Working mums need to do it all, but hey, who says you can't have some help along the way?
Move over Marvel! Avengers, what? The working mum is the real superhero any day. Juggling running a household, raising her kids, getting it done at her day job and more, the Marvel/Avengers equivalent of the working mummy would be probably be a thousand-armed deity with eyes, probably, dotting the circumference of her head all in a pair of killer heels!
We might laugh! As the cost of living rises in Singapore, dual-income families are a necessity! In fact, a 2016 survey by JobStreet revealed that nearly 70% of female workers in Singapore worked out of necessity. Being a working mum doesn�t mean this superhero mum gets to scale back on her mummy duties! Hence, life can be tough for a working mum as she might encounter some daily woes.
For a working mum, each day can feel like obstacle course as she manoeuvres between a work-related deal, a parenting hurdle and a housekeeping issue! If you�ve ever felt your phone buzz in your pocket during an important meeting, knowing full well it�s little one at home with some obscure request or had to have awkward conversations with your little one at your little office cubicle, we�re joining hands with you to offer some tips to take some of the stress out of your day!
Working Mum Woe #1: Child�s stash of healthy groceries are running out! You�ve got to put in late nights this week. The hubby can�t tell a lady�s finger from a pumpkin.
TIP: Go Online! Local supermarkets such as Cold Storage and NTUC Fairprice now have an online shopping option with free delivery if you�ve reached a certain spending amount. Additionally, you get to choose when the items will be delivered to your house. Buying your grocery list online can prove revolutionary for your schedule as you�ll be spending less time winding through the aisles after work which can mean more time to spend with your little one before bed.
Working Mum Woe #2: You�re working, and you receive a call from your child�s teacher/caregiver about your child�s attendance at a learning journey/or even an impending immunisation perhaps?
TIP: These little unwarranted jolts can make you feel like a bad parent! You�re not. Consider outsourcing some aspects of parenting to useful Apps! For instance, there�s an array of parenting apps online that help you to monitor your child�s milestones, vaccines, achievements and calendars! Download KidzMatters App to help you stay on top of your little one's milestones and more!
Working Mum Woe #3: You�re going about your work from home stuff and your little one wants you to play with him/her
TIP: Be present. Listen to what they want to say attentively and address his needs. Before both of you go back to what you were doing previously, ask if there is anything else he needs from you, fill up his emotional love tank, and let him/her know you will get back to them later. Be authentically loving and let him know that you can�t wait to play with him after you are done with work.
Be aware of your inner territory, keep calm by acknowledging and regulating your own emotions when you attend to your child�s request, e.g. anxious to get back to your work, or happy to hear from your child, etc. If you need to dismiss your child due to urgent matters, let your child know calmly, and let him know you can play with him later.
So, there you have it. Some tips for the working mum to pick up so that she can navigate the woes that come with balancing work and family.
But what about stay home mums? They face just as many, if not more, challenges as the working mother.
She has to rack her brains to think of what to cook on a daily basis so that her husband and kids do not get sick of the meal choices. What happens when you are in the middle of doing household chores and your young child wants you to play with him or her? Or when you finally got the little one to take an afternoon nap and realise that you forgot to get groceries for dinner? Well, what I am trying to say is that working mums have it tough but stay home mums have their own set of challenges too so try not to judge, ok?
Republished from:
KidzMatters is your one-stop resource on matters about your kids, parenting and more. Created by SEED Institute that draws on 30 years of training early childhood educators in Singapore, together with the up-to-date knowledge from our pool of quality early childhood and family education experts, KidzMatters presents relevant content in an engaging and accessible manner. Sign up with KidzMatters for more news, tips and parenting resources.
Related Articles
Related Topics
Recent Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever, BlogPost 80700409988 Strength Training for Seniors, BlogPost 137536455174 Age Gracefully, Start Strength Training, BlogPost 145856643584 FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers: Singapore vs Korea Republic, BlogPost 144608971564 ActiveSG Football Academy sets up centralised development centres to broaden base for young players, BlogPost 144605361831 Hafiz Osman & sons' love affair with the beautiful game, BlogPost 137536455236 The Golden Years, BlogPost 142676085686 Singapore crowned Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 Champions!]