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The challenges of motherhood are vast and varied. The moms around the world who are raising children while also managing their household and work are no less than any superhero. Working mothers have to juggle their career and office with family responsibilities and this is easier said than done. From working through the painful and tough pregnancy months to the time when the baby is finally delivered, mothers have to brave it all. Having a baby often calls for detailed management and planning of routines. This calls for some much-needed appreciation from people around the hard-working mothers. But sadly, often this hard effort goes altogether unnoticed. Today, let’s look at the challenges that motherhood brings with it and how the mothers have to brave through the thick and thins:
1. You Constantly Feel Like You’re Not Good Enough
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Battling between your office and home can be pretty daunting. You start to feel like you’re falling short at both places. You probably beat yourself up when you hear that you missed your child’s first step. Or, when you’re ten minutes late to a meeting with a client because your baby was cranky and extra needy in the morning. There’s a looming sense of inadequacy. New mothers have to cut themselves some slack and stop trying to be perfectionists. Motherhood is ultra-challenging and it’s important to not over criticize yourself at every step.
2. Your Kids Being Sick Is The Hardest Thing
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When your kid is sick, all you want to do is stay at home with them and take care of them. If this happens once in a while, you can gladly take off work and spend the day with your baby. But what happens when it becomes a frequent occurrence? You start to feel bad about taking that many days off from work or being excused from office hours to pick up your sick kid from school. Juggling office work and taking care of an ailing child at the same time can be very difficult to manage.
3. You Miss Out On Milestones
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This one’s got to sting! When you were busy crushing it at work in that meeting with a high-profile client, your baby probably said their first words or took their first step. It’s a significant milestone, but it’s something that you’ll miss because you are a working mom. It hurts, and you can only hope that your partner filmed it so you can relive that special moment through a screen.
4. You Will Feel Bad For Being The First One To Leave For Home
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You probably have to leave for home early every day while the rest of your team is working for longer hours. Yes, you have a kid to get home to, and you know that. They know it too. But you cannot help but feel bad for leaving early. You’re probably worried about your coworkers judging your work ethic but remember that you’re doing the best you can. Besides, it’s better to finish your work early and leave on time, than linger around in the workplace till late hours without getting things done.
5. You Still Work Late
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You might be the first to leave your office, but that doesn’t mean you get to sleep early. You probably end up working later, even after your baby is put to sleep. Working moms generally put so much pressure on themselves to do it all that they forget that sometimes, you should not. You need the rest. So, work late when you have to but understand when you should do it all and take a break. Get some help in the chores from your partner, family, and friends instead of trying to do it all on your own.
6. You Don’t Have “Lunch Breaks”
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Remember those long lunch breaks that you used to take with your coworkers? Well, say goodbye to them. That was probably the one place where you could blow off some steam with your colleagues. But as a working mom, that’s a luxury you cannot afford. You grab a quick bite and probably spend the rest of your time catching up on errands like grocery shopping, collecting the laundry, or picking up your kids from school. Maybe take out some free time later.
7. Weekends Lose Their Meaning
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You cannot take a break from some jobs, and parenting is one of them. Whether it is a weekday or a weekend, your job and duties continue. Taking care of your kids is something you will never stop doing, be it a workday or a holiday. And sometimes, your work from the weekdays is carried over to the weekends because you have some pending work. So, if you’re a working mom, say goodbye to your weekends.
8. It Will Be Hard To Leave Your Kids
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Unlike what the media portrays, not all women are glad that they get to leave their kids behind when they’re off to work. Granted that they chose to have a career and be a mom, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for them to leave their kids behind. It breaks your heart to stay away from your little one all day when you could be spending more time together.
9. Society May (Will) Judge You
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Needless to say, you’ll have to hear a lot of comments passed on your choice to continue pursuing your career. Society will judge you and sometimes, even by the ones who say they support your choice, and you will have to face the brunt of some conservative and regressive comments. Be prepared for this too!
Being a working mother has a lot of struggles. But despite having to put up with all these challenges, women shatter glass ceilings and fight to make a name for themselves in their careers. A classic example of one such legendary woman is none other than Jacinda Ardern. She is a role model for every woman who wishes to work and embrace motherhood too. What challenges have you faced as a working mother? Let us know in the comments below!
