Tips for Balancing Being a Wife, Mother, and Having a Career
Being a working wife and mother can come with a lot of pressure and stress. It is easy to feel like you’re balancing so many things you are falling a bit short in all areas. As if you are taking on so many things you are not giving anything 100%. Today we are going to be sharing tips for balancing the ever-stressful dynamics of being a wife, mother, and career woman. It is important to note that everyone's careers and family dynamics are different so there is never a one-size-fits-all approach to this subject but we wanted to share some overarching tips and strategies we find helpful.
Family Calendar
This is a huge tool for you and your partner to stay on the same page as far as plans and appointments. Having a color-coded family calendar is incredibly helpful so you can both be aware of what everyone has going on at all times. One of our favorite family calendar apps is TimeTree. You can put all your schedule items in pink, all your partner’s items in blue, the kids in purple, and anything you are doing all together in green. This gives a visual representation of what is happening at all times so you do not overextend yourself or your family.
Lists, Lists, and More Lists
Make your To Do list your best friend. On Sunday morning write out a to-do list for the week categorized by each day and referring to your family calendar to make sure you are not forgetting anything. We also like to have a spot at the bottom of our To Do list labeled “Next Week” and “Two Weeks” where we can quickly take note of any tasks we need to remember for the future. Having these lists will help you with time management and make you feel a sense of accomplishment as you mark off or delete items each day.
Shared Notes
Create shared notes with your partner that allow you to work as a team to accomplish things around the home and for the family. We love a shared market list where you and your partner can both add items you notice running low throughout the week so it is all in one place when you make that grocery run. Some other helpful shared notes are a honey do list where you can add items you need your partner to help you with, a weekly meal plan list, a budgeting list where you can share goals and allocated funds for the month, and an important info list where you include useful information you both may need to refer to from time to time.
Meal Plan
Plan your dinners for the week in advance. Using your family calendar, you can see your family's busy days and which days you have more time. This allows you to plan your weeknight dinners based on how much time they take to prepare. This also helps you avoid as much food going to waste each week.
Meal Prep
After your grocery run it is really helpful to prepare your foods in advance. Make prepping a family activity. One person makes lunches, one preps breakfast items, and have the kids help you wash and cut your fruits and veggies for the week. Getting everyone involved and prepping as much as you can in advance will allow for more quality time after work each day with your family. You’d be shocked what one hour of family meal preparation can save you in time during the week.
Date Nights
Try to incorporate date nights into your life. Every stage of family life is different so although a weekly date night out sounds amazing it might not be realistic for you at the moment. Try to focus on at least one dinner date night out a month with no kids and a weekly at-home date when the kids are asleep. This could be as simple as popcorn and a movie or take-out dinners on the couch together.
Give Yourself Grace
No one has this all down and accomplishes everything perfectly. There will be weeks or days when you feel like you're a pro and days when you feel horrible and need some extra time to yourself or self-care. Give yourself the grace you deserve and lean on your partner or support system for the support you need.
We hope you can find these tips helpful - you’ve got this!
