Five Great Tips for Working Moms

Being a working mom isn’t easy. It requires you to attempt a balancing act that some days feels unattainable. As a working mom myself, I’m here to confirm that you don’t have to be perfect, but I do have some tips to help make your life easier.

First of all, I’d like to give a shout out to all the other working moms out there. You wake up early, pack lunches, make breakfast, attend activities, schedule play dates and more all while holding down a career. Admittedly, I clamored through my first year of being a working mom and it was a true learning experience. I had to learn a lot about myself, my career goals, my priorities and then some.

I have my own gripes with the fact that in the United States most women are expected to part from their babies and go back to work WAY TOO SOON but I’ll stand on my soapbox in regards to that another day. For now, let’s focus on some of the things that have held me up during my journey as a working mom. Some key principles, lessons and tips that I hope help anyone else out there who feels like they’re clamoring too.

Set Boundaries for the Work Day

I’ve talked about setting boundaries as it pertains to work (read that post here) and for working moms this is very important. In my opinion, life is less stressful when your work life stays as separate as possible from your home life. If you are available for work 24/7, it’s more difficult to carve out time for your family and yourself. It’s more than okay to end the work day when you leave the office so you can unplug and be present at home.

Ditch Mom Guilt

This one is VERY difficult and I admittedly struggle with this myself sometimes. If you aren’t familiar with mom guilt, it’s the feeling that you aren’t doing enough for your child(ren) whenever you seemingly prioritize something over them. Working moms experience this often. We’re working to advance our careers while also being the best mothers we can be. Ditching mom guilt means quieting that voice in your head that tells you you’re a “bad mom” whenever you make a sacrifice in your home life to level up at work.

I’m here to tell you that any move you make for the greater good of you and your family will pay off in the long run. You are still a good mom on the days you work late. The days you’re too tired to cook a gourmet meal and stop for fast food. Even when you go back to school to pursue another degree. Your success will benefit everyone, and the best thing you can do is to be present when you do have family time and make those moments extra special.

Leverage your support system

Remember that blog post about why support systems are so important? Well, for working moms, I’m here to remind you to use that support system. Your support system is there to offer you support of all kinds, and while you don’t want to abuse them and call on them all the time, you can ask for help when you’re in a tough space. There have been so many times when I’ve been able to call on my support system when I need them. From last minute pickups when a meeting is running over to jumping in to babysit when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Find people you can trust that will provide you physical and moral support. Those people will be your life line as you navigate motherhood.

Set aside family time

Family time is important for your entire family, you included. Set aside time to spend a whole weekend or day with your family doing something you all enjoy. Expose your kids to new things and make memories with them! When I know we have a fun weekend planned, it’s something I can look forward to. I get quality time with my daughter, we’re having fun and it allows me to stay in the moment. Family vacations (see a recap of our Denver trip) are also a great way to set aside designated family time. Kids appreciate the small things like riding on a plane, exciting car rides and staying in a hotel. You’d be surprised by how a few days out of your own city can bring you closer and create lasting memories.

Set realistic expectations

We’re all super-moms, however we are all only one person and can’t do EVERYTHING all at once. Realize that as a working mom, you have to prioritize and set realistic expectations for yourself and your family. You may not be able to be involved in every school activity and that’s okay. If you go in expecting to be present for every single thing and you’re not, the mom guilt kicks into high gear.

Get as much information as you can and find out what’s really important to you as a parent and your kids. When you do that, you manage expectations for everyone and you can commit to what you all find valuable. This applies to your career as well. Set realistic expectations and goals for yourself and hash them out with your manager. A good manager will support you in figuring out how to reach your career goals on a timeline that works best for you.

I hope you all found this post helpful! Let’s get the conversation going on more tips that are useful for working moms! We’re all learning as we go so let’s learn from each other. Leave a comment if these tips were useful and if you have something to add to the list!