6 Multitasking Tips for the Millennial Ma

Millennial Ma aka Rumki Chowdhury shares her secret recipe to doing it all and keeping sane with three kids!

By Rumki Chowdhury

@rumkitheauthor

If your house is smelling like freshly-cooked curry, then most likely, a Bengali Millennial Ma lives there. At least, that’s how it is for me. The working mother who is balancing both work and home lives, while trying to maintain her Bengali culture, which also includes cooking curry.

How does the millennial ma do it all? A little black magic never hurt!

Jokes aside, here are the 6 steps to becoming the multitasking rani:

1. Me-Time:

A mombie, my love for my youngest daughter is what keeps me smiling even past midnight. And after she finally sleeps, I do what I love most (read, write, sketch, paint, watch a good romance). This helps me detox, sleep well and take on the next day! I put the baby to sleep the first time. In the middle of the night, it’s millennial baba’s turn. Sometimes, millennial baba cooks curry! Also, girl’s night out is well-deserved. Next time, it’s guy’s night out. Taking turns develops teamwork, understanding and patience in your marriage.

2. No Pressure:

Take on as much as you can handle. We are over-ambitious. Although some see us as superwomen, we need to create a healthy schedule. I give my kids chores and reward them with weekly allowances. Millennial baba washes clothes; I fold them. We take turns telling or reading the kids bedtime stories.

3. Different, yet Similar Roles:

Although I have different roles, they are intertwined. For example, I implement my motherly instinct and nurturing habits into my teaching profession. I have children at home; I mentor and teach English to 200 at school. Also a writer, English suits me!

4. Family-Time:

Weekends and holidays are dedicated to my family. For example, we either take a road trip or a flight abroad to Spain, Morocco or Poland. This feeds the children’s curiosity and strengthens our familial bond.

5. Limit Social-Media:

I live an ocean away from other loved ones. When I miss them, social media comes into play. I check my pages once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. After a few minutes each time, I turn my WiFi off to avoid distractions.

6. Quality Time with Millennial Baba:

Get a relative to babysit and go on a date. You need each other’s attention as much as the kids need yours! It will also keep your relationship healthy and loving. Quality time together reminds us that although we are sharing a lot of the duties at home, we mostly accomplish separately allocated activities.

But at the end of the day, we are a team and we need to celebrate it!

I end this with a side note to a major time-saver: Grind the onions, put them into a zip- lock bag and store them in your freezer for the week. That way, when you’re home, tired after work, you have one less thing to worry about when it comes to cooking curry.

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