FOR YOUR CHILD TO GROW…LEARN TO LET GO!!!

“Plain old babysitting is expensive – early childhood education is priceless”

The first few years of a child’s life provide a vital opportunity for development of the physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development. The learnings of a child during this age will set a stage for the rest of the child’s life. According to experts, almost 90% of the child’s brain is developed by the age of five. Children in this age group must be exposed to an enriching environment to tap this ‘window of opportunity’. Attending a quality preschool equips children with life skills that prepare them for school and beyond.

Academics

"There's increasing evidence that children gain a lot from going to preschool," says Parents advisor Kathleen McCartney, PhD, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At preschool, children are introduced to numbers, letters and shapes. They are given the opportunity to improve reading skills, motor skills, have richer vocabulary and stronger math skills. Sandhya Sridhar, a mom to a 12 year old, residing at Besant Nagar, Chennai recollects, “The Montessori training that my son got at his preschool helped him stand out in his class during formal school. The activities at the preschool strengthened his motor skills; there was no need for me to hold his hand when he started to write.”

Social skills

Children are able and eager to learn right from birth. However, development does not happen by itself. It depends on the exposure that a child gets and the environment that enables positive interactions. Preschools empower children with good social and behaviour management skills that help them find long-term happiness and success in life as they grow older. They learn to communicate, find meaning through their own explorations and assert their independence and individuality.

Professional parenting

Good preschools work collaboratively with parents to build on their strengths and guide them, so that their children may grow up having a sense of family, culture and community. Children benefit immensely by having parents who are better equipped to meet their child-rearing responsibilities.

Preschool – A solution for working parents

In today’s age when joint families are giving way to nuclear families where both parents are working, preschools are generally an option for children to be taken care of during the day. Preschools are definitely a better option than informal help. Parents need to understand that the person who cares for their child many hours a week makes a difference in their child's life and well-being. So it is indeed important to decide who the child interacts with during the day. Quality preschools have trained teachers who will build a positive relationship with children and will empower them with a sense of trust which is a prerequisite to all learning.Some companies provide workplace nurseries for their employees as a work flexibility option. Such nurseries offer parents a space where they can be at work and with their child at the same time. Working moms can breast feed her child; have video calls for an occasional check, ensuring that their child remains close by in a safe environment.

A preschool is indeed a place where a child can gain a sense of self, interact with peers and build confidence.

Being a working mom is an attitude!

“Sometimes the best man for the job isn't.” 

~Anonymous

Can you be a good mom and a good employee? That’s the billion dollar question that many working moms are striving to find. Is there a magic mantra that can allow you to be at two places at once? Is the term ‘super mom’ for real? Women, including men, would appreciate that it is indeed very tough to juggle family and work. Many tough circus acts pale in comparison to the balancing act of being a good employee and a good mother. However, being a valued employee and a good mother need not be mutually exclusive.

What defines a successful career oriented working mom, efficient in both worlds, is attitude.

·    Attitude towards the decision to work: Although the number of women joining the corporate sector is increasing, there is one thing that working moms have in common – guilt. Guilt is a pervasive emotion that tugs the chords of the heart of most working moms who often question, “Am I spending enough time with kids?” The consensus among social scientists, who have been researching the problem since 1930’s, holds that absence of working moms from homes does not hurt their child; what matters is whether a mother feels good about whether she works or stays home. Research evidence suggests that when working mothers have a positive attitude towards their decision to work, they are more likely to encourage their children’s independence.

·     Attitude towards alternate childcare options: Letting go of your children so that they could grow is an attitude that will benefit both the mother and the child in the long run.  In today’s age when joint families are giving way to nuclear families where both parents are working, preschools are generally an option for children to be taken care of during the day. Ask for flexibility options such as remote working, workplace nurseries from your employer.

·     Attitude to delegate: Also, looking for opportunities that add hours to your day is an attitude you must develop. Outsourcing your chores is an excellent way of doing so; it will give you those extra hours with your kids. Being a wonderful cook must not stop you from hiring some form of help in the kitchen during workdays. You could always cook those special meals your children love on weekends and holidays.

·      Attitude towards your job: Finally, follow your passion. Your attitude towards your job spills into your life outside work. Some studies indicate children of mothers who are dissatisfied with their jobs show more signs of poor adjustment than children of non-working mothers or mothers who like their work.

Be positive! Understand that you are not a super human. You may miss your child’s parent teacher meet or you may miss a business dinner. Don’t be apologetic about either. Having the right attitude will help you strike a right balance between profession and parenthood.

Work life balance for working moms

While juggling the roles of a mother, a wife and an employee do you feel stressed, sleep deprived and fatigued? Do you feel guilty because of divided attention between work and home? If yes, read on to put your life back together!

Fulfilling the role of a mother and also managing your work in office can be a hard task in hand. However, with a little planning and family support, you can strike a right balance between profession and parenthood. One can achieve work-life balance by viewing life at work and that at home as complementary elements rather than competing priorities.

Here are a few tips for achieving work life balance:

First of all, let go of the guilt

Don’t upset yourself by thinking about how you are not spending enough time with your child. Instead, think of it this way – you are further financially securing your child’s future. You working now will enable you to put your child in the best school and college when time comes. With school tuition fee becoming expensive year by year, many Indian women work just to pay the school fee. You can be a successful career oriented working mom efficient in both worlds – and you can be so by managing your time well.

Manage your time well

Prioritize, prioritize, and prioritize! If you want to run your life at home and at work smoothly you need to make time for them. Time is a valuable resource and while managing work and home it must be utilized all the more wisely. Limit distractions and time wasters! Be disciplined by limiting the time you take to check mails or Facebook, make phone call or casually surf the internet. At work, of course your need to build a rapport with your co-workers. Utilize your lunch time or breaks to interact with your co-workers and focus on constructive work during other times. With such prioritizing, you will surely find extra time on your hands that you can invest in pursuing your hobbies too.

Plan your days well ahead

Prepare a list of things you need to accomplish during the day/week. Write them down so that you don’t forget them. Stock up the kitchen at the start of the month and make only one shopping trip per week for vegetables and other ingredients. Planning your meals ahead will also help you save a lot of time.

Raise responsible kids

Do you find a lot of your time spent in picking up toys, laundry, making beds, stowing shoes? If yes, stop doing so right now! Teach your kids to clean up after they have finished playing. Kids as young as three years must be taught to be responsible for their belongings. Politely ask your children to put away dirty clothes in the clothes bin and encourage such good responsible behavior with positive words of encouragement.

Find quality childcare

It is very important to have the peace of mind, to know that your child is being well cared for while you are at work. Don’t feel guilty in putting your child in a playschool for a few hours. In fact, there's increasing evidence that children benefit a lot from going to preschool. "Children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not," says National Institute for Early Education Research director W. Steven Barnett, PhD. Talk to your employer about part time or work from home options. You along with your other parent colleagues can also ask your employer to provide for a work place nursery which is a very popular concept in countries like the US and UK.

Make mornings smooth as butter

Start your day on a peaceful note by getting organized the night before. Pack the lunches, backpacks, purse; lay out clothes; decide the next day’s breakfast; you could teach your kids to get themselves ready. Make sure your keys are in the right place so that you can simply grab them in the morning and set out for work. Planning for such mundane tasks will reward you with some extra time to sit with your family and enjoy the morning breakfast!

Take out ‘Me’ time

It’s a very common among women to put their wellbeing as the last priority. How will you be able to look after your child, husband and extended family members in addition to managing work in office if you are not in top shape? So take care of yourself: go to the gym, do yoga and other breathing exercises. To be energetic the whole day you need to maximize the three pillars of health:

Diet: Eat whole, unprocessed “real” food. Avoid junk food and too much caffeine! It may be easier to grab a burger and coffee for lunch due to paucity of time but the ill effects will show in the lax way you manage your chores.

Exercise: Exercising regularly helps you de-stress and be in shape; keeps you sharp and active throughout the day! Now that’s a no brainer!!

Mental Well – being: If you are mentally healthy and strong everything else falls into place. Invest some time in yourself to unwind. Learn relaxation techniques such as meditation, pranayama etc, read a book, listen to music or take up a hobby. Make sure you get adequate sleep of 6-8 hours on a regular basis. A good night’s sleep will help you handle stress better during the day.

Women in technology need to keep abreast with the latest technological developments. Take out time to hone your skills to scale up your career.

Create quality family time

Strive to have simple family dinners as frequently as possible. Plan for family outings that will allow everyone to bond. When out with family, try to avoid talking about work and checking your phone. Instead, involve yourself in your kid’s interests, talk about their friends and classes. You could maintain a calendar, marking a list of school and family events. This way you can avoid surprises in the middle of the week!

Spend time with your partner

Often is the case that when you get busy your partner is the first to get neglected. Always remember to nurture your relationship with your husband as he will be one person who will always be there by your side. Get support from your family and go out for a quiet dinner; or better, cook an elegant evening meal for the two of you (Don’t talk about work or kids!). Take a short holiday; feel rejuvenated and reconnected to enjoy each other’s company.

Try these out and let us know how these tips have helped you.