Some Questions for Working Moms
Author Julie Ann Barnhill poses some probing questions to mothers who work outside the home.
- Are you comfortable with the number of hours you're working?
- Are you taking good care of yourself?
- Are you working more because of what others think or because this is really the best choice for you and your family?
- Are you making yourself and your family crazy by trying to do too many things? (Name two responsibilities you could hand over or let go of in order to find a bit more balance.)
- Do you (will you) ask for help? Have you considered hiring a housekeeper if you can afford one? Or do you believe hiring someone means you're admitting you just can't do it all—or do it well?
- Are you comfortable with your child-care arrangements?
- Have you missed a lot of important family events because of work responsibilities or work-related travel?
- Do you sense that your children are basically well-adjusted?
- Are you connecting emotionally with your kids when you are home?
- Are you happy or unhappy with your job in general?
- Is your spouse or extended family supportive of your job? Do you find yourself defending your choice to them?
- Have you doled out household responsibilities to your children (as appropriate), your spouse or other family members living with you?
- In what ways does your paycheck contribute to your family's budget? Are you forgetting just how valuable those contributions are?
- Do you allow enough time to take care of morning details and evening roundups with your children at a reasonable and relaxed pace? If not, can you work toward that even today?
- Is working outside the home the best choice for you and your family? If not, how can you change the situation either now or in the future?
Excerpted from Motherhood: The Guilt That Keeps on Giving. Copyright © 2006 by Julie Ann Barnhill. Used by permission of Harvest House Publishers. Excerpt may not be reproduced without the prior consent of Harvest House Publishers.