Friday, May 9, 2025

Mighty Working Moms

This Mother’s Day, celebrate how important you are in the workplace and your life outside of work

By Jessie Cook, Local 68 Steward

Picture this: you wake up to the smell of fresh flowers, your children giggling and smiling while they bring you breakfast in bed, trying not to spill the hot coffee while snuggling you under the covers. You watch cartoons and laugh and enjoy a slow, calm morning with your loved ones.

Nice, hey? Well for a lot of working moms, that’s all that image will ever be: a fantasy, an ideal morning that celebrates you. Whether it’s your birthday, Mother’s Day, or just a random day off, we working moms rarely get to fully enjoy those things without the nagging worry that we should be doing something else. Sometimes, it’s because we’re working and not even around to enjoy those days, and when we are, it’s hard to let down our guard and work ethic and take a moment to rest.

As working women who are also caretakers, mothers, partners, etc., it’s a really difficult task for some of us to sit back and relax and enjoy receiving those acts of kindness, gifts, or just accepting help in general. In the workplace, we’re always trying to be better, more prepared, and ready to defend ourselves—and sometimes we have the tendency to take that home with us. This can cause stress in our homes and relationships and keeps everyone on their toes, living in a constant state of fight or flight.

So, how can working moms change this? How can we learn to let go a little bit and be as present at home as we are in the workplace?

First, acknowledge that you’re doing two full-time jobs (sometimes more than that)! This work is hard, and we’re all doing the best we can. I know we hear this advice all the time, but this Mother’s Day, take it to heart.

I can tell you first-hand, the most difficult thing I’ve had to learn in my new role of motherhood is to take a step back and allow my friends and family to help me, even when I don’t think I need the help. I’ve had to slow down and accept that I don’t have to be whatever image of Super Mom I have in my head. I’ve learned to let go and let life happen: someone else can make dinner and it will be okay. My kids will make a mess and it will be okay. My friends can wait a few minutes for me before we go out for coffee because I need to do something for myself first and it will be okay.

Let others celebrate you. Not only will it allow you to have a moment to breathe and unwind, but it will make your loved ones feel good too, lessening the tension at home. This will carry on into your work life, allowing you to be more present and at peace there as well.

And celebrate yourself. Let go of the impossible image of Super Mom that distracts you from this simple truth: you are doing a great job and doing the best you can.

And that’s enough.

Jessie Cook has been in the heavy civil construction industry as an equipment operator for seven years. She is passionate about workplace development, safety, and the fair treatment of all, particularly for young women in the trades. For more tips from Jessie, follow her on Instagram at @clac_jessie.

Mighty Working Moms

You might be interested in