"Mommy, are you coming home early?" "No dear, I have work to finish.
I might be home late, so don't wait up dinner for me.
" Is this exchange familiar to you? Perhaps, as a career woman, this is nothing unusual.
It's part of the drill.
But should you trade one of your classy women's leather briefcases for an apron? The Travails of Working Mommies It's always a juggling act for moms to balance the triumvirate of career, marriage, and family.
There are also issues at the work place that confound the problem like leaving work to attend a child's needs in school, or getting a leave of absence from work to care for a sick child.
At work, women who have to up and go because the school principal has called and want to discuss some problems are looked down as someone who cannot do her job well.
On the other hand, men who have to leave work for an hour or two because there's a child related problem are revered as icons.
The situation smacks of gender stereotypes and hinders a woman's advancement in their careers, whether they are single, a single parent, or married.
Other problems maxing out working moms juggling act include: * Less time spent with their spouses * Remote supervision over their children * Negative culture in the workplace * Sexual harassment K * Long commute hours daily But should women ditch their business cards, women's leather briefcases, and the perks that go with the job for family? It would cut across the grain to say that full-time mothers are blissfully content with their roles.
The Balancing Act With the economy backsliding and the prices of food going up, women are lining up for jobs to augment family income.
But the decision to work full time has to be weighed carefully by couples, especially if they have small children to consider.
The prospect of additional money looks good, but can this sustain and foster husband and wife relationships? Other factors can become stressful for you later on, such as: * Hauling the kids out of bed early in the morning to give them breakfast, dress them up and whisk them away to the day care centers before taking that long commute to work.
* Missing out on some school activities that require your presence.
* Pressures of home chores that need to be done.
* Having to rely on pre-cooked food or take-outs for dinner.
* Management can't relate to mommy problems.
* Coping with whistle blowers and bullies.
* Coping with guilt feelings that some of the parenting chores fall on the husband's shoulders.
If you cannot afford to quit your job but want to stop feeling remorseful about swapping the mommy role for an office job look at the brighter side of things.
Think Positive Feeling low? Perhaps you are worried that strangers are taking care of your children and nursing that niggling guilt that your husband is doing the chores you are supposed to do.
Instead of worrying your head off needlessly, think the following: * Children spending their time at the day care center are not different from children staying at home with their moms.
Rejoice that your children learn social skills, nursery rhymes, and enjoy structured activities to develop their motor and mental skills at the day care center.
* Dads picking up the mommy chores bond with their children, something that was unthinkable 25 years ago.
A good talk with your husband can eliminate 99.
9% of the negative feelings that's affecting your job and role as a mother and wife, and that solves most of your problem.
To make up for the slack, there are the weekends to have time for your husband and children.
Well, forget the clutter once and a while and take time to smell the flowers.