Working Mum Guilt

Career and parenthood. Can we mums really have it all? A thought that plagues me regularly.

Being a working mum is exhausting. Whether you work out of financial necessity or vocational aspirations, mum guilt creeps in constantly. I imagine even stay at home mums know the feelings of mum guilt too. It’s inescapable.

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve lay awake in bed at night thinking, “I didn’t do the reading,” “I forgot to sign that note,” or “I haven’t made the packed lunches.” I often feel like a circus performer, trying to keep all of the plates spinning. And do I drop the plates? Every. Single. Day.

Trying to maintain the delicate balance has caused me to re-evaluate what is important. I’m learning to say, “no” to the unnecessary commitments, to maximise my time with my son, even if that means something as mundane as cutting up the vegetables together for dinner.

Being a mum is woven into my character. It’s who I am. But it’s not the only thing I am. I am still the hard-working, creative woman I was before I became a mum. So rather than abandon these qualities in exchange for motherhood, I choose to weave them through every aspect of my life. This is what I have chosen. It may not be what every mum chooses, and that’s ok. You know what works best for your family, so what works for another family, may not necessarily work for yours.

Working mum or not, being a mother is one of life’s greatest blessings. It isn’t easy, some days are just plain tough. But you’ve got this, you’re doing your best and that’s all you can do. And when you drop the spinning plates, tomorrow’s a brand new day!