Being a parent is a tough gig
Anyone who has kids knows what I'm talking about. You work hard, go without sleep for years, juggle lots of priorities, and learn how to focus on the really important stuff.
I became much more efficient at work when I first became a mother (24 years ago!) I had never before diapered a baby or heated a bottle. I had never before cleaned up puke or pee in the middle of the night. And, although I had faced scary management challenges, nothing quite compared to sitting up with a sick child in the middle of the night, waiting for a fever to break. It makes giving a mediocre performance review or preparing a complex Excel spreadsheet seem like child's play.
Although I now believe that equally balancing motherhood and a high-pressure career is a truly impossible task (and anyone who says she does it is probably fibbing just a bit...we have all dropped major balls along the way), I learned a lot from the journey.
For example, I have become adept at multitasking. I have learned how to be challenged by young people and comfort them when they are stressed or disappointed. I have learned that I cannot always control life's surprises.
And, if I believe what my daughters will write in my Mother's Day cards next week, they have learned a thing or two from me. My daughter (a business analyst) is planning her wedding and her budget, guest list, and to-do list all sit in Excel spreadsheets in Google Docs. My younger daughter writes a killer resume, leads community service meetings, and has never had trouble finding a summer job. And they can both make my chocolate chip cookie recipe from memory.
No one will ever give me a formal performance review for the job that I've done as a mother. The occasional eye roll or "Oh MA!" is a clear enough sign that I need to step up my game. But watching my daughters grow into confident, happy, and kind young women sure beats out a promotion or raise any day.
The happiest jobs for working mothers, according to Forbes
This book includes some wisdom on mothers who are also entrepreneurs
Check out my blogs on Third Age for other tales of motherhood and daughterhood
More fun mom stuff can be found on my Pinterest Boards!