Finding Enough Time for Baby as a Full Time Working Mom

If you work full time and have a baby, you may be dealing with feelings of guilt over not spending enough time with your child. Being a working mom is great and the right decision for many women, and it is nothing that you should ever feel guilty about. Try these ideas for keeping that special connection with your baby, while maintaining the full time career you have worked so hard for.

100% attention in the afternoon. When you first get home from work, or your baby first arrives home from the babysitter or daycare, spend a set amount of time giving your baby 100% of your attention. Play games, wrestle around, read stories, and "talk" about the day. Whether it is twenty minutes or an hour and a half, make sure that time is a sacred time that you do not miss out on with your baby. The dishes, laundry, and other household tasks can wait.

Special day for mom and baby. One day each month, whether it is on a Saturday, Sunday afternoon, or a weekday off from work, plan an outing for just baby and mom. Visit the mall for a long stroller ride, some shopping, and a fun meal at the food court. Stop by the park for some swinging and sliding. Or get some portraits made at a local photography studio. Whatever you do just make sure it is a special time for mom and baby alone.

Bring your baby to work. If you work in an environment where you baby can visit from time to time, bring him in to the office every few weeks for a visit. Your coworkers will be thrilled to get to know your little one, and your baby will become familiar with where mommy goes each day and what she does for a job.

Use your lunch break. If you don't really need your entire lunch break to actually eat, try using twenty or thirty minutes of it to get some things done that will free up some extra time in the evenings to spend with your baby. You can balance your checkbook or write bills, get your exercise in for the day by taking a walk, or return some personal phone calls. You will be surprised how spending just a few extra minutes of your workday on home duties will add up to more time with your baby.