Working & Motherhood - Advice and Essays - Motherly
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Work & Motherhood

The choices can feel overwhelming, but remember – you’re not alone. Get fresh inspiration and perspective with advice from real mamas.

affordable childcare- mom working on laptop with child on her lap

Catch-22: No job, no childcare; no childcare, no job

Long waitlist times and the exorbitant price of childcare create barriers for me, as a woman, to return to the workforce—a challenge I’m sure many other mothers face as well.

working mom at home with two kids - women in the workplace report

Working women still do most of the housework—so why are men saying they now do a lot more?

The annual Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey finds diverging perceptions in how women and men see their contributions at home.

mom holding baby while working - rising childcare costs

Childcare costs are impacting every aspect of moms’ lives

Candidates failed to address how they’d tackle soaring childcare costs at the last debate. 14 moms told us why it should be a priority.

Five women on life hacks for working motherhood from Dreamers and Doers collective

The life hacks that enable me to run a business and be there for my family

29 entrepreneurs from the Dreamers & Doers collective share their best tips that help them thrive in wo​​rk and motherhood—and get somewhere close to balance.

working from home with kids - mom on the phone working and holding baby

Work-life balance is impossible when you’re a work-from-home mom

The reality of being a work-from-home mom with zero childcare is full of blurred boundaries

Chicago women's rights protest

Here’s what moms need to know about Project 2025 and how it impacts us all

Project 2025 outlines several changes that would greatly impact women and mothers in multiple ways.

Hoda Kotb hugging her children after returning home on phone backdrop with purple suitcases

Hoda’s heartwarming return home after the Olympics is every working mom’s tornado of joy, guilt and love

Hoda Kotb’s tear-jerking (happy tears, of course) greeting from her daughters had me reliving every one of my own returns home after a work trip.

mother's day: mom being hugged and kissed by two daughters - Motherly says mothering is work

Mothering is work. For Mother’s Day, I’d like a raise, please

Sure, I’ll take the flowers and breakfast in bed, too, but if you really want to acknowledge all that I do, start treating me like a paid employee. 

moms who run businesses headshots

To the mom who is running after her kid(s)—and runs a business, too… I see you

The tug-of-war between being a present mother and successful business owner is far from smooth–but it is possible. These 31 mothers from the Dreamers & Doers collective share their encouragement and support to those facing this common challenge.

woman at work talking to her boss

5 effective ways to talk to your boss about pumping rights at work

Your guide to confidently return to work from maternity leave—with the right support systems in place.

mom helping daughters brush teeth in bathroom - intensive parenting

Intensive parenting is making raising kids harder than ever, studies show

You’re not imagining it. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 70% of people believe that being a mother today is more demanding than it was just a few decades ago.

female business woman on phone with daughter

Lawyer moms need better childcare benefits—it’s time for existing programs to evolve

A career in law is incredibly demanding for anyone, let alone a parent trying to strike that elusive work-life balance.

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