Where do you stand on the line of working mom guilt vs. owning being a working mama and loving it?

If I’m being honest, I’ve bounced back and forth ever since the day my first child was born! After maternity leave, it was only two weeks into being back at work and I was spending dinnertime crying. I was feeling overwhelmed with mom guilt and stressed about not being able to keep up with things at home. I realized that I was trying to do too much and take on too much. As a first-time mom 6 years ago, I didn’t know how to juggle it all and I’m not claiming to now, but I want to share with you some things I’ve learned through my motherhood journey while growing my career that helped me find confidence, peace and joy in it all.

• 100/100 Parenting with Your Spouse: When I realized I was trying to do too much, I asked my husband if he could make changes to his work schedule to handle drop-off or pick-up. We talked about equal responsibilities around the house and made it work for us.
• Confidence in Childcare: If you want to be able to focus at work and lose the guilt and worry, you have to be confident in where your child is. Tour daycares, interview nannies, trust your gut! I honestly grew to love daycare. My kids had so many friends, learned so much and the staff felt like family.
  TIP: Daycare pick-up is so much easier than drop-off!! Kids are always happy to see mom ready to pick them up.
• Enjoy Your YOU Time: While I’m at work, I love having my cup of coffee in peace. I like to think of the things I’m accomplishing as growing myself personally and professionally. Don’t be ashamed to build upon and grow things you were passionate about before you became a mother. You’re still YOU!
• All Time is QUALITY Time: Mornings, evenings and weekends are treasured times with my family. I get to have my ‘me time’ at work and I truly think that helps me to be a better mom to my kids when I’m with them. So, I am cautious to commit to events/social outings and protect that time with them.
• Be PROUD of the Example You Are Setting: I am proud to be showing my kids that you can be both a present-loving mother AND have a successful career.
• Give Yourself GRACE: No matter how early you pack up, think you’re on schedule and try to get out the door, there will be days that as you’re walking out the door- your kid will have to go potty. You will have good days and you will have bad days. Give yourself some grace and remember you can re-do things tomorrow!
• MOM & DAD FIRST: It is sad to think about, but one day our kids will grow up and leave home. So, don’t put your relationship with your spouse on the backburner. Date each other, talk and have FUN together. With the busyness of life, it is so easy to forget how to let loose and have fun with your spouse.

TIP: We love to travel so if either of us has a work trip, we’ll try to turn it into a little getaway. We are thankful to be near our parents, who are happy to take the kids for a couple of nights. For work trips sometimes it’s better for us to join at the end and stay an extra night or two, sometimes my husband will join me on a short trip and just enjoy the afternoon to himself while I work and then we explore the city and go out to dinner. When doing this, your trip costs are reduced because at least one flight and some of the hotel is covered through work! Keep adventuring and having fun together!

Learning these things has helped me get rid of the mom guilt and find confidence, peace and joy in my working motherhood journey. I am sure I have lots more to learn and I plan to have fun with it along the way- I hope you will join me on the journey!

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