Which one are you?
1) A work at home mom (dad, guardian)
2) Stay at home mom
3) A work outside the home mom
4) All of the above
I’ve been a work at home mom. I’ve been a stay at home (which means work at home without the pay). I’ve worked outside the home. Currently, I’m all of the above. So, how does a work at home mom and work outside the home mom, get anything done? Good question!
First, forget the term “day off.” There is no such thing in the world of the “all of the above” mom. Your so called “day off” is spent catching up on bills, errands, laundry and other housework, as well as trying to spend some time with your family in between your many other tasks.
To keep your sanity, you’ll have to develop a system. A routine. I’m not great at routines. I prefer to go about life in an easygoing way. Life is too short to be rigid. However, there has to be a certain amount of organization, or your stress will increase.
It helps to lay out clothes the night before. It helps to make lists. If you need gas, it’s better to get it on your way home from work just in case you have a hectic morning tomorrow… it’s one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to get to work on time.
It’s also important to cut yourself some slack. Yep. It’s okay to wash only what absolutely needs to be washed today. The rest of the laundry will still be there when you get another “day off.” It’s also okay to forgo made-from-scratch, three course dinners sometimes. Serving sandwiches is not a sin, nor is teaching older children how to cook and letting them show off their skills occasionally, when you’ve had a particularly long day. You can even ask hubby to man the grill.
So many of us hold ourselves to nearly impossible standards, but I’m convinced that perfectionism takes years off one’s life. The past few weeks have been a test of that theory, and I’m now going to follow my own advice.
I have had a productive day today, but I’ll admit, I’m just plain tired. I’m going to rest up before I have to go to work tomorrow. Just a couple more articles, one more load of laundry, and then figure out something for dinner tonight.
Hmmm… sandwiches sound good… 🙂