Many working moms are devastated by the flood of emotions that hit them as soon as they are on their maternity leave. While going back to work, you feel sad for leaving the baby behind with the family or caregiver but you have stress to be at the job too. Juggling the job and home responsibilities is not an easy task for working mothers. 

However, with planning and persistence many working moms can face these challenges without being stressed out. Here are some smart parenting tips that can help working moms find new techniques to balance their work life along with the new baby and also keep you same during the process.

Make sure you keep a schedule or calendar prepared with the work schedules, appointments, commitments, meeting and anything that is important. This will keep your out of the chaos and you can manage your routine beforehand. 

Share responsibilities that can help you make a difference in your routine. Ask you partner to help you and make sure you both know your duties before you head back to work the next day. Divide household chores and coordinate the schedules.

Make sure you have a consistent routine in the morning for yourself, baby and the family. Stick to the routine to maintain peaceful mornings. Prep for the next morning at night time to avoid chaos in the morning.  Pack lunch, bottles, set out clothes, prepare baby bag and showering at night. If you are breastfeeding the baby, then express milk from breast pump at night and put it in the fridge so it can be used the next day.

Set a routine where you put the baby to sleep same time every night. This will help the baby to fall asleep according to the routine. Babies usually don’t sleep well at day time which is why it is better to put the baby to bed at a fixed time. Keep a check on baby sleeping hours, ask the family or partner to make sure to make them sleep during day time if they haven’t slept much. 

Minimize food preparation time and set your weekly cooking schedule. Get the groceries accordingly and prepare easy food quickly as you will have the ingredients with you beforehand. Plan meals weekly. Make a weekly menu. Plot out your grocery list so that it revolves around the week’s meals. Keep it simple and interchange ingredients when you run out of something. If you want to cook something special then plan it for the weekend where you will not have to worry to go back to work the next day. Moreover, make enough meals that you can freeze in the food storage cups for later use.

Whenever you feel comfortable, make sure to take some time off for yourself and relax. Get an appointment for a massage, go for a walk, get a haircut or pedicure or do the groceries along to enjoy some me time.

Stay focused towards whatever you are doing. Prioritize things in your routine and let go of unnecessary and non-productive activities. Time management is the secret key towards a balanced life. Make a to-do-list so you remember the important things that need to be done- if you don’t have time to go for shopping, then shop online. Look out for your ease and convenience during this phase and you will notice a huge change in your routine moreover, you will get to spend more time with your little one.