Working Hard as a Mother
Navigating motherhood, career, and self-care with grace and community support.
Mommin’ ain’t easy.
You’ve been bestowed with one of life’s greatest—and most challenging—gifts. Accompanied by every mom’s reliable companions, guilt and fear, you embark on a journey to raise little people into decent human beings in a world that often feels stuck in perpetual turmoil. And if that weren’t enough, there’s a class party on Thursday (don’t forget those sixteen individually wrapped, allergen-free treats!), a BIG client presentation tomorrow, little Maddie started running a fever last night… and what’s for dinner?
The chaos ebbs and flows, but the pressure to consistently perform at home and at work does not. In the middle of a staff meeting, you may find yourself replaying that morning and wondering if you said or did the right thing. You might get to the office, toss your purse onto the chair, and realize your coffee—and your laptop—are still sitting on the kitchen counter. The struggle is real. There’s no denying this is a bumpy ride, but what matters most is how we manage to weather it.
Honestly, I don’t have all the answers. Most days, I’m not entirely sure I know what I’m doing. But here are a few things that have made this exciting, frightening, and joyful journey a little more manageable.
Find Your Tribe
It might take a village to raise a child, but it takes a tribe to keep a mom sane.
There are moments when it feels like you’re the only person in the world carrying these burdens. Trust me, you’re not. There are countless professional women performing the same juggling act with similar results. The hard part is finding and connecting with them.
Depending on your industry, that can be easier said than done. When I worked in manufacturing, most of my colleagues were men, some with spouses who stayed home with their children. While we all had kids, our day-to-day realities looked very different. If you find yourself in a similar situation, look beyond your workplace. Church, your neighborhood, and your child’s school or daycare are all opportunities to build connections with moms who understand your reality.
Once you establish your tribe, something powerful happens. Empathy replaces isolation, and comparison starts to fade. You quickly realize that everyone is navigating some kind of challenge. The specifics may vary—from balanced nutrition to screen time—but the underlying question remains the same: Am I doing this right? Raising good humans becomes just a little easier with the support of people who truly get it.
Ask for Help
This one is tough, especially for those of us who feel responsible for everything and everyone. But the truth is, we can’t be in two places at once, and life has a way of reminding us of that at the most inconvenient times.
A client meeting gets moved, and suddenly you realize you can’t attend and make it to car line before they start calling the authorities. Awesome. Now what?
Everyone, parent or not, has experienced the strain of competing priorities. If you’ve found your tribe, now is the time to use it. Send out an SOS in the group chat and see if someone can step in. If that is not an option, it is time to communicate with your manager or team. Yes, it requires vulnerability, but it also provides important context when you need to adjust schedules or rearrange commitments.
If you’re in an hourly role, flexibility may be limited. When I worked in manufacturing, many of my team members were mothers of young children, and the attendance policy did not flex for unexpected illnesses or emergencies. That often meant taking the attendance point and dealing with the consequences. Some systems simply do not accommodate real life. In those moments, having a strong support network becomes essential.
Show Yourself Grace
No one is perfect, yet that truth can be hard to embrace when we are constantly exposed to curated highlight reels. Our feeds are filled with star-shaped PB&J sandwiches, smiling vacation photos (where are the ones with the meltdowns?), pristine meal-prep plans, and Pinterest-worthy teacher gifts.
We know, rationally, that no one is posting their behind-the-scenes chaos. But that nagging voice still creeps in and tells us we are falling short.
Whether you’re training for a marathon, starting a new job, or raising children, the journey is inherently imperfect. Setbacks are inevitable. When they happen, it is easy to spiral into “would have, could have, should have.” But that mental loop goes nowhere good.
Here is the harder challenge: show yourself grace.
Things did not go as planned. You fell short of your expectations. That does not make the experience a failure. It makes it human. Grace allows you to shift your perspective away from self-criticism and toward growth.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
When everything feels off, resist the urge to measure your life against someone else’s highlight reel. The comparison is unfair and unwinnable. It chips away at your confidence and amplifies mom guilt when you are already vulnerable. Protect your peace. Love yourself through the chaos.
Bottom Line
Just keep going.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: mommin’ ain’t easy. When you’re juggling the many roles you carry in a single day, the weight of expectation can feel overwhelming. But you keep showing up, and that matters more than anything.
Build your tribe. Ask for help when you need it. Show yourself grace when you miss the mark.
This road is rough and rugged, but every so often, you will pause and catch a glimpse of something so beautiful it takes your breath away.
And in those moments, you will know it is all worth it.
