I am answering the question all moms are thinking but not saying out loud.
How do I properly manage the time between my work life and being present within my home, family, and children. To those women who love to work, because they truly love what they do, it’s hard to just quit working when they get home. If this sounds like you, then I want you know I am right there with you girlfriend. There are 24 hours in a day, when moms who work need about 36 to get all of the jobs done.
In the beginning of motherhood, I just tried to do it all, work when the baby is sleeping, lay the baby down in the bouncy seat and work some more. Honestly tho, what is sleep? Maybe 4 hours of sleep a night there in the beginning, I always struggled with “well if the baby is sleeping then I need to be working, not sleeping.” If you are a new mom, then let me just give you a wee bit of advice, take it or leave it, if your baby is sleeping then you should be getting rest as well…until your little starts sleeping through the night, when you can get a full nights rest. But if your baby is not sleeping through the night and you find yourself maybe getting 4 hours of rest (like me) then you should rest while your baby is resting. If you try to work, work, work then you will get burnt out and not get to enjoy those first months with your baby. I did this, worked and worked, where I didn’t enjoy the first couple months because I was running myself ragged, from taking care of the baby, taking care of my job, taking care of our dog, cleaning the house, the list goes on and on. Let me put this out there, time flies by (even on the days that feel so long) enjoy these special moments with your baby because they will be gone so fast.
Now that Liam is 16 months old, sleeping through the night, and hangs with his grandma and nana throughout the weekdays, I can get my work done and make sure to get the right amount of rest to where I am not a walking zombie or a complete bear.
The problem I find myself struggling with in this period of time is the constant battle between work life and being present when I get home to our home and family. As much as I want to do a good job at work and building a business, I also want to be intentional and present with Liam for I now know how fast these days go by, and how fast they grow.
Here are 7 ideas we do at home to be present and intentional when it comes to being parents and becoming a home.
1. Leave Phone/Computer in another room.
This is a big one for me because I found when I had my phone or computer next to me in the living room or kitchen I was constantly on it or checking emails, etc. Eliminate the distractions to be present.
2. Play outside before dinner.
Now that it is {finally} starting to warm up out, we have been playing outside or going on walks before dinner. Which is a great way to watch your baby discover new things and learn. (Like how eating grass is gross but playing in mud is fun.)
3. Cook dinner together in the kitchen & eat together as a family.
Cooking dinner together is a fun way to make memories and teach your children how to cook homemade meals. Along with cooking the meals, we eat at the table together as a family almost every night (singling out the nights Adam will be working late in the fields this spring). Start your children out on the right path and watch them continue on it throughout their lives.
4. Bath time.
Make bath time more of a fun activity together, and less of another “chore” to do before bedtime.
5. Play in the toy room before bed.
Or in our case, the toy room is our living room 🙂 This is one of my favorite times of the night because every night Liam does something new and I love watching him grow and learn new things. My favorite is his tractor and truck noises he makes as he “drives” his toy tractors and trucks. Or when he pretends he is cooking. Children have the best imaginations, and help us to be less grounded with our own imaginations.
6. Bedtime snack & book reading.
For Liam he gets some milk before bed while I read him a couple books. He loves books, so this is his favorite time. This is more of a sentiment time for you both to spend together.
7. Bedtime
Every child is different, so bedtime for everyone is a little different. Liam gets put into his crib and falls asleep himself. He does not want to be rocked or held anymore before bed and only wants his crib, swaddle blanket, and sound machine. This is the time where you can get your phone and computer and continue your work or simply go to bed yourself so you can wake up early and start another new day.
A wise man once said, “enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.” Time never stops, make sure you are being present and in the moment with your children, watching them grow, play, and have fun. Make sure they know you are there, they will remember the way you made them feel.
And trust me on this one thing, I know how important work is, especially when you are trying to build a business, but your family is #1. Be there.
Juggling mom life x work life is hard, but possible. Live out your dreams and do what you love, but love the little people the Lord gave you most.
