Rule No. 6: Give up the Guilt. 
Ignore office politics and focus on your actual job. At the same time, ignore what other parents may or may not be doing with their children. It’s distracting and anxiety provoking to worry that you are not measuring up because you can’t keep up with the other moms or dads. Feel that you are a “good enough” parent and a “good enough” employee.
Rule No. 7: Be in the Moment.
When you’re at work, focus on your work 100 percent and when you’re at home, focus on your children 100 percent. At work, try not to think about your kids or worry about them. If you have good childcare in place, be assured that all is well with your children and that they are safe and happy. Similarly, when you’re with your children, try not to get distracted by thinking about work or your boss or your clients. You’ll feel less guilty about the time you spend away from your children if you truly have quality time when you are with them.
Rule No. 8: It’s Okay to Take Shortcuts.
You don’t have to bake cookies from scratch in order to participate in the school bake sale and you don’t need to coach Little League or be the president of the PTA to be involved in your children’s lives. Take shortcuts whenever possible – slice and bake cookies taste just as good to kids as the ones from scratch. What’s important is that you are doing a project with your children. You can take baby music classes or attend your children’s athletic events on Saturdays when you are at home. You can stay connected to your children’s teachers by emailing them or by sending notes back and forth in their backpacks. Be creative, use technology and cut yourself some slack.
Rule No. 9: Let Go of Perfect.
This is in the same category of letting go of your ego. Realize that you may not always be the perfect spouse, parent or employee. Being a working parent is exhausting and challenging for all of us. You will have good days and bad days or even good or bad weeks. Remember that it’s all fluid and many things will get easier as your children get older. And most importantly, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone else’s lives always look easier than our own. Remember that you’re doing the best that you can and if it’s really not working make a change to make things better.
Rule No. 10: Find a Community.
It’s important to find a community of others like yourself (this is particularly true for working moms, since we women find bonding especially gratifying) Having an emotional support system in place is critical to the happiness of a working mom. Having others to lean on and share the day-to-day conflicts with is extremely helpful when it comes to keeping you sane and happy.
