When I was a little girl, I thought I’d grow up to be a stay-at-home mom and wife. That was true for a little while. Then my circumstances changed and I needed to find ways to support my kids and supplement my husband’s income. I started this blog and it grew and grew, to where I was able to fully support my kids. I never planned to be a working mom, but without it, I wouldn’t have been able to leave a terrible marriage. I’m blessed I can work from home and choose my own hours, but not everyone has this choice. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that we moms carry way too much “mom guilt” over far too many things. I’ve discovered a great resource by BBVA Compass, which teaches working moms how to get rid of mom guilt, and have more balance in their lives.
BBVA Compass features a 10 podcast series called Working Moms Mean Business, with Emma Johnson, a personal finance writer and blogger on her website, Wealthy Single Mommy. Emma Johnson also shares her eBook, “Mom Guilt”, which works to dispel the myth that staying home is superior to all else. I know this can be a sensitive topic for some, and has been for me at times as well. If you have to work and feel guilty about it, just take a look at these statistics:
60% of Americans say that children are better off with a parent at home! But in 2012, 71% of moms are in the workforce. This goes to show that while moms believe it’s better to be home, they are having to work, and are likely feeling guilty about it. With social media and the blogging world, mom shaming is very real and it needs to stop. I believe we should all work to build each other up, and encourage one another because parenting is dang hard!
I’m loving this podcast series that explores the time management, relationship and logistical challenges of being a working mom. It also shares success stories of how women overcame these challenges. I personally struggle with “doing it all” and feeling like I can be successful at all of it. I think it’s great to have a resource for tips and tricks to aid in whatever the week’s challenges may be.
My favorite podcast of the week is called Mom Momentum in Careers, by Samantha Ettus. Samantha offers up practical advice on thriving in all areas of your life. Balancing work with home and family isn’t always an easy task and some times I do better than others. Because I choose my own hours, I need to learn to choose my time wisely. Ideally, it’s best if I can work while the kids are at school, but a lot of times I get hung up on household chores and errands and end up needing to work in the afternoon when the kids need my attention for homework and chores. To avoid neglecting them when the kids need me most, I wait until they’ve gone to bed and I stay up late getting more work done. Then because I’ve stayed up so late, I can’t wake up to get kids off to school and my husband takes over. Insert mom guilt here. Balance!! I’m grateful to know I’m not alone in my struggles, and for the Working Moms Mean Business campaign and resources. I sure would like to think us moms can have it all – don’t you?!
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