"Her: If I could go back in time, I would do things differently.

Me: What do you mean?

Her: I would never decide to work part-time.

Me: Why are you not happy with your decision anymore?

Her: Since I went to 60% with two kids, my husband has completely stopped supporting me at home. And my career? It’s dead.

I had this conversation a few days ago.

She had reduced to 80% after her first child, juggling the pressures of motherhood and her career. But then, her management delivered an ultimatum: Go back full-time or give up the team you’re leading.

Feeling the weight of societal expectations to be a “good mom,” she chose her family. After her second child, she reduced further to 60%. Now, a decade later, she feels drained—taken for granted at work and home, carrying the load for everyone, while quietly feeling invisible.

This is not an isolated story.

Many working mothers dream of part-time roles as a way to balance career and family, but the reality can often be emotionally and physically exhausting. It’s a double-edged sword, with profound sacrifices on both ends.

Here’s what I’ve learned through coaching working moms:

1️⃣ Every decision is deeply personal. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for balancing work and family. Her choice was right for her in that moment, based on what she knew and felt.

2️⃣ But time changes perspectives. Needs evolve. She no longer sees part-time as the dream solution but as something that left her feeling unfulfilled—at work and at home.

3️⃣ The pain isn’t just logistical—it’s emotional. It’s not just about a slower career trajectory or financial dependency. It’s about the deeper loss: the feeling of disappearing behind family duties, the struggle to meet everyone’s needs but her own, and the missed opportunities for self-fulfillment.

Data backs it up:

• Studies show that 63% of part-time working mothers feel undervalued in their roles, both at work and at home.

• Harvard Business Review notes that women who pause or reduce their careers often struggle with a 37% loss in earning potential over a decade and face significant challenges re-entering the workforce.

  
  

But financial concerns aren’t the whole story.

What’s less talked about is the risk of losing themselves—their passions, self-care, personal goals—the very things that keep us alive, creative, and connected.

What’s the way forward?

For this client, the first step wasn’t immediate solutions. It wasn’t logistics. It wasn’t family schedules or career strategies.

The first step was to listen.

To acknowledge her pain.

To validate her feelings.

To remind her that she made the best decision she could with the information she had at the time.

And now?

It’s about letting go of resentment and taking small steps toward change.

Because coaching working moms is always deeply emotional. Behind every conversation about careers and logistics is a woman who loves her family but also wants more—more fulfillment, more balance, more her.

We need to have open, honest conversations with moms and future moms—not just about financial risks of stepping back, but about the emotional risks of losing their sense of self.

Whatever the choice—full-time, part-time, or staying home—it’s crucial to keep personal passions, goals, and self-care alive.

Because when moms thrive, families do too.

Chemistry Call

Book Now