Can mothers successfully balance work and family? Tips from experts to ease out stress

Being a working mom is not easy. To balance work and family at times seem almost impossible but most of all you have to be willing to screw up at every level. Isn’t that a feeling resonated by every working mom?  Juggling  to balance work and family is like walking on eggshells and every so often drive you to the brink of sanity. You almost always wish you could sprout extra pair of hands just to help out. Don’t get me wrong, motherhood is great! Remember the first time you got the news that you are expecting a child. The happiness, the feeling of sheer joy you shared with your spouse of becoming parents. The happy tears you shed when you see the bundle of joy for the first time, miniscule hands fisting your finger. Oh yes, those are the best parts. But then they grow up and you have run around them doing their bidding; being their cook, playmate, chauffer and teacher. Being a mother is no easy task in itself, but being working mom balancing all their needs and your work responsibilities is sure to test your limits all the time. You have to earn the dough after all to make a comfortable living for your kids and yourself but also make sure you raise them the right way and are always there when they need you the most. And sometimes when it all becomes too much to handle you simply feel that time would just stop before you breakdown. And then follows the guilt, right? You are not alone on this well traversed road, take it from the mothers who have been there and done that. We asked five working mothers to give advice on pulling off the balancing act and they had wise words to tell.

Just like us, these five brilliant ladies are not just mothers but also hold a permanent job, are entrepreneurs (or as some would like to put, Mompreneurs) and avid mom bloggers. These ladies know how to go about balancing and making the best out of it. They are more than willing to lend a helping hand to fellow working moms to get through the toughest of times. Ask these super-moms, “How did they do it… manage home and work?  Were they always ready for every situation? Did they always make the right decision?” You will probably get a frenzied hysterical laughter followed by an all-too-knowing tired sighs.  No, of course not! It was a slow process, learning from all the screw ups and many mistakes. Here is their counsel on how to cope with work-family pressure:

In words of Mary Ellen Tribby: Blend Not Balance: Who would know better than the CEO of WorkingMomsOnly.com, Mary Ellen Tribby who is mother to three busy sporty children? Let us have in her own words what advice she has to give. “As the CEO, I am always busy juggling clients, business projects, with family, home and 3 busy children (who all play sports). I believe balance is not the best goal - I want a "blended" life where everything works together and gets the time and attention it needs. Here are a few of my favorite tips for making your home life and work life run more smoothly. To get more done in less time, try setting a timer: When you focus your complete attention on one task you maximize your time by eliminating distraction.  Pick one task and set your timer for 20-30 minutes.  During that time do not allow yourself to do anything else but the specific task you've chosen.  If things come to mind that would usually distract you, jot them down on a notepad or sticky. That way you can come back to them later and give them dedicated attention, too. Communicate With Your Kids in Their Language: Feel like you’re having trouble getting through to your teens? Try getting through to them in their favorite form of communication - texting. Send them a quick text to check in with you when they’re out with their friends or send a reminder of chores for that day when you’re not going to be around to supervise. They are far more responsive to it and less likely to ignore it than constant phone calls. Use an Online Calendar Keep your family on the same page by using an online calendar like Google calendar.  When you put the calendar online, everybody’s activities can go into one calendar that can be accessed by the whole family from anywhere they go. Since everyone can see the calendar, you spend less time reminding others about the pick-up schedule, doctor's appointment or the school play.  Involve Your Family in Running Your Business If you’re a mom working from home, involve the family in running your business. A family that runs business together, not only grows wealthy together, but also stays happy together. It teaches children valuable lessons in handling and saving money properly. This also helps husbands understand and appreciate more your effort and passion in your choice of career.

In words of Lindsie Lizotte Get Organized: Do you have a hard time letting things go and accepting that not everything can be done in time? A hard hitting fact of life you learn when you become a mother is, you cannot do it all. Given an extra set of hands, you still wouldn’t be able to do it all and it is alright. But you still can manage to make most of it. How? Lindsie Lizotte a working mom, who also writes and post recipes for quick and healthy food-fixes on her website Mom’s Bistro, has the answer for you.  When faced with the question on work-family balance she said, “I got lucky when it was time for me to return to work, and I got a job at a preschool, so I could bring my son with me to work every day, and see him when I felt like I needed an Anthony fix.” Her advice, “For new moms returning to work, my biggest suggestion is to stay organized – that way, when it is time to come home at the end of the day, you can spend all of your time with your family.  By being organized, I mean, creating a meal plan, or even freezer meals and using that crock-pot to make meal time a breeze, and you’ll always know what is for dinner, eliminating wasted time staring at the fridge or freezer looking for inspiration.  Also, create a cleaning schedule and clean a little bit each day.  By being organized and making yourself stick to a schedule, it makes things a lot easier at work, because you’re not stressing about the 1000000 chores you have to do when you get home.”

In words of  Kim Delatorre A Stitch In Time: Whether you are a working or stay-at-home mom, you are always loaded with work; as a result managing your time is the key, so says Kim Delatorre. A stay-at-home mom managing three is never a piece of cake and yet she finds time to work on her web-site Shop With Me Mama. Her advice to manage it all is, “Having kids and working either at-home or out-of-home can be hard. I am lucky to be a stay-at-home mom, but I do work! Finding a balance is key to making this all work for me. To make sure I get work done in a timely manner and still have happy kids, I have to set limits. I need to have a schedule and stick to it. If I do not, it will go bad very quickly! Even on the best of days though, it is trying at times. I work in the morning, take a break for lunch and to feed my kids, then I am back at work until about 4pm. Then I start dinner and it is family time. However, if I have projects that are due, I will get back on the computer and finish those up, but my husband is home by then, to watch the kids, so that works out well. Managing time is the best advice I can give out. Without that, it would be a chaotic mess around here.”

In words of Camille Walker Strike A Balance: It’s true that a dry well will have nothing to give, so don’t forget yourself in the process. Your kids and family can only be happy if you are. So while you are busy taking care of them, don’t forget you have a big duty towards yourself too. Strike a balance is what fellow mom and avid blogger Camille Walker, who co-authors’ for My Mommy Style blog, has to say. They believe that there is not just one right way to be a mother and enjoy sharing those different “style” with our readers. Her precious suggestion is, “The journey of being a Mother and a working blogger has been one of the most fulfilling times of my life. It is a constant juggle between giving each part of my life its due and there are definite ups and downs. Here are five tips that I think have helped me the very most. Identify your Working Time It is important that you try to define the time that you can work and make the best use of your time. For some it is early morning, for others it is late at night, for me I like to get some of my work done during nap time. I give my children some free time to watch a show or play with a friend while the baby sleeps and I have my office time. Yes, there are days that require late nights, but I prefer to keep that time available for my family and for me and my husband to wind down together.  Try a Schedule It isn't necessary to keep to a schedule every day, but try to create a routine that works for you. Some days I have a heavy work load, so I do my very best to get out of the house the next day with the kids. Write it down I am always so much more productive when I can visually see what I have ahead of me for the day, the week, and the month. I keep a written planner STILL, I know, hello 2015! But I love being able to see what tasks I have ahead of me so I can get through them one by one. Schedule time for you Make sure to schedule time for yourself. Go to the gym, watch your favourite show, grab an ice cream cone...whatever it is that will make you feel new again even if it is a 15 minute trip alone to Target. Remember always to relish the time with your little ones Our children grow up so quickly and there is no amount of achievement that will replace the moments lost that you could have enjoyed them and their company. This is always a check and balance for me because I know that what I do for a career makes me a better mom because I am fulfilled, challenged, and excited which means I have a happier self to give to my children. Learning to say NO to a work situation has been one of the best skills I am trying to develop so that I don't fill my plate too full.

In words of Laura Keep It Simple And Never Say No To Help: If you think becoming a mother will make you handover your passport and chuck off your travelling pants forever, you are quite wrong. Learn it from Laura owner of website Mommy Maleta, a site dedicated for travellers. A real life Mommy Maleta (Spanish for suitcase) has been all around the world while handling family and three kids, has a quick few good words of wisdom for new mothers. “Juggling work and your new baby can be a tough transition, but here are a few tips to help you manage this new season in your life. - Set a timer and try to complete tasks in 20-30 minute intervals - Accept help from friends and relatives (Let Aunt Sue take over for 20 minutes so you can take a power nap!) - Keep things simple. Do not prepare elaborate meals. Don't take on new projects at home. - Set a flexible schedule. Make a clear list of jobs that need to get done at home, divide those jobs up with others if possible, but be flexible about the timing in completing those jobs.”

We would personally like to thank all our mom- bloggers for taking out time from your loaded schedules and contributing your views and experiences for our readers post on Fascinating Diamonds blog. It was a pleasure having your enthusiastic involvement in our round up. No doubt everyone would agree that managing and to balance work and family is like an act that is tough but not an impossible. If these working mothers can do it, so can you by following their precious advice. In a gist:

• Time is of essence so make a schedule but keep it flexible enough to adjust with emergencies.
• Try to complete the task within that set time.
• Make use of the technology like Google calendars and organisers for keeping track.
• Never be shy to ask for help whenever needed.
• Take out time to pamper yourself
• Most of all try to keep it simple