We talk to some Central Florida mothers about how they’ve found personal and professional fulfillment without sacrificing either, and the importance of being gentle with yourself when you just can’t be two people at once.

Reaping the rewards of growing your family or advancing you career often feels like an either-or decision rather than two goals one person can achieve, albeit with plenty of trial and error, support and self-compassion along the way.

Of course, not everyone has loved ones they can rely on as regular babysitters, access to an affordable daycare program they trust with their children, or employers offering the flexibility that makes parents’ and guardians’ lives a little easier, all of which can make finding that optimal and realistic work/life balance an even more daunting task than it inherently is.

And it may be a balance that takes some time to find, as two Central Florida working mothers can certainly attest to—and also note that what works now might not work later on, making that pursuit an ongoing work in progress. But both have some lived-in wisdom to offer, from practical advice to the necessity of being gentle with yourself, no matter how loud and inescapable the self-directed “mom guilt” can get.

As a working parent, what’s helped you find the right balance between your personal and professional lives?

“I feel like it’s obviously never going to be a perfect balance, that as my son continues to grow and every stage is different, I’m constantly going to be working towards a healthy balance. … But I work for an organization that also supports a healthy work/life balance: I’m extremely lucky and extremely blessed that I get to work remote—and I think that is the biggest thing, and obviously having a partner that is supportive, as well. And then I think it is just trial and error, and also not putting too much guilt on myself. If I have a big project or something coming up and I’m focusing more of my time on work, I’ll try to balance it out with something like—and this is what works for me—giving my son an extra 30 minutes a day of uninterrupted time when the phone goes away and we’ll do something that prioritizes him, like playing with Legos together.”
—Jenna Escobar, Marketing & Communication Program Manager, Nemours Children’s Health

“I do commercial real estate but I also do residential and business sales, so it really never ends for me, I don’t really have a slow season. I still feel like I’m working too much, which is hard because I love my job and I love to work and don’t want to give that up, but I also want to be a good mom and be present. So I’m still learning how to find that balance because, for me, working a lot is something I’ve always done. … I’m trying to be better about priorities and getting up earlier to do some work before everyone gets up so that I have a couple hours in the morning where I’m not rushing. I don’t want to be that mom where kids pick up on that energy when you’re rushing them, so it’s important that my son gets a stress-free morning; it’s a little harder to turn off work at the end of the day, but I can always get some work done after he goes to bed—because he is at that age where he’s like, ‘Mommy, get off the phone,’ and then I’ll feel that guilt. I also have my husband keeping me in check: We just went on vacation, and he reminded me that our son won’t be little forever and want me around all the time—but right now, he does.”
—Lisa Mahjoub, Realtor, The Real Estate Collection

Do you have any advice for those caregivers who are still identifying the balance that works best for their families?

“Do the best you can with your circumstances and try not to feel guilty—especially moms, I think we really battle that. We really have that guilt of trying to get it all done and being a good mom and also work and having a career. … We all get into mindset of ‘I’ve gotta get this done,’ and sometimes you need that reminder to slow down and take in these moments, and that work will still be there tomorrow.”
—Lisa Mahjoub

“It’s definitely trial and error, but I would tell other moms to give yourself grace and patience—and remember that what you read on social media about other parents doing it all is probably not true! As long as you’re finding time to spend with your family and making yourself happy and only taking on what you can, that’s the biggest thing because that’s just going to radiate into your whole life. … It has taken me five years to learn that it’s OK to prioritize yourself, too, because I think a happy parent is a better parent.”
—Jenna Escobar