The Balancing Act

I called my blog, My Balancing Act, because that’s exactly what my life is, a balancing act, trying every day to balance every aspect of my life.

According to the dictionary balance means:

An even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

or

A situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.

Getting the balancing act right

So in order to keep yourself upright and steady and to try ensure elements in your life are in the correct proportions, you have to try and get the balancing act right.

I’ve heard people say you can’t have it all and I agree, something has to give, but at the same time it doesn’t mean that because you’re a mum you have to give up on anything that you’re really passionate about. Whether it’s your career, your education, your hobbies, whatever it might be, I believe it’s important to keep your own identity. 

I’m a full time working mum and yes, it’s very tough at times. I’m lucky that I have an incredibly supportive partner and family, which makes balancing everything that little bit easier for me. I also have a wonderful son who puts a massive smile on my face every day and makes my heart melt.

My life has had its ups and downs and although my insta feed may make everything look rosy, that’s certainly not always the case. I don’t post the picture of me exhausted and fast asleep on a Friday evening by 9pm because I’ve worked all week and been up every night with a poorly son. I don’t put up the pictures of the tantrums and messy house. And I don’t put up the pictures of me when I’m feeling down or anxious because I’m not getting the balance right.

Not because I want to hide from this aspect of my life, I think it should be celebrated just how hard us parents work, but because I post content that makes me feel happy and good about myself. That’s what keeps me going when times get tough!

Balancing life as a working parent

Because, like any parent, whether working or stay at home, balancing life can be tricky.

I think it’s important to understand what the challenges are in order to be able to get them in the correct proportions, or at least attempt to! So I’ve listed below what I’m balancing on a day to day basis:

• Balancing trying to be the best possible mum, with being me as an individual and not losing my own identity.

• Balancing having a career and being good at my job, whilst making sure my son always knows he’s my number one priority. 

• Balancing my relationship with my husband and trying each week to have time together alone, not just our family times.

• Balancing budgets, what to do with the very little funds that are left after paying the bills and childcare costs.

• Balancing time with family. People that are so important and do so much for us but we struggle to find enough time to be together.

• Balancing my wellbeing, time to be mindful, time to keep fit and time to be able to relax.

• Balancing friendships, when can I see friends and how do I find time to spend with those that I care about.

• Balancing emotions and how I feel, the highs and lows, being happy and confident and feeling like I’m winning one day, to anxiety and fear of failing and letting people down the next. 

• Balancing my hobbies and interests with activities that my son would love and enjoy.

• Balancing the huge to do list (the laundry, cleaning, tidying, paying bills, being organised) with lazy Disney movie days, walks in the woods and fun days out.

Of course things slip – in my case time by myself and my wellbeing. After all when do us busy parents have enough time to ourselves?! And I can’t remember the last time I managed to sit down and read a book for more than 15 minutes!

Time seeing friends is also where I am currently struggling, I wish I could have more time to see the people that make me smile. Of course many of them are busy parents too so are in the exact same position!

In my blog I hope to address some of these challenges and offer advice to other parents, who also struggle with getting the balancing act right, so please subscribe to my blog (scroll to the top right hand side under follow me) to stay in touch.

I can’t have it all but I love what I have

It seems that life is never ever going to be perfect, no matter how ideal it may seem from your Instagram feed. It’s the same for most people and sometimes when I look at other peoples pictures I can’t help compare myself and wish that I was doing it all a bit better. However, those people all have their challenges too.

The balancing act sometimes becomes overwhelming and I panic that everything will come crumbling down around me. But then my son will say something that has me in stitches or tell me that he loves me and it makes the Balancing Act entirely worthwhile and I know that no matter how hard that particular day has been, I have a ray of sunshine that makes all the hard work worthwhile and I cherish every moment.

So maybe I can’t have it all but I love what I have and I’m very grateful for it.

So here’s to all us mums, dads and carers, who work tirelessly to do the best for our family, who make mistakes, but try and learn from them and who also want to still maintain who we are and our values, beliefs and own identities. We make mistakes but we get back up again, because we have to! We all do a fabulous job, working out life’s balancing act!

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