Revealing My Secret to Surviving as a Working Mom

My Secret to Getting It All Done

A full-time job, two kids, dishes, dinner, laundry, homework, baths, cleaning, projects, and on, and on, and on.………..Has the panic attack started just from reading that? As a mom, I have stopped so many times and asked how in the world society expects women to accomplish so many tasks in a 24 hour period, still manage to have that oh so important “time to themselves,” AND not go insane. I mean really – one person cannot possibly expect to accomplish all of those things in one day!

Well, I’m here to share my “secret.”

It’s my husband! Although we are in 2014, we all have to admit that there are still gender roles within traditional families in today’s society. I always find it interesting to watch people’s faces when I talk about all the things my husband does in our house. I hear “can I live at your house” and “must be nice.” I have to admit that I am truly blessed to have the husband that I have. He has never bought into the idea that men do certain tasks and women do certain tasks within a marriage or household. I will forever be grateful for that.

working mom featuredYou see, each night, my husband is the one who cooks. Each night, my husband is the one who does the dishes. Each morning, my husband is the one who makes lunches for the kids. In fact, each night my husband is even the one who moves the Elf on the Shelf. That’s not to say that I don’t have my own jobs in the house as well, but my list of jobs do not include every task to be accomplished in a day’s time. My jobs include paying the bills, doing homework with the kids, bathing the kids, washing the laundry, making doctor’s appointments, going on school field trips, getting the kids up, dressed and at school in the morning, and more.

My Challenge to You

So my challenge to the working moms out there is to throw out your typical gender roles and divide your family tasks with your husband. You may be thinking, “Yeah, right. Has she met my husband?” My response is have you asked him? Have you personally let go of the control so that your husband can help? Have you washed and put away enough dishes that you can now be ok if that bowl is not the exact right spot?

Give it a try! You might be surprised at how much your husband is willing to do if he believes that YOU believe he can do it!

What role does your husband play in your house? How are jobs divided in your house?

Lindsay
Lindsay is a native New Orleanian, displaced only by her years at Mississippi State, where she earned a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries and a minor in English. She came home shortly after Katrina, to work as a zookeeper and be a part of the rebuilding of her beloved city. She dragged her husband Drake, a Tennessee native, along with her. Their son Bennett joined the family in 2010, and in 2014 they welcomed identical twin girls, Genevieve and Kellen Clair. She now works full-time as an Environmental Scientist while working on her Master's and serving part-time as NOM’s resident Jill of All Trades. Powered by espresso, cake, and craft beer, her happy place is on a beach or in the woods. Need to identify a plant, tree, or animal? Lindsay’s a wealth of random knowledge. She loves to cook and sprinkle a little glitter on everything.

1 COMMENT

  1. About 46 percent of Louisiana kids grow up in single parent households, according to Kidscount.org. For those of you without a husband, be super organized, shore up your energy to cook healthy crockpot-to-freezer meals, and get your kids involved in the household chores. They will thank you one day. Above all, be kind to yourself.

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