8 Tips For Juggling Work Life and Mum Life

My Story

Now let me just get one thing straight raising kids alone is the hardest job anyone will have and men that go around saying we are at home doing nothing all day while their working hard are so wrong! In fact these men spend a day home with the kids and they can't handle it! The truth is they get time off going to work!

Now iv always loved being at home with my kids coz quite frankly I wouldn't trust anyone else to take care of them so I worked around my boys when they were younger doing night work at Tesco and weekend work at Argos. I even volunteered at The British Heart Foundation charity shop for a whole year when my boys were at full time school and I couldn't find a job that was flexible enough. They were not so as accommodating as they are these days, so times are moving on.

As my boys got older I dabbled in direct sales companies like, Avon, Acti-derm, Kleeneze and even Ann Summers but soon realised the commission was shit for the amount of work you had to do it was less than minimum wage so I started to think their must be a better way!

Entrepreneur Life

If their was any kind of advice I could tell my younger self today is... "think outside of the box, believe in yourself and your intuition and well you create your own happiness in life and so make it a great one!" Oh and grow an email list coz this is the biggest asset in any online business!!

So me and my brother started out in many different online businesses, I won't bore you with the details but we just knew their was a better way to live life instead of struggling through life. And I sure as hell knew I wanted to be their for my kids when they need me! I see so many working parents struggle and they do it coz they have to coz they have mortgages to pay I thank god don't have this burden coz I know one day I will be buying my house outright so I don't need to worry, but the struggle is real for so many families it breaks my heart!

The truth is you can do what you love and earn a dream income being free to spend time with your kids and live the life you deserve, but the problem is were all sent to school and told we need to get good grades to get a job. What were not told is... anything is possible, do what you love, believe in yourself and failing is a good thing just as long as you learn from the mistake you made and try, try again.

I love being at home with my kids and I consider myself as being very lucky to have had the choice to... if you would like to start your own business doing what you love then I can help just book a free strategy call here.

Inspiring Working mums

Kelly Posner story: Mum of Four

The notion of being a role model to her four children is also what drives 48-year-old research scientist and professor Kelly Posner. “They know that their mom is out there literally helping to save lives.”

Posner, who is the founder and director of the Center for Suicide Risk Assessment at Columbia University, says it is important for women to know that they can have a “big goal” career-wise and achieve it.

“It is very important for women to believe that they can have a vision. Most women do not allow themselves to think that,” she says. She once gave a presentation to 200 people, including government officials in Italy over a webinar while eight months pregnant.

Technology has also helped, she says, with the ability to stop the car and take a call after picking her kids up, or to answer an email on the go.

Juggling motherhood with a demanding career has been helped by an optimistic, problem-solving disposition, she says – an ability to get through things even when they feel impossible.

Frankie Bridges Story: Mum of Two

From going on a UK tour with the Strictly Comes Dancing 2016 crew to working on a fundraising campaign with terminal illness support charity Marie Curie, it’s fair to say that Frankie Bridge has a full on schedule.

And the former The Saturdays singer has opened up about the struggle of being away from her two little ones – Parker, two, and Carter, seven months – for long periods of time. Often she’s away from her boys for up to a week, which is understandably difficult.

Speaking to Reveal, the 27-year-old said:

"Being away from the boys was hard, but I think because I missed out on the Strictly tour last year I knew in my head that I'd go back this year, so I was prepared for it.”

During the 2015 tour, Frankie was pregnant with her second baby, Carter.

Clearly it all gets very tiring for the busy mum!

While hard, Frankie has admitted that having a helpful stay-at-home husband makes it easier on them as a family.

The brunette beauty married footballer Wayne Bridge in 2014, and since his knee injury in that same year, the former West Ham player has become the primary care giver, staying at home with the two tots.

Frankie is also in the process of working on a documentary looking into internet bullying, taking to Twitter to ask for the experiences of her fans and followers to discuss. She previously spoke about how being a victim of online troll. Speaking on the Victoria Derby show last year, the singer said:“In the past, especially when I was pregnant and I put on a bit of weight, people were very quick to make comments on Twitter, saying that I was fat, or that I’d lost it, whatever "it" is.“Just really dragged me down. It was something that I was already really self-conscious about and the minute someone draws attention to that it just drags you down even more.”Poor Frankie! Well, keep at the hard work Frankie. We’re sure your boys will be super proud!

Karen Choi Story: Mum of Four

Karen Choi, a vice-president at asset management firm Capital Group, says that any working woman who is a mother should be applauded. Choi, who has four children including a six-month-old baby, describes juggling being a mother and a job “a constant struggle”.

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Secrets for keeping your head above water include having an “unbelievably supportive family” as well as a nanny and babysitter, accepting that there are some areas you are not going to be the best at (“Not everyone can be the Martha of home décor”), and simply getting through it.

Choi says she took more maternity leave with every child she had, starting with two and a half months with her first child, and taking six months off with her latest. This makes her an exception, especially within her industry.

“When your child is sick, has fever, is throwing up and you are up all night taking care of your child and knowing that the next morning you have to get your other kids to school and then you have to go to work ... That’s when it gets to be very challenging”, she says.

Her firm was supportive, though, and she stresses her investment portfolio’s performance did not suffer at all.

When she entered the finance industry after university, about 20 or so of her female college mates chose the same path, she says. Today about 90% of them have left. Women who exit jobs and then re-enter are likely to no longer be on track for peak earning positions, she says. Staying is tough: “A sacrifice in the short term, but it pays in the long term.”

If nothing else, her children have helped provide meaning for this sacrifice, she says, because all four of her children are daughters.

“One of the things that keeps me going is the fact that I would like to be a role model to them.”

Watch this interesting Ted talk about blending work and family life...

8 Tips For Juggling Work Life and Mum Life

1) Leave Your Work at Work!

Now I know this can be easily said than done especially when quiet a lot of people like my mum work from home now since covid hit but it is crucial you leave your work head at work when you leave go home and be present. Maybe doing a nice 5 minute meditation before you leave work? For those of you that wok at home in your spare room then make sure you set strict work times, with breaks and at the end of the day shut that door and leave your work in that room!

2) Get Super Organised

Do you need to organise your weeks and days? If so you need this "How to Organise Your busy Life" ebook I created for you with all you need to organise your whole life. Especially if your like me and like to have different lists and print them out. I'm not one for online organisation tools but I have found some for you if that's what you prefer.

3) Make Time For Family

This one is important coz quality time with the family is key! You want your family to know they have your full attention! Make sure your present in the evenings maybe make a point to bath your kids or help with their homework even read them that bedtime story. At weekends have family day or family night like takeout and movie night or going for a day out at the zoo. Make this a weekly or monthly habit! Make sure your family know your always their and they are the most important thing to you in life!

4) Be On The Same Page As Your Hubby

Think of it as a tag team! You need to make sure your both on the same page or singing the same tune coz kids will play you off each other and divide and concur so you need to be having a discussion on the rules and punishments and coming to some agreement or their will be no harmony in the household instead it will be hell!

5) Delegate At Home

Yep its time to get everyone in the household doing their bit around the house even if you have a toddler, they actually love to help and it gets them into good habits! Maybe have a "things to do rewards chart" for the younger kids I have some in my free ebook below. Teens well its hard to get them to do anything but adding an incentive like pocket money can encourage them to pull their weight.

6) Ask For Help At Work

If you have a busy workload and it's starting to get too much for you then don't be afraid to speak up to management coz if your overloaded at work your going to take that stress home with you and possible take it out on your family. If you do have an intense fast paced job then the best ways you can de-stressed is through meditation and yoga practice, but if your really not that kinda gal then just something you really enjoy doing and makes you feel great! If all else fails and your really not happy with your job then maybe its time you moved on?

7) Make Time For YOU!

Well this one us mums always seem to leave to last and even then is pretty hard to have 5 minutes to ourselves even when we go to the toilet. We have such a busy schedule as working mums but even if its just a 5 minute meditation or a cuppa in the garden even a nice hot bubble bath if you can manage it! Its a lot easier if you have a helpful hubby at home but not all of us do so we have to make the time. Even if you wake up 1 hour or even 30 minutes earlier before the kids to have some time to yourself.

8) Don't Be Scared To Ask For Help

This one has always been a hard one for me! Even to this day its something I am still working on coz its not a bad thing to ask for help when you truly need it but I love being self reliant I just think if I just rely on myself then I can't be let down and I just don't like putting people out... although what I didn't realise is I was letting myself down! I am lucky I have a fantastic network of family and friends around me and we all help each other when needed.

Conclusion

Let me wrap this up by saying..... your doing an amazing job you just maybe need to take a step back, breath and then plan! Make it a habit of taking some time either every Sunday or Monday morning whatever is best for you but you need some quiet time to sit and plan for the week! If your doing this for the first time then it may be a little overwhelming to plan your whole week but trust me you will feel so much better when you have done this. I use my weekly productivity planner as well as making use of the printouts in my free ebook...

You got this muma!

That’s all from me today, until next week...

Remember to Keep Smiling & Laugh a little Every day!

Your Mental Mum...

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Ps, Let us know how you get on with your organising! Or do you have any tips you can share?