This column was originally posted to Rachel’s LinkedIn Influencer Profile. For more professional advice from our Editor-In-Chief, follow Rachel on LinkedIn.
As a working mother, I am constantly asked about my approach to balancing parenting with a career. The answer is that every day is a new adventure, especially since welcoming my second son Kaius Jagger in December, and I am still figuring it out! Here, I pay forward some of the best advice I have received for juggling it all.
1. Be Present. Be present when you are with your children. Don’t try to do any work during their time. I refuse to be on my phone when Skyler and Kaius are around, because they know when I’m distracted. The same goes for when you are in the office. When it’s time to work, give each project your undivided attention while trusting that your little ones are in good hands, whether with their father, a babysitter or a school teacher.
A video from my LinkedIn ‘What Women Want at Work’ Discussion, October 2013.
2. One Day At A Time. Focus fully on the day that’s in front of you. Also, make the time in your day as efficient as possible. I am fortunate enough to have learned this approach from women I work with and admire Stella McCartney and Jennifer Garner, who have been able to excel in both their careers and motherhood. I look to them both as incredible examples of women who truly have it all! It’s all about finding ways to not only work harder but to work smarter.
3. Establish A Routine. Carve out specific time during the day to be with your children that is non-negotiable. Every morning when Skyler gets up at 5:30, it is Skyler time and no one else’s – the same goes during dinner, bath time and before bed. Quality moments with both of my boys is paramount. And this may seem obvious, but if there is ever a choice between a work assignment or family commitment, put family first and trust that everything else will work itself out.
