2020 will be a defining decade for moms. This millennial generation has pushed previously taboo topics into norms, including the gold standard for workplace. We have made convenience “mom’ing” a new and normal way of life. Trust me, I know the day-to-day grind can jade us, but there are incredible advancements and overall mom wins we have made these last 10 years. These are just some areas worth celebrating…
Work is where you work.
Many companies are starting to take the Google approach to attract top-notch female talent. Six months of full pay maternity leave is a new bar that companies are striving to reach towards. While outsiders may critique this extent of time, the results in retention companies see most times outweigh any of the losses they may think to experience with a gap in service. Others are complementing with extended paternity pay, which, in turn, benefits the mother immensely! We need to work with all business verticals to begin to offer our moms options. (Yes, plural. More than one path!).
In addition to leave options, employers are beginning to grow more intrigued with and actually embrace remote working. There is the motivation that employees will give to a said employer, and there are also many overhead and logistical/financial benefits to this model. For moms, this trend will only continue to take shape in the coming years! We can work to find a balance. Employees can be better because our mind isn’t stretched to the long commute home or how to stay healthy when there is no time to cook meals. Crossing my fingers for further adoption of this model!
Staying at home does not equal sitting at home.
As a former SAHM, I know all too well the pros and cons of this scenario. However, I do also feel that this form of motherhood varies greatly from that of our mothers and grandmothers. We have had many more options for our kids to thrive socially out of the home while also having the chance to make mom groups a reality.
I worked hard to get my son and I out into the world, to take advantage of the programs in our local area. We would frequent Kindermusik classes, local storytimes, and even open gyms for children who aren’t yet school-aged. This made SAHM life so rewarding, a win-win for both myself and my child.
In addition to the child development side, there is the financial end. The MLM game has made side hustles an income stream for the otherwise strict budget households. Sure, Avon and Tupperware may have been the OGs for years prior, but nothing compares to the options out there for the taking today! We have clean beauty, health coaching, selling kids books…the options are endless! These options allow some financial freedom and, many times, that much needed “tribe.”
Making it all convenient
Our generation today are the first parents being part of the glory that is Amazon Prime! We have since grown further to allow drive-up grocery options (when we have that screaming newborn) or, even better, Instacart-type services to have groceries delivered to your own doorstep. We have the ability to “mom” how we need to when we need to!
Do we need some time to be a homebody with a newborn? Did we just have brain-fog and forgot the teacher gift or the team snack just hours before? It’s OK to be a mom taking advantage of convenience; it is a huge part of this new generation and a trend not slowing down any time soon!
My delivery shoppers have actually been mamas, just a few years past the stage I am in. Their kids are all in school, and they are looking for income during those school time hours. Moms helping moms, gotta love it!
Using social media to help “mom”
While I know social media today can be a blessing and a curse, I want to focus on the positives! Pinterest is, without question, one of those great social wins over these past 10 years. Crazy to think back to what this particular social medium has provided for moms/brides/teachers/etc. this past decade! 
We have a single place to grow our curious mom minds. What is the best sensory box I can make at home? Or, how do I redesign my home office? We have a go-to hub for the daily “what to dos” of our day. Social platforms are not just a connector; instead, I believe they have also expanded our potential. There is only more to come as brands become more intertwined and offer us even more personalization.
Bring it, 2020!
We have blurred the once-set job roles, allowing for every lady to feel like a “boss babe” in her own regard. We pushed what we thought were limits, only to make way for more avenues in these crazy amazing parenting years. We exploded social media with motherhood memes and stories to give that support in the moments we really need it. Great job, mamas! Let us keep it going into the new decade!
