Working Mom, What Type are You?

I don’t know if you realize but it was 1985 when the movie Back to the Future was shown. The movie showed what 2015 will look like when Michael J. Fox (played the Marty role) set the dialler to October 21, 2015. Guess what, they got biometrics, plasma flat screen TVs and video calls accurately. However, there was only one working woman on the movie, Linda McFly, sister of Marty McFly. What the movie missed showing about 2015 is the fact that 68% of the entire women population is now part of the workforce, which we now know as working moms. So with millions of working moms around your neighbourhood, workplace, kids’ schools, communities and church, It makes sense to meet all shapes and sizes of working moms. Please note that from the list below, there is no wrong working mom type to be. You may even be a combination of two working mom types or able to relate to one while developing to be another type as you read. We will look at different types of working moms in the hope that readers like you will be able to identify and know what type you are and be able to relate, help and bless other types you meet.

Boss in Stilettos – Bosses in stilettos are typically your working moms who built and run their own businesses or who assumes one of the highest, if not the highest positions in the company. These are the ones who walk into their offices with the best view in the building or the working moms who are decision makers in the workplace. Now the bosses in stilettos cannot be fooled once they’re home. They make careers out of parenting, sometimes going to the extreme of tiring their kids with too many Train-Me-To-Be-the-Best-Adult program plans, all while their kids attend school and social activities such as regular playdates. Bosses in stilettos also have some of the most expensive hobbies, such as shopping when not doing anything, which we will rightfully call as Bosses in stiletto’s reward system. Do not take offense getting a “No” from this type of working mom, calendar is simply jampacked and will not be able to squeeze in things that will never make her achieve her measures of success. She will most likely be found scouting for the best educational tool or booking the next educational/fun trip with the family versus working on a cross-stitched picture to frame. What will help the Bosses in Stilettos are secured husbands, friends who can keep up with her schedule and family who are willing to adjust reunions to her best available time.

Strengths: knows her priorities, no people-pleasing syndrome, full of faith and focused on meeting life goals.

Potential Weakness: if taken to extreme, can be found not spending time with the kids, delegating everything to household helpers or deciding over the husband.

Caped Working Mom – Caped working moms is of different breed, these are the moms who have more things than they should have on their plates. These are the working moms who need to show up at work for 8 hours, help their kids’ homework every night, attend parent-teachers’ conference, while agreeing to host the next cake party for the neighbourhood, while agreeing to be on the organizers’ board of the upcoming high school reunion. Caped working moms are often found too tired with too many things that they end up cancelling or not showing up at all. If you feel like you are unable to meet your committed deadlines or promised dates, take a self-check and see if you are a caped working mom. Caped working moms never leave their cape at home, they are prone to getting more than they can chew at work, too. Remember the time when you said yes to a co-workers’ simple request that you finish off the rest of her gazillion projects on her desk? Yep, as a simple favour, you said yes. After all, you and your cape will be able to do it. Take a realistic double-turn and look at yourself from a day on day perspective. No scorecard to keep up if you will say no to your kids’ teachers’ whim that you lead the next moms-in-costumes social gathering.

Strengths: best person to ask in a sudden cry for help (the hero who saves the day), always spots a need and a way to be of help

Potential Weakness: may tend to decide to work on everything instead of asking for help, yes-person and unable to follow priorities.

Auto-Play Working Mom – all buttoned up to the neck and has no ‘pause’ button with anything. Can help a little me-time and downtime with other working moms. These are the ones who are bent on taking all offered ‘overtime hours’ and raking in the cash to the family’s treasure box. Most likely to have one or more kids all under 6 years old. Feel free to ask an auto-play working mom to your next moms’ coffee date and hope she welcomes it. Will be blessed to be surrounded by friends who will proactively ask to help in any way they can and remind an auto-play mom that she can have the best of both mom and wife roles by taking the time to smell the flowers. Offer a non-work-related hobby or two or a make-over! Auto play working moms work best with friends who have the heart to live a work-life-balance. Yep, always show up on a date with an auto-play working mom with a flashcard that says: There is social life waiting after work.

Strengths: Most likely to be promoted and bag that competitive pay rate

Potential Weakness: prone to burnout and may find herself without friends or without a social life.

Butterfly Working Mom – butterflies known for their relaxed flutter, beauty and gentle spirit. Butterflies who are best known to add beauty to any place is the type of working mom who adds value to work, family, parenting and marriage. Butterfly working moms know when to stop work, leave work in the office, wear the apron, cook with loving hands, get dirty playing mud with kids on weekends, while setting up a weekly date night with husband. Butterfly working moms are not afraid to wear jeans with a wedge versus the usual crisp white work-clothes she wears on weekdays. Knows what makes her happy and is not afraid to ask help, seek guidance from another mom friend (may be a working mom or a stay-at-home mom). Not afraid to show passion about love for God, and decides according to the values she believes in. This is a working mom who has learned to delegate when she knows she will be unable to do things on her own, and is not apprehensive about taking a step back in controlling things at home. May find happiness in seeing kids learn and try things on their own, commit a mistake or two and do not expect husband or kids to be perfect. Butterfly working moms cannot be found without a group of other women speaking life to her while wearing numerous hats on her head. Sit right next to her and you will find her speaking to you about how beautiful the weather is or how the Philippines, even with the sad news of crime around is still a safe haven for her kids. The butterfly working mom sees herself as valuable and no different from her stay-at-home counterparts. Secure in her identity before God and her season as a working mom, may be open to shifting to become a stay-at-home mom, if God points her to do so.