Career Tips & Advice

How to Have a Career and Be a Mother

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated July 7, 2017. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
health care profession

We know a lot of our Concorde students are working mothers juggling many various responsibilities. It can be overwhelming trying to see that your children are well cared for while working toward a health care profession and holding down a job to make ends meet. You have to get yourself and your kids ready in the morning, then run to school, work or both, all before running errands and then heading home to take care of everyone again.

It's exhausting to just think about.

To help, we thought we'd point to a recent article from Working Mother magazine. It points out some helpful strategies that can give working moms a bit of breathing room... before losing your mind.

6 tips on how to have a career in a health care profession, be a mother and not lose your mind

  1. Determine your non-negotiables. There are certain activities and chores - paying bills, feeding your children - you know you HAVE to do. Other things, like dusting baseboards or making sure your child's clothes are folded perfectly, are solely mandated by personal neurotic tendencies. Determine which neuroses need to be attended to and which don't. For instance, your children need clean clothes for the week. But they don't all have to be perfectly put away in a drawer. And, those dirty dishes can sit in the sink a while longer if need be.
  2. Schedule time to do what makes you happy. Being a parent involves making sacrifices, but it doesn't mean you have to let go of everything you enjoy. You deserve time to do something for you that puts a smile on your face. Your children will be better for seeing that smile, too.
  3. Figure out what you can let go of. Assess your level of productivity and level of stress periodically. If you're feeling overextended in your health care profession, determine whether there's a task or two you can retire from or do less often.
  4. Do fewer things nobody cares about. Cut down on doing things out of obligation. Do the things you really want to do and politely decline the rest. "No" is an acceptable answer. And it's OK to sit around and do nothing for a weekend. It re-charges the batteries which will make you more productive when you get back to your health care profession at the beginning of the week.

And, the rest

  1. Make cooking less of a chore. Instead of waiting until 5 p.m. each day during the week deciding what to fix for dinner, plan and prep for the week during the weekend. Cook up some chicken, vegetables, beans, whatever and then piecemeal it together during the week.
  2. Say what you need before losing it. Don't wait for loved ones to pick up on your subtle or not-so-subtle clues. If you need a break or need some help, ASK FOR IT! Keep lines of communication open. Let someone else assume the burdens and lose their mind for a while while you get some much-needed downtime.

There you have it. Good luck. Keep a close grip on your tiny sliver of sanity by following these tips. You might still lose it every now and then. But it'll make getting back to work that much easier and make you more effective and productive in your health care profession.

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