We know there are some things you just can’t plan, but a working mom’s best defense is an offense. Building a support network that helps you develop multiple game plans is an important step in reducing stress in your life and the lives of your kids.
In the book, one single working mom admits “needing help feels like a weakness or a shortcoming.” Let’s be honest, she’s not the only mom who feels this way. If we all support each other - ask for help when we need it, return the favor when others in our support network need us, then maybe we can let go of the guilt of needing to do it all alone. Working mom support networks unite!
Working Mother: Outsource
“Why is it so hard for mothers to turn duties over to others? Is it that we feel guilty or inadequate? Do we feel weak if we ask for help? Are we too proud? Are we afraid of relinquishing control? Are we scared of being judged? Or maybe we think asking for help is admitting defeat.
There are many underlying reasons why working mothers struggle with asking for help, but it’s a necessary part of being a successful working mom. The unfortunate truth is that trying to do too much means that the quality of everything we do is reduced. Sooner or later, we break down and realize that all we are doing is not allowing enough time for what matters most—our family.”
Should Overwhelmed Working Women 'Take It Like A Mom' Or Ask For Help?
“There’s ego in motherhood,” Roney concludes. “And an ego in being a wife. It’s the nature of being a mother—that you’ll just do it. That you’ll take it ‘like a mom.’” Communicating the need for help is a troubling but necessary first step, she says, to relieving stress, avoiding resentment and—ultimately—getting the time out every mother deserves. “At some point, you’ve got to say: I can do a lot of it, but I don’t want to do it all.”
A Quarter Of Working Moms Cry Once A Week, But There Are Solutions
“A new survey by Care.com has found that one in four working moms cry once a week due to the stress of "having it all." What's more, 29 percent of these moms can afford to hire help, but won't because they feel too guilty. So what's the source of all of this stress and guilt?
"Ah, the $20 million dollar question," Katie Bugbee, Care.com Senior Managing Editor and Global Parenting Expert, told The Huffington Post. "We really want to be super mom. We want to be excellent at our jobs; we want to be excellent in our relationships; we want to be an excellent friend, an excellent wife or partner; and we want to be an excellent mom. On top of that, we want to have an amazing home that's beautiful and clean. It's a ton of pressure."
7 Lessons to Help Your Transition from Workaholic to Working Mom“The first thing I realized upon heading back to work after my maternity leave was that I felt I had to be even more on, and work even harder than I had before having my son. I didn’t want to be looked at as “soft” coming back into the workforce as a mom. No one told me to do this – it was just something I felt needed to be done so I wouldn’t lose my edge. So for the first three years of my son’s life, I kept my workaholic pace, but it wasn't sustainable.”