Motherhood can teach you plenty about your career. While it might not dictate how to read the stock market, how to fire an employee or how to appeal to new customers directly, there are certain attitudes a mother learns that allows for a better and more successful career. When you return to work or come back after a long absence, it’s almost certain you will find this out for yourself. Mothers may fear returning to work after a long absence, and this is understandable; they might consider themselves rusty or lacking in the energy they once put forth. However, this article is here to put you at ease: a mother has nothing but value to contribute to their chosen career.
Authority
There is nothing better for gaining a personal sense of responsibility than being a mother. When the life of your child is at stake, you will likely do everything you can to care for them. This means knowing you must be completely confident in everything you do. If you can implement an excellent 6 month old schedule for your little mischievous one, then dealing with a tricky colleague is the real child’s play. This can help you in the boardroom, as it bolsters your ability to stick to your guns and defend your ideas.
It’s not that you may have been weak before you became a mother, but now you have absolute conviction in yourself rather than relying on someone else to come to your defense. The two mindsets are different. Now you have the opportunity to take better care or more diligence in expressing yourself, and stay more rational all the while.
Care
If you’re an employer, sometimes it can be easy to beat your employees over the head with the proverbial stick. This is even more tempting when you have project deadlines to meet or a large order for a client. In these make-or-break moments, kindness and the ability to open up is sometimes replaced with a sense of outright ordering. Again, a disclaimer is needed that I’m not implying that people without children are hard and cold; that’s not what I’m getting at.
However, a mother returning to work may find that she’s see the office as a family dynamic. The unconditional care she brings to her child will often function when things get a little bit rough in the office. If there’s an HR dispute in the office, you’ll most likely listen to the situation and be open to both sides before making a judgement. One of the best traits of motherhood is learning to listen and come with an almost immediate solution, no matter the problem. This openness can help you think laterally about certain scenarios. There might be a few issues that really challenged you beforehand, but having the time off to deal with the inner workings of your family unit might warrant a new change of pace, and a new mindset to tackle those things that could lead to success.
Sustainable Goals
You might be steadfast at achieving absolutely everything you can. You might be driven by a need to dominate, succeed, and become the very best possible. This is wonderful and inspirational, and you should be more than proud of yourself for that. However, this is not always what people want. After dealing with motherhood, you will likely prioritize sustainability over profit. What keeps your business working and able to move towards their goals? Is staff morale more important than forcing overtime on employees to increase profit this year? Does going after a massive order mean that you’ll have to put other clients on the back burner while you try to catch this bigger fish?
This is not to say it’s better to be laid back but instead that your mindset will simply prioritize what matters for success. This can result in a healthier business or your maintaining a healthy attitude toward your job. If you feel there is little left to prove once your family foundation is set, this can positively impact your mental and physical health so there is no longer a need to achieve at all costs.
All of this helps one to realize that returning to work as a mother is something to be profoundly excited about. There’s peace of mind in knowing that motherhood transforms you in ways that can help you overcome challenges in the workplace and outside of it too.
I would have never thought that my being a mom would make me better at my job, but after reading your post I see how it could. I love the points you brought up. Great post!
YES I totally think “mom” should be a part of the resume :)
I love that you’re talking about this! My hubby refers to me as the CEO of our home. It is too bad lots of places of business do not loom at the skills we develop at home the same as if they were cultivated in a professional setting. Maybe that will change one day?!
I just recently started blogging about Motherhood (a bit sarcastically though haha) and that’s how I found your site. I will say that one thing that stands out to me since becoming a mother, re: work, is how much more effectively I now use my time. If I could take me-now back to childless-me, I could probably rule the world with all the extra time I’d have on my hands.
It sounds like time management is absolutely something you’re learning to be better at now that you’re a mom :) I’m wishing you all the best with your journey into blogging!
Thank you :)
comes automatically.
Very true. And I think we learn to prioritize and make the most of our time. I’m not taking time away from home unless it’s absolutely necessary! I’ve also learned to not get involved in petty workplace drama. I have enough to think about as a working mom to add co-worker’s drama to it.
Love this post. Working and being a mom has helped me develop patience with myself and coming to terms that no one benefits if I try to do too much. I need to set realistic expectations.
I think we often try to overextend ourselves – you’re not alone!
I can’t agree with you more, I think being a mother or father can teach you many lessons that will spill over into other areas of your life. Sometimes it can be frustrating when you are dealing with people and you think, WHY DON”T THEY GET IT! But many times the reason we get it, is because of the different roles we have to play as a parent. This of course doesn’t mean that if your not a parent you won’t get it. I just think that being a mother or father returning to work can be a scary thought but you have gained so many new skills that will make you a great employee or even employer. I loved this blog! Thank you for sharing.
Great blog! Being a working mom I have learnt to value my time more.
I learned quite quickly as a mother that without a failsafe back-up childminder who is willing to look after your sick child, you won’t be a working mother for very long!
This post really enlighten me. I am going through a similar situation right now. Thank you for the inspiration. Norah, you are so right about “children were probably my best teachers”. I learn something new from my kids everyday.
Great post! N so very true. Kids take out the best from us, evn the potential we didnt know we had.
I learned much from being a mother. In fact my children were probably my best teachers. Great post, Christy.
Children as teachers is a beautiful concept, Norah! So nice to see you here xx
Lovely to visit and read, Christy. I’m miles behind and a tortoise at catching up. :)
Great adwise Christy. Beeing a mother makes you more patient and organized thats great to have in a workplace. Thanks for sharing. Hugs 💚
Thanks for being here, Nina. Yes, you’re right about the value of patience <3
It’s well spoken and presentable… more especially the area you said: “You might be driven by a need to dominate, succeed, and become the very best possible”.. thanks for this wonderful inspirational post.. Remain bless – Israel
Great way to look at things.
Great post. Aa a retired university prof and administrator, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve often said that the most useful skills I brought to teaching, managing, and mentoring were those I learned from being a mother. :)
I think motherhood definitely teaches you to prioritize what is important and does give you knew skills and ways of thinking.
With positive parenting comes leadership qualities which beat management skills in my book anyday! Another interesting post Christy!
Great post as always Christy!Some of the great qualities that motherhood brings about I think are being proactive, get better at organizing and most of all being patient :) All these qualities help in the work place as well !
Motherhood does lend an eye toward the perspective of family dynamics. I don’t have children of my own, but I cared for my younger sister while growing up. I felt like a parent, as she looked to me for guidance and solace ❤
Reblogging to sister site Success Inspirers World 🏆
Thank you :)
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I love this. Thank you for sharing. I’ve often thought about telling employers in an interview that yes I have management experience. I deal with soccer schedules, homework and book reports due days as well as planned play days. I’m good with calming frusterad people (toddlers) down and coming up creative solutions to problems. For example how to get glue and nail polish out of the carpet. I’m also great with budgets!
Great parallels there! So true.
Love this Christy! The skills one acquires by becoming a mother can definitely carry over to the workplace. The ability to listen to others, and to empathize can get you far in any field.
As a mother who recently returned to work after a long maternity leave, thank you. I needed to read this!
Congrats on your baby! That is such a hard transition, but it gets better (and looking at the date of your post, hopefully you’ve already found that to be true).
Such a kind comment :)