We have all been in that situation. The house is a mess. The children are more hyper than usual. Your laundry is piling up. And who is on the other end of that annoying, ringing phone? On top of that, you completely forgot an ingredient for today’s lunch.
Everyone knows it. Motherhood is a tough job. It is even tougher for moms who have to juggle work and their responsibilities at home. Ask any mother. She would probably tell you that working in an office is definitely more fun and relaxing than managing a household. After all, it is much easier to deal with an angry boss or client than a screaming toddler. Your lovely home, located in a prime real estate area, offers you so little peace anymore.
When you are a mom, a quiet trip to the grocery is more than a necessity. It is an escape and a reprieve that was so cruelly taken by the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. According to a study, the pandemic has put many mothers under stress, more than it has done on the fathers.
When both mother and father are working at home, who will the kids run to? It would be to the mom, of course! With more children staying at home and opting to do remote learning, the mothers have to juggle work, childcare, and household maintenance. ;
If you are feeling worn out, here are some tips to help you manage your tasks.
Set a schedule.
You may roll your eyes with this one. Yes, you’ve done that before. However, setting a schedule can help in guiding you to navigate your daily and weekly activities.
Do this when everyone, including your husband, is asleep. List down the things that you need to accomplish daily and weekly. Jot down your responsibilities. Write down your dues and deadlines.
After your list, list down your kids’ activities. If you need to assist them with their home school activities, you need to write it down too. ;
Include your activities and that of your kids when writing down your daily schedule. You can scatter the weekly activities throughout your week, or you can do them in a day.
Include a time frame for each activity. This will help you manage the number of hours you have in a day. However, do not forget to include some time for yourself and your mental well-being.
To make you feel inspired, you can plot your schedule in a pretty planner.
Set time for yourself.
Mothers tend to forget this, so this should be reiterated. Set time for yourself. If the kids need to wake up at 7:30 in the morning, you can set your alarm at six, have a quiet coffee time, where you can go over your activities for the day.
The rest of the day will surely be hectic and will pass by in a blur, so make sure to start it on the right note. You can have a quick jog around the block and a quick shower before you start your day.
Impose a strict bedtime for the kids as well. This is not just for their health, but for yours as well. It can give you some time to wind down and relax for bedtime. You can do some quiet reading, drink wine, or have some quiet conversations with your husband.
Since going out and meeting your friends is not recommended because of the pandemic, use technology to reach out to your friends. Even an online chat with your female friends can help you feel better and more perked up despite a hectic day.
Delegate some chores.
Unless you want to be so exhausted by the end of the day that you have to drag yourself to bed sleepily, you need to learn to delegate some chores. Ask for help. If you have teenage kids, they can help you with doing the dishes after your meals. They can even help prepare breakfasts, do the laundry, walk the dog, or throw the garbage out.
It is not just your home. It is your family’s too. If you are not feeling too well or are feeling overwhelmed, ask for help. You need to understand that you cannot do everything, and that is perfectly alright.
Multitask.
Sadly, there is no way about this. When you plot your schedule, look for activities that you can do at the same time. For example, while you cannot cook while working, you can load the laundry machine before you start your work from the home shift. If you are running some task files or doing a complete health check on your laptop, which can take a while, you can check on your kids for their school work. Better yet, if you are working from home and your kids are doing remote learning, set up your desk and theirs near to each other. This way, you can always have an eye on them while you and your husband are working.
Lastly, do not forget to rest and have enough sleep. You will not have the energy that you need to face the day if you stay up late at night. If you feel like you cannot manage to work at home while managing the household without going insane, you can discuss this with your husband. As partners, look for ways to help you manage the situation and, of course, to ensure your health and well-being.
Motherhood is not an easy task. You don’t only have yourself to think of, but you have the entire family to think about too. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Do not compare yourself to the overachieving mothers that you see on your social media. Not every mother has the same situation. Some have it easier; some have a more challenging life. Just remember, as long as your family is happy and healthy, you are already doing a fantastic job, Mama.
