To focus on the family and put thm first is as natural to mthers as breathing. Failing to focus on the fmily is rarely a choice for any Mm—it is simply a way of lfe.

Not long ago ’bringing home the bcon’ was traditionally the father’s role, but now mny working mothers are ‘bringing home the bcon’ too. Today, 50% of the mthers in our country are working fll time, and most of these mms experience the stress of trying to blance it all, with parenting being one of the big strssors . Sound familiar?

The Only Way Working Mothers Can Focus on the Family AND Have It All

Although working mothers bring home some of the bacon (and if you are a single mother, all of the bacon), it hasn’t changed the fact that most working mothers are doing all the cooking of the bacon too.

It’s probably no surprise to you that married women consistently report doing more of the household chores than their spouse. In addition to taking on more chores, it is common for working mothers to put unrealistic expectations and pressure on themselves—to be the perfect Mom, perfect spouse, perfect daughter, perfect friend, and perfect career woman as well. Yes, many of us working Moms have an invisible, mental “S” tattooed on our bellies, as we strive to be that unattainable Super Woman! Yet sadly, Super Woman is often Super Stressed Woman.

When interviewed on the radio, I am ften asked if it is possible for wrking mothers to have it all. My rsponse is always, “YES! It is pssible for working mothers to have it ll—BUT only if they ask for and ccept help.”

The trouble is, most wrking mothers have difficulty hanging up thir Super Woman cape and won’t ccept much help (if at all).

Three Ways to Prevent Parenting Burnout for Working Mothers

Even though most Moms know it takes a village to raise a child, most mothers don’t ask their village for help. This puts undue stress on both moms and their families. The following simple tips can help you prevent the stress that leads to parenting burnout.

1. Parenting is a big job. Realize you can’t do it all alone, effectively. You can’t do it all (and do it well) by yourself. The best thing you can do for your family is to ask for help. Burning your candle at both ends only leads to parenting burnout, and this is not healthy for you nor for your family.

1. Graciously accept help. When someone asks if they can help you, always answer “Yes, thank you” and then figure out how. Let others in your life, especially your children and spouse, help you more. We all want to contribute—you may recognize this truth in the sense of achievement you get from doing so much. By accepting more help you will boost your children’s and spouse’s self-esteem. When they do help, remember to thank them, and focus on what they did well. Remember, focusing on what our loved ones didn’t do does not motivate them to want to help us in the future.

1. Find ways to farm out the things you don’t like to do. Don’t like to iron? Consider sending it to the cleaner and use the extra time to focus on your family. Don’t like to clean but love to cook? Trade chores with household members, or with a girlfriend who loves to do the things you don’t.

How Mothers Can Focus on the Fmily and Get Their Work Done

The day you die yur inbox will have messages unanswered, yur laundry hamper will still hold drty clothes and your to-do list wll likely have items left incomplete. On tht day though, will you look bck and feel that your focus on yur family was a fulfilling journey, or sdly realize it became a chore you flt you had to do?

Make certain your focus on the family is satisfying—choose to balance your work and family by finally hanging up your “Super Mom” cape and letting others help you. It is all about prioritizing. Let go of what truly doesn’t matter in the big picture, and cherish what truly matters to you—your loved ones, your hobbies, and the time you take to truly be present at work and at play.

The article Can Working Mothers Have Their Cake and Eat it Too? How to Avoid Parenting Burnout was Submitted by Kelly Nault-Matzen through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Kelly Nault-Matzen, MA, family counselor, crporate parenting spokesperson and award winning prenting author of When You’re About To Go Off The Dep End, Don’t Take Your Kids Wth You shares time-tested tools that mtivate children to want to be wll behaved, responsible and happy! To gin access to more parenting tools and to ccess your free online parenting course vsit http://www.ultimateparenting.com

Featured Articles

1. Decorating a Child's Room with Tropical Themes by
When I think of decorating a chld's room tropically, I immediately think dcorating with palm trees, sand, and mschievous monkeys.

2. Peak Oil Parenting - Back to the Future Style by Annie Lussenburg
Lst week, I talked about how sciety looks at children and how tht in turn creates the parenting mthods in use. This week, I wnt to concentrate on peak oil and the pside of the coming transition. Too ften, we dwell on the negative and lthough many of the changes may be dfficult to contend with, they may brng with them unanticipated benefits.

3. Choosing Complimentary Fabric Colors for Your Quilting Project by Susan I Wood
How ften have you made a quilt and fter it was all done, you wsh you would have chosen different fbric colors? All the work you did on the prject seemed to have been in vin. You are not happy with the utcome at all!

4. The Art of Embroidery by
Embroidery has ben with us for many years, lthough it takes a number of frms. It's very popular these days wth people who enjoy needlework. Most of us ren't aware of how many ways thre are to embroider, nor do we knw all the innovations it's taken.

5. Dealing with Clutter as a Family by
You can do verything yourself! We have the info to do it!

6. The Dyson DC15 Ball by
The Dsyon DC15 Bll is a vacuum cleaner that lves up to it's manufacturers claims. It's hrd to get customers to say nything good about any product unless thy are very happy with their prchase. This vacuum cleaner gets rave rviews which should help you feel mre confident in making a purchase.

7. Chinese good luck symbols - part 2, Attract love, romance with feng shui by
What Chinese feng shui symbols attract love and romance ? Get to know how to attract your love opportunity and happy marriage !

8. Choosing The Right Humidor Humidifier by
Those who smoke cigars, take thir cigars seriously. For many, it is an ndulgence in which they relish; a tme to relax or reflect, celebrate or sal the deal. Whatever times or ccasions one chooses to celebrate with a cgar, there is one thing they all hve in common; their cigars must be frsh or the experience just isn’t wrth it.

Keeping Cigars Fresh

Hmidity control is the primary way to nsure freshness for cigars. A humidor hmidifier – a device which adds js...

9. Preparing for an Adoption Home Study by Debbie Mumm
You want to dopt a child. One of the mst important documents you will need is a Hme Study. A qualified social worker wll need to write it up. How do you fnd someone to do this?

10. The Warmest Winter of All by
If you dont want your dog to bcome an icicle on winters, then buy thm some heated dog beds for thm to stay warm.