Slashing Working Mom Guilt: 'I Don't Feel Guilty That I Get to Live Out My Calling'

It’s time to put the kibosh on working mom guilt.

As a working mom, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll have to depend on child care throughout the week. That doesn’t mean you love your kid any less than other parents.

Jennifer Rangel-Ures is a mom and regional sourcing advisor at Adventist Health, and she loves what she does. So when someone asked her if she ever feels guilty about leaving her kids at day care, she was completely caught off guard.

“In the moment, I think I replied something like, ‘maybe sometimes, I guess,’" she explains in a LinkedIn post.

But after she gave it a bit more thought, she came up with a different response.

“The answer is no,” she declares. "No, I don’t feel guilty that I am blessed to work and provide for my family. No, I don’t feel guilty that my little babies get to see my soul on fire every day doing what I love.”

Because what Rangel-Ures does at work is just as much of a “calling” to her as being a mom.

“I don’t feel guilty that I get to live out my calling and attract people to an employer that inspires, promotes whole-person care and believes in me.”

You should never feel guilty about doing something you love, even if it means you can’t be with your kids around the clock. No matter what you settle on—a stay-at-home mom or a working parent—there are perks and setbacks to both. The main issue is finding what works best for your family and yourself.

“So here’s to the working mother,” Rangel-Ures says. “I’m with you.”

Plus, you can breathe a sigh of relief—research says having a working mom can benefit kids down the line.