Working Mom's Guilt? I think NOT!

Over the past 5 years, I have experienced what I thought was working mom’s guilt. Lately I have really pondered this feeling and have finally discovered where this is all coming from. For the record … I have absolutely NOTHING to feel guilty about by being a full-time working mom. I am able to contribute to the financial stability of my home, show my children the value of a strong work-ethic and utilize my God-given abilities in the work place. As I entered into my 30s, I started to search for a network of moms and young families to share in this journey of life.

I am passionate about people and relationships. Everyone has a “story” and they are all special – it’s what makes us unique. I thrive when I am deeply connected. My husband and I joined a small group at church for parents of young children.  While the friendships we have formed there are encouraging and fulfilling, I still found myself a bit discouraged and out of place. I found myself in a sea of stay-at-home moms. And it kind of made me a little crazy thinking I was all alone.  Let’s be honest – most play dates and mommy functions are organized and scheduled  on week days, which is hard to get plugged into with the demands of corporate American between the hours of 9-5 Monday through Friday.

Please don’t misunderstand me! I love my stay-at-home mom friends and have many close friends that stay home with their sweet kiddos all day every day. I just need an outlet to share my daily lows and highs of being a full-time working mom. The more I thought about it, I realized I am not experiencing working mom’s guilt – I am experiencing a lack of community with other full-time working moms.  In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 63.9% of mothers in the work force have children under the age of 6 years old, which means … I am NOT alone! There are other women JUST like me that manage this crazy juggle of family-life and work-life.  Could they be having these same feelings?

Why isn’t there a stronger community with other working moms? I don’t know, but I will do what I can to change this. This could be a real ministry opportunity. Lately I have felt led to get involved and do my part to help strengthen the network of working moms in my own community. I will be hosting a kickoff luncheon on March 6^th for the Sisterhood of the WORKING Motherhood in North Austin. Let the networking and encouraging begin!