Working full time with two young children and feeling guilty

[Overstimulatedmum]

Feeling guilty that I continue to work full time with two young children.
I compress hours so still have one day off in the week in addition to the weekend.

Whilst I feel guilt about it, I also know I dont want to drop my hours, for various reasons, but it still doesnt help the battle I have in my head often!!

Interested to hear from other mums who still work full time and how you manage it?

Men don’t say this. Ever.

I’ve only ever worked full time. So has DH. Not uncommon for either of us to work 60+ hour weeks and travel for work through the whole of DD’s life.

I’ve no idea why mums would feel guilty when dads don’t. Shows how strong the social conditioning is that women can’t get anything right though.

OP I am a single mother to two and my work hours are 9am-6pm I have posted on here before myself to speak about it and was told my hours are not so bad. They are when your kids are your priority though, aren’t they? I get what you mean, totally. Put it this way…if I could, I absolutely would drop my hours/change job to part time to spend more time with my children while they are young.
don’t feel bad on yourself that you do work hard, you put food on the table. My advice most certainly would be to look to reduce hours. These years are critical🩷

I work 80% just finish at 3 so i can do school pick up. And the other one is at nursery.

I don’t feel guiltly as i need to work for my sanity, but also because i personally think it is the best decision to work in this current economic climate.

I went back to work full time when DT’s were six months old (standard maternity leave then). It was always my plan to continue with my career and DH (with his own career as a doctor) was very supportive. We had no family in the UK so used an excellent nursery and outsourced everything we could - cleaner, gardener, babysitters.
I don’t regret it - nothing to regret. Happy parents and happy and healthy children

Literally this. I don’t feel guilty because their dad doesn’t - why should the burden of guilt fall on me? I grew up with full time working parents and a nanny, have never resented them for it, and had a great relationship with my mum. It provided me with a norm that involved women having a career, maintaining an independent income, and interests and ideas from outside the home. All of these are good things.

Also, I think it would be more damaging for my DC to end up homeless which is what would happen if we couldn’t pay the mortgage, so… 🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree! The guilt shouldn't single handedly fall on Mothers. I have a career and DH is allowed his so I should be allowed mine, but equally I still feel guilty that one of us isn't present more for the kids in the week.

We aren't in a position for nannies/cleaners so the weekday juggle is really real!

I struggle with a lot of motherhood related things but guilty for working is not one of them, honestly. I WISH I didn't have to work full time because I would like to spend more time at home, with DS, etc, and the nursery stuff is tricky to juggle, but I don't feel guilty.

I have been lucky in that DS has always had exceptional care however. That I do acknowledge.