Working Mom's Advice for New Moms
Written by WIN Staff
Being a mother is the hardest job in the world, with the least amount of training. In honor of this Mother’s Day we decided to turn to our incredible community to share their best parenting advice. Check out a few nuggets of wisdom from our community and wishing all you moms a Happy Mother's Day!
Spend 10 minutes a day, one-to-one with your child(ren), distraction/device-free, doing/playing whatever they wish. I wish I knew to do this sooner. My 7-year-old son often wants me to tickle him for 10 minutes (which sounds like my nightmare) and my daughter often wants to interview me for her non-existent Youtube channel.
- Ashley Rigby, CEO Action Fellow for Racial Equity, Herman Miller
You can't do it all. And it's completely fine. And you are still an amazing mom. If you have a partner, they have to pitch in. If you can afford to hire help, outsource chores, get groceries delivered, do it. If some stuff has to slide, no biggie. If pumping is too much stress, do less of it or don't do it. If you don't meet your stretch goals this year, oh well. Sleep is important and your mental health is important and prioritizing yourself as much as you can is important. Whatever decisions you make are the right ones. Lean on your people. You got this!
- Sareen Pearl, HR Director, Alcoholics Anonymous
Being a working mom is like brushing teeth while eating Oreos. There’s no DONE state and that’s ok! It’s a journey that ebbs and flows from one day to the next. Write that mental list down, know what has to be done, and voice when you need help. You’re doing amazing work!
- Eileen Grimes, Author
It’s not always picture perfect. You always want to make sure that you’re spending as much time as you can with them, and working to make sure that their future is secure. And we feel guilty when we need to spend another 15 minutes to write that email, or anxious when we’re 15 minutes late to a meeting or a shift because our child needs comforting. Compromises like that are valid, as long as you’re coming from a place of love. And trust me when I say that IT TAKES A VILLAGE. Ask for help. I’m all for empowerment, and a huge part of that is self-awareness - which includes the humility to ask for help. Surround yourself with a support system that will help from a place of love. And when you get overwhelmed, let go of everything and hug your child. It’s the most powerful feeling in the world.
- Kia Abrera, CEO, Braveworks Inc.
Create boundaries for work - those opportunities of spending time with your children are limited, and once they're gone, they're gone. Work will always be there. Prioritize and delegate at work and at home. You may end up caregiving both ends at some point - kids and elderly parents - look into resources as soon as possible, and understand we all do the best we can.
- Alison Aguiar, Sr. Manager, Barnes & Noble
Life is not perfect and you are not expected to be perfect either. You will miss dinners and a few PTA meetings and maybe even a concert or event. The key is making the time you do have with your child or children time just for them. Put the phone away, tell the office you are in a meeting if you are remote, and make time for them the same way you would make time for a patient, client, customer, or students at your job. Schedule them in your organizer and show them to make them feel special. They will remember the times that mom stopped everything, even if just for an hour, just for them!
- Erika Newsome, Special Educator, Citywide Council on Special Education/Allen School of Health Sciences
Take time for your girlfriends. Things can be so crazy taking care of children and working but every time I take a break to be with friends I find it so helpful. We all need a support system and some time for ourselves.
- Mara Smith, Founder and CEO, Inspiro Tequila LLC
Never feel guilty for making your needs a priority. Motherhood is beautiful yet exhausting work. If you don't prioritize your needs too, you pay with your health and happiness.
- Brandi Wiatrak, Host, Mom After Hours podcast
My advice- It’s still ok to sleep when the baby sleeps even when they are a toddler. Make sure you are getting adequate rest too mama! And build a community of moms around you! Moms that have kids the same age as you, moms with older kids to reassure that there’s light at the end of the tunnel :grinning:, and moms with younger kids to help them in their motherhood journey too.
- Jilandra Coffin
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