One of the hardest decisions in a mother’s life is whether or not to return back to work after having a baby. Many women resent the decision they end up making. We’ll discuss how harboring regret only hinders your life and career, regardless of which path you end up choosing.
(Photo Credit: familymwr/Flickr)
Many families nowadays depend on dual incomes to survive, making the choice to return back to work not a decision at all, but rather something that needs to happen in order to keep a roof over the family’s heads. This can, oftentimes, create a false perception that mothers who do have the option to stay home have it way easier than those who are forced to return to the workforce post-baby. On the flip side, women who give up their careers to become stay-at-home-moms (SAHM), also feel resentful towards the mothers who get to “escape” to their 9-to-5s and participate in adult interaction, rather than be stuck at home with insatiable, needy children.
Depending on what side of the street you’re on, the grass will always look greener – if you choose it to be. Harboring feelings of resentment will only hold you back as a mother and career woman because you are basing what your reality could or should be on false assumptions. In the end, this back and forth mud-slinging battle between SAHMs and working mothers only creates an unnecessary divide amongst the two groups that is as unsupportive as it is damaging to mothers in general.
Mothers, and women in general, should be supportive of one another, because women are fighting for gender equality, which has been in the works for decades now. Mothers, working or SAHM, are encouraged to take a step back and see that they are, in fact, fighting the same exact battle – the one against guilt and resentment as mothers. A recent Working Mother Research Institute study conducted on more than 3,700 mothers found that “roughly one third of all mothers, working or at home, say they often feel guilty about their contribution to the household. And nearly half (49 percent of working and 47 percent of stay-at-home moms) admit they are their own toughest critics.” Mothers, pick your battles wisely because, the people most affected by the “should-have, would-have, could-have” mentality is your family.
In order to flourish as mothers and working women, it’s important for women to recognize that they are doing what mothers do best – being selfless in their decisions to do what’s best for their families, especially their children. There’s no use in playing into feelings of regret because it’ll only result in an endless abyss of unnecessary grief. Mothers, recharge your life and career with a brand new mindset and be proud of the decision you made for your family.
Tell Us What You Think
Are you a SAHM or working mother who is happy with the decision you made? Share why you think so on Twitter or in the comments section below.
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