Did we go too far with women’s rights?

As a woman, I’m so extremely fortunate. I get to make my own decisions about what I wear, where I go, who I marry and what I want to do with my life. As I should. Being a woman should not determine my capabilities or choices.
However, have our desires to be completely equal with men, added a little TOO much pressure?
I keep meeting women who live with this horrific daily battle between career and motherhood. In an ideal world, a battle should not exist. The work place would accommodate a woman’s needs to re-enter the workplace post children. Men would take an equal responsibility for childcare and having a child would affect both parents….equally.

Yet, how many people find this to be the reality?

New parents are often overwhelmed with visitors offering help and support when they have new borns. And this is wonderful! When you are grossly sleep deprived, unsure of what you are doing and post labour-you need every piece of help you can get!
But what about when the children get that bit older? Suddenly there is a lot more to juggle and the help and support dissipates.
You may still be sleep deprived. You have the house to maintain, the children to get to school and/or nursery on time, get to work on time, ensure everyone has food with them, remember any other items that the school have requested/that work has requested, try to find time to go to the gym, complete life administration, speak to family and friends, pick up the toiletries from boots, do the food shopping….etc etc (well you get the gist.) Not forgetting the pressures to perform as a mum, perform at work, perform as a wife.

I am lucky. I have help at home and children that are the same age. But I often think-how the hell do single mothers do it with multiple children? How is physically possible?!

Even just getting ready to leave the house can be a challenge with toddlers running around, generally undoing everything that you have done- throwing the items out of your bag that you have just packed, running off with your hairbrush to brush the dog, finding your body cream to smear on each other’s hair, sticking their toothbrushes down the drain, poking one another in the eye…

Occasionally, I do find myself wondering whether there was a reason that one parent stayed at home whilst the other went to work?At least for a time when the children were young. Did the previous generations have it right? Not that we should be forced to stay at home, but maybe it should be a more real and respected choice for one parent to do so, if they feel it is right for the family.

In our fight to be equals, have we created a world where there is now so much pressure on working mums, that many aren’t coping. The pressure, the time constraints, the constant juggle, the feeling of an ill performance at everything you do. The feeling of drowning.
If this is you and you are struggling. Believe me, you are not alone. We have all felt like we are at burn out, exhaustion, stressed to our limits, not coping, ‘tired’ at various times.

Talk to people, off load and see your GP for some advice. And don’t be afraid to ask people and work places for support.
#workingmums #life #health #wellness #mumswhowork #children #twins #mydubai #medicine #mumofboys