Our Seven Summer Tips For Working Mums

We all know that juggling work and being a mum can be hard at the best of times! It’s part of the job but balancing work life and family life can sometimes feel impossible. We’ve put together a few tips for working mums, thanks to our team of mums who are doing this on a daily basis.

1. Get out when you can!

Not to be confused with 'get out whilst you can'!  We're not suggesting that you run for the hills, however much you might feel like it. Kids are great at entertaining themselves, they have a skill called play, which grown ups tend to lose, so if you'd like to go back to carefree days of make believe then take a few hours to head to the park, beach, countryside and enjoy just being together, but please don't feel guilty about having to return home.

2. Meal plan like you've never meal planned before.

There's never been a child yet that's said 'Mum, how about we spend some time wandering around the supermarket looking for dinner?' Plan your menu Sunday, place an order for your shopping online and free up hours of wasted time (you'll probably save bags of money too as the odd toy, sweet, magazine etc won't be thrown into your trolley under cover of distraction).

3. Routine, routine, routine

You know you've got to. Plan what time of day will be dedicated to work and what will be kids time.  Be strict, don't allow yourself to check emails on your phone whilst pushing your little ones on the swing.

4. Find a club

Whether it's a group that you go to with your children, or a class just for them, there's a wealth of activities our there, some even for free this Summer.  Take a look at www.whatson4littleones.co.uk for under 5's and www.whatson4schoolkids.co.uk for 5-12 years.

5. HELP!

It's OK to admit that you need a little hand, arrange playdates, then you can return the favour at weekends. Can family or friends offer child care in exchange for a promised trip to the pub next time you meet up?

6. We're in it together

Older kids can help around the house!  They'll tell you otherwise, but don't believe them. Share out some chores for them to do whilst you're working. They don't have to be hard, washing out the bath takes a few minutes - it might not be perfect - but it will give your child a sense of responsibility. You can reward them with a day out, let them plan an activity, a trip to the pool - for helping you around the house and lifting a few of those tedious jobs you need to fit in.

7. Childcare - it's not a dirty word

Many parents feel that arranging childcare comes with guilt. Questions like 'are the kids OK?','what are they doing?', 'will they even miss me?' You can rest assured that the carers featured in our 'Support and Services' section are hand picked by the mumandworking team for their fantastic reputation. Click here to find the childcare solution for you.

If you're just starting out in the wonderful world of working parents click here for more hints and tips and see how we make flexible working work!

Who wrote this?  Want to find out more about the mumandworking team?  Take a sneaky peak here.

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