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.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on running for Senate, raising four daughters, and why the dinner table is where policy gets real

The Illinois lieutenant governor won a competitive primary and is now on track to become just the sixth Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

She fought to save her mom’s life. Now Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen is running for Senate to fix the system that almost didn’t.

The Colorado congresswoman has spent her career fighting for mental health, addiction treatment, and working families. She’s also only the 13th voting member of Congress to give birth while serving.

She’s been a minister, a chaplain, and a state rep. Now Lindsay James is running for Congress to fight for Iowa families

The Dubuque Democrat, minister, and mom of two teenagers won the primary. Now she’s taking on a competitive open seat in northeast Iowa.

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan has fought for paid leave, affordable childcare, and the minimum wage. Now she’s taking that fight to Washington

The Minnesota lieutenant governor and Ojibwe citizen is running to make history as the first Native American woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate — and she’s doing it one bedtime conversation at a time.

The working-mom framework that changed my life

Knowing how to distinguish rubber balls from glass balls makes all the difference.

Dr. Jasmine Clark on running for Congress, raising teenagers, and why science belongs in the room where it happens

The Georgia microbiologist and state representative is running for Congress — and she’s doing it with a teenager at home, a PhD on her wall, and a jigsaw-puzzle approach to work-life balance.

JoAnna Mendoza

JoAnna Mendoza on being a single mom, a Marine veteran, and a first-time congressional candidate in Southern Arizona

She grew up picking cotton in rural Arizona, served 20 years in the Marines, and came home to raise her son as a single mom by choice. Now she’s running to flip AZ-06.

Dr. Annie Andrews

Dr. Annie Andrews on running for Senate, raising three kids, and why every vote she’d cast is for America’s children

The South Carolina pediatrician is taking on Lindsey Graham — and doing it on a diet of protein bars, gas station snacks, and sheer maternal determination.

Lauren Babb Tomlinson

Lauren Babb Tomlinson on running for Congress with a 15-month-old at home

The Sacramento mom and first-time candidate is running for U.S. House in CA-06 — and she’s doing it without a trust fund or a political pedigree.

bebe foodie founder

Some days I feel like a bad mom, some days like a bad founder—and sometimes both

As my son grew, it felt like I found new sources of guilt at every turn. Every choice feels like an exam you didn’t study for.

flex mom

My 8-year-old called me out—and it changed how I work forever

Here’s how I learned to embrace the “and” instead of the “or” of being a working mom.

Chef Kathy Fang

Chef Kathy Fang built her career on balancing tradition and innovation–now she’s doing the same with motherhood

Chef Kathy Fang shares how she passes down Chinese culture, creates lasting food memories, and raises confident kids.

Mom sitting in living room to rest her feet after preparing a dinner for her two children who are eating

The art of balancing motherhood, workhood and selfhood

In motherhood you can love your kids wholeheartedly and still protect the parts of you that make you, you. Here is a practical, judgment-free guide to keeping both.

Pregnant woman working on laptop while sitting on couch

Work & Pregnancy; the unspoken truths of working while pregnant

Pregnancy at work can feel like a secret marathon. Here is what no one tells you, plus practical ways to protect your energy, your career, and your peace.

Career break mom sitting on the floor working on laptop while her kid lays on couch with arm around her

Why career breaks don’t erase ambition

Stepping away for caregiving, health, or sanity is not the end of a career story. It can be the chapter that sharpens your purpose and sets you up for sustainable growth.

Birds-eye view of calculator and money along with budget notes laying on desk

10 empowering phrases to shift your money mindset as a working mom

You deserve a money mindset that supports your goals, your family and your well-being. Phrases to help you calm the noise, focus on what matters and make confident, values-led choices.

Mom smiling while holding her baby while her other arm hugs her older child

3 “supermom” stories and the advice they offer to other moms

These three stories spotlight women who redefined what was possible for their families, and the practical wisdom they want every mom to have in her back pocket.

Childcare decisions; Young mother holding her baby while standing next to the baby's grandmother

Moms make the best childcare decisions when maternity leave is over

A calm, step-by-step way to choose among staying home, childcare, a nanny, or a remote role that fits your baby and your real life.

Work & Motherhood; Mom working from home with her kid sitting beside her

What working moms wish workplaces understood about “flexibility”

Ask working moms what they need from “flexibility” and you will not…

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