Stories on Motherhood & the Career Pause That Readers Loved Most in 2022
Few things gave our team as much joy this year as hearing that our content reached you just at the right time, giving you a sense of confidence and calm as you faced transitions in your career or parenting.
Over the course of 2022, Mother Untitled has featured seasoned journalists and expert voices that have tackled the topics that matter most in this season of life—things like family finances, mental health, time management, and re-entering the paid workforce, among others.
We’ve told the stories of real mothers carving their own paths and taking extraordinary leaps. We’ve picked plenty of brilliant brains to discover the logistics behind finding affordable childcare, nurturing core relationships, pursuing personal growth, and more. And in reviewing the past year on Mother Untitled, we couldn’t let this moment slip by without also sharing our gratitude for you. Thank you for taking the time to be here, reading along and finding as much meaning and value in these stories as we do.
On that note, here are 10 pieces the Mother Untitled community loved most this year.
“Why do we urge mothers who stop or pause their careers to consider what they’ll do if their partner leaves, as though they can’t possibly have the foresight to consider that on their own? Why don’t we ever ask dads who have no experience with domestic labor how they’ll manage in the event of divorce or death? Why are we still assigning absolutely no value to the contributions at-home parents (especially at-home mothers), provide?”
“To learn how to pin down a daily schedule that actually works for at-home parents and families, I turned to time management experts for guidance. Here’s their best advice for setting up your day as an at-home parent—one that makes time for all the sundry stuff, as well as things like rest and creativity that often fall off our to-do lists.”
“Let’s hear it for the joys of at-home motherhood, from the moments that surprise us to the ones that sustain and inspire us. Here’s to morning walks to school and afternoon blanket forts, to spur-of-the-moment adventures and chocolate chip cookie dates. To more play–sure–but to more growth, fulfillment, and purpose, too. What’s the best part of staying home with kids? Ten moms weigh in.”
“One of the biggest limiting factors and beliefs in stay-at-home motherhood is that we think we can’t ask for help because we’re not doing paid work. The reality is that we’re doing incredibly important and valuable work while unpaid.”
“This isn’t to say that children can’t be frustrating, disruptive, or even annoying,” says Emily Heilman, a licensed clinical social worker. “Rather, if we shift the lens to reveal that they are the job, they are the task, they are the ultimate priority we get to enjoy in this life, then everything else is interrupting that experience instead.”
“But every so often, an editor needs something I couldn't complete during the school day, or an expert I am interviewing can only speak in the later afternoon. Rather than feel guilty that I can’t always arrange my work schedule around my kids, I am grateful. Not being able to put their needs first all the time teaches them valuable lessons—and sweeps away any hint of mom guilt.”
7.
How To Update Your Resume After Taking a Career Break for Motherhood
“How can you best communicate the skills you’ve gained during your career pause to future employers? Julia Lynch, a New York-based career coach who has helped hundreds of clients land their dream jobs, guides us through her three-step process.”
“Somehow we’ve come to measure our worth as mothers in units of time expenditure, as if the sheer number of hours we choose to spend with our children is the most accurate reflection of our love for them and our commitment to their wellbeing,” says Dr. Molly Millwood. “This myth fuels an enormous amount of maternal guilt, driving women to feel vaguely uneasy at best, and painfully guilty at worst, when they are away from their young children.”
“When I practice this routine, I feel a meaningful psychological shift: I can seize back a piece of power I yielded to motherhood. Where it is easy to be swept up in the tide of caregiving—all those packed lunches and changed diapers and delicious snuggles—knowing I am consciously choosing to dedicate these small hours to myself and my career matters. I’m not scrounging for scraps of time between the day’s parenting and then feeling like I have short-changed both my work and my children. Instead, I’m actively choosing a small pocket of writing time and trusting the smaller window is best for my creative process.”
10.
How 5 Mothers Actually Work Part-Time From Home With Kids
“Five women generously allowed us a peek into their daily lives, sharing how they make time for their careers while also caring for little ones at home. Reporting in from various fields, they detail their go-to routines, organizational methods, and more.”
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