What Your Career Teaches Your Children
As a working mother, you may sometimes wonder if balancing a career and family means sacrificing quality time with your kids. It’s easy to focus on the negatives of being a working mother or catastrophise about what your kids might be thinking. But that’s a slippery slope to feeling unnecessarily bad about your choices.
Instead, why not reflect on all the lessons you’re teaching them by working and caring for them? There are so many positive things you’re instilling in your kids without even realising it. These are lessons that are likely to shape their beliefs and values in both life and work.
As a busy working parent, I’ve kept this short and sweet—there’s a second blog to follow in the next few days.
Key Lessons
1. Resilience and Problem-Solving
Your children see you tackle challenges—whether it’s a busy day at work or a family hiccup—and learn how to adapt and persevere. Consider talking about what’s going on at work (at a high level) with your kids. Even when there are difficulties, it’s a great opportunity to show them that setbacks aren’t the end of the world and that there’s usually a way through them.
What They Learn: Life is full of challenges, but solutions are always within reach.
2. The Value of Hard Work
When you dedicate yourself to your job and still show up for your family, your children see that success requires effort. Sometimes it feels like a grind—rushing out the door, ensuring you’re on time, and remembering everything. For all the working parents I know, there are definitely times when life seems like hard work. Do they stop and give up? Not really. Sometimes you simply have to put your head down and power through.
What They Learn: Dreams are achievable with commitment and consistency.
3. Equality in Action
By pursuing a career, you’re showing that gender doesn’t define what someone can achieve. This is an important life lesson and a good reminder to reflect on the paid and unpaid work we do—both at work and at home. Consider the lessons you’re teaching your kids about gender roles and expectations. Often, seeing equality in action is far more impactful than talking about it.
What They Learn: Boys and girls can aim high, respect each other’s ambitions, and share responsibilities equally.
Conclusion
Every time you step into your workplace, you’re showing your children how to navigate life with purpose and strength. While we may worry about our kids and whether we’re spending enough time with them, there are ways to manage this while teaching them invaluable life lessons.
So maybe it’s time to take a breath and think about what you’re implicitly teaching your kids as you go about everyday life. Your example speaks louder than you realise—and it’s shaping them in powerful, positive ways.