A Mom’s Work Is Never Done
12 full time jobs that moms do every day
No one tells you when you become a mom the amount of constant brain power that is required. You aren’t only managing you, but you are managing your household, bills, appointments, schedules, work, and everything in between. There is so much information to keep track of and to hold and so much constant problem solving to be done. Moms are the CEOs of life and have at least 12 other full time jobs.
1. Household CEO
Keeping track of household tasks and staying on top of chores is a lot of work. Add in kids that leave a trail of clothes and crumbs everywhere they go, and the work doubles. Laundry alone can be equivalent to a full time job.
Managing a household includes cleaning, meal planning, grocery shopping, keeping up with who has outgrown what size and who needs new shoes, managing school work and signing papers, keeping track of appointments for everyone, remembering what repairs need done, budgeting, keeping up with bills, helping with homework, what day trash day is, updating vehicles, landscaping, and if you add in pets then it just gets out of control. There are so many things to remember, track, and monitor. Any extra curveball can send you into a tailspin. A mom’s brain never rests.
2. Side Job (AKA your other full time job)
If you work outside of the home, that’s an entirely separate set of responsibility and requires even more brain power. You will probably have a lot of the same responsibilities as above, in addition to your full time parenting gig.
3. Teacher Assistant
In addition to constantly planning and thinking about running a household, moms also have to keep track of their kids’ homework, school events, permission slips, grades, special dress up days, performances, meetings, and packing lunches. Homework alone can be enough stress to make a mom want to lie down on the kitchen floor and wave a white flag.
4. Chief Financial Manager
If you’re in charge of finances, you’re constantly calculating, searching for ways to save, mentally adding and subtracting, budgeting and still there is always a surprise cost that pops up out of nowhere. Finances require organization, planning skills, self control, and research.
5. Scheduling Manager
Oh, the schedules. Managing everyone’s schedules is a job. Who has an appointment when? When are practices? How are they going to get there? Who’s game is where on what day? When is that birthday party again? Oh yeah, don’t forget to buy a birthday gift.
6. Entertainer
Singer, actress, comedian, acrobat. Moms will go as far as stand on their heads to make their kid smile, keep them occupied, or keep them quiet.
7. Uber Driver
No one prepares you for the insane amount of driving time you will spend as a mom. Driving back and forth from work to school to practice to meetings to events to appointments to friends’ houses. Sitting in the car waiting. Drop offs and pick ups. There is SO much driving. Which means your car is a mess. Which means you have another item on your to do list.
8. Nurse
When you’re a mom, you are automatically a nurse. You’re in charge of keeping up with shot records, dentist appointments, keeping track of medicine doses and times, cleaning up scrapes and passing out band aids, assessing every ache and pain to determine if it warrants a trip to the doctor. Making sure your kid isn’t surviving solely on junk food and you’re sneaking in some actual nutrition somewhere.
9. Event Planner/Travel Agent
As a mom, you will feel the pressure to have extravagant birthday parties, kindergarten graduation cookouts, sleepovers, and playdates. You will look at the other mom’s with their hand crafted elaborate decorations and personalized gift baskets for guests and you may feel a bit inferior. You are the planner of travel and packing for said travel. You are in charge of unpacking, too.
10. Counselor
When you’re the mom, mediating arguments is an entire job in itself. You’re responsible for guiding your kids and teaching them how to be decent humans. You will help them manage their emotions and reactions, give advice on friendships and dating, validate their feelings while holding them accountable, listening to their hurts, helping build their confidence, teach them conflict resolution skills, and navigating many challenges all while having no idea if any of it is right.
11. Investigator
Your investigative skills develop to Sherlock Holmes levels when you become a mom. Where is that tiny lego that is suddenly the most important piece of tiny plastic to ever exist? Who started it? Where did this mystery spill come from? Who left the refrigerator door open? Where is the other shoe? Who is sitting on the remote?
12. Personal Assistant
The amount of tiny details that moms have to remember is absolute insanity when you break it down. The dog food is running low, that stray sock on the couch needs to be washed and matched up with the other one, the air filter needs changing, the plants need watering, the permission slip needs to be signed, it’s time to wash the sheets, it’s been a while since toothbrushes were replaced, paper towels are running low, don’t buy the orange gatorade because no one likes it, tomorrow is hat day at school, uniform needs to be washed, one kid doesn’t like soft french fries and the other can’t have their food touching. Don’t forget NO TOMATOs on her taco. And that’s just 10 minutes.
When you stop to reflect on all of the things that moms have to manage, remember, take care of, and plan for there is no denying that moms are a special kind of superhero with the most important job on the planet-to love our babies in a way no one else can. If you are a mom, have a mom, or know a mom take a minute to appreciate her today.
