I have not worked a full-time job in a very long time. My oldest child is two and I have been blessed with an AMAZING husband who has been a great provider for our family. My son is now almost 11 months and I decided to take a full-time position in another city. My job is one hour away and most people thought I was absolutely crazy for accepting.
The crazy part about all of this, is that my family has learned so much in the first three weeks of Mom going back to work. We have even started having family meetings!
Here are a couple things I have learned that I hope will help other mom’s headed back to the work force::
1. Don’t Let the kids frustrate you in the morning. Wake up early enough so that when they take off their coat or shoe once you have them all dressed…it won’t matter! Be patient with them and use it as a teaching moment.
2. Have Your Moment Mom! Drink a cup of tea or coffee. I have found that it is easier to wake up before your family and take a moment to just sit. Take a look at a scripture and meditate on a positive word or quote.
3. Let Your Kiddos Win every once in a while. If they want to bring the toy with them, let them! Be sure to have a bag ready for them to bring their daily toys, placed at the door. Be sure to also pack daily learning activities. I also make quiet books for my daughter, Jada, who is 2 to enjoy while we drive.
4. Dress Yourself and Your Kids the night before! You can even layout everyone’s clothes for the entire week. This makes life so much easier. Try to buy clothes that match the shoes you buy so that you are not rambling through your clothes daily to make a complete and cute outfit. My daughter and I love Matilda Jane pieces. They are comfy and can match so many different colors. Be sure to also try to have a good bath schedule at night. This way in the morning, you will not need to bath the children. I love to take a morning shower though. Wakes me up! Even if I have to do it with my son sitting in his bouncer seat in the bathroom with me, lol!
5. Meal Prep! Prep and wash all bottles and meals on Sundays. Grocery shop according to sales and then prepare meals. This will help you save money and time throughout the week. Pack the baby bag at night. Wash you nursing essentials at night and pack you pump the night before nursing mamas like me! {I forgot to bring my pump a couple times to work, and boy that makes for a crappy day}.
Know that you will not work out that perfect schedule that you and the family created the first week. It may take a month to learn your new schedule and to transition from a stay-at-home mompreneur to a full-time working mom. You may cry, the kids may cry and everybody will be exhausted at first. But trust me, it gets easier. You got this Mama!
P.S. Every time my daughter and I make it to nana’s house in the morning I have taught her to say “We did it!”. We say this together and it encourages me daily! Try this with your kiddos. Even if they can’t talk, just shout out loud “I DID IT!”
Have you recently gone back to work? What tips can you add to my list?
