*** This article was published by the Philippine Embassy in Spain
We have witnessed and we continue to witness how the role of being a woman has evolved in our society. The capability of mothers to be integrated in the formal professional workforce is a testament to women empowerment which we are celebrating.
As working mothers, we have seen how we juggled between the demands of our home/family and professional obligations. It is no easy feat. Many times, we have harbored guilty feelings for working long hours and in the process spending less time with our children. We have been in crossroads thinking if our desire to become financially independent, help augment our family income and provide a better future for our children is all worth the time away from them.
As a Filipina working mom here in Spain, there were many days that I longed for the company of my mother. In the Philippines, it is still a common practice to rely on our parents/parents in law to take care of our children so we can focus on work. But the lifestyle, infrastructure and ways of work here in Spain enabled me to adapt. It is trusting the system and trusting my instincts that I will be able to deliver my commitments as a working mother. Through the years, I have applied these useful tips and practices which have been crucial in helping me survive as working mother. I am sharing these tips so we can all benefit from them and we all continue to have the best of both worlds - our loving family home and our career in the corporate jungle.
1. Enrolling our children in extra curricular activities: If our financial resources will permit, extra curricular activities ie. music, sports (tennis, judo, basketball, swimming,etc), language learning, painting are excellent training grounds for our children from a social, mental, physical and emotional standpoint. Even if we spend some time at work, we can be ensured that our chilren are having a better time surrounded by other children and professionals who are helping them build new skiills.
2. Do online shopping: Onling shopping is a time saver!! There is no need to be in a physical store and spend time breezing through the grocery stacks. This is a very practical approach, no long queues, no crowds and we can do our monthly groceries in the comforts of our home while assisting our children with their homeworks! As we continue to overcome the pandemic, we can definitely help in the prevention of transmission of the coronavirus whenever we do online shopping. Also, one major consideration and priority when purchasing online is to commit to our budget and to buy the musts and needs over the wants. The world of online purchase is vast and we can avoid impulsive buying by maintaining a list of the essentials that we need to buy. Another money saving tip is to compare prices by going through multiple platforms and from there purchase the item that we find the most economical yet not compromising the product quality.
3. Watch Youtube: This streaming platform has taken our daily living with a storm. There are so many recipes and hacks, that we can follow and adapt to help us with our menu planning. This streaming platform also provides many tutorials on potential hobbies (ie crochet, cross stitch, beads and accessories making, tutorials on new languages, baking) thus enabling us to build new skills and as we go further along, may lead to potential sources of additional income.
4. Invest on multifunctional kitchen gadgets: These kitchen gadgets ie kitchen robot, food processor, mixers, oven, make cooking a very pleasant experience!! They save time and help prepare healthy and delicious meals for the entire family. Be wary though of the space in your kitchen as these kitchen gadgets maybe bulky in size.
5. Plan meals ahead; Cook in bulk, freeze and reheat: This is a very reliable method. It may mean cooking for a party package on a weekend, but as you store the food in your tupperware, put them in the fridge and reheat them during the week, this will give you some free time to spend with your children!
6. Delegate and ask help: Running a household is never just a mother´s or a woman´s task. This is a shared responsibility between the husband and wife. As with our children, teaching them to organize, doing household chores (when the time is right) is investing on life skills; they will be grateful that they learned how to tidy up their bedsheets, organize their toys and books, use the washing machine, etc.. Delegate household chores to your partner and to your kids to free up some time for yourself. You deserve it after all!
7. Always make time for quality family time: We work 5 days a week, if possible, let us dedicate our weekends to our family. A quality family time need not be an out of town or an out of the country vacation. Rather quality family time is being present, being attentive to the needs of our family, actively listening to our children, laughing with them and just being with them. Nothing beats that!
8. Have your personal quiet time: As mothers, we have so many facets - wife, mother, daughter, friend, employee; we give so much of ourselves. We need to recharge, dedicate time for our well being so we can be whole, healthy and be equipped to give much in the process. This personal quiet time can mean a walk in the park, a long, hot shower, a good reading time, a trip to the spa for a massage or a window shopping just to satisfy your eyes. This time is for you! Do as you please.
9. Engage your support group: We all know that no man is an island. When times and situations get tough, we must not feel embarassed to reach out to our circle of trusted people ie, family and friends, as they will give us another perspective, point of view and wisdom on what we are going through. The mere thought of having someone listen to us is already uplifting. Remember, you are not alone and we are stronger together.
Hope you find these tips useful! We are great multi taskers and dedicated, committed beings. We get by and are able to adapt to the demands of work and family household. As working moms, we can say that we are really blessed. Despite our struggles, we can say that we are learning the ropes, adjusting and doing our best., We are holding on to the kind words and generous compliments of our family. Their appreciation is the best affirmation and recognition of our efforts as working mothers, professional homemakers.
*** Photos are lifted from the internet. Credit to the owners. Thank you.
