Working moms need to balance important strategy meetings with the mayhem of back-to-school; they need to be experts at dealing with over-the-top emotions with calm composure whether faced with a disgruntled CEO or a three-year-old not wanting to eat his or her greens.

It’s daunting having to juggle a successful career with a busy household. When you throw a business trip into the mix the challenges become almost insurmountable.

Luckily, there are ways to make it work.

1. Ditch the guilt

Whether you’re a seasoned road warrior or embarking on your very first business trip, the feelings of guilt and worry can be overwhelming.

ESPN commentator Sage Steel, who often travels for her demanding job, said in a blog: “The night before I leave for a work trip, at least one of my three kids gets upset. I thought it would get easier over time and as they got older, and in some ways it has, but it’s still hard for them to say goodbye, even if it’s just for a day or two. Through the years, I’ve experienced just about every emotion, with guilt being at the top of the list.”

Mommy guilt is a very real thing, with most working mothers experiencing it at least once during their careers. However, the latest research shows that there’s no need for working moms to feel guilty.

A study by Kathleen McGinn and her colleagues for Harvard Business School purports that working mothers are more likely to raise successful daughters and caring, empathetic sons.

In the study, McGinn reassures working mothers that they’re doing the family a great service as she notes: “There’s a lot of potential guilt about having both parents working outside the home. However, this research says to us, not only are you helping your family economically – and helping yourself professionally and emotionally if you have a job you love – but you’re also helping your kids.”

Dr Laura Kastner, psychologist and author of ‘Getting to Calm: Cool-headed strategies for parenting tweens and teens’, explains that guilt is a negative emotion that will not help yourself or your kids.

“Remember that parents telegraph to their kids their feelings, spoken or not. Our brains are open WiFi systems. If you feel guilty, sad and despairing, they will know it. Moreover, perhaps they will feel even more insecure with your travel, even if you are terrific at communication upkeep, keeping it to a minimum and spending great times with them when you are home. If you are spilling out your guilt, go see a professional because it is hurting everyone.”

2. Make sure you stay safe

Worrying about your kids’ emotional wellbeing while you’re away is challenging enough without you having to fear for your own safety.

Research done by the Global Business Travel Association recently revealed a fast-developing irony: awareness of the risks faced by female travellers in general and female business travellers, in particular, has never been higher. However, only 18% of corporate travel policies specifically address matters related to the safety needs of female business travellers.

By entrusting your travel in the hands of a professional Travel Management Company such as Flight Centre Business Travel (FCBT), a significant number of these fears can be mitigated. Andrew Grunewald, FCBT Brand Leader, explains that active Duty of Care practices are a crucial consideration when managing travel. A Travel Management Company (TMC) can help you choose safe lodging options as well as reliable ground transfers.

Says Grunewald: “During their travels, employees may encounter some adverse conditions that could include everything from minor inconvenience such as cancelled flights to more serious health, safety and security concerns. This is where Duty of Care becomes vital. Simply put, a comprehensive Duty of Care plan will make sure your company has the right procedures in place and that it is possible to react effectively if something unfortunate happens in a destination country. TMCs can assist companies in knowing where your people are at all times.”

3. Book in advance and put together a family calendar

In a recent UK survey aimed at female business travellers, 40% of women said they preferred to arrange their travel between two weeks and a month in advance. The reason for this is that it allows travelling moms sufficient time to organise childcare and prepare everything at home.

Not only does booking in advance help working mothers arrange things at home, but it also helps the company save money, says Grunewald. He explains: “The company can save up to 21% of its travel spend by simply booking flights in advance. Business travellers can pay up to 200% more for airfares purchased one day out from travel.”

4. Delegate the travel arrangements to the professionals

Making arrangements for lift clubs, school lunches and homework supplies while you’re away on business will keep you busy, so delegate the nitty gritty of your travel arrangements instead.

Organising flights, hotel bookings, airport transfers, lounge passes, insurance, car rental and loyalty points, as well as dealing with any problems that may arise, takes a lot of time.

Research done by Flight Centre Business Travel shows that travel arrangements for almost 45% of all business trips are changed at least once. Managing these changes – and the effect they have on every other arrangement made – can be a nightmare if you’re not a travel expert.

Working with an expert like FCBT means you’ll have 24/7 access to a dedicated member of the team who can manage all aspects of your travel arrangements and assist you with any changes or travel-related concerns.

5. Keep in contact with home through technology

Travelling mothers across the world agree: technology has made it easy and quick to jump on a video conference to talk to our loved ones. Even a five-minute short video call to say hi, ask about the kids’ day and blow them air kisses can make all the difference.

Dr. Kastner advises it’s a good idea to use your child’s favourite social media avenue for connection. “For small children, it will be some kind of video, like Facetime, Skype or Zoom. For teens, it will be Instagram, text, or Facetime if you’re lucky.”

She warns however that connecting with older kids can be tricky. “Just like college kids, teens at home are tricky communication partners. You need to accommodate their schedules, moods and need for independence. They resent accommodating yours. Don’t expect empathy about your travel schedule, but humbly assert yourself about your needs and insistence on some connection mode,” she says.

Once you have found the right way of communicating with family back home, it’s vital that the technology is available to help you connect. Grunewald explains that by partnering with FCBT, you’ll have access to the SmartSTAY programme which offers numerous perks such as reliable and free WiFi at your hotel.

6. Bring the kids along or enjoy some me-time

Although this isn’t possible on every trip, taking the kids along and enjoying a few days’ bleisure after your conference or meetings is a great way to leverage being a working mom. When dealing with FCBT who has the global backing of the Flight Centre Travel Group, you will benefit from having a range of ‘bleisure’ options available that can be added seamlessly into your booking.

Even if you can’t take your little ones along, it’s still a great idea to view some of the sights or take time to explore a local restaurant. Parenting is a full-time job and one where moms rarely get time to themselves. If you need to be away from the kids, you might as well make the very best of it.

7. Don’t forget your partner

While getting caught up in trying to get the balance between the needs of your career and your kids, it’s important not to neglect your partner, warns Dr. Kastner.

She says: “Partners at home need nurturing too. Moms tend to worry more about insufficient nurturing of children than spouses. And yet more damage to children can come from that family system upset than from short parent-child time. Children are like little fishes in a fish tank—if the family ecosystem isn’t thriving, neither will the child.”

Although it can be challenging to juggle frequent – or even infrequent – business trips and raising young children, it definitely is not impossible. With the right partners at your side, business travel can become a rewarding part of any working mother’s life.

The top five value-add inclusions for a hotel stay worldwide are, in order of preference: breakfast, Wi-Fi, late check-out, a room upgrade, and early check-in.

The Corporate Travel SmartSTAY survey shows hotel destinations in hot demand this year include London, New York, Dubai, Cape Town and Milan. When booking hotels, the results reveal that corporate clients expect a broad choice of properties, ranging from high-end to low-cost hotels, and catering for all types of company budgets.

Commenting on the findings, Corporate Traveller General Manager Oz Desai said the wish-list of South African corporate travellers is on par with global trends.

1. Breakfast

Staying healthy while travelling for business can be a challenge: airports are packed with tempting fast-food options, and business dinners often entail cocktails and wine.

“It is important for business travellers to start the day with a healthy breakfast to balance out unhealthy choices during the day. The good news is that 85 per cent of hotels in the SmartSTAY programme offer a free and healthy breakfast,” he says.

2. Wi-Fi

Providing free and fast Wi-Fi has become a non-negotiable for corporate hotels in 2018, Desai maintains.

In 2016, the Global Business Travel Association Hotel Technology Study found 55 per cent of business travellers used their in-room Internet for business purposes for at least one hour each day. Not surprisingly, the GBTA said travellers wanted Internet access that was free and fast.

Two years later, business travellers still value Wi-Fi packages. They appreciate it so much that studies show more than half of business travellers would pay out of their own pockets for faster Internet at their hotel. With SmartSTAY, corporates don’t need to spend a dime, as 95 per cent of hotel listings featured in the SmartSTAY programme provide free and fast Internet services.

3. Late check-out

“A business traveller uses their hotel as a place to get things done or to get some rest. An early check-out is not conducive for either of these requirements,” says Desai. “A productive hotel offers travellers fast Wi-Fi and a comfortable place to work until it’s time to leave for the airport.”

4. Room upgrades

Whether corporates travel for business frequently or not, hotel accommodation is a significant factor when it comes to their happiness, Corporate Traveller’s study confirms. “It is important for their home-away-from-home to have certain features that will not only keep them safe and comfortable, but that create a productive environment… A room upgrade can make a big difference and make the traveller feel more comfortable, especially when they are up all night communicating with colleagues in a different time zone,” Desai adds.

5. Early check-in

Most business travellers will know the anguish of arriving in the early morning after a long overnight flight, only to find check-in at their hotel is from 3pm.

Corporate Traveller’s SmartSTAY programme is specifically designed to address these pain points and includes additional perks that make the traveller’s stay more comfortable with a quick and painless check-in process.

A recent Hilton Hotels & Resorts survey found the majority of today’s new road warriors (travellers between the age of 23 and 35) consider business travel a work perk. 65 percent said it was a status symbol. Unlike the image of the tired road warrior, 56 percent admitted to coming up with reasons to travel for business.

To keep these warriors happy and productive, certain luxuries are essential, says Desai. Companies also save more.

“Booking through SmartSTAY not only provides free hotel extras, but also facilitates the reduction of overall travel costs for companies by offering a programme that travellers want to book. This immediately helps corporates to adhere to their travel policy and cuts ‘leakage’ costs spent on non-preferred suppliers.”