Tips for Working Moms to De-Stress

Mothers, who decide to go back to work after their child is born, have to juggle two careers. They have to give 100% at work. And once they return home, their second career begins, where they have to give 100% as mother. This can be rather difficult after a long day of work. Instead of getting to relax, working mothers now have to cook, clean, play with their kids, make sure they do their homework, chauffeur them wherever they have to go, and so much more. Adding to the pressure is every mom's desire to be the perfect mom to their children and the perfect wife for their husbands.

RELAX! You don't have to be perfect; and you don't have to do everything by yourself, either. There are ways to make your life easier. The less stressed you are, the happier you will be. And that will have positive effects on your children and family life.

One of the most important factors is to learn how to delegate. You really don't have to do everything yourself. Everybody can pitch in, even a toddler. Make it a rule that everybody has to clean up his or her own stuff, even a toddler. Yes, a toddler is perfectly capable of putting his or her toys back into the toy-box. Depending on whether it is reachable for them, toddlers can even put their dirty clothes in a hamper, and put their shoes and clothes away. Good habits are best taught early. And they will be happy to help. A three-year-old can make his or her own bed, set the table, load the dishwasher, and help with some of the other household chores like vacuuming. Keep in mind, they are still learning.

It might not be perfect. However, as tempting as it is, don't fix their mistakes, as it would discourage them. Being helpful around the house will teach your children responsibility early on. It will also boost their self-confidence. If these things are taught early on, they become second nature, and older kids will be more willing to help out around the house. Overall, it is only to your advantage. If you don't have to clean up after them, and they help you clean the house and cook, you will have more time for other things, maybe even time to relax. You also will be able to spend some quality family time with your children.

Of course, as they get older, children have the tendency to complain about the chores delegated to them, no matter how happily and willingly they have done them in the past. A good rewards system will keep them on the ball. For example, you can create a reward chart, where stickers indicate, if regular chores and extra chores were done. A reward could be some special time with a parent, being able to stay up a little longer, decide what the family does on a special day, or a new toy they desire.

Your husband should pitch in, too. You both work, you both should equally share the household chores. You should discuss, who does which chore on a regular basis. This way you will hopefully avoid having to remind him and be a 'nag'. However, here, too, don't expect your husband to be perfect at cleaning or other chores. Nobody is born a master. Furthermore, your house does not have to be spic and span. And if a corner is missed, when cleaning, the world does not go under. You have to learn to relax and to compromise. Otherwise you lose out on time to enjoy your family and life in general.

Another important point is to get organized. It is important to start the day off as stress-free as possible. Otherwise, your day gets off to a bad start and that usually echoes through the remainder of the day. In order to get off to a smoother start in the morning, make your children pick out their clothes the night before. Even better, set aside some time on Sunday and make them pick the clothes for the entire week. All school-age children should be able to wash, brush their teeth, and dress themselves. Of course, you will have to give them the once-over, to ensure they did not skip a part, because they were in a rush to get ready. They also should make their bed in the morning.

Their lunches can be packed the night before, which can be done by the children. You can put the lunch bag in the fridge, if necessary. Make sure the homework is done, anything requiring your signature is signed, and the backpacks are packed and ready to go. You should also check their after-school plans so you know, where they have to be at what time and what equipment needs to be ready. Assign a special spot in the house for the backpack and other equipment to be kept. This way, there is no rushing around in the morning trying to find things the kids will need throughout the day.

To allow for a smoother dinnertime, try to cook double portions of meals, especially on weekends. The second half can be frozen and reheated at another time. If you know that one day a week will be especially hectic, make it a take-out day and order pizza or Chinese. You can even let your children, if old enough, prepare dinner one night a week.

You should only have to make one trip to the store per week. Plan out your meals for the entire week and get all the ingredients in one shopping trip. Keep a list at the fridge door or another easily accessible location in the house, where you can easily write down an item you will need to purchase during your next trip to the store. This way, you will not forget anything you might have run out of during the week. Make sure everybody in your family knows they can add to the list, what they need to have purchased. Some well-organized families are able to only require trips to the store on a bi-weekly or even monthly basis.

The bigger the family, the more important it is to keep an organized schedule. Have a big calendar on the wall in the house, where everybody can add his or her appointments, game and practice schedules, and so on. If schedules overlap, priorities will have to be set. Make sure your kids know, they cannot just add on a play date with a friend the very same day, just because they feel like it.

Each weekday, schedule about ten minutes right after you get home, where each family member should spend time alone. This will give you a little time to relax and switch from work mode to mom mode. Additionally, make a point of scheduling family time. Dinner should be a time for all the family to get together. Make sure this can happen as often as possible. In addition, designate one night a week as family night. Watch a movie together, or play board games together. Also plan for a family outing on weekends. This can be to a park, playground, pool, museum, zoo, or a child's sport event. Furthermore, schedule one-on-one time with each of your children at least once a week. This will give you time to talk with them about what is on their mind, what happened throughout the week at school or elsewhere.

In addition, it is also important to schedule time alone with your spouse. Try to do this at least once a month, preferably a bit more often. Hire a baby-sitter and go out on a date. It does not have to be anything romantic or fancy. It is important the two of you spend some adult time together, some time to reconnect as a couple.

Lastly, and most importantly, schedule some time for yourself, where you can relax by tending to a hobby, seeing friends, work out, and simply do whatever you like to do. Remember, if the mom is not happy, the rest of the family is usually not happy either. You should allow your spouse time for himself, too.

Finally, don't let your work stress overtake your family time. Make a point of separating work life from family life. Don't take work home with you and try to avoid working late. If necessary, talk to your co-workers or boss, to ensure you can leave latest at 5pm on most of your workdays. If you have to work late, inform your spouse, so arrangements can be made, especially, if you have to work late on a regular basis