Working 9-to-5: Working mom edition

Not all heroes wear capes

Being a mom is a blessing. But, being a working mom is something special.

Wonder Woman might fight super-villains, but she is nothing compared to a mom with a 9-to-5 job. These moms are on the job all day, every day, and they hardly get any rest. In fact, to them, me-time is a myth.

Do you think this is an exaggeration?

Let’s take a look at some of the things the average working mom has to deal with every day.

Working mom woes

A working mom needs to be active and productive at her place of work. But before she gets to work and after her workday is done, a mom still has her babies to love, feed, and nurture. And don’t think for a second that taking care of a kid isn’t a job. If it isn’t, we wouldn’t be paying babysitters, nannies, and au pairs to do it.

Moms can’t sleep until the kids, mercifully, let her get some sleep. And once the kids wake up, they do their best to wake her up, too.

On the weekends, there’s no reprieve. She still has to take care of the kids, and God help her if she brought home office work.

Still don’t appreciate what working moms go through?

Here’s more:

Double workload

Let’s face it; if mom and dad both have 9-to-5 jobs, mom is probably working harder than dad. Even if dad helps around the house, once things get out of hand, he’s going to cry for mom to save him. But who saves mom when she’s overwhelmed?

Cost of childcare

The good thing about being a working mom is making money to help pay for childcare. The problem is, kids are expensive, and not many working moms earn enough to give their kids the type of comfort they want them to have or pay for childcare alone. It’s frustrating and also scary, especially for single moms.

Work-life balance

Work-life balance is separating your work from your personal life, so you have time to relax and don’t end up overstressed. For a working mom, it’s more of a work-work balance – make time for the office and time for the kids. Personal time for working moms is few and far between.

Tips and hacks to make the transition smoother

If you are about to become a working mom, don’t let everything you’ve read so far scare you. Working moms have existed and thrived for centuries. You can do it too, maybe even better.

To help with this, here are some proven tips to help make working mom life much smoother:

1. Finances

Raising kids isn’t cheap. If you can eliminate unnecessary expenses, you’ll have more money for things that matter. For example, reducing your utility bills will free up some cash. You can do this with an apples-to-apples Ohio comparison of utility companies to find the lowest Ohio electricity rates and the cheapest gas Columbus, Ohio.

2. Planning

Have a daily plan that maps out how you can handle your office and home duties without them interfering with one another. This plan should be flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen occurrences, like your kid falling sick.

3. Meal prepping

Thank God for fridges and microwaves. If possible, prepare meals for the week and store it in the fridge. This way, you only need to spend a few minutes microwaving or heating when mealtimes come around. If prepping meals to last for a week is too much work, try prepping just for a day or two.

4. Get assistance

If you can afford it, don’t hesitate to spend money on a babysitter or nanny so you can have some time for yourself. Alternatively, you could have friends or family take care of your kids for you now and then.

5. Make time for yourself

If you don’t make time to rest and let your mind and body recuperate, your mind and body will make time by shutting you down. Prevent this by making time for yourself to take a break as often as possible.