Being a Mom is a job all by itself. You’re a chef, a cleaner, a counselor and a million other roles that you have to turn your hand to every day. 
For many women, the reality is that they can’t just “be a Mom”. Stay-at-home-mothers are incredibly fortunate in their ability to be around their children as much as possible – but for others, it’s not going to happen. Whether you work for yourself and to maintain a career, or are forced into it by lack of choice due to financial reasons, the end result is the same.
There comes a point in the week when working women have to shrug off their Mom hat and become a working woman. It might come easily to some women; for others it’s more difficult, their mind constantly elsewhere. The protective instinct is tough to overcome, and you can’t help your mind wandering to your kids at work. Sure you can focus and do your job better than anyone else could, but there’s always a part of you that feels split. 
If you have the opportunity, you can bring some light to your working week by bringing your family into it. No, that’s not to suggest an endless run of “bring your kids to work!” days – they’ve got school and you doubt you’d get any work done if that was the case! However, you can bring them with you in other ways.
Encourage Your Children To Make You Jewelry
Fiddling with jewelry, tiny clasps and minute gemstones will help your children’s fine motor skills improve leaps and bounds. All the better if they are fashioning you something you can wear at work.
If you work under a strict office dress code, then you’re going to have to watch over any jewelry-making session to ensure you can get away with it. Knot bracelets made of wire tend to slide under sleeves unobtrusively, but you will still have the reassurance and feel of connection of knowing it’s there.
If things are more relaxed, then you can let their imaginations run wild. Simple bead bracelets can look fantastic, and both you and your kids will have a whale of a time making them. 
Desk Trinkets Can Clear The Blues
The most obvious desk-friendly trinket is the framed photograph. It’s so obvious that it might be considered a little stale. Do you really need to see the same static photo every day? We live in an age of social media where photos are updated constantly. A reminder of one moment in time is all well and good, but it’s nice to be able to expand that thought to keep up with the rampaging change of today’s kids.
For example, the best custom bobbleheads will have a great depiction of your children and their physical form – but it’s something a little more innovative than a single photo. If you’d prefer something you can frame, then ask them to paint a self-portrait. Even if it’s a messy blur of finger marks and smudged paint, it shows a little more innovation than a single photograph.
If you are stuck on the idea of a photo, then why not multiples? You can print out photos onto sticker paper, so if you so chose, you could cover any available surface in all your favorite images of your kids.
Sticking on the subject of photos, it’s now possible to get all sorts of office-friendly equipment with photographs added onto them. Particular favorites are mugs, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee and smile at your kids while you do so.
Make Time To Text If You Work Weekends
One of the most difficult realities a working mom might have to face is working on the weekends. It’s traditionally the time that you’d have the chance to spend with your kids as they’re free from the restraints of school.
However, a 24/7 society needs 24/7 workers – weekend working is now a normal even in white collar jobs. One way to reconnect is to take the time to text or WhatsApp during the day on a weekend. A simple message – such as plans for what you’ll do for dinner – can be a way of connecting even when you’re separated.
If you would rather something a little more interesting than basic “how are you?” messages, then start a game. There are hundreds of apps which let two people play against one another, such as old family favorites like chess right through to more modern inventions. Keeping a game going through a weekend not only connects you in a unique way, but it gives you an immediate conversation point when you do see one another.
Take Single Days Off
Most of us take our holiday allowance in chunks, so we can go on long holidays to relax and let the stress of normal life seep off of us. There’s plenty of merit to doing this, but sometimes, taking a single day off can be just the parenting boost that you need.
The single days are best taken during the summer holidays, when you don’t have to worry about taking your kids out of school. You can plan a day trip or even just relax together at home. The reason single days work so well for this is because you have to focus on the time you have off. When we have extended periods, it’s easy to become restless and get fixated on the household chores or other distractions. If it’s just a single day – preferably in the middle of the working week – then your mind is going to be on making the most of the time.
In Conclusion…
Just because you’re a working mom doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of the situation. It can be difficult at times, feeling divided between priorities, but it can also be liberating to have a little ‘adult’ time. By walking a line between the two sides of you, ultimately, you’re going to be the best-rounded woman – and mom – that you can be.
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