Working Mom Hacks – How to get it all done

I love the news. I try to stay off of it because of my mental health, but common sense articles attract me like honey.

This gem from the NYTimes caught my eye just now and I wanted to share some of my tips to staying sane while working full-time as a mother. All of these are very real advice. 

Top 9 ways to be a working mom and all the hacks needed for it:

1. Get a side hustle to supplement your need for more income to care for your kids.
2. Make sure you live next door to your parents so they can be at your beck and call when life is hard.
3. No doubt you’ll need a spouse that supports your ambition and will also work to help cover living costs. Make sure that your busy work times never overlap with theirs. Heaven forbid!
4. Have lots of paid childcare and backup childcare to that childcare when their children are sick. Preferably ones who don’t need the work, are happy to help all the time and don’t charge triple for the price of being available.
5. Pay lots of money now for extracurriculars like sports and math supplements. This will help your children can get scholarships based on merit or sport. Or, at the very least, allow them to get into the schools whose competition is only getting fiercer as its more commonplace to have all the kids be supplemented beyond what schools can give.
6. Be prepared to move to a less expensive place as soon as you’ve paid off your loans, and your house, as soon as your children age out of living at home. Remember that to pay for their college, you might need to refinance or sell your house. Also! Your children may appreciate living at home after they graduate because they won’t be able to afford living in a place with good job prospects. You must live close to quality healthcare systems and inexpensive labor to help care for you as you age, since your kids will probably be struggling to parent their young children and will be too busy to help with your needs. Be prepared to die there because you might not ever afford to get out when it comes time. 
7. Save sanity by spending more money on getting help. Pay for cleaners, laundry services, and meals. You’ll have to work more for that money too.
8. Check your credit card statement daily. This will help you check in with yourself over your 2 am doom-scrolling spur-of-the-moment purchase that might not be worth it in daylight. These small savings may prevent another night of stress-induced doom-scrolling!
9. Make sure your boss is a woman. Not just any woman. A new-age savant that did not come up through the ranks in a toxic environment that she may inadvertently perpetuate. A leader who understands work-life balance, no pressure deadlines, is supportive of your ambitions and can mentor you. If you find her, spread the word and share the love. You have a gem!