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To the Mama Trying to Manage Family Life With Work

Balance is a tricky thing and many people have actually stated that there is no such thing as balance. One thing in our lives will always consume more of our time and energy and mental capacity than the other things we have in our lives.

I’ve strived for this notion of family-work balance for years since I went back to work after having my first child four years ago. I tried different processes and tips and tricks to keep my head above water while working full-time. It wasn’t easy to say the least. I always felt like I was dropping the ball in at least one aspect of my life while I tended to the others. The most important part of my life however has been, and always will be, my children.

It was hard to maintain this semblance of family-work balance as it wasn’t easy when one of my children were sick and needed me to stay home with them. I was falling behind at work, having to leave early to take them to appointments or run errands before picking them up as that was the most convenient time I could do my errands while my kids were at daycare. I was one of the only employees at my old workplace who had children and there was always this uneasy feeling I had when I couldn’t be 100% present at work because I had something far more important to occupy my mind and time. I couldn’t stay late and get more work done like others could and I got to the point where I stopped feeling guilty about that. After about four months of going back to work after returning from my maternity leave with my second child, I felt the need to leave my job. It was one of the hardest decisions for me to make as it was a job I loved and I had made friends with wonderful people there. I was so passionate about mental health and leaving that job was a very emotional task for me. But I realized that it wasn’t sustainable in the long run to continue working in such a demanding job with two young children who needed so much of me.

I started a new job in my field and it has helped me in getting closer to that family-work balance point. It’s still very busy but it’s definitely less intense and I’m able to keep my head above water more.

I’m sharing my working mom journey with you because I know how difficult it can be dear mama. When your kids reach out to you in the morning and tell you they want to stay with you and you pry yourself away with tears in your eyes, feeling guilt like no other for the rest of the day. I know how it is when you feel that you’re lagging behind others at work because you’ve had to leave early or come in late or miss several days at work because your babies needed you. I know how it is when you have responsibilities piling up and by the time you get to the weekend, there’s barely time to relax and spend time with your children because other things need your attention too. It’s so difficult when your to-do list is growing and you feel that there aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s an almost impossible juggling act that can take a toll mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I get it. And I know how hard you’re trying.
So don’t feel bad if you still haven’t reached that magical (possibly hypothetical) balance.

Take a deep breath, focus on your priorities and realize that you are an amazing mother who is loved and appreciated 

💕