All Moms are working Moms, some do it outside the home away from their children and family. For the purposes of this article, I mean working Mom as a reference to Mothers that work outside the home. I have been a working Mom most of the time since having kids, part time for a while but mostly full time. I was raised by a working Mom, and a working sister who was part time Mom to me growing up.
Historically in our society, Dads were the work away from home parent and Mom was the work at home parent, but a lot has changed since the I love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver days of the 1950’s. There are a lot more single parents, and it’s not just single mothers – there are a lot of single Dads too. I was a single parent for a while – a special hats off to single parents!
Women have more professional opportunities than they did 60 years ago, and a career is demanding on your time and energy. So how do you balance it all? I can only speak from myself as a working Mom – there is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. For some there is a single clear answer – no career, or no kids. For me and for many it was not so clear – I wanted and had both. I needed the daily challenge of the working world, wanted a successful career, and was not willing to wait until after my kids were grown to start.
Women can be painfully cruel to each other, though I don’t think it is always intentional. I have had dozens of women confide in me how guilty they feel for working and how judged they feel by other women who make a different choice. Some of it is probably in our heads, but this is how many working Moms feel. I felt a lot of guilt as a working Mom and felt judged by people in my own family as well as other Moms. Now my kids are all grown up and my career continues. You know what? I wouldn’t change a thing. My kids learned some valuable lessons along the way that have served them well. Lessons like and “mom can’t always be there.” I think it helped them learn to be independent and problem solve on their own. I always felt my job as a parent was to raise happy, healthy, independent children. I have managed to raise 4 out of 4 winners, so I think I did alright. (Granted I did not do it alone!)
To all you working Moms – you are doing just fine and it’s ok to be a Mom and have a career. The kids will be FINE. Whether you choose to stay home, work, or some combination it is your choice and you should be supported. Gals – let’s support each other. A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there. You are amazing!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL!