School Days: Tips for Mom When the Kids Head Back to School

By September 2, 2016 Blog

Yolanda Lee Conyers, VP of World Wide Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, Lenovo

It’s that time of year again: we’ve got our class assignments, school supply lists, and shopping excursions for those all-important back-to-school fashions. Whether the kids are starting kindergarten or finishing high school, the start of a new school year is an exciting, yet stressful, time for parents and kids. For successful working moms, the stress can be compounded by the competing responsibilities of work and home. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be so bad. Here are some tips that I’ve learned to make things easier.

  1. Plan Ahead: We’ve all read about the importance of parental feedback and guidance in a child’s scholastic achievement. Schedule time throughout the year with teachers to review each child’s progress, and keep the appointment. Your kids will know you care, and they may just get a lesson in the importance of time management and responsibility to others.
  1. Communicate: Make sure the kids know that, although Mom would love to attend every recital, ball game, or quiz bowl event, sometimes there will be conflicts.
  1. Improvise: When an opportunity in your schedule opens up, do something special with the kids.
  1. Take care of yourself: As a successful working Mom, you’ve got two jobs. We can’t take care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves, so pencil in some time for your own favorite activities.

Remember, it’s all about work-life flexibility. With proper planning and communication we can be all-stars in the boardroom and at home by being able to flex between our personal and professional lives We’ve got this!