logo
Weather page
GET THE APP
ePaper
google_play
app_store
  • Login
  • E-Edition
  • News
  • Sports
  • Obituaries
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • All Listings
    • Jobs
    • Place an Ad
  • SPECIAL SECTIONS
  • PHOTO GALLERY
  • CONTESTS
  • LIFESTYLE/ENTERTAINMENT
  • GAMES
  • CATTARAUGUS COUNTY SOURCE
    • NEWS
      • LOCAL
      • STATE
      • NATION
    • SPORTS
      • LOCAL
      • NATIONAL
    • OBITUARIES
    • OPINION
      • NEWS
        • LOCAL
        • STATE
        • NATION
      • SPORTS
        • LOCAL
        • NATIONAL
      • OBITUARIES
      • OPINION
    logo
    • Classifieds
      • Place an Ad
      • All Listings
      • Jobs
    • E-Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Login
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • All Listings
        • Jobs
      • E-Edition
      • Subscribe
      • Login
    Reported tornado causes damage in Great Valley
    Breaking News
    Reported tornado causes damage in Great Valley
    June 10, 2025
    GREAT VALLEY — Another wave of severe storms passed through the area Monday evening, with a reported tornado causing significant damage to homes and o...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    Home Jobs
    The mom/manager balance: how to be both at home
    Jobs
    Kate Lopaze  
    December 3, 2020

    The mom/manager balance: how to be both at home

    To do work productively you need time and space. But this year we’ve collectively experienced a blur of time. And for those of us able to work from home, we’ve

    To do work productively you need time and space. But this year we’ve collectively experienced a blur of time. And for those of us able to work from home, we’ve also experienced the blurring of the clearly established border between work life and home life. While it’s nice to save on gas and other commuting costs and just roll out of bed, the lack of a traditional office means the home space contains new responsibilities.

    The work/life balancing act that was precarious before the pandemic has been thrown out the window and the burden of this disruption has been acutely felt by working mothers. Remote learning in schools means you are not simply a working parent, but also the principal, school bell, taskmaster, on-demand snack chef, technology expert, and photographer of every scrap of paper that needs to be turned in for school—all while trying to maintain a modicum of productivity in your work by navigating Zoom meetings and answering emails in carefully carved out pockets of time. It is, to say the least, challenging. But there are a few strategies for maintaining this balancing act and your sanity when things are most definitely out of balance.

    If your kids are engaged in remote learning and meeting with a class on Zoom, then you have a set schedule to guide the day. Take the time to experiment and personalize your schedule, finding the best time to navigate work and play and to stick with it. When kids learn a routine, their expectations of you are well-established. If mid-afternoon is park time, then they’ll look forward to that time to enjoy. If mommy work time is well-established, then they’ll begin to develop habits and expectations that fall into the rhythm you establish. Every kid is different and everyone’s workflow is different, but trying to keep a consistent schedule day in and day out will help navigate the chaos of your work sphere and home sphere colliding.

    You always want to avoid multi-tasking. The problematic function of our work reality, even in normal times, is that you face constant interruption. You receive a push notification or a text, a new email pops up while you are crafting an important one, or a coworker has a question—dealing with continual distractions isn’t exactly new. The solution? Schedule the interruption before you get interrupted. Divide work projects into stages and segments. Plan to do a fast draft, then revise later. Even when things require a lot of concentration, you don’t need to block off multiple hours; you can instead tackle your work in pieces and anticipate the inevitable interruption.

    If you have a dedicated office in your home that is an entire room, congratulations. If not, it is important to create a work zone. This has an important mental component too—getting “in the zone” works better with a physical setup, but requires a mental setup too. Find the quietest, clutter-free space you can and maybe grab some headphones too. With the ritual of the commute gone, creating some alternative that allows you to shift modes is important. You can also ease the transition from mom-mode to work-mode by a simple practice that guides you to devote your concentration to work. Take a few minutes of sipping coffee or engaging in a minute of deep-breathing, a mantra, or a visualization exercise before you dive into work.

    In this current situation, you have a real opportunity to get very involved in teaching your kids daily habits that can be good for all of you in the long run. For example, kids are learning how to use Zoom and navigate the internet as much as you are in your adult job. Sit with them to make sure they really grasp the tech they’re being asked to use every day. Maybe you can even work up to the point where they can photograph their own homework to upload later. Kids of a certain age can also learn some home basics like getting a snack for themselves, if you keep healthy snacks and bowls within their reach, and finding a way to entertain themselves for short stretches.

    But one important thing kids can learn right now that you desperately need is patience. Waiting ten minutes to get what they want isn’t the end of the world. Just as you ideally can rely on your partner, your back-up, or their teachers, you can also see how much your kids are able to step up to the plate and help too. Help them learn when you need quiet time to work and when you are able to give them your full, undivided attention.

    Everyone needs 5-10 minutes to themselves. Yes, that means you too. Set a calendar reminder and use a timer where you reserve a bit of time to do absolutely nothing work- or parent-related—no reading the news, no watching shows, no emails, no snack fixing. Let yourself listen to your own thoughts. In fact, let yourself have a single complete thought. It can be as simple as doing a short meditation or going for a walk around the block sans technology. On days when you are bombarded with interruptions and being pulled in all directions, you need to find a way to recenter yourself and rebuild your resilience. Sure, all the things you need to do for “self-care” should be a priority, but also just schedule downtime and let yourself be unproductive.

    Redefine success to meet the moment—because this moment is about survival.  If you are less productive than usual, that’s okay. Allow yourself the kindness of admitting the situation is hard and that you may not be as productive as you’d like. Practically speaking, this means you may need to schedule more time for a project than it would normally take. If you are goal-oriented, this means adjusting the timeline to meet a goal whenever possible—whether that’s extending a goal by a week, a month, or even a year. Take the time to celebrate small achievements. And if you’re not achieving as much as you’d like, recognize that this moment will pass.

    The post The mom/manager balance: how to be both at home appeared first on TheJobNetwork.

    Tags:

    balancing act chef exercise learning mom photographer syndication work work-life balance
    {"website":"Website"}

    Salamanca Press

    Local & Social
    Latest news for you
    Old Times Remembered for June 19–25
    Featured, Local News, News, ...
    Old Times Remembered for June 19–25
    Kellen Quigley 
    June 19, 2025
    100 Years June 19, 1925: (SALAMANCA —) The old stone house on the Parker Farm, about three miles south of the city in Allegany State Park and located ...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    Cattaraugus County Source 06-19-2025
    Cattaraugus County Source, Special Sections
    Cattaraugus County Source 06-19-2025
    mkeim@oleantimesherald.com 
    June 19, 2025
    Read More...
    {"website":"Website"}
    Opinion
    Kellen’s Pressing Issue
    June 19, 2025
    150 Years Ago If you happened to take a look at the Old Times Remembered section this week, you may have noticed that the 150 years ago portion is mis...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    Opinion
    Deb’s Pressing Issue
    June 19, 2025
    Battling chipmunks Chipmunks… cute, furry little critters and big menaces. You love ‘em and you hate ‘em. I’ve been battling them for years and still ...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    WVDP helps save $8 million for the Department of Energy
    Cattco, Featured, Local News, ...
    WVDP helps save $8 million for the Department of Energy
    June 18, 2025
    WEST VALLEY — Working together, CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) and other prime contractor sites are eliminating inefficiencies, improving operatio...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    West Valley chamber provides scholarships to WVCS grads
    Cattco, Featured, News, ...
    West Valley chamber provides scholarships to WVCS grads
    June 18, 2025
    WEST VALLEY — The West Valley Chamber of Commerce recently presented two awards at the West Valley Central School’s Academic Awards & Scholarship Banq...
    Read More...
    {"to-print":"To Print", "website":"Website"}
    Cattaraugus County Source
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Cattaraugus County Source 06-19-2025
    Cattaraugus County Source, Special Sections
    Cattaraugus County Source 06-19-2025
    mkeim@oleantimesherald.com 
    June 19, 2025
    Read More...
    {"website":"Website"}
    This Week's Ads
    Current e-Edition
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Already a subscriber? Click the image to view the latest e-edition.
    Don't have a subscription? Click here to see our subscription options.
    Mobile App

    Download Now

    The Salamanca Press mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the Salamanca Press on your mobile device just as it appears in print.

    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store

    Help Our Community

    Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You!

    Get in touch with The Salamanca Press

    Submit Content
    Submit News Send a Letter to the Editor Place Wedding Announcement
    Advertise
    Place Birth Announcement Place Anniversary Announcement Place Obituary
    Subscribe
    Start a Subscription e-Edition Contact Us
    Illinois Hancock Journal-Pilot Iroquois Times-Republic Journal-Republican The News-Gazette
    Indiana Fountain Co. Neighbor Herald Journal KV Post News Newton Co. Enterprise Rensselaer Republican Review-Republican
    Iowa Atlantic News Telegraph Audubon Advocate-Journal Barr's Post Card News Burlington Hawk Eye Collector's Journal Fayette County Union Ft. Madison Daily Democrat Independence Bulletin-Journal Keokuk Daily Gate City Oelwein Daily Register Vinton Newspapers Waverly Newspapers
    Michigan Iosco County News-Herald Ludington Daily News Oceana's Herald-Journal Oscoda Press White Lake Beacon New York Finger Lakes Times Olean Times Herald Salamanca Press
    Pennsylvania Bradford Era Clearfield Progress Courier Express Free Press Courier Jeffersonian Democrat Leader Vindicator Potter Leader-Enterprise The Wellsboro Gazette
    © Copyright 2025 The Salamanca Press 639 Norton Drive, Olean, NY 14760  | Terms of Use  | Privacy Policy
    Powered by TECNAVIA