Devika

For World Problems - My Views,My Opinions and My Solutions

20 Tips on How to juggle baby and career when you are Generalist

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Before I dive into actual tips people who are unsure what I mean by generalist is as follows :

You would have already met this crazy lost people whom you just fail to understand. They might have answered your regular question of " What do you do ?" with various names from
Freelancer, Work from Home, Network Marketer, Innovator, Entrepreneur , Mumpreneur,Scanner, Renaissance Soul, Polymath, Consultant, Guru and any more titles which you failed to understand.






 After seeing a video you would realize  struggles generalist already have in managing their own life so how do they get chance to manage it with additional responsibility of childcare.

There is whole  another article on what to do when you get pregnant and if you are freelancer for some other time.

I am going to continue on what to do when you already have a child. As I only have a 1 year old + I would like to add information on what I have done so far.

People want to juggle child and career and find it difficult to do that but how does it help when somebody who already is juggling 20 different career want to  have a baby or children. It almost feel like you are hit by stone.



1. Things to do for your Baby: Make a list of all the things you i.e. including your partner would need to do because of your child on daily,weekly, monthly and yearly basis or you are already doing. If you are spending time from morning breakfast,lunch and dinner plus do not forget snacks or changing nappies and getting them dressed.You would still realize childcare itself is a full time job. 

2. Things you want to do : Make a list of each and every project or idea you want to work or you are working on. 

3. Figure out what help is available for childcare : Starting from your partner (I admire single woman and I would love to know how they do it) to your parents, to your in laws, any facility like creche, play groups your next door neighbor who always wanted to have a kid,to over excited single woman and even your dog.     ;-) You would soon realized what you realistically expect and a year is enough time to know that. 

4. Figure out who is doing what ? Make 1 column with half an hour time slabs and then as many people are there in your home. It always helps having a partner to raise a child so first question is are you both scanner or only one? Are you both going to take up job or one of you is going to work part time or full time? What are your commitments ? What are your partner commitments ? That means what time he / she comes and what time he goes and what he can do and what you can do. If you can not fill it yourself ask your partner to write their bit. Do not get caught up in Gender bias roles. You cook because you are woman and I change bulbs because I am Man.

5. Note how you are spending time and where ? : Not necessarily in same order but just how many times your time gets divided. 
When you are Single your time divided between yourself, your family and friends.
When you are Married your time divided between yourself, your partner, your family, your inlaws and friends.
When you are Married with Children / Have a Child your time divided between yourself, your child, your partner, your family, your in laws , friends but also as you would keen to make friends for your child you would start being more community oriented.

6. Add Childcare Learning as an extra activity to your Personal Development which isn't going to stop until very long time. You would be worried about things like whether my child is getting enough milk to enough stimulation and so forth 

7. Married and now Children - Where is Time ?: Depending what is important to you and whether you are planning to take care of your child on your own rather than sending to childcare.
OK, So let's look at this example 

My Work Calendar. 
1. Money Making Activities : Mon-Wed 3 Days 
2. Non Making but Passionate Activities: Thu- Fri 2 Days 
3. Relaxing or Day Out : Sat - 1 Day
4. Household and Family Activities  : Sun 1 Day

Weekly Review
1. Weekly Goal Setting
2. Week Review

Monthly Review
1. Monthly Goal Setting
2. Monthly Review

My Childcare/ Household Calendar

Daily 
I take care of my child from 8:30 to 6:30 every Monday - Friday

8:30 - 2
playing time, exercise, morning nap, giving lunch,making my own lunch, cleaning, getting myself dress and my son dress, brush his hair/teeth and comb my hair/teeth. 
If we manage to do that then we our off to good start. 

2- 5 
I try to work here solid hours and hope I can finish as much as I can. 

6-8 
I take a break for just generally waiting for my husband to come and have a conversation. Cooking 
We spend sometime catching up on tv or just general chat about how our days has gone.

10-11
Sometime late eating or relaxing time.

After 11 
The days when I do not finish working at all due to my son being fussy I would still be working until 4 am night. If I have deadline or crazy creative spur then it is same. However I see to it that I get 8 hours sleep. So if I sleep late I get up late. If I sleep early then I get up early. 

Weekly 

1. Taking Child out for Play : 2 -3 Hours on 2 Days a Week or sometimes 1 Day Week
2. Reading things on Children's Development
3. Reading on games to play
4. Decide on Meals, Recipe and Shopping List
5. Do Shopping once a week or do every other day but as a relaxation rather then chore
6. Clean for 15 Minutes a Day but clean lit bit thoroughly during week

Monthly 
1. Taking Child for Immunization and other hospital appointments.

Yearly 
1. Birthday Party perhaps ?


8. Multi Task and work in 5- 15 Minutes Slot : Whether you are man or woman it is necessary for you to multi task atleast to some amount. Strategize or visualize in your head when you have to absolutely take care of a child what would you do in next 5 minutes. When child is clinging to you it is best for you to be able to work for 15 minutes and keep child happy or play for next 5 minutes. Try to teach kids how to have an independent play as well.

9. Schedule your MY Time for yourself and your partner : When are you both able to take an hour off  for yourself away from children and partner? It might seem not lot but an hour from everything. Decide who gets lie in on which day? Who gets time off and when ?

10. Slow Down !: Having a child is like a break you put in your career for at least few years so have projects which can help you to prepare. Focus temporarily if needed. It doesn't mean do not take big risks and keep up your habit to open new doors and making yourself uncomfortable intact. 

11. Delegate. Delegate and Delegate : In order to delegate you would have to know what you are good at ? What you are not good at? Find good people and save enough to be able to delegate. 

12. Get Paid Childcare: When you feel ready emotionally, financially and just generally, you might realize that you need paid childcare and help you hoped isn't available. Be patient to find right childcare and take your time to vet out each applicant.If you can not trust them then do not bother.  

13. Figure out what are the limitations  and realize they are temporary: It is bit like Horizontal Tetris as they would grow they would need less of you. First they would struggle to even lift  their head and than they wouldn't even have time to see you and they would be exactly same situation as you are. You have first 18 years to make this clingy child into an independent and person who knows right from wrong. Do not miss these years now so that you do not regret later and do not hold them down when they would want to fly - just like you.

14. Be Flexible and Patient: Yes, you would have a schedule made, everyone knows what to do but maybe
but there would be days you are not in mood, you haven't got energy and kids are cranky so be flexible and patient with yourself and them.

15. Stop Listening to Naysayers who say you can't have it all : First be very clear on what is Having it all mean to you. Does that mean you have a life where you are able to pursue life you always wanted or fulfilling your dream. Having friends around or going travelling  and this priority would change so "have it all".

16.  Be Satisfied with your progress: As a Scanner or Generalist you have several projects so be satisfied with all the work you have done.Perhaps celebrate it  but key to happiness sometimes is just satisfaction. 

17. Do not worry for small things : Have a stop loss to situation like if x happens then only I panic and not worry until then. If anybody would have done any share trading then they would know that a share price can go up, down or sideways but one shouldn't panic when they have put their bet on.Have that like my child is doing this so he is doing good and when he grows up Have that my child isn't doing this so he is doing good. 

18. Do not take pressure from Society : If Society wants to blame parents for everything is wrong then be it but we have also starting to live in nuclear family, expensive childcare, less support and high expectation world. On top of that society doesn't like to see children in restaurant, airplane,etc  Ofcourse it is your responsibility to keep your child safe but it is upto you If you think it is right for your child to watch TV or not ? Whether you want to give them chip or not ? Some days it is just keeping them alive.

19.Think your child as your new Team Member: Despite your child would wake you up in the middle of  night and  take ages to walk but he is there to make you learn some lesson and make you grow as a person. You chose to have a child so he can give you joy of being a parent. Find opportunities to do things together if it is possible. I have always started asking if I can take my child to networking events during day time or to work place even though it is sometimes embarrassing.

20. Forgive yourself :You aren't perfect and nor we are capable of raising perfect child without some damage. It is very subjective what is perfect parenting and whether you have done best job but after you have done your best job forgive yourself. Your child would learn new lessons anyway.  

Practical Tools

Stationery
Buy Ring Binder to check your progress
Fridge Magnets to keep your goals where you can see
Monthly Calendar - Online and Offline

Baby Forum 
www.babycentre.co.uk
www.parentdish.com

Quick Cleaning 
http://housekeeping.about.com/od/timesavingideas/a/15MinuteClean.htm

To Buy sometime cheap stuff
Join Baby Groups on Facebook
www.mumsnet.com
www.ebay.com

Book 
Virtual Freedom - Chris Ducker

Time Management Tools
http://pomodorotechnique.com/

To Track Time 
http://www.myhours.com/

To Plan Week 
http://weekplan.net/
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