Working Mothers And Holiday Guilt

* A repost from 2010*

One of the most difficult things I have encountered with being a working Mom is all the things that I miss during the holiday season.  Because the holiday season is the biggest part of the retail sector, I end up missing a lot of time with my family during the holidays.  It’s one of the things I have struggled with back when I worked as a nurse, too.  At least with my retail job, the store is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that I am not completely missing out on those important holidays.

And it’s just not time with my kids that I am missing, being a working Mom. My husband is off the day before Christmas Eve, through the Sunday after New Year’s.  Being full-time, I am only home with him 4 days during that two-week period(not counting Christmas Day).  It’s hard, because time spent with my husband is so important to me. As you may know from my previous posts, my husband is more than just my spouse, he is my best friend as well.  I didn’t realize how much I miss him sometimes till I’ve been on evening shifts a few days in a week, and then have a full weekend off with him. The bright side to this whole thing is I actually had 3 days off the week in between Christmas and New Year’s because I get a day of holiday time.

So what can you do to combat the guilt of working while your family is home?  There’s a few things that may help:

Plan fun things on your day off.   The housework and laundry can wait.  Really.  Do only the basics, and leave the rest.  Time spent with your family is far more important than having a perfectly organized house, and the laundry will always be there.


Leave work at work.   Really.  Make a vow to forget about the office while you are at home.  Before you get out of your car, jot any last-minute notes on a sticky note, and leave them on the garage wall.  When you leave for work the next day, grab the sticky notes and take them with you.  That way you are not constantly thinking about work when you should be enjoying your family.

Plan simple meals that don’t require a lot of kitchen preparation.   The less time you need to spend in the kitchen, the more time you have with your family. Use paper plates and plastic ware so clean-up is a breeze.  A quick swipe of the table, and you are done.  If your budget allows it, go out to eat.

One of the most important things to do is just enjoy what time you have.  Things don’t need to be perfect, in fact, the husband and kids won’t remember if all the bows are the same color, or that the filling wasn’t hand mixed.  So instead of putting piles of guilt under the tree, grab a cup of hot chocolate and just enjoy your family, the rest just doesn’t matter.