Being a Working Mom

Being a working mom is hard. Sacrificing the precious time now in hopes of building a strong future requires drive, focus, and a strong vision with a clear end goal. 

I’ve been working since I was a teenager, starting in my families grocery store, mopping floors and ringing up customers. I went on to tutor thru our schools NHS (National Honor Society) and later become a pharmacy technician. During graduate school, I worked full time and completed my internship hours on the weekend. It’s not the work that is hard. It’s being away, the guilt that comes from spending our time doing something other than being with my child. Here is hope I cope: 

• Quality not Quantity 
  • When I am with my little Hannah Bear, I want to make sure it is the best time of the day. That means limited phone use (I am working on that and Hussein and I have been leaving our phones locked in the office when we get home from work). 
  • We do things together. This means dinner takes a bit longer to make because I allow Hannah to be a part of the process. 
  • Weekends, well Sunday, are for family. I try to limit the amount of work I do during my one day off, so that we can plan family dinners, outings and adventures.
• Support System
  • I’ve always had trouble asking for help, but I need that help and support now more than ever. And the more I ask, the more comfortable I am doing so. 
  • Im so grateful for social media for connecting me to other working moms, who are like minded and supportive. Even if our interactions are few and far apart, it is so helpful and reassuring to know I’m not alone in the way I feel. 
  • Dad, husband, friend and support- I’m so grateful for the very active role Hussein takes in Hannah’s life. We truly are a team and are equally responsible for raising and caring for our little bear. 
    • Sometimes dad need the boost of confidence and the opportunity to help care for their littles. We should provide that to them and then make a target run :P.
• Sacrifice Now, Pay Off Later
  • My goal is to be financially independent, so we can have all the time together later, inshallah. This is one way I reconcile the sacrifices we are making now; the hope that we will have all the time together in the future.  
• No Comparing
  • We’ve all done it. We see the picture perfect families on Instagram and wonder why we aren’t also ‘perfect’. During some of my hardest times in life, it would have appeared that everything was perfect. I’d post a picture and receive comments like “I don’t know how you do it”, “wow you are so amazing”, ect. But what people viewing and consuming my content don’t know or see are the emotions, the struggles behind that photo. Just don’t compare. No ones life is perfect. 
• Self Care
  • This can be hard to implement when you are already spending time away from your family while at work but we all need a re-charge. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate spa getaway. But whatever it is that helps you feel good, you should do and do it regularly. 
    • I recently had my body remind of this. I haven’t had a migraine in YEARS, but this week I was hit and was reminded how important eating well and rest are. Investing a few extra moments in my self everyday, means I won’t have a total body shut down. 
  • Food as a means of self care: It’s something I hadn’t really thought about. But making sure I have a nutritious breakfast helps me feel well and so my green smoothie is self care 😀

How do you mamas cope? What are your tips? Please Share!

Xoxo,