“OK, I have 30 minutes to spare before my next zoom meeting. Now, what should I do first? Prepare this week's meal plan? Fold the clothes? Grab a snack?”
Juggling the equally demanding roles of full-time mom and full-time remote employee is hard. And the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even harder. Because of the quarantine, many working moms have been dealing with the unprecedented situation that is working from home while taking care of the kids.
Almost 5 months into this setup, how are you holding up, mama? Gone is the access to playdates, and extracurricular activities outside the home — even asking grandma to take over and come for a visit. While the days are hard and long, there is a silver lining as this “new normal” arrangement allowed us to be with our kids 24/7. Who’s to say that we missed out any of the milestones this time around?
Here are some tips to give you a semblance of order while navigating this new reality.
1. Stick to routines.
Flexible working hours might mean that routines can get thrown off. It isn’t realistic to expect 9-to-5 uninterrupted working hours when you have kids around. If you would normally go for an exercise during the morning, allot some time for it. In your calendar, schedule your physical activities just as you would your office meetings. Establishing a routine also helps you deal with any anxieties brought about by this change.
2. Be open with your colleagues.
Communicate with your boss and/or colleagues that work calls might at times be interrupted by a loud, shrieking voice coming from the little boss in your home. The important thing is for everyone in your team to know each other's realistic capacity and availability, so that expectations can be managed.
3. Be kind to yourself.
When things get overwhelming, take a break from it all. Remember that there is no right or wrong way of doing things and that everyone else is also going through major adjustments. Control what you can and learn to let go when you have to. Set some time for me-time even if it's just a few minutes of quiet time in the balcony or anywhere you can unwind. Try waking up early in the morning a few hours before everyone else does.
While riding out this pandemic, we've learned how to improvise, adjust, and stretch our patience as we deal with our daily struggles. It is hard but it is also survivable. After all, aren't we mamas made of tougher stuff?
Follow Rachelle Carpio's adventures as Wondermomma on Instagram
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