Being a Mom is one of the toughest jobs (if not the toughest job) out there.  You spend your days taking care of your little ones – cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, running errands, and all the other things that fall on your shoulders.  If you’re like a lot of families you need to have two incomes to survive, so you might be working at a job outside of the home as well as your job as Mom.

So working Mom, are you moonlighting as Wonder Woman?  Finding a balance between your work life and home life is difficult.  Here are a few things to think about as you try to find that balance in your life.

First, flexibility is going to be a key part of any job you take outside the home.  You’re going to be called upon at some point for an emergency visit to the doctor, or you might have to call off work because one of your children is too sick to go to daycare.  Make sure you have an employer who understands and recognizes the importance of family.

Make sure you prioritize your daily routine.  It’s going to be difficult to switch from Mom to employee, so make sure you have some way you are able to do that at the beginning and end of the work day.  Here’s a trick I learned from a former co-worker.  Find some point on your drive to work (after the children have been dropped off) and tell yourself that from this point forward you’re going to focus on work first and try to leave your family concerns on the back burner for the work day.  You can pick a certain traffic signal, store you pass, or the gate at your parking garage as this switching point.  Use the same point at the end of your work day to switch your mindset from employee to Mom.  When the work day is over, it’s over.  Don’t bring your work home with you and don’t let it affect your family time in the evenings.

Make sure to keep track of the important events in your children’s lives.  Try to make every school play and as many sporting events as possible.  When it’s the weekend make sure to devote as much time to your children as possible.

Finally, it’s ok to admit when you’re tired or overwhelmed.  Ask your family to help you in taking care of household responsibilities.  Be sure to take some time for yourself, even if it is a 10 minute shower when you get home from work.  If you need help, ask.  You don’t have to be Wonder Woman and do everything by yourself!