Balancing two roles
Working mothers may find it difficult to strike a healthy work-life balance. While it may be difficult, juggling the duties of mother and professional woman is not impossible. Being a woman in the twenty-first century with the ability to accomplish it all can have both positive and negative effects.
It can make you feel as if you have to do everything and do it perfectly in order to be deemed successful. You just need to take your time in strategizing on how you will be able to balance your life as a mom and a working professional.
One of the most demanding positions to be in is feeling like you have to choose between pursuing your career and raising your family. Maybe the decision itself isn’t so hard, but the implications of that decision are far-reaching and painful. Unfortunately, women find themselves making the difficult choice to put their children over chasing their dreams. However, the truth is you don’t have to choose between pursuing a fulfilling career and motherhood.
Women have had a tough road in the United States but have made dramatic strides in recent decades. From women’s voting rights and Roe v. Wade to the fight to climb the corporate ladder and earn equal earnings as their male counterparts, women have done it all while raising happy children in a loving home. In this short article, we’ll discuss three such women—you may have heard of them and their work.
1. Michelle Obama
If you thought all Michelle Obama was is the former first lady, you couldn’t know less about the “little girl from Southside Chicago.” For one, she was already practicing law in a Chicago law firm when she met her future husband and President of the United States, Barack Obama. Before that, she was a standout at Harvard Law School where she earned her J.D.
Today, Michelle is an award-winning author, the first African-American first lady of the United States, a National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and oh, yeah, a mother of two daughters, Malia and Sahsa, both of whom are in college. Malia has chosen to follow her parent’s footsteps to Harvard, and Sasha is currently attending the University of Michigan.
Michelle shined has shined as a law student, lawyer, first lady, author, and most importantly to her, motherhood. She’s the former first lady to the world, but she’s truly Mama bear to her flourishing daughters.
2. Suzanne Clark
Suzanne Clark is the next superwoman on our list of amazing mothers and career women. Suzanne is the current CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the first woman to ever hold the position. Prior to that, she was the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, another position which she was the first woman to hold in the organization’s nearly 110 years.
Suzanne began her journey into the business world when she began studying business administration at the illustrious Georgetown University, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree in business and her MBA.
Suzanne certainly didn’t start her career at the top of the corporate ladder, but she didn’t waste much time once she began climbing. She got to take the helm of a company for the first time in 2007 when she became the president of the National Journal Group. In 2012, she purchased the Potomac Research Group.
Suzanne has many laudable accomplishments, but her greatest achievement is being the mother of a daughter who’s a teen entrepreneur. She’s instilled her business savvy in her daughter. What greater legacy is there for a mother to leave for her daughter than to know she can do anything?
3. Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is a woman who’s a true testament to perseverance. You might know her now as the COO and the first woman to serve on the board of directors at Facebook, but there’s much more to Sheryl than that.
Among Sheryl’s many accomplishments are graduating summa cum laude from Harvard University and graduating with the highest honors from Harvard business school. She’s worked in the U.S. Department of the Treasury and later Google where she was in charge of online sales, growing the sales team from 4 to 4,000.
However, her most awe-inspiring accomplishment is how Sheryl has exhibited strength, poise, and grace in the wake of losing her husband in 2016. She’s continued to lead Facebook’s charge toward becoming a better platform and being a supermom.
There’s no denying that women have a tough climb up the corporate ladder and political power structure. The important thing to learn from women like former first lady Michelle Obama and CEOs Suzanne Clark and Sheryl Sandberg is that you don’t have to choose between being a career woman and a great mother. Throughout history, women have proven they’re capable of making it to the top of their career fields while raising happy children who are assets to society. Hopefully, powerful women like Michelle, Suzanne, and Sheryl will serve as reminders that you can do it, too.
How to balance being a career woman and a mother
1. Time management- It is really difficult to be a full-time mother while also working. But the trick is to manage your time wisely; being able to stick to a routine will be really beneficial. Create a to-do list to help you stay organized with your daily tasks.
2. Set your priorities and stick to them- Understanding what you require versus what you desire can be the first step toward balancing your home and professional lives. After you’ve decided those, consider which should be consistent and which should be flexible.
3. When help is needed, seek out- Working while parenting a child may necessitate the assistance of others, whether you have a spouse or a support system. Asking for support from individuals you trust in your life may be a good method for you to strike a balance between your personal and professional lives.
4. Self-care is essential- Taking care of your physical health and well-being is a common component of self-care. Strive to eat healthily, get plenty of exercise, and see your doctor for regular check-ups. Self-care may also include devoting time to activities you love, such as interests or socializing with friends.
5. Understand the season- Every season in nature brings with its new changes and experiences, and the same is true for our jobs and motherhood. Enjoy the uniqueness of each period of life, and be open to changing your goals based on what is essential to you at different moments in time.
6. Make contact with a counsellor to discuss your emotions- Some working mothers find that meeting with a therapist on a regular basis to address their issues in balancing work and home life is beneficial. A skilled therapist may offer advice for working women to manage their issues in order to avoid chronic stress and mental exhaustion later on.
7. Communicate your needs as soon as possible- When you have a solid support system in place, don’t be afraid to be transparent about your needs so that others may rally around you or change their expectations as needed.
8. Concentrate on the present time- Tell yourself that what’s in front of you demands your undivided focus, and resist the urge to let your thoughts wander. When it comes to your children, prioritize connection and memory-making.
9. Prioritize yourself and your relationship- Find strategies to refresh and stay in good shape in the long run. With regards to your relationship, children feel safe when their parents have a loving relationship.
10. Take pleasure in the journey- By embracing the process, including the difficulties and missteps, you will be able to instill in your children a thankful, caring, and honest way of life.