Thursday, February 21, 2013

Juggling a Career and Children

Mother holding baby, using cellphone and laptop 


After I completed the Early Childhood Education program and graduated college I was thinking of going to university and teacher's college as I wanted to be a teacher.  My husband and I got married that year and we wanted to start having children.  I decided that I wanted to have children more than I wanted to go to university and I'm still happy with that decision.  I love my children and I could not imagine my life without them.  Everything worked out well because now I'm a real estate agent and I love it.  I love the idea of working for myself and having flexible hours, but believe me, it’s not easy working from home with small children.

Sometimes I feel like there's not enough time in a day to get everything done.  When I'm not feeding my children, changing diapers, cleaning the house, doing laundry, making dinner, making lunches, reading with my children, feeding myself or promoting my books, I'm working.  I don't want my children to feel neglected so it's important for me to try and find a balance between work and family.  Here are a few things to remember to make working at home with children a little easier:
  • Try not to feel guilty because sometimes you can't give your children all the attention they want.  Remember you're working to contribute to the family. 
  • Put together a schedule and manage your time wisely.  Try not to get distracted at home with things like watching television and talking on the phone with friends.  Do those things during a break.
  • Spending time with your children is crucial to maintain a bond.  Set aside special time for your children and find something you can do together. 
  • Make time for your spouse as they're your number one fan.  My husband is very supportive of my career and I would not have gotten this far without him.  After the children go to bed we enjoy watching our shows together and sometimes we have a date night.  Making time for each other will help you both feel connected.

1 comment:

  1. I am able to work from home 1 or 2 days a week, but am typically at the office. On those days when I am home, the kids go off to school and childcare. I simply would not be able to work with them from home. I love, however, that I am able to lose the commute time on those days, so I am blessed with 2 more hours in my day to spend with the kiddos, and I'm more refreshed since I wasn't stressing in traffic. I definitely need to do a better job though in making time for my spouse. I tend to log back in after the kids go to bed. I need to carve out time for him too. Thanks for your suggestions.

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