How to Balance Your Life as a Working Mom

Maintaining a supportive network is so important! Start from your workplace or neighbourhood. Even simple things like buying some extra food to give your neighbours can mean so much when they are busy and tired looking after their children. Or strike up conversations with other parents you meet at the playground. try Mumsforlife.sg and dadsforlife.sg for general parenting support, there will certainly be some working mothers within the group

Ask people you know for recommendations, search online and check reviews. Do this together with your partner so you can also discuss and understand each other's expectations and needs. Shortlist a few options and be open to trial and error because it may take time to find an arrangement that works well for your family's needs. For hired help, check out this scheme https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/part-time-home-cleaning-scheme-domestic-services-child-elder-care-mom-3345251

That's certainly stressful! Firstly, take a deep breath to stay calm so you can think clearly. Is the work situation really an emergency? or it just sounds urgent because the requester does not know your home situation? So I think there will be very few kinds of work situations that qualify as an emergency that you have to drop your parental responsibilities and go? unless you're a doctor.... So it's actually more about communication, assertiveness and setting boundaries.

When your family is complaining about not seeing you enough, or You find yourself frequently apologising for being late / absent at social gatherings or family events, or when you feel that you have lost your personal identity, everything on your mind is just about work and it saddens you to realise that.

I find that take half/one day leave regularly (like once or twice a month) can be really helpful. Send your child to the usual childcare arrangement and use that time for yourself. just to do nothing, catch up on sleep if that's really what you need! or do something that you enjoy, lift up your mood. Allowing yourself some breathing space like that, slowing down to take stock of how you've been coping, see what adjustments you need to make for better balance. the key is recognising the importance of mental health and scheduling times for yourself, rather than waiting for a chance to do so cos that doesn't happen.

Hi Sarah, quite hard for me to comment on this without more contextual info, and perhaps best to consult a financial advisor you trust! Financial planning is important, like they say save up for a rainy day, you never know when and how emergencies may strike.

1. be fully present when you're with your child, i.e. put phones aside and bring your full attention to observing / interacting with them 2. children thrive on affirmations and recognition (actually even adults appreciate that too). Show interest in what your children are doing / saying, show delight at their abilities, be encouraging of their efforts regardless of the outcome. 3. Do the above to CONNECT regularly, even if short duration each time is ok. With a good connection, you will then see better effects when you try to CORRECT them. On the other hand, if we are doing more correction (pointing out mistakes and bad behaviours) than connection, the child will become more distant as rebellious over time.

sorry do you mean you're the pregnant mum or you're looking after the needs of a pregnant mum and also caregiver for someone else?