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.

Be 100% comfortable with who is caring for your child / children

Whether your children are in school, day care, family day care, a nanny, with their grandparents or at home with your partner, make sure you feel comfortable. Choose carefully and take the time explore all of your options. It may take you a while to find something you are comfortable with, but it is worth the wait to have you child well looked after.

Now you have your child care arrangements organised……..If you notice something you are not comfortable with, address it straight away and if you still aren't comfortable take your child out of the situation and find an alternative.

My final tip about child care arrangements is (especially if your partner or a family member is caring for your child):

As long as your child is happy and healthy, don't second guess their ability.

There is nothing worse for your partner / family member, than to feel like they are not doing a great job. It will ruin your relationship with that person if you are not treating them with respect, and they are feeling like you are unhappy with the job they are doing. So what if your child didn't have a long enough sleep or didn't eat every piece of food you wanted them to today. As long as they are happy, healthy and well cared for, don't stress out about the situation, just relax.

Now you are comfortable with how your child is being cared for, when you are at work, focus on work. If there is something going wrong the person caring for your child will call. Just ensure that the people in your office know that if the day care centre calls to track you down immediately.

You will definitely be more productive if you focus on the work you are doing rather than worrying about your child all day long, of course you will think about him/her and have photo's around to enjoy while at work. Work hard during the day and get all your tasks done so you can get home and enjoy your family time. Talk to your boss and see if they can be a bit flexible with your hours. If you are working hard and are proving yourself by meeting your KPIs and compliance requirements, why not ask if you can leave the office slightly earlier and suggest that you will start earlier and point out that you are not taking lots of breaks during the day. That way you can get home earlier and get on with your hectic but enjoyable nightly routine. Many companies are starting to be very open to this, especially if you can prove that you work hard for the business.

One of the benefits of this industry is the rewards you feel when you have helped someone else realise what they are capable of, especially if you are working with the Long Term Unemployed. So focus on these amazing outcomes and set your expectations high. If your employer is not being flexible at all, maybe it is time to find one who will be. You cannot maintain your happy balance unless you have the support of the company.

One of the best feelings I experience, is when my little boy runs up to me when I arrive home from work with a smile, his arms out for a hug and says "Mummy I missed you so so much". Your family really does deserve your full attention when you get home in the evenings and weekends. My advice is; make the most of this time, they grow up so fast and you don't want to regret anything. Do lots of fun things with the kids and try not to spend your time being upset with them. Get them used to the routine which should include something fun and they will be better behaved for you. On the weekends, make the most of every minute. Do the things that make you all happy and again, try not to waste your energy on being angry or upset.

If you can afford it, pay someone to help around the house possibly a cleaner or someone to iron for you. This way you will have even more time to spend with your family and won't be spending your weekends trying to get some housework done.

Now that you are organised, have your child care sorted, are focusing on work and home; there is nothing left to do except ENJOY EVERY MINUTE! Everyone's family is different, whatever you enjoy doing with your family work out what those things are and do them.

Employment and Training are amazing industries to be involved in and you should be very proud that you are making a difference in the lives of others. It is very satisfying and rewarding so enjoy it. Keep working hard the rewards are amazing. If you feel your employer is not being open-minded when it comes to work / life balance, it may be time to find one that is. As you are aware, Marker Consulting can help you find the right employer and business to suit your career goals and your personal life. Remember, you are an amazing person to be juggling a career as well as your family.

If your job involves travelling, I have a few tips for you. I travel interstate a lot for my role and have done since my son was 12 months old.

Try to plan your trips to intrude as little as possible on your family life, whatever this may mean to your own individual situation. If it means you have a crazy early start – do it, just have a Berocca or an extra coffee that day, you'll be fine (come on you have been through childbirth, you can do anything).