Juggling pregnancy, a toddler and work can be tiresome. Today Tolu, a pregnant mum who works from home shares her experience and tips on how she does juggles it all.
About me
I am a wife and mom to a toddler, I’m now heavily pregnant with number two and I run my own business- Kiddies Treasures. In-between, I try to be a writer and some days it’s just as if the hours aren’t enough in a day.
My metamorphosis is interesting, three years ago, I had so much time on my hands I didn’t know what to do with it all. Then two years ago, I got pregnant with my son. We were very delighted. We were starting a new journey. Our son arrived and it was amazing. Months after his arrival, I started a new business. His birth actually inspired the start of the business in a way.
He was a very sleepy infant so it was easy juggling life as I worked around him kind of. As he grew, so did his demands and so did my business. I wanted to take care of him myself; it’s what I had longed for so I wasn’t going to pass his responsibility to someone else.
I loved and still love every moment we spend together. We decided to get help when we had him to take care of chores. I tried housekeepers that would come to the house a few hours every week, but that didn’t work out.
My Business
My business is still young and growing, I work from home consulting with pregnant women on items they need for themselves and their babies/toddlers. I then supply them these items. I’m constantly meeting with someone or doing research online. We all know how women get when it comes to their kids. It’s fun.
It seemed I was starting to find a routine, although I didn’t have any help for a while. It was becoming hard juggling everything.
Eventually, I gave in and we got another live-in help, something I never really wanted but have come to the conclusion that it might be essential if I would ever get any tangible thing done.
Childcare and Work Routine
I don’t believe in baby-sitting kids with TV so I have a list of daily activities we do. My son watches TV for a maximum of one hour a day and it’s only an educational dvd or musical sing-alongs.
After his breakfast, a bath, dvd, he goes down for a nap. I quickly takes a bath and gets some work done. In between these, I schedule meetings with clients or put things on hold to attend to clients who come home.
When he wakes up, we do lunch, reading time, and then he goes to play with his toys. I try to get some work done at this time too.
What has also helped us is having a routine. It’s not very rigid but our schedule works.
Getting Pregnant Again
I discovered I was pregnant with our second baby. It was a pleasant surprise as we were not expecting it. My son was 13 months at this time and I had no help. I tried to juggle it all because my help had left.
Where I found it a bit hard was keeping up with chores, I love things to be spick and span. I’m blessed to have quite easy pregnancies but then I still get tired.
We found a new help and we settled into a routine again. My lovely hubby is always telling me to take a break, delegate and let people help me. I’m one of those who don’t ask for help much.
Juggling It All
It’s not a walk in the park juggling all but I love my life and I try to take a pause once in a while.
Some things have taken a back seat at this phase of my life though. For instance I used to spend hours reading and commenting on blogs but I hardly do that anymore. My personal blog sometimes grows cobwebs and I have to dust them off when I decide to go on there.
It is important to prioritize, have a routine, and ask for help when one needs it and pause when you realize you’re doing too much.
Some days I take a nap when my son is taking his, though not on a lot of occasions. I do things on my computer while he sleeps, as he always wants to play with or turn it off.
Thank God for blackberries, I maximize mine. I’ve learnt to do things on the go, send and read emails. I also use it to market my business. For me it’s a business tool. I can lie down and work while on it.
I sometimes send my son outside with the help to play while I catch up on some work or rest. I can hear them playing so my mind is at rest and at the same time I get some much needed ‘me time’.
Personally I don’t have a rigid schedule for myself as my clients dictate the pace, although I can sort of suggest meeting times. I know the dynamics will change again when the baby arrives but I think I’ve had enough practice and I’m prepared. Hopefully we will get better at mastering our routine :o)
There you have it. It can be hard but possible juggling work, a toddler and pregnancy. Like this mum said finding a routine, asking for help and taking breaks helps a great deal.
Are you in a similar situation right now, how do you juggle it all? Please share in the comments section below. Thank you.
