How Working Mothers Strive to Balance Professional and Family Responsibilities

As more women enter full-time employment, working mothers are increasingly navigating the difficult balance between career responsibilities and parenting, often under mounting emotional and practical pressure. From managing office deadlines to caring for children and running households, many mothers say modern parenting has become a constant balancing act.

Working mother Anamica Singh said one of the biggest challenges is staying on top of children’s needs even while being away from home. “I am already out of the home when they are going to school. If one of them needs to be given medicine, I have to remember to call home and remind someone. It is like an alarm goes off in your brain at particular hours,” she said.

Another mother, Arushi Mathur, said work and parenting frequently collide in ways that demand immediate attention. “There are times when I have an urgent deadline to meet or an urgent email, and an unexpected illness or a tantrum also comes along,” she said, adding that limited professional support systems make it harder to manage responsibilities and expectations.

As a result, some parents turn to digital devices to manage their children during busy or exhausting days, despite concerns around screen exposure. Singh said that while she does not want her children to become dependent on screens, she sometimes sees them as a practical option. “If a phone can get them to finish their dinner and go to bed, I am up for it,” she said. Mathur also said limited screen time can help create “a little breathing room” during hectic schedules.

Doctors, however, have advised moderation. Dr Rakshay Shetty of Rainbow Children’s Hospital said children below the age of two should only be exposed to screens for video calls, while children aged between two and five should have no more than one hour of supervised screen time a day. For older children, he said, screen use should not interfere with sleep, exercise, studies or family interaction.

Medical experts also stressed the importance of regular parent-child interaction for healthy emotional development. Dr Sujatha Thyagarajan of Aster Whitefield Hospital said children build emotional security through repeated and predictable interactions with caregivers, not only through occasional planned moments. She noted that even a few focused hours of attentive parenting can be more valuable than long stretches of distracted presence.

Dr Nitin M, consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at Motherhood Hospitals, said simple daily routines such as fixed waking and bedtime schedules, along with 15 minutes of uninterrupted time spent reading, talking or storytelling, can help provide children with stability and security.

With nuclear families on the rise and support systems shrinking, many mothers say the burden of balancing work and home continues to grow — along with the guilt that comes with it. (Agencies)

Also Read: Chupa Chupi: Assamese Rural Thriller Blends Suspense, Social Commentary and Family Entertainment