Mom Stories: Why It’s Important to Take a Break

The longest I’ve been away from my toddler was a day and 2 nights. The whole time I was away from her, my emotions were shifting from gratitude to mom guilt. I was so thankful to have had the chance to take a break from my parenting duties, but at the same time I kept thinking how I should be the one at home taking care of her. I guess I also had that fear that she would resent me once I saw her again.

But when I reunited with her after that breather, it’s as if nothing changed. She was still as excited to see me as I was seeing her. The best part was that I came back recharged and refreshed in doing my nanay duties.

Parenting is hard work. It’s no surprise that taking a break every once in a while is essential to be able to be great at this job. I’m sure other moms could also relate with me about the feeling of mom guilt. But then again, rest is equally as important. Society is only recently understanding that rest is also productive because it allows us to fill our cups and give more from there.

So I asked other moms how they are able to practice self-care and why they think moms, or parents in general, need a breather.

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Husbands, Here’s How You Can Ease Your Wife’s Mental Load

A mom wakes up every morning with a running to-do list. On most days, you don’t see her just seated in one corner. You find her literally in different parts of the house, ticking as many invisible boxes as she can. When her body’s physically at rest, her mind races to the next task. It’s a never-ending process.

While you see her as a strong woman who can singlehandedly finish her tasks, she does need a pick-me-up any time of the day. (Yes, even on those days when she says she can do things on her own!) For her, there’s always this feeling of an imminent head explosion due to the overwhelming tasks, as a wife, mom, career woman, and homemaker. So husband, this is where you come in and try your best to ease her mental load!

We know how challenging it is to tiptoe on a situation when you’re unsure of what to do. We’ve come up with a list of tips with hopes that will help you be the best partner your wife needs on her difficult days!

Husbands, Here's How You Can Ease Your Wife's Mental Load

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Why Every Mom Needs Her Tribe

I think any mom would agree when I say that isolation is one of the biggest dangers in motherhood. Adjusting to the different seasons of raising a child is hard enough, but doing all of the things with all of the feelings with no external support makes things doubly challenging.

I sat down with four mommies in different stages of mothering to find out how having a community around them has helped them thrive in motherhood. Here’s what I learned!

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This First-Time Mom Shares How She Juggles Her Career and Motherhood

There were only three times I totally stopped working in the previous year: when the doctor advised that I should be on bed rest after my first ultrasound, the week I contracted Covid-19 on my sixth month of pregnancy, and the one and a half months following my c-section delivery. I would have wanted a longer maternity leave, but I humbly understood how important my contribution is to the household’s monthly income, so I had to push myself to continue working while I was simultaneously learning about motherhood.

The first few weeks postpartum were definitely the most challenging. As I fight the aches and pains of my body and the effects of sleepless nights, I was attending to work I used to know. When before I could finish tasks whenever and however I want, I would now be sweetly interrupted from time to time by the demands of motherhood, such as breastfeeding.

I have to admit though that juggling motherhood and career in my situation is a privilege, as I get to personally take care of my daughter while I attend to my multiple remote works. Not all mothers have this privilege, since many have to physically step out of their homes to fulfill their duties career-wise. Nonetheless, I do not take working from home lightly, as many mothers would also attest to how boundary lines are thin when working from home.

I am now in my fifth month of juggling motherhood and career. Some days are a breeze, some are not. Here are my key takeaways from those five months, and I hope somewhere along these lines, you’ll find the strength you need to power through today, working Momma!

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