In this modern day and age of social media, we are constantly bombarded by photos of healthy and delicious meals prepared from scratch, carefully orchestrated educational activities for the whole family (attended by wonderfully behaved and color coordinated children), and by innovative craft projects for every holiday under the sun. Some days, Pinterest can feel more like a Perfect Mom Contest than a source of inspiration. But let’s be real…balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship often means “perfect” goes right out the window.
Even if we gave 100% every day to “just” being a mom, or “just” being a spouse/partner, or “just” running a business, perfection would still be unattainable. We are all simply human, doing the best we can with what we are given every day.
We’re told we need to “lean in” and that “big girls don’t cry.” I for one call BS on the pressure to present a perfect life and family and business. The fact is that working moms still shoulder the significant majority of household and child rearing duties on top of their already full workdays, and no one person can possibly be a match for the never-ending responsibilities. Sure, there are some days where things will hum along like a well-oiled machine, and then there are will be all the rest. The days that no matter how hard you try, everything just seems an inch out of your grasp.
SuperMoms, go ahead and lock yourselves in the bathroom for a few minutes and go for it – because big girls DO cry. And then we wipe our eyes, count our blessings, and head back into the fray. Because we’re moms, and that’s what we do.
We could all take a lesson with how we teach our children. We don’t berate them for less-than-perfect artwork. We don’t shame them for an accidental milk spill. Instead, we praise hard work and tenacity, and we teach that everyone makes mistakes and learns to clean them up.
Personally, I remember my priorities and put family first. I accomplish what I can, and let go of the rest. I do my best, almost every day. And that is perfect enough for me.
Christy Johnson has two amazing little girls and a rock of a handsome hubby. She photographs Raleigh’s most adorable families and blogs her photography work and personal stories at Be True Image Design. Email her with your own struggles and triumphs with work/life balance at christy@betrueimagedesign.com.
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