The Key to Beating Working-Mom Guilt
There’s no doubt I had to work at beating working-mom guilt early in my career.
My son had been part of my life through high school, college and even my MBA. One of my goals for my life, and his by extension, was to work hard so he could have options I hadn’t had. This meant that I had been working hard for most of his life. By the time I graduated with an MBA, I had gotten a promotion which meant even more work.
Like many career women, I felt guilty for working so hard as I tried to provide for myself and my son.
I worked hard at beating working-mom guilt by cutting myself some slack. I knew I was working for our current needs and future wants. And I understood the sacrifice was temporary and my hard work would soon pay off. If you’re a single parent who is battling working-mom guilt, say this with me: “I AM GOOD ENOUGH.”
You are good enough and that was my key to beating working-mom guilt. Though sometimes I felt like providing money for my child was keeping me from providing time for my child, I reminded myself I was doing my best.While I couldn’t see it then, my best would be rewarded down the line.
If you’re doing best, you are good enough.
It’s a different story if you’re not doing your best. But if you are, acknowledge that and don’t sell yourself short. By all means, ask yourself questions about the choices and sacrifices you are making to provide for your child. Once you have your answers do the needful. It might mean keeping things the same or asking for help. But then you will stand a better chance of beating working-mom guilt because you will have the right perspective about your work and raising a family.
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I’m Summer Owens, and my passion is helping youth and young adults realize success no matter what obstacles they face. As an international resilience and leadership keynote speaker, author, S.O. What! Success Coach, and creator of the S.O. What! Literacy, Life Skills, and Character Education curriculum, I empower people to say, “So what!” to even their greatest challenges. provide a framework to help people see past their challenges and focus on solutions using the S.O. What! Success System (Overcome Obstacles + Eliminate Excuses + Calculate Choices = S.O. What! Success). Through keynotes, workshops, books, online courses, and workbooks, I use life’s challenges and my own story of resilience as a rape survivor and teen mom success story to help others confidently pursue their dreams.
Looking for an inspiring college motivational speaker? A high school literacy curriculum? A middle school life skills workbook? A great example for teen mothers? A women’s empowerment or single mother’s conference speaker? I’m your girl and will help any audience say, “S.O. What!”.
