As a mom, you constantly have multiple balls in the air, figuratively and sometimes even literally. It’s a delicate art of balancing your kids’ school schedules with your own busy work schedule. Juggling your career while ensuring your child stays on top of all of their commitments can feel like a Herculean task. The good news is that you’re not alone. From picking out cute clothing and planning your outfits ahead of time to happy self-care strategies, let’s dive into a mom’s guide to balancing work and school schedules.
- Plan Your (and the Kids’) Outfits Ahead of Time — Planning outfits ahead of time will help you strategize before your morning rush comes. You can plan out what you and the kids, especially if they’re still young and need help getting dressed, are going to wear a day or few days in advance. It’s a pivotal part of time management that will allow you to navigate your day with confidence. As the season goes on, pick out fall clothes that can be layered so you can put on jackets or take them off as needed, depending on how the weather fluctuates.
- Self-Care Strategies — Taking care of yourself is a crucial part of recharging. If you’re running on empty, you won’t be able to fully focus on your work and their school commitments. Have a boundary-packed “me time” by setting aside an hour, half an hour or even just a much-needed 15-minute break to take a quick walk or read a chapter of a book. Use it to stretch and meditate, or do retail therapy and find some new chic dresses you love. Give yourself grace and practice gratitude for all the little moments you’re able to rejuvenate and maintain your peace.
- Morning Rituals — When we wake up first thing in the morning, sometimes the first thing we do, other than press the snooze button, is scroll through our social media. We look at text messages we missed overnight or e-mails that are just starting to trickle through. To help start out your day peacefully, begin your morning with intention. Having a morning ritual where you can take a moment to reflect, stretch and breathe deeply will set a positive tone for your day.
- Synced Calendars — Does your entire family know what’s going on with each other? It helps to have a shared family calendar so that everyone is in sync. By maintaining synchronized digital calendars, you’ll be able to keep track of your own personal and work commitments while juggling different school activities. If your workday ends at 5 p.m., you’ll get a notification that you need to head over to your kid’s after-school soccer game as soon as you get off work to pick them up. To help get you from work to after-school commitments, dress up in women’s clothing that’s comfortable yet chic so you’re able to easily transition from working professional to supportive mom.
- Time Blocking — When putting together your synced calendars, organize your day into time blocks. With focused time blocks, you’ll have dedicated work periods that are blocked off and quality time periods for you to focus on your child. Compartmentalizing tasks will help create defined boundaries to increase efficiency while enabling a genuine connection with your family. Time blocking, according to Monday.com, is a great efficiency hack for anyone who wants to create a more regimented and deliberate structure in their workday and in their personal life.
- Delegating Tasks — Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks. As a super mom, you want to do it all because maybe you feel guilty or have a hard time trusting that anyone else will do it right. It can be tempting to just do everything yourself or not even ask for help because if someone doesn’t do it right, it’s just going to frustrate you. Delegating tasks at home to a partner or your kids empowers them. If not them, consider enlisting the help of other family members or friends or outsourcing tasks to professionals. This way, you can prioritize your child’s education and your career.
- Flexible Work Arrangements — While many working professionals now have the ability to work remotely, not all of us are able to work from home. If you’re able to have flexible work arrangements, consider at least a few days where you can work from home. If working from home is simply not an option, ask if you can have flexible hours where you can work earlier or later, depending on your child’s schedule.
By incorporating any of these tips into your routine, you’ll be able to better balance the school and work schedules of your family with grace. It can feel like a challenge to nurture a thriving connection with your loved ones when we get so busy at the moment. Allow yourself time and patience to get into the groove of any new routines or habits. The power of self-compassion and flexibility will help you, whether you’re celebrating a small victory or just figuring out how to layer clothes first thing in the morning. After all, just like you’ve celebrated small victories with your child over time, it’s a helpful and important practice to enjoy all the little things.
