7 values that a working mother unknowingly passes on to her kids

It’s a truth that kids emulate their parents (especially a mother) when they are young. However, during the process they unknowingly pick up some valuable life lessons that can help them later on in life.

Working mothers, in particular, are a working (we would like to substitute living with working here) example for their kids and while they have a tough time juggling life, work and kids, the simple rules they follow can be important values that they teach their kids unknowingly.

Here are five important values that a working mother unknowingly passes on to her kids.

There’s no doubt about it that working mothers have to be on time, whether they like it or not. And, if you happen to be an Indian mother living in the big metro cities of Mumbai and Delhi you have to keep the travel time in mind as well, which could be anywhere from an hour to two hours.

Being a working mother myself, I have seen that as I have a set routine and I usually stick to it. As my daughter watches me do it every day, she has started understanding the value of time and punctuality even though she’s just five. I say that as I hear phrases like “Mummy, hurry up we are getting late” or “Mummy be quick we will be late” from her every now and then.

Sushma Swaraj with daughter Bansuri Swaraj. [Image courtesy: uncutindia.com]

Like every working mother I have a particular time in the day that I do nothing but spend time with my daughter asking her about her daily activities and general things that are important to her. Or sometimes it could just be a TLC session where we just go silly dancing or playing with each other.

Similarly, there is a time slot for her Dad as well and she knows that this is the time that she has to be with her family come what may.

Continue reading on the next page to know about other values that a working mother passes on to her kids unknowingly!

Making time for the family and respecting relationships is something that a working mother has to keep in mind, especially if she happens to live with her in-laws or other relatives. And her kids see her doing that every day, which is why automatically they start following her footsteps.

When you see your mother doing everything by herself, you learn to not be dependent on others and naturally develop a self-confidence that pushes you do things on your own. You don’t need a saviour to solve your problems; you do it yourself and learn a lot of things in the process.

Kids of working parents see that mummies and daddies share responsibilities and do everything they can to help each other out.

This is something that we need to teach our Indian kids if we want our girls to treated as equals. In my house, everything is shared. So if the maid doesn’t turn up, there are days that my husband cleans the dishes and the laundry.

There are days when I am unable to take leave when my daughter is sick or her daycare is shut, but my husband works from home or takes an off. Though these are simple daily activities, I can easily say that my daughter is observing them closely and knows that mumma and papa are equals.

Working life can be tough and there are days when you’ve had an argument with the boss or you are neck-deep in work, but you learn to deal with it and fight it out.

And, you still manage to do your chores at home with a smile on your face. And in the process, your child is watching you and knows that while life is not a bed or roses, you will survive difficult situations if you fight it out.

Like it or not, kids of working mothers have to get things done by themselves when the mother is not around. This means that they have no luxury of throwing tantrums and postpone urgent work such as finishing your homework even when your mother is not around.

You have to adjust to new situations and people and you learn to have a more mature outlook towards life.

When kids see their mother doing everything she can to make a mark and follow her dreams, they become ambitious and set goals early on in life and are ready to take life’s challenges heads on.

Also read: 5 challenges Indian working mothers faces every day

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