A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

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Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.
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Reading on the Run: Topics of Interest to Working Women (Being a Working Mom Can be Overwhelming)

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Being a working mom is hard work. I’ve devoted this blog to discussing the topic and there are lots of other commentators speaking about this topic. Recently, Katrina Alcorn, a working mom, came out with a book that discusses her personal struggle with trying to balance working and mothering. The struggle became too much and she had a breakdown in her car.
 

Corporate America Should Support Parents

 
Although Alcorn's journey may be somewhat extreme, it punctuates the struggle that all working moms face. It also illustrates that America has a long way to go before corporate culture reflects the reality of our culture. Many households have two working parents. Accordingly, the options at work should reflect the responsibilities that many parents, especially women, have at home.
 
Like my working mom sisters, I have cried because I have felt as if I couldn't manage working and mothering, especially when I first returned to work from maternity leave. I have also felt the guilt when I have missed putting my daughter to sleep or have failed to buy things we need from the grocery store or missed any number of things that were my responsibility. In many ways, being a working mom is an exercise in feeling the guilt and doing what you need to do anyway.
 
Still, it can be really challenging, which is why I shall continue to share my own tale as well as tips for turning the struggle into a success story!
 
Article about Katrina Alcorn's book and her struggle.

“‘Maxed Out’ author Katrina Alcorn talks about struggles juggling work, home responsibilities”, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-09-11/lifestyle/41960625_1_other-moms-american-moms-advice 

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