You know who I’m talking about. She’s the ‘professional mother’ who always arrives at school pick up on time with frazzle-free hair and flawless makeup, following her busy day at work in the corporate world.
The ‘professional mother’ waits calmly for her children to skip happily towards the car. #eyeroll #pfft
You just know that when they get home, she’s probably already got an assortment of healthy home baked snacks prepared for her children, which no doubt, they’ll devour with gratitude in a tv-free zone.
Know someone like this?
Doesn’t look at all like the mad dash out the door you experienced a few seconds ago, hair still wet from your afternoon shower.
Okay, it may be just me, but if you’ve ever let thoughts of irritability, jealousy, and inadequacy trickle into your mind (only every mother!) then you may have a case of ‘comparison-itis’.
// WHAT IS COMPARISON-ITIS?
Comparison-itis is the act of negatively comparing yourself to others.
The cure?
Stop doing it.
It’s as simple as that.
The truth is… we don’t know the whole story.
The professional mother – who is always volunteering at school events in the evenings– may be avoiding arguing with her husband every night.
The organised housewife who brings in butter icing cupcakes for her child’s birthday, may have stayed up till 11pm baking and spent her last $20 on cupcake supplies.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mother, a working mother, or a business owner, we must support each other’s decisions without feeling intimidated or inadequate.
// THE RISE OF THE WORKING MAMA
To work? Or not to work? That is the question! The rise of the ‘working mother’ divides opinion among women. The 2019 labour force statistics indicated that there was a steady increase in women being employed over the past 12 months.
But just because the evolution of the working mum (mom in the US) is becoming more prevalent, does it make it right?
Every mum and non-mum will have her own ideas about if and when returning to work after having children is positive or even plausible.
// BECOMING A MUM-PRENEUR
I never planned on becoming a Mumpreneur. In case you’re wondering, a Mumpreneur is a woman who sets up and runs her own business in addition to caring for her children.
For me personally, I took time away from my 9-5 job after the birth of my two children. I later returned to employment in a part-time capacity, which afforded me the opportunity to raise my family alongside of doing meaningful work I was passionate about. This seems to be a common path as women working part time make up 68.7 percent of all part time part time employment in Australia.
Working part time also laid the foundation for the evolution of myself as a Mumpreneur, starting my own side hustle – Life Sorted – in 2015. You can read the full Life Sorted story here.
While some of my friends and family would call me a workaholic, I can honestly say that returning to work and starting Life Sorted saved my sanity. But for other busy mamas, returning to work in a job they’ve fallen out of love with or starting a new side hustle is the worst choice they could make alongside of raising a family!
// MAMAS STANDING TOGETHER
Being a mother is honestly one of the busiest (and craziest!) jobs you’ll ever do!
I mean who would accept a job that requires you to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, be a taxi driver, financial adviser, nurse knees, wipe noses, make mad dashes to the shops for supplies, cook multiple meals, be a counsellor, a cleaner, a declutter-er, and an organizer of all things family. And do all of this for NO PAY!
No sane person, right?!
Yet, as a mother – this is exactly what we do – albeit with a little help from our friends, partners and sometimes if we’re lucky, even our teenagers!
If no one else has told you lately, I want to remind you that wherever you are on your mothering journey, you’re doing an awesome job.
Don’t let the ‘professional mum’ intimidate you.
Your kids and family love you for YOU.
Keep ‘doing’ YOU lady.
Jo xo
And if you feel like a chuckle, watch this brilliant video about The World’s Toughest Job.
