An Open Letter to Working Moms Everywhere

Hey you, working mama with little kiddos: I see you.

I see you rushing the kids out the door in the morning to get to school and work on time.

I see you working hard and enjoying your career while simultaneously missing your baby’s little squishy faces 6 of the 8 hours you’re in the office.

I see you showing up to work with spit-up on your suit jacket.

I see you tearing up as you drive away from dropping your baby at daycare for the first time.

I see you because I’m with you. Every single thing I listed above is something I’ve experienced and I know how freaking hard it is to be a working mama some days.

Being a working mom is the single hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Full transparency and honesty here: Being a working mom is the single hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire. life. Hands down. It’s physically and emotionally draining. Allow me to explain…

First of all, can we just talk about how much there is to do in one day?? The hours from 8 to 5 are frantic at work, and then the hours from 5-8 in the evening can be just as frantic. You rush to get dinner on the table, the kitchen cleaned up, homework completed, baths done, and fill-in-the-blank with anything else that needs to be completed before bedtime.

And that’s just the normal weekday! What about sick days? When the kiddos are sick, you and/or the hubs have to juggle either taking time off of work to stay at home, or you have to find a family member or friend to watch your kiddo so you can get to work. And when you’re at work, guess what you’re thinking about? That sweet, sick babe at home. At the same time, while you’re at home, you’re worried about what’s going on at work. It feels like a lose-lose situation every time.

It’s. so. hard. It’s hard to feel focused at work some days and it’s hard to feel focused at home.

To find a good balance, there’s a lot that we have to give up.

Last week I wrote a post about finding work-life balance. The point was not at all to say that we can have everything we want. It was more to say that if we want some sort of balance in our lives, we’ll have to prioritize and sacrifice the things we can’t fit into our scheduled priorities.

If we want a career and a family life, there’s a lot of other things we’ll have to give up. I’ve had to cut back on to do lists, social outings, and lowering the standard for what I deem as “clean” at my house. (Is the house kinda picked up and the dirty dishes out of the sink? Clean enough. Never mind that there’s a trail of sticky, dried milk from the fridge to Brooks’ high chair. That’ll have to wait.)

There are times when Cory and I simply laugh and say to each other, “I don’t want to adult today.” (We’re only half-joking.)

But no one can do it like you, Mama.

This is what I tell myself of tough days and I want to share it in case you need to hear it today, too: YOU are the one God created to parent those littles. And YOU also have a set of awesome God-given strengths to give back to the world so you can make your corner a little better place.

Even if your house is dirty, your hair is running on dry shampoo for 4 days straight (🙋‍♀️), and your car looks like it hasn’t been washed in years, you’re still killing it! You’re killing it because you can love on those kiddos AND rock your career. Beyond that, the rest can wait.

And we need each other.

Nothing helps a working mom more than another working mom coming to her rescue and showing some kindness.

We may not know everyone’s story, but we do know that we need each other. We need to support each other. We need to show kindness to each other. And we need to cut out the judgement. Each mama is doing the best she can.

When you see another mama struggling, make sure you’re doing your best to encourage and lift her up. We shouldn’t have to go through motherhood alone. It truly takes a village.

Plus it’s way more fun to have another understanding mom to share your strong-willed child’s latest antics with. 😉 (Not naming names but our strong-willed child’s name begins with a C and ends with an OLTON. I’m convinced he’s the source of every single white hair I have. GOOD GRIEF, SON.)

Wrapping up.

Being a working mom is HARD. And it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. The days are long and the emotional rollercoaster of motherhood is a unique and complicated thing.

But don’t forget that you’re the best mommy for the job and doing what’s best for you and your family is the most important thing! Don’t let anyone tell you different!

So hang in there, mama. You’re doing great!

OVER TO YOU: What’s something you’ve learned so far as a working mom? I’d love to hear any fun stories or tips on how to survive this whole working mama thing in the comments below!

**Disclaimer: I’m not intending to leave anyone out by writing this article for working moms. I’ve just been a working mom for 6+ years now and I write from the heart and from what I know. So whether you’re a stay-at-home mama, a soon-to-be mama, or a pet mama, you’re doing great! And I’m not trying to exclude any of your greatness in this post. :)**