It’s time to debunk the myth that Moms make terrible employees.

If you’ve been a Mom for a bit, you already know that being a parent gives you the skills to make you a MUCH better employee.

But newer Moms may not know this yet. This article is dedicated to the newer Mom. The Mom who has a new baby (or two or three) and may even still be breastfeeding.

Whether you’re a new Mom or an experienced Mom, this article is designed to make you feel like the powerful woman, skillful woman you already are.

Podcast Version

Below is the podcast version of this article. The podcast explains things so much better than a blog post. I invite you to listen and also hear some examples and enjoy some laughs! You can subscribe to the Podcast by opening your favorite podcast app and typing “Balanced Working Moms” into the search or click here for a link to the podcast on iTunes.

Lots of Moms Feel This Way

The topic from this post came from our Facebook Community Group. In our group, a Mom posted something that broke my heart. She wrote that she feels like she’s not a great employee since having kids.

As soon as I read this, I knew she was a newer mom since I remember feeling the same way.

When my first child was born, I remember the supreme embarrassment I felt when I had to go pump.

My coworkers were all men and they were nice about it. They were actually family men and had wives and kids, so they got it.

But it was embarrassing.

And I felt exactly like the person in our group.  

But luckily, I have some hindsight behind me. 

Little did I know that once I got into my groove, I would astound myself with my productivity, professionalism, and all kinds of new skills that came from being a parent.

It’s Just a Myth

The belief that working Moms don’t make good employees is just a myth, in my opinion.

Like most myths (and prejudices), I think the opposite is true.

Sure, those first few months or so a Mom’s productivity may be a little lower since she’s exhausted.

But she will MORE than make up for it.

Here are reason’s why working Moms make the BEST employees:

Reason #1: They’re Great a Handling Squabbles

I had to start with the reason that will make you laugh.

As a Mom, you’re great at handling conflict.

And you know what you do? You guessed it. In the workplace, you use your parenting skills to mediate and calm things down.

Also, you do NOT have the time for office politics.

Based on what I’ve observed and heard from my clients, many Moms keep away from the politics. They leave the fighting for others and they tend to stay out of it when possible! Of course, this may be different in your workplace, but this is a trend I’ve heard many Moms mention occurs in their workplace, too. Moms let go of the drama so they can get things done and move on with their other commitments.

Reason #2: They’re More Productive

I know that to tell you this one, I needed proof.

I see this with myself and with my clients, but since it’s common for others to doubt that Moms are more productive, I will quote a study to you.

See the article below. There was a study of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that looked at the productivity of 10,000 economists. The productivity of the economists was measured by the research they published over their careers, the study looked at a 30-year time-span. In the study, they found that mothers outperformed those without children, and mothers and fathers with two kids were the most productive.

Uma Home

Study Says Working Moms Are More Productive Than Colleagues Without Kids

I’ll share from my own life that I was very productive before kids. I juggled a lot.

But after kids, my productivity skyrocketed.

For example, today before 11am I’ve already done the following:

• Cleaned the kitchen (which looked like hurricane hit)
• Made my kids pancakes from scratch
• Colored my hair
• Posted some love to my Facebook group
• Cleaned a bathroom
• Meditated
• Researched articles on working moms
• Listened to an audiobook
• Made ranch dressing for the week

Before kids, I probably would have THOUGHT about coloring my hair. Forget about anything else on the list.

These days, my productivity is at a new level. If I were to graph my productivity, I couldn’t even put it on the same graph. It feels THAT different.

And of course, as we discussed in Episode #31, How you do anything is how you do everything. People tend to the same at home as they are at work.

Reason #3: They’re Proactive & Anticipate Problems.

We talk about being proactive A LOT on this blog.

It’s one of the secrets to balancing everything.

When you know that if you have dinner on the table at 5:15 pm instead of 5:30 pm, it’ll prevent a meltdown, you are sure to have dinner at 5:15 pm whenever possible. You look ahead and anticipate problems.

We’re always looking for things we can do in advance to either prevent meltdowns or to make our lives easier in the long run.

I’ll give you another example. Someone in our facebook community mentioned she has a gift closet. This way, when a birthday party comes up, she doesn’t have to scramble and run to Target on the day of the party.

Using this skill to anticipate issues and take care of them BEFORE they become a crisis is one of the best gifts you can give to your employers.

Don’t you agree? Solving a problem so far in advance that it never actually becomes a problem?

In my opinion, the ability to anticipate a problem is one of the best skills you can give to your organization.

Stop the Guilt

I want to address something that I hear from my friends that’s very difficult.

As a working Mom, no matter how good you are, others may do things that discriminate against you or try to make you feel guilty.

My friend, do not let their opinion make you feel badly for even a second.

Make a list of your own reasons why being a working Mom makes you a better employee.

Post this list and remind yourself of it every day. Be sure to add to the list the beautiful example you’re setting for your sons and daughters.

Don’t let discrimination and prejudice keep you down.

Being a Parent, in my opinion, gives you the skills to be the best employee. Be proud of your ability to juggle both while being incredibly productive in so many different areas of your life.

And if you’re a new Mom, I’m excited for you to notice all the ways that being a parent will change you as you grow and discover new skills every day.

And as you move up in your organization, let’s be the change. Let’s be the one who helps the new Moms. Who stand up for the Mom when a disgusting comment is made.

We’re a sisterhood. We got each other’s backs.

With Love,
Rina