As far back as I can remember, balancing my love for work with a devotion to my family has always been my goal. And Anne Bogel, from Modern Mrs. Darcy, has written a new e-book on just that, balance.
It’s called Work Shift: How to Create a Better Blend of Work, Life, and Family. And if you’re struggling with this balance, I think you’re going to be so thankful for the insight this book offers.
At the beginning of college I bought into the lie that as a woman I could have it all–that I could sustain a demanding career, spend time with my family, and grow a satisfying marriage without any difficulty at all.
But I’ve come to learn there are only so many hours in a day within the varying seasons of life. And I’ve discovered that while I can’t be devoted to all things simultaneously, I can find a balance among the roles that are most important to me in whatever season I am in.
Work Shift beautifully articulates this balance. It is filled with historical facts and practical examples of women who are balancing their work and family lives in a way that is innovative and gratifying. Anne describes the stories of women who have settled for the traditional status quo, but are creatively working to solve this delicate balance we all face.
The examples of these women inspire hope, that as women, enjoying our work and bonding with our family can be accomplished now more than ever, with the ease and flexibility we are all longing for.
If you’re struggling with the balance of work and family responsibilities, I highly recommend Work Shift as a resource to help you navigate and achieve the balance you’re longing for.
And Anne has generously offered to give away one copy of Work Shift, to one of you lovely readers!! All you have to do is leave one comment on this post and share either your best tip on balancing work and family, or the most challenging aspect of figuring it all out. I’ll draw a winner with a random number generator on Tuesday September 25th. (Winner was notified by email)
Below is the link for Anne’s book … I think you’re going to love it!
Jacque
Work Shift: How to Create a Better Blend of Work, Life, and Family
Dealing with the tough “Work from home mom” situation that everyone thinks is so easy: I work from home. And even I, before I had my son 6 months ago, sincerely thought, “Wow, I work from home so I won’t have the struggle with trying to balance everything like a work outside the house mom does. And I was wrong! Working at home means, I have to work my job and take care of my son at the same time….imagine taking your baby to your office with you every day. Granted, I have more wiggle room as far as my time so that is great…so what I’ve figured out is that if I make time every day to do things with my son…activities…doing things outside the house…playing peek-a-boo…then I feel more satisfied when working and less strapped in every area. God helps me make wiser decisions on what I do with my time and His wisdom allows me to choose what’s vital in the moment.
My new way of trying to balance work and home/children is to take every Friday afternoon off to spend with them. It’s 4-5 hours a week, but makes such a big difference for me and the kids. They now look forward to Fridays, ’cause it’s our special time to do something out of the ordinary.
This has then the biggest struggle for me as a mom has worked 40 hours a week outside the home and juggle 3 children. And now I just gave birth to my fourth child 3 weeks ago and im looking to go back to work in December. But I already feeling the pull of whether I should go back full time or part time. I’ve never seen a book written from this perspective and I’m very excited to see this. I really hope that this is something that I can put it into my library and read before I go back to work and get that answer to prayer that I’ve been looking for.
I’ve worked outside the home, from home and now I am just a stay-at-home-mom. The only thing that has helped me keep any kind of sanity has nothing to do with a routine or a formula…I had to learn the hard way (the only way for me to learn, it seems) to reject guilt and receive grace. “Reject guilt, receive grace” became like a mantra and it helps keep my life balanced even now as I stay at home.
My best tip is to have an understanding workplace.
My best tip is don’t try and do it all!