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can I ask why the colleague doesn't understand the fellow colleague and keeps wanting to throw her own load toward the colleague who is down with pregnancy and causing and causing the fellow colleague having lots of problems to and end up in hospital the colleague.
how do I overcome guilt of neglecting work when my child is sick and has to stay home from cc? I need better time mgmt for my work thats piling up and late night feeds causing me to sleep late and start work late (my company allows flexi work hours).
Be kind to yourself. Things are different now when you have a child, it's really like holding 2 jobs! focus on doing what you can for each moment. Emotions are feedback. Guit is showing you that you're a responsible worker. doesn't mean you have to get rid of that guilt. But focusing too much on the guilt and pile of work, will just make your emotions worse and add to mental exhaustion. take a deep breath to slow down and create space in your mind. Identify your priorities for each day, keep your focus on those priorities. Practise bringing your attention back to these priorities and your current task, because your mind will keep trying to look at all the other outstanding tasks (mental habit). With practice, your mind will focus better and be able to let go of the guilt naturally. Multitasking is overrated, it just drains our battery even faster.
I have been a sahm for a few years and now that I have started doing some part time jobs, I started experiencing burn out. How do I prevent that from happening?
thank you for this!
I gave up my job not too long ago to care for my baby but I would like to return to work later this year. How do I mentally prepare myself for this?
Be patient with yourself. Job search would take time, and returning to the workforce means using some skills that you haven't used in a while. Whatever you encounter, see it as a learning process. to find a suitable job with a healthy environment (team culture and expectations) may take several tries, so keep an open mind to see what you can learn from each experience. With a little one at home, there will be unexpected situations that derail your plans. Be flexible and have realistic expectations for each stage of your life.
My husband is not very supportive. Are there any tips for maintaining open lines of communication with him regarding shared responsibilities?
Try to find common goals like what do you both want for the family? to be healthy and happy? what need to take place for that to happen? how can we do it together? If talking is difficult due to emotions getting in the way of effective communication, try writing? you can edit to ensure it sounds as diplomatic as possible. Sometimes we need to say it in a flattering way, stroke the ego, eg. "you are really good at xxx, can you do it more often?" Instead of "Why can't you do xxx, since you're just sitting there?"
What are some government policies or support programs available in Singapore specifically designed to assist working mums?
there are tax rebates and additional subsidies for childcare services, if you're a Singaporean working mom. there are also gov websites with info resources and workshops for parents learning. https://www.msf.gov.sg/what-we-do/ncpr/resources/parent-youth-resources
I am a solo parent and I want to go abroad for my family, am I still a responsible working mom if I left my 2yrs old kid?
Don't let others comments affect you, because eventually you are the one living your life. Responsibility can be understood from many angles so if you considered all your options and decided that working abroad is for the best at this point in your life, go for it. You can review the situation again after some time. Life is full of decisions that can never be perfect, we just try and learn from it.
Are there any resources or tools on the internet that can help working moms to streamline their daily routines and tasks?
Hmmm I haven't tried any, but these days there are so many options available, so just do a google search depending on your needs and see which has good reviews. You can even ask ChatGPT to help you plan a week's meals based on eg. no more than 3 ingredients per meal, can be ready in 30min etc. Good luck!
Are there any specific tips or suggestions for establishing boundaries and prioritizing self-care as a working mother?
Firstly, recognise that self-care is NOT selfish! Self-care gives you a strong foundation so you can do your duties well. Secondly, practice makes it easier. Start somewhere even you feel guilty or unable to fully let go. When you practice self-care and experience the benefits (better mood, better relationships and quality of work etc) you and others around you will become more convinced that it is important!
How can I effectively communicate and negotiate with my employer or colleagues to achieve a better work-life balance?
It helps to share about your family during casual conversations, so your coworkers already get to know your family over time. Then when you have a situation that you need to take urgent leave or go home on time, it will be easier for them to understand because they kind of know your family from earlier conversations. This understanding and concern should be a two-way street, so you could also show interest in their personal lives to build a supportive work culture over time. Be careful not to get into a passive-aggressive or resentful mindset, which I have seen in many counselling clients. They keep quiet and oblige to work requests, but inside they're actually not happy and the resentment builds up over time. Of course, there may be bosses/coworkers who don't care about your personal life, but very often the problem is due to poor comms and assumptions. They won't know what you're dealing with unless you tell them, so practise being clear and assertive so they can have the chance
Lilian Ong