Let's face it, the Employment and Training industries are stressful; we are forever on the phone, dealing with difficult situations, worrying about upcoming government audits and trying our best to help others to have a better life then they have. My 6 tips to juggling working in these industries and having a happy family are below:
  1. Be organised, be very organised.
  2. Be 100% comfortable with who is caring for your child / children.
  3. When you are at work, be at work.
  4. When you are at home, be at home.
  5. You have an amazing career and a wonderful family – enjoy every minute of it!
  6. Tips on travelling for work.

Tip 1

Be Organised – Be very Organised

I don't need to tell all of you working mums about being organised; we all know that we have to be. My one big suggestion is, to have a routine that works for you during the work week and stick to it. The whole family will know what to expect each day and things will run as smoothly as they can.

  • Try to do as much preparation for the day, the night before (whether it is packing lunches, school bags or nappy bags).
  • If possible, try to get yourself ready for the night while the kids are still up. This way you have some time to do a little bit of work, and time for yourself and your partner when the kids are in bed.
  • Be sure to set some time aside each night, even if it's only ten minutes where you can spend time one-on-one with your child / children individually.This may only be for a cuddle, a special 'play with Mum' during bath time rather than the usual wash and get out ASAP or a story before bed as you will feel better about yourself as a Mum if you do. Our lives are so jam packed and routine you sometimes need to stop the chores and make some fun time.
  • Get to bed at a decent hour; you will need to be up early to be organised for tomorrow.
  • The mornings are always crazy, so if you need to get up a bit earlier then the rest of the house, do it. You will feel a lot more in control and calm if you do.
  • If you have to be in the office early or need to attend a networking breakfast this can throw the most organised person into a spin. Plan the morning to the minute and follow it, get some extra help if you can (Maybe a friend, a neighbour or your parents could help out for that morning).
  • Try to fit in some exercise, everyone knows that you feel better when you exercise (I have not got this one mastered on a regular basis, but here are the things that work for me when I am really dedicated to it). Take the kids with you, try walking with the pram or alongside them when they are riding their bike. Do an exercise video when they are asleep or watching their own DVD. Get to the gym on the weekends when you have some extra time.
  • In order to spend quality time with your family when you get home in the evening, set aside a couple of hours on the weekend and have a "cook in" preparing the evening meals for the following week, then pop them in the freezer. Casseroles, soups, pasta sauce, chilli, roasts etc, I even cook a huge pot of rice, and then portion it into freezer containers.