage modern-day parents to ask for help, because why not! Allow people to support you however you need. Hiding things and bottling them away will only make things difficult.
Take A Shortcut 🤫
We cannot stress enough the importance of giving yourself some time. We don't see shortcuts as cheating; we see them as a savvy, more intelligent way of managing your life. If you need to sit your child in front of the TV with a giant bag of snacks while you're on a call - that's totally ok (You'd be surprised how many people do the same thing). Let's not forget that we at Mamamade have the ultimate shortcuts for mealtime! in the end, we're all just trying to do our best and raise decent human beings.
Focus On What Matters, With Gratitude 🥰
Did you know that even the littlest of babies have a radar to detect our emotions! So, if there is a change in pace, if you're having a hard day or just not feeling like yourself, your baby will pick up on that. Our children need us, more than ever, to be spiritually and physically present. Keep falling back to what really matters, and remind yourself that nothing is more important than your wellbeing and happiness because that will most definitely have an impact on your baby and your family life.
That's all for now, and I hope these tips help you work from home, whether temporarily or permanently. As much as people think that women can do it all, the bottom line is that we're only human, and the earlier we come to terms with the fact that we can't do it all, the better! So, remember to take a break, say no if you have to/want to, and remind yourself that you don't need to concur the world in a day. Communication is key, and it can go a long way in making you feel happier, healthier, and balanced; talk to people about how you're feeling - It's important.
Lots of love,
Himanshi @ Mamamade
