Finding the balance

Today, I wear my ‘Mom’ label as proudly as Superman wore that ‘S’ on his chest. We moms are achieving enormous feats just to balance our careers with the demands of nurturing our families. I’m a busy mom of two and life can get a little chaotic (I’m sure you gals are with me on this!) There are only 24 hours in the day—it’s important for us to decide how to best allocate our time.

1) Time management: As working mothers, we need to have a clear vision of how we want our life to look. I’ve created a list of my top priorities and always try to keep them in mind: doing my very best each day at work, spending quality time with my kids, and TRYING to make some time for myself. The key is finding a balance between the three.

2) Having a plan: When you have children, routine is necessary. Time management is all about having a plan and sticking to it. On Sundays, I get ready for the week ahead by organizing the kid’s clothes (with their help and input) and making a dinner menu so that I am not left in a nightly scramble.  This lets me to go to work with a clear mind and with the help of some (a lot of!) extra caffeine, I am able to conquer my day.

3) Effective multitasking: I watch my favourite movies when I do my cardio on treadmills. I pack my son’s lunch while feeding my daughter her dinner (and I always swore I’d be firm on eating dinner as a family at the dinner table!). Multitasking can save lots of time and make room for the top priorities in your life.

In the above photo I manage to get a much-needed pedicure while painting my daughters’ nails—combining a little TLC for mom and some quality time with my daughter Sophia-Rose!

4) Taking time for yourself: We aren’t going to be able to keep up with work or our families if we don’t take care of ourselves. “Me” time is very important for busy moms like us. Every once in a while I’ll squeeze in a massage or a facial, but normally the only “me” time I get is a workout or yoga class. Luckily, that’s enough to reenergize me for another wonderfully hectic day with my family.