The woes of working mothers

Being a mom is a full-time job. Raising children is perhaps the hardest thing to do, perhaps even more difficult than giving birth to them. You are constantly on your toes and there are a zillion things to handle. If you happen to be a mother who has a job, it gets even worse. Juggling personal and professional responsibilities and staying on top of them is no easy feat. But mothers make it seem so effortless. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t feel the pressure. ApEx spoke to three working mothers to find out how they deal with it.

Sarita Shrestha, 32

As a working mom, I’m happy about the support that my family has given me. It gives me confidence and the ability to go about my work without worrying about my child. I have seen my female colleagues resign after delivery. Pregnancy and childbirth take a physical and mental toll on the mother’s health and many women suffer from postpartum depression as well.

As a working mom, time management is the biggest challenge for me. You need to be able to balance work and personal life. You have to take care of yourself and give time to your children. It’s not easy to be in the right frame of mind and on top of things and it’s something working moms struggle with all the time.

Arani Shakya, 32

Being a working mom, one of the challenging aspects is scheduling my day-to-day activities. I often find myself rescheduling things I have signed up for because there are personal responsibilities to handle. I don’t get to spend much time with my child and I fear I’m missing many milestones that would make for wonderful memories later on. I feel terrible. It’s almost like I live with constant guilt. Worse, some people think as a working mother I’m not giving my child enough attention. But working moms have a lot to juggle. We rarely have time for ourselves and our mental health.

Sangita Ramjali Shrestha, 36

I have two children and I believe that all working moms are super women. There’s just so much to do and you can’t afford to let things slide. You must be at the top of your game, both personally and professionally. The concept of a working mom is lovely but I constantly find myself going through a rollercoaster of conflicting emotions. Raising a child can be difficult if you don’t have the support of your family. I live in a joint family so things are easier for me. There’s always someone to take care of my children when I’m inundated with work. Personally, being a working mom takes a toll on me when my children are ill and I find myself unable to take time off from work. It’s when I feel at my lowest.