Whether you’re coming back to work after maternity leave or finding a new career after being a stay-at-home mom, navigating a return to work after time away can be a difficult journey—especially when you must balance childcare responsibilities with job duties.
That’s why we’ve spoken to working moms here at Insight Global to get their insights on how to juggle your career and home life, as well as advice from their own personal experiences. Find out what our own experts have to say about being a working mom.
6 Careers for Moms That Offer Flexibility
Before we get into the advice portion, let’s briefly go over some common careers that moms choose when returning to work—if you’re going back to your current job, you can just skip ahead to the next section.
1. Nurse
Many moms choose nursing as a career because it offers variety in their day-to-day job and is great for multitaskers.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Nurses are typically scheduled 3 days a week.
- Flexible scheduling with the ability to determine your schedule, pick up extra shifts or switch shifts if needed.
- In-demand career with projected job growth of 5% by 2034.
Median pay (BLS): $93,600 per year
Education requirements: Most nursing jobs require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a nursing license issued by the state in which they work.
2. Teacher
Many moms choose teaching as a career since it offers a similar schedule to their children, and they can work hands-on with the next generation.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Teachers work the same hours that kids are in school and receive the same holidays off that their children do, making it easier to balance home and work life.
- Many teachers receive a pension, which is beneficial for retirement planning.
- A steady career with opportunity for growth due to teachers close to retirement.
Median pay (BLS): $62,310 per year
Education requirements: Most teaching jobs require a bachelor’s degree in education, as well as successful completion of a student teaching program.
3. Web Developer
Many moms choose web development as a career because it offers high growth opportunities and flexible scheduling.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Many roles are fully remote or hybrid schedules.
- There is the option to either work full-time, part-time, or freelance.
- In-demand career with projected job growth of 7% by 2034.
Median pay (BLS): $95,380 per year
Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in computer science is a typical requirement for this role, though many companies are starting to accept self-taught coders as well.
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4. HR Specialist
Many moms choose human resources (HR) as a career because it offers a reliable schedule and requires great communication.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Reliable scheduling with little to no overtime, weekend, or holiday hours.
- Soft skills required for this role are aligned with parental strengths, such as empathy and conflict resolution.
- In-demand career with projected job growth of 6% by 2034.
Median pay (BLS): $72,910 per year
Education requirements: Typically, HR specialists need a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or related fields.
5. Copywriter
Many moms choose copywriting as a career because it offers the opportunity to be creative and collaborative while having flexibility.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Many roles are fully remote or hybrid schedules.
- There is the option to either work full-time, part-time, or freelance.
- In-demand career with projected job growth of 4% by 2034.
Median pay (BLS): $72,270 per year
Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in English, communications, or journalism is generally required for this role.
6. Graphic Designer
Many moms choose graphic design as a career because it offers the opportunity to be creative and solve problems while having flexibility.
Flexibility & growth offered:
- Many roles are fully remote or hybrid schedules.
- There is the option to either work full-time, part-time, or freelance.
- Steady career with projected job growth of 2% by 2034.
Median pay (BLS): $61,300 per year
Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field is generally required for this role.
Career Advice by Moms, for Moms: Best Practices for Juggling Your Career and Home Life
Now that we’ve gone over some common career choices for working moms, let’s get into what our own experts—Christina Anapolsky, Koryna Zendejas, and Molly Benson—have to say about being a working mom.
Whether you’re coming back to the same role after maternity leave or entering a new industry after time as a stay-at-home mom, this guidance can help you balance work and home life without being overwhelmed.
1. Build a Consistent Daily Routine
The first tip that our experts shared is to create a schedule that you adhere to each day and make sure your leaders are aware of it. “I’d say establishing a routine and sticking to it has been the most helpful. So, every night I’m doing all the prep for what each kid needs the next day,” Christina explains.
And this works for more than just at-home tasks—Christina says you should also create a routine at work that emphasizes your needs as a mom. As she says, “Build a consistent daily routine to ease the transition schedule and maybe dedicate time to pumping and make it a nonnegotiable part of your day.”
2. Have Open and Honest Communication with Your Leader
It’s also important to loop in your leadership upon your return. Anything you can do to help ease that transition and be transparent will help you balance your job and home life as you return to work.
“Figure out what your capabilities are in that first week or so and set those expectations with your managers. Communicate exactly what you’re able to do and what your goals are to get through,” Koryna advises, “Just make sure that you’re always telling your leadership how you’re feeling and then setting goals with them to reintegrate yourself.”
And the more open you are with your leaders, the more support they are able to offer you. “Returning to work after my third maternity leave came with its challenges, but I’ve felt incredibly supported by my direct leader. Their encouragement to prioritize my family has made the experience of being a full-time working mom fulfilling,” Christina shares.
3. Plan Your Return in Advance
Another piece of advice is that you don’t have to wait until you’re back at work to start preparing for the change. Christina believes it’s important to “plan your return in advance by organizing reliable childcare, coordinating pick-up and drop-off logistics, and sharing your plan with your leader to ensure a smooth transition.”
“I think it starts primarily with really having a set up childcare structure, whatever that looks like. If that is like your parents coming in, if that’s hiring a nanny, if that’s daycare, I think you need to have that set up and do it before your first day back to work,” Koryna agrees.
One of the ways to do this is by starting your childcare option before you’ve gone back to work, so that you can practice the time it takes and prepare for the changes this brings. One of our experts took this advice herself.
“I did have daycare for my child start a week before I came back to work. And that way I could have this slow play of practicing dropping him off. How long did that take me to do that? How was I emotionally? You spend months with this tiny baby and then suddenly give them up for the entire day for 8 hours straight while you’re working. So, for me, that was kind of the practice that I tried to have before I came back,” Molly shares.
4. Give Yourself Grace as You Adjust
One of the most important tips? Reminding yourself that it’s okay to not be perfect. You’re adjusting to a major life change, and what works for each mom is going to look different.
Molly emphasizes, “Give yourself an immense amount of grace when you return to work because it does take time to find the rhythm that works for you and your family. There’s just such a stereotype put out on social media of this expectation that things run smoothly every single day. And that is just not reality for a mom, especially not a working mom.”
“Don’t expect yourself to be exactly how you were when you left right away. You will get there, and you’ll find your new normal. And you may even actually be better at the job because you’re going to figure out that you’re capable of balancing so much more. But that’s not going to be from day one,” Koryna says.
Of course, this is easier said than done—but being patient with yourself and allowing yourself that space to grow and learn can help ease the stress of balancing your life as a mom with your work life.
“The mom guilt is so real. Emotionally, I think the biggest thing that we struggle with as moms is trying to show up 100% for everyone 100% of the time. You will constantly feel like you’re tugged in different directions. It’s a bit unavoidable. And there’s not a silver bullet answer to just fixing it. It’s just accepting that you’re doing the best that you can, and you have to be OK with that,” Molly shares.
5. Create Your Own Support Groups
Another helpful reminder is that you don’t have to shoulder everything on your own—you can create a support network, either with other moms in your community or with other moms at your job, to help you navigate any struggles.
“Being a mom, especially a new mom, is so chaotic. It is also such a beautiful new chapter in life. But it comes with a lot of emotions and a lot of headaches and a lot of uncertainty. And having someone else to be a sounding board for you is so important,” Molly says.
She continues, “Find a support system in some way. Try to align yourself with other moms or parents that maybe have a similar lifestyle or values, or kids that are the same age. You’re going through the same milestones together. I think having that type of community is really beneficial.”
Our other experts highlight the importance of getting support from other moms, specifically those who can relate to your current obstacles, whether that may be obstacles in your career or obstacles that arise during certain stages of development for your child.
“I think it’s so helpful to have that community of people that you can go to who totally understand exactly what your job looks like and how they figure out the balance,” Koryna believes. Christina agrees, saying, “It’s nice to be able to lean on the other moms that are navigating the same current challenges.”
6. Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself
Adjusting to all these life changes means you’ve got so many new priorities that it can be hard to keep track of everything. But one of the most necessary recommendations we’ll give is to make yourself and your mental health a priority too.
As Molly says, “Once you become a parent, there is a constant To Do List always running in your head. I think as a mom, trying to get a grasp on that and not let it run you ragged is a skill that takes time to develop, because you think about being present for everybody that depends on you. And then you think about putting in time to take care of yourself. I feel like for me, if I don’t fill my own cup in some capacity, I cannot be present for everyone else.”
Life is a give and take. To make sure you’re equipped to handle the tough times and put in that extra effort for others, you need to put in effort for yourself as well. Christina agrees, “For me to feel fulfilled and successful at work, I need to be able to create a balance.”
This is when it’s important to remember you’ve got people you can lean on who can help, and you can take time to pour back into yourself through your hobbies or downtime as well. As Molly believes, “I think when you aren’t OK, when you’re having those moments where maybe that mom guilt is at full throttle or your emotions are running like a roller coaster and it’s getting the best of you, you need an outlet in some way.”
Balance Your Career and Life as a Mom
Coming back to work after some time away can be challenging, especially when you’re juggling responsibilities in different aspects of your life. But with some guidance and support, you can lighten the load a little.
One last piece of advice we’ll leave you with: “Being a mom is not a hindrance or a burden at all. You can really just unlock new capabilities in yourself. And while it’s going to be really hard at first to get back into the workforce, you’re going to surprise yourself. If you have a good support system and childcare setup in place, you can really thrive,” Koryna says.
And if you’re looking to step into a new career this time around, check out the Insight Global job board for opportunities.
by Patrick Glynn 
by Brita Long 