Finding the right balance as a working mum.

I was lucky enough to be a stay at home mum with Grayson for 16 wonderful months. While I did love it, I’m not the type of person that can live off of someone else’s money. I’d always feel guilty having Mark pay for every thing, it’s just not the type of person I am. I’d also always said I’d look to try to go back to work after a year.

I was lucky to find an administration role for an amazing charity based out of the town I live in and as long as I could do 20 hours a week, it was up to me how I chose to do them. Which was an even bigger bonus.

Currently I work Monday to Thursday, 12-5pm and get Fridays and weekends off. We’re lucky enough that we don’t have to pay for childcare currently, as Grayson’s grandparents adore looking after him and Mark’s work are also incredibly understanding in letting him take a few hours each Tuesday to spend time with him. So all in all its a pretty win/win situation for everyone involved.

However, I do find sometimes that I struggle to find a balance between work and being a parent. I’ll find it difficult to not bring my work home with me, and if something comes up when I’m on my day off and I’m really needed then I have to help – I hate letting people down. At the same time, if I go to work and I know Grayson isn’t very well or wasn’t happy when I left then I struggle to turn off the mum side of my brain and focus on my work.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been working again now for around 4 months and it is getting better. I still have times where I’m at home and I’m worrying about work or I’m at work and I’m thinking about stuff at home, but I’m finding it easier to draw a line between the two. At the same time though, I’m glad that the line is blurred sometimes. The fact that I reply to emails when I’m not at work helps people out, and I know my colleagues appreciate it and being at work and thinking about home just makes me excited to get home and give my boys a squish.

So I think for everyone the balance will always be different, and it can be difficult to find what balance is right for you but all you can do is try until you find the right mix. It’s also important to remember you’re only human, and you’ll probably slip up at times, but that’s okay. I hope if you’re struggling to find a balance, this post helps you realise it will get easier.