Being a Working Mom
My two boys Lennon and Lucas, are the greatest joys of my life. So often I have thought that if I can just be the best mom ever, I will have had the best accomplishment in life.
My incredibly passionate Real Estate career is purpose-filled and meaningful.
Add the pandemic parenting to the mix, and I will admit it has not been easy to do.
Here’s the hard part.
I need ME time, which often includes requiring time alone.
I find serenity with my dog more than my kids (sometimes I feel I even love my fur family more than people)
I am fiercely independent and driven in my career
I love dating my husband and search time with him.
I have a house that needs attention and updates to maintain and enjoy
I love my job and the incredible team of women I work with at The Kate Broddick Team.
Life is full and wonderful, but that doesn’t mean I am not struggling at times to balance it all and find harmony in all of it.
Throughout the COVID pandemic, I ramped up my career with a new website and team of incredible boss-babes at The Kate Broddick Team, and then all my focus needed to be everywhere suddenly.
I was absolutely swamped with business due to a seller’s market that has kept my career demands and busyness unprecedented and unique during the pandemic restrictions.
Add to that; my children have been isolated from school, extended family and friends, and their extra-curricular activities. I became a homeschooling mom while trying to manage the high-pressure pace of the real estate market during escalating prices, multiple offers and a growing business.
So here I am, Up close and personal! These are lessons I am learning from trying to do more than just balance both my work and my family. I want to rock work, and rock motherhood.
And it is ok. But that drive can take a toll unless I incorporate these self-help tips into life as a working mom:
Take a Break
Somedays, I go to work for a break from being a mom, and sometimes I play with my children to get a break from work. Sometimes I go to the bathroom or my cozy chair with a book to get a break from both. By the time I sit down at the computer in the morning to be Broker Stacey, I have already solved multiple problems, negotiated and helped others. Then, after I do the same for clients all day, I return to the homestead to continue it until I crash at the end of the day. I used to make the drive to and from work my main break but have learned I need more than that each day. Everyone needs a break and a breather each day.
Let go of Guilt
Sometimes I feel guilty for wanting to have this career so passionately. Sometimes I miss things on Sunday afternoons with my family because I am a realtor, which is my busiest time of the week. Sometimes I feel guilty for creating boundaries when I need to stay off my email during family times and don’t respond right away. In the end, fellow working moms, clients, and even my children are more patient than I think. I am working hard to be more gentle with myself and let go of the guilt.
Develop My Time Management
Time Management as a working mom is the most crucial life skill. I no longer want to be the mom racing home like my house is on fire to get to my children’s school event. I carve out the time for my children that I want to cherish, and I carve out time for my entrepreneurial administration and selectively schedule clients in-between. Flexibility is critical with real estate and motherhood, but protecting and scheduling my time as if it is my bank account helps me know where all the precious time is going to.
Rocking being a Realtor and a mother doesn’t mean I get it perfect all the time. But recognizing it is ok to be head over heels in love with both is the most important message of self-love I can give myself every day. There is enough love for it all. Regardless of how messy it sometimes feels, I wouldn’t trade either for the world.
