Whether or not I would have to work outside the home was never a question. I knew it would be a necessity in order to make ends meet. Many women are in the same shoes. Some work because they want to or feel called to, but many more work because the bills wouldn’t get paid without that second job bringing in the bacon. I say this because I want you to know my perspective. Though I enjoy what I do, I don’t feel a calling for my work, and I don’t work a job that requires more than 40 hours per week. Therefore, I cannot speak for the CEO of a company or a corporate attorney. I’m just an ordinary working mother.
Years passed after we married and our two sons were born. How does a mom balance a 40-hour-a-week job while caring for the home and children? Today, we call this work/life balance. And that balance can be much like walking a gymnast’s balance beam or juggling balls in the air.
There are many ways to balance the life of a wife and mother and a full-time job. Here are a few suggestions:
- Kids’ activities: A working woman needs a partner. If married, hopefully, the partner is her husband. Perhaps her parent or another family member can step in if not married. Your partner can assist with meals or rides to activities for the kids. At one point, I worked seven days on and seven days off, so on my work week, my husband had to get the boys to their Upward Games or Scouting activities.
- Meal prep: Some moms choose one day per week for meal prep. I have a friend who does this on weekend afternoons. She prepares several Crock-Pot meals that will be reheated throughout the week. Other moms might schedule their meals using a calendar so “what’s for dinner” is not a surprise. There will always be days when time sneaks up on us, and a quick meal out is necessary, but it’s so expensive planning can help reduce those times.
- Housework: In a perfect world, these duties can be shared within the family. This is especially true when the kids are elementary school age. Kids can be taught to do their own laundry or prepare their backpacks or lunches for the next day. Some husbands, however, work weekends or have to sleep during the day due to shift work. Perhaps you could make a deal with a friend. She keeps your kids while you clean, and then you return the favor.
- Worship: With two full time jobs (wife and mother), kids in school and having activities of their own, worship can potentially fall by the wayside. But worship is the most important portion of life. We need our church family for encouragement and the kids need their close friendships at church. Worship is truly a matter of putting God first. When He is our focus, all of life slips into its proper place.
None of us is Super Woman. None of us will perform all our duties perfectly, and something is often left undone. For me, that was housework. The clothes were washed and put away, but if you looked close enough, you’d find a dust bunny. We need to be willing to extend ourselves a little grace in the trenches of this balancing act. God does not expect us to be perfect in all we do.
The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ˜Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV)
As a working mother with a husband to care for, children to train in the ways of the Lord, and a full-time job to juggle, Jesus distilled down the two most important things: Love God first and our neighbor second.
