Mom Guilt: Choosing Between Work and Home

Joy of joys! You are blessed with a family and in charge of shaping a human into a respectable and contributing member of society. But, this task is *in addition* to continuing to be you? How can you manage being a good partner, friend, sibling, employee, and community member when you are also being a parent? It’s impossible. The days didn’t get longer with the arrival of your child. So why is there so much pressure to fit everything in? Enter Mom Guilt.

You Can’t Be 2 Places At Once

When talking with parents, an overarching issue is guilt. Those at home feel they should have continued a paid job and not “just” stayed home. Conversely, those at work worry they are “choosing to miss” important moments and time with family while they are earning a living. But some people do both, right? Why can’t we expect ourselves to do both flawlessly? Beyoncé only has 24 hours in a day too, but she is survivin’ (and not gon’ stop).

It doesn’t need to be so black and white. Can we agree that there is a scenario where two people might arrive to different decisions, but both are valid and correct for each person? Maybe you have oodles of grandparent help that allows for family bonding between generations while you are out of the home. Maybe you can provide needed specialized care for you little one by staying home. What if you prefer to be at home or work and have the luxury of being able to choose either to best fit you and your mental health?

Find Your “Just Right”

Currently, American society places importance on paid work. That doesn’t mean staying home is copping out. Parenting resources may discuss the importance of being with your little one during formative years. This doesn’t mean choosing to go to work is abandoning parenting responsibilities. Just as Goldilocks had to find her “just right” fit, you too are in charge of finding yours. While the opinions of others might be enticing, determine what works for your unique situation and own it. You will be able to curate what you say yes and no to.

Need help figuring out how to make your choices or to be at peace with your situation? Want to stop comparing yourself to others? Need to escape “mom guilt” or related thoughts? Use the free consult to start working towards a guilt-free exitance with greater enjoyment in your choices and your roles.