making a to-
do list. Stay
focused, work
on one thing at
a time.
Sometimes you
maymakemore
mistakes when you
overdo it with
multitasking.
Having shared all these, I must admit
that I have not been themost exemplary
WAHMwhen it comes to followingmy
own tips.
I amhuman after all, and if you are in
the same boat, remember that it is the
means, and not the end that matters all the
time.
BY ANNA THAM
O
NE OF
the challenges a work-at-
home-mother (WAHM) faces is
balancing work and family. We
want to dowell in our work, yet
wemust fulfil our responsibilities to our
family. After all, our children are themain
reasonwe left the rat race towork from
home.
While we all have our good and bad days,
we tell ourselves that it is a good, or for
some, the best, decisionwe’vemade in our
lives.
That, however, doesn’t remove the fact
that it’s a constant struggle to spend our
time effectively to achieve all we set out to
do.
When organising our time to care for our
children as aWAHM, we need to be
realistic. Bringing up childrenwithout
having towork is already a huge task in
itself. Once you throw in a work-from-home
job, tell yourself that there’s no such thing as
perfection all the time.
The picture of a neat and tidy home with
a woman sitting in front of her computer
working calmly, while her children are
quietly doing their homework is usually just
that – a picture. That seldomhappens in
reality, so don’t tear your hair out tomake
that happen.
Don’t expect to be able to keep your
house in tip-top condition, especiallywhen
you do not have hired helpwho can dust
and tidy for you all day long.
You can however enlist your children to
help. Give themage-appropriate chores.
They need to learn to be responsible for
their own room, books and toys.
Cultivate the spirit of teamworkwithin
the family.
With cooking, don’t try to be the Iron
Chef. Opt for nutritious yet convenient
recipes. Use your steamer, crockpot and
helpful utensils that reduce cooking and
preparation time such as a food
processor or pressure cooker.
Cook in bulk and freeze, and plan
ahead your menu and grocery
shopping for the week. Make a list to
avoidwasting time andmoney having to
make a last-minute dash to get a bunch of
stuff.
Knowyour priorities and if your work
has reached your eyeballs, it’s time to slow
down. Re-schedule, re-prioritise or take on
fewer assignments if possible.
Find out the best time of daywhen you
canwork uninterrupted – in themornings
when everyone is at work and school, at
night when they are asleep, or when they
are napping or watching television during
the day.
Take time off for yourself, even if it is just
for half an hour. Better yet, schedule ‘me’
time once a weekwhere you can get out of
the house and do as you please.
Youmay need to learn to let go and trust
others toman the fort at home. You need to
have the support of your spouse or learn to
be ‘thick-skinned’ enough to ask others for
help in babysitting.
When you are working, be disciplined.
Avoid distractions and procrastination by
HERE ARE
some useful pointers
for first-timemothers as well as
mothers with a new addition to
the family.
X
SET STANDARDS
For older children, set the
standard of language used in
your home and stick to it.
Children over six should be
capable of understanding house rules, so if your seven-
year-old uses a ‘bad’ word, you should sit downwith
himand explainwhy it is offensive.
X
DON’T LET WHINERS WIN
If your children love towhine,
ignore them. This will send the
message that not only does
whining not get themwhat
theywant, it does not bother
you at all. Also, make sure
you are not encouraging
their whining habit. Try to
respond quickly if they call
you and praise them if they
don’t whine.
X
MAKE THINGS EASIER
Try to structure your rules and
routines aroundwhat your
children need so that you are
setting the scene to help them
exhibit desirable behaviour
which you can reward. For
instance, if your nine-year-old is
having problems with
schoolwork, create a quiet
place for him towork away
from the distraction of TV.
X
BE AN ACTIVE
IGNORER
If your children throw temper
tantrums regularly and don’t
seem to be growing out of them,
try a bit of active ignoring. Turn
away from themand say
something like: “I can’t hear you
when you shout and scream”, or
“I don’t like that, so tell me
when you’ve finished”.
X
DOUBLE UP ON
DISCIPLINE
If your pre-schoolers are prone
to hitting others, join forces
with your partner tomake
sure they get themessage
that it is not an acceptable
behaviour. For instance, if they
hit you, discipline themappropriately and then
get your partner to reinforce themessage.
X
BE ADAPTABLE
Parents often find it difficult to strike a balance between
the needs of their children and other people,
particularlywhen visiting friends or familywho don’t
have children themselves. Explain your problems and
compromise – babies can be adaptable too.
X
FAMILY GETAWAY
Try to take a family holiday at least once a year where
your immediate family can spend some time together
away fromyour home and not worry about work and
responsibilities. If you’re worried about money, try
camping, house-swapping with relatives, etc.
FAMILY TIES
21
theSun ON TUESDAY | OCTOBER 12, 2010
Homework
> It’s still a constant struggle tobalance career and
family even if theoffice is in the house
Tips toprotect youngskin fromsunburnand riskof skincancer
EVERY
incident of sunburn before a
child’s 18th birthday increases the
chance of developing skin cancer,
according toGermany’s Federal Office
for Radiation Protection (BfS).
Therefore, the BfS has issued the
following guidelines for protecting
young skin against the harmful effects
of the sun’s rays.
X
Clothing: Skin is best protected by
wearing baggy, comfortable clothing.
A long T-shirt, pair of trousers or skirt
that reaches below the knee are
perfect. It is also important to wear a
hat or headscarf that can shade the
back of the neck.
X
Sunglasses: A pair of sunglasses
that also provide shade at the side will
give good protection for eyes. The
lenses should be tinted either grey or
brown and you should buy only those
with a ‘100% Ultraviolet’ brand on
them.
X
Sun lotion: Exposed skin should be
protected with sunscreen lotion half
an hour before going outside. Pay
special attention to the forehead, nose,
ears, lips, shoulders and feet. Sun-
screen should be at least factor 30 and
protect skin fromboth UV-A andUV-B
rays. Reapply the sunscreen after
swimming, drying off with a towel or
playing in sand.
X
Sun breaks: Ultraviolet rays aremost
powerful at midday. Therefore,
children should stay in the shade
between 11 and one o’clock.
X
Fluids: Thebody loses fluids through
sweating so ensure children drink
plenty of water. – dpa
PARENTINGTIPS
BRINGINGUPCHILDREN