The struggles of a working mom are something that most mothers in the workforce deal with. When a woman steps beyond her traditional role of being a mother or wife, she may experience struggles that a man does not.
The struggles of a working mom can be said to come when a woman tries to be more than just a mom and a wife.
She faces many struggles on both fronts, whether at the workplace or at home. Finding a work-life balance can be difficult.
Here Are The Struggles Most Working Moms Have to Face:
1. Problems Faced by Working Moms; Unpaid Maternity Leave:
The bliss of motherhood can’t be explained in words.
But, the maternity leave policy doesn’t favor working moms in the United States.
The unpaid maternity leave policy makes it difficult for some mothers to meet their monthly bills.
Because of financial stress, some women return to work a few weeks after giving birth, which contributes to the struggles of a working mom.
2. Difficult to Have Quality Time With your Little One:
Every mother wants to spend quality time with her child.
But because of the 24/7 busy schedule of working moms, they are left with no time to spend with their child.
Even on weekends, moms remain busy with household chores and are too exhausted to enjoy quality time with their child.
3. One Big Disadvantage of Being a Working Mom; Missing the Firsts:
Parents want to be around when their child says their first word or takes their first step, working mothers find that they miss these milestones because their child may say their first word or take their first step while at daycare.
4. Leaving Home, a Sick Child/Guilt of Calling into Work When Your Child is Sick:
Working Mothers struggle with calling into work when their child is sick, moms know that their kids especially need their moms when they are feeling sick, but working mothers often face the dilemma of how many times they can call into work because their child is sick.
Oftentimes, working mothers leave their sick child in someone else’s care, so they don’t appear to be calling in too much or because they don’t have any more paid time off left to use.
5. It is Hard to be a Working Mom; Working Women’s Pressure of Perfection:
A working woman will always strive hard to be perfect; in her roles as a professional woman, mother, or wife.
This puts a lot of pressure on working moms to be able to do it all, and to do it well!
But ultimately, she may come up short and this may result in her succumbing to the working mother’s guilt which is a part of the struggles of a working mom.
6. Working Mom’s Guilt:
A working mom has to drop off her child at daycare to be cared for by someone else.
After work, working mothers have to get dinner ready and are often left with no time and energy to play with their kids.
This may cause a mom to start feeling guilty and blaming herself for what feels like she is giving priority to her career and not her kids.
And always a conflict remains in her mind whether she is doing the right thing.
7. Pandemic Makes it Difficult to Balance Work-Life:
COVID-19 brought new challenges in everyone’s life, and more so for working mothers.
During the pandemic, work from home culture came into existence for most employees, while child care centers and schools shut down.
Working mothers found it difficult to balance office work, family responsibilities, and child care.
The pressure in their attempts to manage both worlds brought about feelings of guilt, stress, and frustration for most working mothers.
8. Stressful Mornings/Kids Drop-offs:
Getting everyone ready in the morning to be in time for school and work can be very stressful.
Working mothers have to wake up extra early to get themselves ready, pack lunches for everyone, get everyone ready and out the door, and to school and work on time.
Mornings can be very stressful for working Mother’s
9. Worries of Working Moms; Difficulty Prioritizing the Task:
Sometimes it becomes difficult for working women to prioritize the task.
For instance, having to choose between a PTA meeting and a board meeting at work that just happens to be at the same time.
A working mom may feel uncomfortable asking not to attend the meeting at work because she does not want her commitment to her job questioned but at the same time, she does not want to miss her child’s PTA meeting.
Having to choose between the two can be difficult and also adds to the struggles of a working mom
10. No Time for Herself:
Being a working professional, a mother, and a wife, makes you have a busy schedule all day from early morning to late evening.
A working mom is oftentimes left with no time to take care of herself.
11. Working Mom Burnout:
Working mothers are always busy juggling work and family responsibilities.
Her constant attempts to do her best both at the office and at home may become too stressful.
All these situations increase the chances of suffering emotional and physical symptoms of burnout in working moms, which may, in turn, affect their mental health.
12. Negative Impact on Careers of Working Moms:
Sometimes families struggle to find daycare for their children, which may be due to high costs, not finding reliable care, or for some other reason.
A working mother may have to start working part-time in order for her to take care of her child at home if she has no support system she can rely on.
Because of this, she can’t give her 100% at the workplace, meet the set deadlines or put in the same amount of work as her colleagues.
Consequently, this may have negative impacts on working moms’ career growth.
Final Thought
Working Women Are Good Moms
Motherhood is sacred; that saying is apt.
It is hard for a working mom to tackle a full-time job, do household chores, take care of her kids, and manage family responsibilities.
By creating a working culture and policies that support mothers, support from family, and good planning, moms can overcome all difficulties.
Finally, she could make it possible to be a wife, a mother, and a successful working woman!
What are your thoughts on this?
