For busy, working mothers, managing the craziness of children can put pressure on professionalism. With 10.4 million woman-owned firms in the U.S. (that’s 4 in10 privately held businesses), more women need to balance managing their home and work lives. Entrepreneur.com’s “mompreneur” Lisa Druxman offers tips on how to remain professional even if you spend your evenings scraping yogurt off the ceiling, including these:
1. Be dependable. “Babysitters cancel, kids get sick, and the list goes on…. However, as much as possible, don’t let the people you work with feel that they’re revolving around your child’s schedule. Find fellow moms, daycare centers, or family members whom you can depend on in a crunch.”
2. Keep up with your industry. “To stay on top, you’ll sometimes need to sacrifice mommy time for an occasional conference, continuing education course, or just a new book.”
3. Find things to talk about at work besides your kids. “When you’re a mom, your kids become the focus of your world. For many of us, it’s hard to talk about anything else. This shouldn’t be the case at work. No one wants to hear about your child’s chickenpox, your sleep-deprived nights, or your student of the month.”
Druxman’s rules may seem a little like finger wagging (and one could argue that the office culture bears some burden to be accepting of and flexible to mothers and fathers), but they’re also a healthy reminder. When you’re a mom juggling so many responsibilities, it’s easy to let one ball drop. But if your intent on developing your career, make sure that ball isn’t your professionalism.
(Image of a mom’s computer by Kimberly Hurst.)
