The Working Mum

Found this article interesting because most working mothers go through these, juggling between the home and office.

 

3 Preventive Tips For The Dreaded Home-Office Merger

Source :   Umm Professional blogs     http://blog.jannahsteps.com/ 

We may be a new breed of women altogether.  The first generation of women born into such comfort, and equipped to pour our talents and resources into society.  We have our touch phones, tele-conferencing, webinars and may practice marine biology or environmental law.  We have the choice to stay home and raise good strong stock for our ummah, and we have the support to work and in diverse fields as role models for our children.  It’s an intriguingly complicated process that every professional Muslim needs to balance in order to sustain optimum contentment.  As much as our niyaah is to juggle everything meticulously – there are days (many days) when the office will ask you to pitch in more, your husband will need you to do some of his chores, the kids will meet a child with a bad attitude at school but not be able to verbalize it.

Life is all about tackling the challenges, but they have a sneaky way of catching dedicated professionals off guard.  Below are a few strategies that helped me keep things working well:

1.    A well planned routine makes children feel at ease.  They feel more comfortable when some things are predictable, dependable and easy to achieve.  Busy mothers can rely on a lot more cooperation from little helpers if the child is clued in as to what the mother needs. Our typical routine? School pick-up, snack break in the car, play at the park/library meeting with a friend, home.  Once home, downtime with a toy /book, sit down to complete homework and attend the online Quran class, a warm bubbly bath, dinner, a snuggly story time and finally time to drift off to a dreamy state of sleep.  There were  days, even though I felt the fatigue in my muscles, the thought of which story we would read that evening and what discussion, giggles, cuddles and cuteness would follow, would put the spring back in my step.  Office calls would have to wait post 9pm when my kid is fast asleep.

2.    Mention obligations and duties that you have towards your home and family at the office from day one. I’ve had a number of friends tell me how well that has worked for them.  The office is prepared by advance knowledge that you may need time off, they may keep in mind other people who can pick up your missed hours, and they know they can rely on you to be there for them when these obligations have been met.  Very often your boss or team leader will have similar responsibilities at home and be understanding as long as you are clear as to what it is.  An unwell mother, a child with short school hours, or a spouse who cannot pick up the child from school.  No one likes being caught at the tenth hour with a work load that you cannot complete.  Factor in all these points right at the beginning for harmony at the office place that spills into the home too.

3.    Invest in great childcare. This is one of those times when penny pinching can cause sores.  If you want to perform well at work, you need to know that a capable, responsible, creative and sincere person is taking care of the most precious people in your life.  Take your time to interview baby sitters, check out playgrounds, and suss out teachers.  There is nothing worse than having to coax your child to go to school every morning while you hurry to make it to work.  If you have grandparents who vibe well with your kids, you are blessed.  Remember to thank them often and not to overload them with more than car pooling, story telling and cuddles.  Keep in mind their age and stamina.