The other day, a “non-daycare day,” I was trying to quickly check my work email on my phone while playing with my daughter. Apparently she noticed my divided attention: “no mommy phone,” she said, and gently took it out of my hand and put it on the table. A good reminder to me that when I’m working, I should be working, and when I’m with my daughter my focus should be on her. Technology helps when you’re a working mom, keeping us connected while allowing us to step away from the office, but it only goes so far. In my opinion, the key is to figure out a plan, get organized, and somehow find the right balance between profession and parenthood. Easier said than done!
This year marks our sixth annual Women to Watch issue, and looking over these pages I can’t help but think of the Women to Watch in my own life.
At its core, I think Women to Watch can mean something different to everyone. To me, it means “Women Who Are Making It All Work.” Surrounding me are women at various stages of their lives, trying to juggle kids, work and for some, going back to school.
In the 1950s, it was expected that a wife would keep her home exceedingly tidy and well-managed. Probably a much simpler task in those days, when the women rarely, if ever, worked outside the home. Nowadays, most of the moms I know go back to work a year or so after their child is born. And that’s where the “fun” begins: making it all work.
A popular new CBC show, Workin’ Moms, follows the struggles of four women who are trying to find that work life balance, a search I think many of us are familiar with! Whether you work Monday to Friday from 9 to 5 or part-time, squeezing time in on evenings and weekends, being a working mom can make us feel stressed out and guilty because our attention always feels divided.
The women featured in these pages have been there, done that, or are still going through it every day. They can act as an inspiration to every woman, no matter our circumstance, because they are making it all work … and rocking it! So whenever you feel like you’re just not good enough, in parenthood or career, think of these women: all the wonderful women to watch in our Saanich Peninsula community.
