Career or Home ? Or Both ?

Career or Home ? Or Both ?

i There is no one right answer on how to do career and motherhood—on how to “have it all.” But you can do both, and you can do both well. How you do it depends on unique factors: what you want, your situation, your home life and the kind of job you have. There are no universal fix-alls. With that caveat, here is what has worked for me and the things I wish I had known sooner. 1. Stop comparing yourself to other moms.-Don’t go there. Ask what matters most to your child and spend your energy there.. Ask your kids how they feel and let that be your compass. Rather than define success by external standards, look at your family. How are they doing? If they are happy and well adjusted, don’t get caught up in what you are supposed to do. And, in case you forgot, stop comparing 2-Treat important family events like client meetings. 3-Look beyond one day or one week. Don’t be hard on yourself because of a really hectic 24 hours, or seven days. Look at schedules and time with family over the course of a much broader time horizon—months rather than days. 4-Find the right partner(s). Careers and parenting take partnerships. Consider the mindset of your life partnerupfront. Single parents can get that from friends and family, too. Remember that this struggle isn’t just a career-mom thing; it’s a human thing. People are working through all kinds of challenges—aging parents, difficult marriages, family illness. It’s just that some are more visible, some are more universal than others. There is always a trade-off to be made in life. So please give yourself a break. And, as you’re being kinder to yourself, be kinder to other women and support them, however you can.